The Real Beneficiaries of Possible Trades, Part One

With July around the corner, news and rumors regarding baseball’s top trade chips will increase, as some teams improve for the stretch run, while others look forward to the years ahead. Most of the names in the rumors will be high profile major leaguers, many of whom in their contract season, but there are some who deserve a trade, not for just an opportunity for the post season, but for a career. Nearly every Major League Baseball franchise has players currently languishing on the bench or in the upper levels of the farm with nowhere to go, as they are blocked by other players. Here are five players who would benefit from a change of scenery.

Brandon Drury and Ronald Torreyes

The New York Yankees hold the best record in the league. With a roster as star-studded as the Bronx Bombers have, it’s no wonder that there are outstanding players in the organization who are on the outside looking in. Drury was acquired in a three-team trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays in which the Yanks sent Taylor Widener to Phoenix and Nick Solak to south Florida. The trade was made with the expectation that Miguel Andujar would not be ready for the major leagues this season, but the 23-year-old is hitting .286 with 10 home runs. Unfortunately for Drury, Andujar proved that he belongs in the major leagues and Drury continues to sit in Triple-A holding a comical .322/.432/.480 batting line.

Torreyes was picked up out of DFA limbo from the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2016 season. He made the Yankees opening day roster and has become one of the most underappreciated players in the entire league with a career .287/.316/.381 batting line, while boasting the ability to play defense at multiple positions while bringing an outstanding clubhouse presence. Still just 25, the pint-sized utility guy would be a boost to just about any major league organization.

Solution to keep both: Release Neil Walker and option Greg Bird while having Drury start at first and Torreyes serve as a utility infielder.

Otherwise: Trade the pair to Atlanta to acquire Julio Teheran.

Yandy Diaz, Mark Zagunis and Victor Caratini

Starting with Yandy Diaz, he is blocked by Jose Ramirez at third base with the Cleveland Indians for the foreseeable future, and is too old to wait. He currently boasts a strong .298/.432/.376 batting line in Triple-A Columbus at 26-years old.

The other two are both major league ready with the potential to be above average major leaguers, who are totally blocked in the Chicago Cubs organization. Down on the farm, Zagunis is hitting .260/.383/.325 while Catatini slashes .338/.432/.538. Both have been considered to be highly rated prospects for quite a while now, but arrived in Chicago at the wrong time, as Caratini is blocked by Willson Contreras and the Cubs outfield mix contains Jacob Heyward, Albert Almora, Ben Zobrist, Ian Happ, and Kyle Schwarber. 

I do not see any plausible solutions to keep both players, therefore, I would suggest a three-team trade in which the Cubs acquire J.A. Happ, the Toronto Blue Jays acquire Caratini, Diaz, and a mid-level Indians prospect, and the Cleveland receives Zagunis and Ryan Tepera.

I figure this deal solves the Cubs rotation woes, the Indians bullpen issues while giving them a possible replacement for Lonnie Chisenhall for next season, and nets the Jays some near major league ready players who can help them compete again next season, as is their goal.