Nobody really makes trades in May -- at least not big ones. But teams should make trades in May, or at least think about them. While it's too early for the Rangers to consider dealing Yu Darvish or for the Mariners to consider trading Nelson Cruz, here are five trade ideas that makes sense.
Kansas City Royals trade CF Lorenzo Cain to the Washington Nationals
This one's the easiest one on the board. With Adam Eaton likely out for the season with a torn ACL, Michael Taylor is the new center fielder. Taylor has more than 800 career plate appearances in the majors and has been the definition of a replacement-level player with minus-0.3 career WAR. There is some upside there with his power and OK defense, but do you want to bank on upside when you're trying to win a World Series?
Manager Dusty Baker voiced his opinion on moving Trea Turner or Bryce Harper to center -- "No, leave my team alone," he said last weekend -- when asked about either possibility. So we turn to Cain, a free agent after the season. Given that Cain is 31, the Royals are more likely to allocate their resources for fellow free agents Mike Moustakas or Eric Hosmer (gulp).
Cain should have similar value as a guy like Ben Zobrist, whom the Royals acquired for the World Series run in 2015, giving up a B-plus pitching prospect in Sean Manaea (while the A's also included some cash). Erick Fedde, the Nationals' No. 1 pick in 2014, is in Double-A, or the Royals could gamble on somebody like 18-year-old outfielder Juan Soto, who has some big potential at the plate.
Chicago White Sox trade RP David Robertson to the Nationals
The Nationals had a good bullpen last year, but everyone was worried heading into this season because it lacked a "proven closer." Blake Treinen lost his job after walking too many batters, so Shawn Kelley and rookie Koda Glover were sharing the role, but Glover landed on the DL with a sore hip. Kelley already has surrendered five home runs, and his severe platoon splits make him best suited for a setup role, so Baker can spot him against right-handed batters. The rest of the pen hasn't been good either, as the Nationals entered the week with a 5.70 ERA.
There is no Aroldis Chapman or Mark Melancon available this season, but Robertson is on the next tier of closers. He's off to a good start with 15 K's in 9⅔ innings, so he still has swing-and-miss stuff, though his walk rate has spiked the past couple of seasons. With rotation stalwarts Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg in their prime and the offense still powerful without Eaton, the Nats need to go all-in right now. Robertson makes $12 million this year and $13 million next year, so they wouldn't have to give up much in prospects, as it primarily would be a salary dump for the White Sox.
Minnesota Twins trade Ervin Santana to the Colorado Rockies
Look, I don't like to advocate a trade when a team is over .500, but I'm not sure the Twins are this good. Maybe they are. I hope they are. But there are times when you should sell high and now is that time. Santana is 5-0 with a 0.66 ERA and a .120 average allowed. Not to rain on his parade, but he didn't suddenly turn into the most unhittable pitcher of all time. So the rebuilding Twins should cash in and obtain younger parts that fit their long-term plans.
So, the Rockies? Yes, time for the Rockies to make a splash. You know they're going to need rotation depth at some point, especially with Tyler Anderson struggling and German Marquez perhaps not quite ready for the majors, and Santana comes with the bonus of being signed through 2019 at reasonable rates ($13.5 million, $13.5 million, $14 million team option). The Rockies have what the Twins need: pitching prospects with strikeout potential. There's Riley Pint, last year's No. 1 pick, but he's a million miles from the majors at this point, so you'd be looking at Marquez, Jeff Hoffman or Ryan Castellani as the centerpiece of a deal.
Toronto Blue Jays trade Kevin Pillar to the Cleveland Indians
It's looking more like a lost season for the Jays. They could try to deal Josh Donaldson at some point, but they also could keep him and retool in the offseason. Because the other older guys are mostly untradable (Troy Tulowitzki, Kendrys Morales), Pillar could be a prime trade candidate, as an elite defensive center fielder who is also off to a good start the plate.
The Indians are basically faking center field right now, playing converted third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall out there along with Austin Jackson, who is really a backup outfielder at this point in his career. Tyler Naquin struggled defensively there last season, and he's in the minors right now, and Bradley Zimmer isn't going to help this year given his strikeout rate in Triple-A. The Indians are a good team and adding Pillar's defense will shore up a big problem. If I'm Cleveland, I trade Zimmer for Pillar and make the team better in 2017.
Oakland A's trade 1B Yonder Alonso to New York Yankees
First base across the American League has been a disaster so far, with the Yankees, Mariners, Rangers, Twins, Angels, Indians and Royals all receiving poor production. No team has been worse than the Yankees with a .143/.257/.242 line, mostly thanks to Greg Bird's 6-for-60 start. Bird is currently on the DL with a bruised ankle and while Brian Cashman shot down the idea of sending Bird down to Triple-A, the Yankees look good and acquiring a short-term fix for first base makes sense. There's nothing wrong with having Bird, who missed 2016 after shoulder surgery, polish his game in Triple-A.
Alonso, a career mediocrity, is a new hitter in 2017. He's one of those guys who changed his swing to improve his launch angle, and his fly ball rate has gone up from 30 percent to 47 percent, and he already has hit six home runs after hitting seven in all of 2016. He's a free agent after the season, so he wouldn't be a roadblock to Bird in 2018. The Yankees have a deep system, but Alonso wouldn't cost one of the top prospects.