The MLB trade deadline is months away, but after Mark Trumbo was traded players like Ben Zobrist, Scott Kazmir and Tyler Clippard have garnered attention, as the Oakland Athletics are sputtering and teams like the Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and NY Yankees could be interested in making moves with the A's.
Zobrist is one of the main targets on the trade market this year, as he is heading into free agency and with Athletics in last place, he will be attractive for many teams. According to CBS Sports and Hardball Talk, the Washington Nationals, NY Yankees, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets have all shown interested in Zobrist and those are the main teams to watch near the deadline. Ken Rosenthal reported last week that the Nationals were "talking" to the A's about Zobrist, while Jon Heyman reported the Yankees interest.
Prior to last week the Chicago Cubs were one of the main teams looking into Zobrist, as the Chicago Tribune reported that the team could try and reunite Zobrist with his old manager Joe Maddon. Zobrist is such a unique target on the market, as he can play nearly any position on the field, including the middle infield and both corner outfield positions. Zobrist would be able to fill numerous needs for teams, especially the Yankees, who have had putrid offensive output from second base with Stephen Drew and from shortstop with Did Gregorius.
Zobrist is making an affordable $7.5 million this season and he comes in hitting .205 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in just 26 games played. Zobrist's stats are not great, but he missed a month due to knee surgery and his value is more about defense than hitting, but over his career he has been a strong offensive player. The Nationals likely would use Zobrist at one of the outfield spots, as the team is dealing with some injury issues and he could play left field for Jayson Werth.
The Mets and Yankees are both contending and both teams have needs in the infield and the outfield, making Zobrist a solid target. The Mets need more production and he also would be a stalwart defensive player, while the Yankees would love to get some more pop in the middle with Drew at second base. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Cubs like Zobrist and that if he is added he could play left field or spend time in the infield after dealing with some injuries.
The Red Sox could be active at the trade deadline this season, as they have had a disappointing start after making some major moves in the offseason. The pitching rotation was supposed to be a strength, but so far it has been a mess and that could lead the team to target players like Kazmir or Cole Hamels. The Red Sox are considered to be one of the favorites for Hamels and the Phillies are almost guaranteed to trade him this summer. Hamels has been mentioned in trade talks since last year's deadline and he fits a major need for the Red Sox.
