4 MLB Trades That Should Happen

Earlier this week I read this article by former Reds and Nationals GM Jim Bowden suggesting 5 trades contenders should make to boost their chances this season.  ESPN isn't paying me big bucks for failing at my previous job so you only get 4 instead of 5 trade suggestions.  Jim has clearly improved though since trading Paul O'Neil to the Yankees for Roberto Kelly but regardless, his current suggestions left more to be desired.  Thus my four....        


       
1. New York Mets trade 3B David Wright to the Los Angeles Angels for OF Peter Bourjos and C Hand Congers.



Met's ownership is currently bleeding money. The Madoff Ponzi scandal has left the Mets franchise crippled with it already dropping payroll by $50 million... It is public knowledge that the Wilpon family thought it had in the hundreds of millions sitting in the bank with Madoff which were unrealized and is currently being sued for between $300 million and $1 billion depending on sources. Ownership needs to realize that with the financial restraints, this team needs to bottom out before it can move forward.

The easiest way to bottom out is to trade away valuable assets. This will allow for two things. First and most importantly it will allow the put the Mets in the top five of the draft, thus securing talent for the future. Secondly, it will give the ownership group and opportunity to be honest with their fans. There have been plenty of trust issues between Met fans and ownership over the course of the past year and a half. Come clean and let the fans know how bad the financial restraints are. Show that you plan on building for 2015 and beyond because of mistakes and damaging investments. The Wilpons would be surprised by the amount of sympathy they will gain by just being honest with their fans.

David Wright clearly has value to a great many franchises around Major League Baseball. While he is not a franchise player, he is in the upper echelon of complementary players around the big leagues. By trading Wright for young Major League talent then can either move each of these pieces for other Minor League players in a year or two or make Bourjos and Congers the building blocks of the franchise going forward. If the Mets don't have confidence in Ike Davis going forward, Mark Trumbo would be a nice substitute for Hank Congers in this trade.

As for the Angels, they've clearly made the next 3 to 4 years their window to win championships and make Los Angeles an Angels town with the signings of Pujols and Wilson this offseason. Bringing in Wright would give the Angels a nucleus of Pujols, Wright, and Trout going forward which could compete with any 2, 3, and 4 in the MLB. With the contracts of Tori Hunter and Bobby Abreu expiring after the season, the Angels will have $27 million coming off the books and also have the ability to either trade Mark Trumbo or Kendrys Morales going forward as well.




2. Atlanta Braves trade P Jair Jurrjens to the Kansas City Royals for OF Wil Myers and P Chris Dwyer.




The Kansas City Royals are more than likely two years away from competing for the Central and winning a World Series but the Royals can compete in the present without jeopardizing their future.

Acquiring Jurrgens would give then a front of the rotation starter to complement their lineup, which has been at the top of the Major Leagues the last two seasons, and bridge the gap while top pitching prospects such as Mick Montgomery and Jake Odorizzi make their way to the Major Leagues. Myers and Dwyer project as complementary pieces going forward for the Royals but hold greater value to teams who lack the depth KC's minor league system holds.

As for the Braves, they have Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino, and Randall Delgado making their ways to the Majors quickly. With a surplus of pitching, it makes sense to move Jurrjens and add a top hitting prospects to improve the line up going forward. Don't sleep on the fact that Royals GM Dayton Moore worked with the Braves from 1994 until joining the Royals in 2006.





3. Houston Astros trade P Wandy Rodriguez to the Boston Red Sox for OF Brandon Jacobs.




Currently the Red Sox have Daniel Bard and Alfredo Aceves. With John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzake injured, the Red Sox would be unwise to enter camp with only 3 proven Major League Starters. Bard has a dynamic arm and Aceves has proven to be very affective as a spot starter but adding another quality left handed arm will only booster the Red Sox chances of making the playoffs this season.

The Astros held their own mini fire sale last season, dumping their top two players in Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn for limited returns. With a new ownership group in Houston, now is the time to take advantage of value of potential free agents such as Rodriguez. With the new CBA signed by the owners and players, players traded mid-season no longer bring with them the complementary draft pick if they sign elsewhere. Controlling the rights to a player all season is the only way to secure the draft pick. Trading Rodriguez and his reasonable contract allows the addition value of the added draft pick which will save the Astros around 8 million for this season which they could invest in the draft and international players this year.




4. Seattle Mariners trade P Felix Hernandez to the Miami Marlins for OF Mike Stanton, P Anibal Sanchez and OF Chris Coghlan




With the Marlins rumored to be signing Yoenis Cespedes, they will have a major surplus of outfielders going forward. They might as well utilize that strength to imrove their team. Mike Stanton appears to be more Adam Dunn than Babe Ruth, so now seems the opportune time to move him in a blockbuster while his stock is high.

The Marlins give up three Major League ready players all coming at very reasonable salaries to a Mariners team that lacks depth across the board. If they decide to keep Hernandez going forward, he might leave via free agency before the team currently constructed is able to compete. If either of these GM's were approached with this trade, I'm not sure who would say no.