Hypothetical Trades

It's getting towards the end of April, and the season is off a good start. Now that May is looming, trade talks will slowly build around certain players. As such, I am going to explore some trades, from the absurd to the not so absurd and discuss the ramifications of each.

Clay Buchholz for Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

This trade makes a lot of sense for the RedSox. There is no doubt that Varitek has seen better days. If the RedSox still had Kelly Shoppach, this would not be an issue. The Rangers get some much needed pitching help, and the RedSox get a dual-position player with a high upside. Not only that, but Saltalamacchia has said in an interview that he would like to play for the RedSox.

However, I don't think that this trade will ever happen. Last year would have made a lot of sense given the Rangers' depth at catcher. Now, the Rangers have Salty and Teagarden, the latter is better for defense, and the former, for offense.

Stephen Drew and Jarrod Parker for Cliff Lee

Earlier in the week there was discussion of the possibility of a Cliff Lee trade this season. If the Indians wanted a repeat of the CC Sabathia trade, then this would be the best case scenario. The Indians need a SS, and Stephen Drew could fulfill that. If Lee were to be traded, it would have to be to the NL. After a rough first two starts, Lee has put together back to back quality starts, both with pitch counts above 100. There is no doubt he is putting on a decent amount of mileage on his arm, and a move to the NL might help reduce that.

For the Diamondbacks, this trade makes sense because Webb is gone for 6 weeks at least. Danny Haren has been nothing but phenomenal so far, but he can't be this good all the time and needs a solid number one in front of him.

The Diamondbacks don't really have a good backup at shortstop, so it would be difficult for them to part with Stephen Drew.

Jarrod Parker is the top prospect in the Diamondbacks organization, ranked #29 overall by Baseball America, and will undoubtedly draw interest from many teams if he ever becomes available.

Andruw Jones for Ian Kennedy

Ian Kennedy's stock has fallen far. Andruw Jones, in his limited playing time, has done well, getting nine hits in nineteen at-bats (as of this writing). The Yankees get even more OF depth to help out while Nady is on the DL, whose return won't be for another 4 weeks at the earliest, probably five weeks after a rehab assignment to AAA Scanton-Wilkes Barre.

The Rangers, once again, get pitching help. A move to the south definitely would help Ian Kennedy, who isn't really fit for the atmosphere of the Bronx. He's been amazing in the minors, but can't seem to translate that into Major League success. The easier NL West definitely would help him, as would the dimensions of the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

This trade probably won't happen. Kennedy was high on Kennedy when Johan was on the block, and Andruw Jones isn't nearly as good or as needed as Johan was in the Bronx. The Yankees still hope that he can find major league success.