The MLB trade rumors are starting to heat up as the season wears on and with the deadline a couple months away, names like David Price, Cliff Lee, Matt Kemp, James Shields, Jeff Samardzija, Jim Johnson and Andre Ethier could be on the trading block and this comes as Kendrys Morales is likely close to a deal and he signed with the Twins and teams like the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers could be interested in making deals.
The Red Sox have been mentioned in connection with Matt Kemp, as the Dodgers have been using him in left field and they also have benched him multiple times this season as he comes back from injuries. The Red Sox need some outfield help and the teams could trade again for a superstar like they did in the past with Adrian Gonzalez. Shields and Jim Johnson have also been mentioned with Samardzija as players that could get moved.
The NY Yankees are a team that also could be in the trade market and earlier they were shopping Ichiro Suzuki once again and the trade rumors have the team willing to pick up some of his salary in the right deal and Jon Heyman reports on CBS Sports that the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies could be potential fits for the outfielder, as New York has a crowded stable with Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, Brett Gardner and Alfonso Soriano.
Suzuki is coming off of his worst season batting average-wise and he is coming off of a year hitting 262 with seven home runs and a .639 OPS and now he could be on his way out of New York. According to CBS Sports, Jon Heyman writes that the Yankees would be willing to pay part of Suzuki's $6.5 million salary in a trade as long as they could get a "good prospect" in return, but that could be tough since he is a 40-year-old outfielder. Suzuki came over to the team in a trade a couple years ago and he signed a two year deal after his contract came up and at the time the Yankees didn't realize they would be adding so many free agent outfielders.
Brian Cashman said that the team has plans on using Suzuki as a fourth outfielder and he added that the former Mariners star still has value to the team as an elite defender and a player that can steal a base and make plays. Suzuki said earlier in the offseason that he has no plans to retire and after the team shopped him during the winter, the Philadelphia Phillies emerged as a possible destination. Heyman writes that the Detroit Tigers could be a potential partner as well after they lost outfielder Andy Dirks to back surgery and now he is likely to be out for a few months.
The Yankees likely won't be able to net much for Suzuki and while he would rather have a bigger role, things could change if someone gets injured for the Yankees and on top of that, he could be a very valuable player on the bench for a winning team. Ichiro still has 2,742 career hits to his name and whether or not he gets traded, the star will keep himself in tip top shape and if Joe Girardi opts to use him, he will be ready.
The Yankees have a ton of pressure on them this season after spending millions on free agents and missing the playoffs last year and just some of the new names in pinstripes include Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Masahiro Tanaka, Carlos Beltran and Brian Roberts. The team could try and use Ichiro to get an upgrade or a backup at second base since Roberts has not been able to stay healthy over the past four seasons, but the Yankees are confident that he will be able to play as a full-time starter this year. The Yankees have been playing very well this spring and the biggest decision for Girardi is who he will use as the fifth starter with Michael Pineda and David Phelps playing well.
