The winter meetings are coming up this offseason and trade rumors have been flying as names like Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Starlin Castro, Cole Hamels, Jeff Samardzija, Brandon Moss and Evan Gattis have come up in various reports and those players could be the main focus for teams like the Seattle Mariners, LA Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, NY Yankees and Chicago Cubs at the meetings.
Samardzija is a name to watch, as the Oakland Athletics are likely going to continue making moves after trading away Josh Donaldson this offseason to the Blue Jays. The Atlanta Braves have been rumored to be shopping Justin Upton and Evan Gattis, while the Cubs have been mentioned in rumors about trading shortstop Starlin Castro. The team came out to say that Castro isn't going anywhere, but if they get some top pitching prospects, the Cubs could pull the trigger on a deal.
Cole Hamels has been mentioned in trade talk heading into the deadline, but he has a no trade clause for the Phillies and could dictate how things go. Brandon Moss is likely to get moved and Hardball Talk reports that he is getting targeted by the Cleveland Indians and could be traded during the winter meetings. Matt Kemp has also been mentioned in connection with the Mariners, Orioles and Padres, as all of those teams want to add some offense to their lineups.
Hamels has pitched in the AL before and he is a potential target for the Red Sox according to Joel Sherman, In 10 starts in the AL, Hamels has gone 3-5 with a 5.40 ERA and that could be a potential issue for teams. Jon Lester could help along with this deal, as the teams who miss out on signing him could go for Hamels, who has four years and nearly $100 million left on his deal.
The Dodgers are an interesting team to watch overall, as they have a glut of outfielders with Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier. The team could look at moving one or two of those names and that would allow Yasiel Puig and Joc Pedersen to play as full starters. The team has been connected to the Padres and Mariners regarding Kemp and the largest issue is likely the money in his contract.
The Mariners have been connected to lots of players and trades and part of that is work by execs and agents to build up value and attention for their players. The Mariners have been identified as a team willing to spend and make moves, which is why they are getting connected to everyone. The team signed Nelson Cruz and traded Michael Saunders and now they have been connected to trades with Justin Upton and Matt Kemp as well as Yoenis Cespedes, while Melky Cabrera has also been called a target.