10 noteworthy trade candidates for MLB offseason

Didi Gregorius: SS, Philadelphia Phillies

Remaining money owed: $14.5 million in 2022

After Gregorius shined in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Phillies re-signed him to a two-year, $28-million deal, which they would certainly like a mulligan on. While Marcus Semien -- another free-agent option at shortstop last winter -- had an MVP-caliber season in Toronto, Gregorius was one of the league's least effective players. Across 368 at-bats, Gregorius slashed just .209/.270/.370. He had -11 defensive runs saved at shortstop, perhaps making clear that a position change is required for the 31-year-old. Though there's no evidence supporting his claim, Gregorius blamed the COVID-19 vaccine on him developing pseudogout in his right elbow. His throwing elbow is the same one that he had Tommy John surgery on in October 2018. At his season-ending press conference, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said that Gregorius has been told he's not guaranteed to be the team's Opening Day shortstop in 2022, and you increasingly feel like a trade -- one in which the Phillies would almost certainly have to eat some money -- may be the best resolution for all parties.

Luke Voit: 1B, New York Yankees

Remaining money owed: Projected to make $5.4 million in first year of arbitration eligibility

After leading the league with 22 home runs in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Voit hit .239 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 68 games this past season. After a hot stretch in August, Voit said that he "deserved to play just as much as he does" -- referencing the recently acquired Anthony Rizzo. Whether the Yankees re-sign Rizzo or acquire another veteran option, Voit may be hard-pressed to get as many at-bats as he believes he deserves in the Bronx. Certainly, there would be interest in Voit, who will turn 31 in February, if the Yankees shop him this winter.

Willson Contreras: C, Chicago Cubs

Remaining money owed: Projected to make $8.7 million in third and final year of arbitration eligibility

After the Cubs traded Javier Báez, Kris Bryant and Rizzo in late July ahead of the trade deadline, Contreras is the only position player left that helped the team to win the World Series in 2016. The Cubs "will almost certainly shop him" this winter if they can't agree on a long-term deal, Sahadev Sharma of the Athletic wrote in October. For the morale of the fan base, it would certainly be a good look if a major-market team re-signs one of its stars. At the same time, the Cubs are seemingly a few years away from contending, so it's fair to wonder if making a major commitment to a catcher makes sense at this juncture for president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.

Adam Frazier: 2B, San Diego Padres

Remaining money owed: Projected to make $7.2 million in third and final year of arbitration eligibility

Frazier was an All-Star for the first time in 2021, slashing .324/.388/.448 with an .836 OPS in 98 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, the soon-to-be 30-year-old experienced a noticeable regression after being traded to the Padres, as he slashed .267/.327/.335 with a .662 OPS in 57 games. Certainly, there's value in having a player who's an excellent defender at second base and also has experience playing all three outfield positions. But as the Padres look to retool a roster that went 26-43 after the All-Star Break, he's probably going to cost too much for their liking.

Whit Merrifield: 2B/OF, Kansas City Royals

Remaining money owed: $3.5 million through 2023 season

It feels like we've been talking about a trade of Merrifield for the better part of the last half-decade, but this winter could be when one finally comes. In recent seasons, it's become clear how valuable super-utility stars like Ben Zobrist, Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor are to contending teams. While Merrifield is a natural second baseman, he can play all three outfield positions as well. The Royals were "more open than in the past" to the idea of trading the two-time All-Star, Jayson Stark of the Athletic reported in July. It may take parting with a decent prospect to acquire the 32-year-old Merrifield, but he's due just $2.75 million in 2022 and his contract includes what will likely be a $10.5-million club option (barring a major injury for him) for 2023 with a $750,000 buyout.

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Byron Buxton: CF, Minnesota Twins

Remaining money owed: Projected to make $7.3 million in third and final year of arbitration eligibility

Buxton hasn't played more than 100 games in a season since 2017, but he's the type of player who could win an MVP if he plays a full season. If you adjust the numbers that Buxton produced in just 61 games this past season out to a full 162-game season, he'd have hit .306 with 50 home runs and a 1.005 OPS. Mind you, this is a player who's an elite fielder at a position without many needle movers, having previously won the Platinum Glove Award. Over the summer, Buxton declined a seven-year, $80-million offer with incentives, per Dan Hayes and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. If there's a team more willing to bet on the soon-to-be 28-yearold Buxton's uncertain health, perhaps he could be traded before his contract year.

Cody Bellinger: 1B/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Remaining Money Owed: Projected to make $16.5 million in third year of arbitration eligibility

Bellinger hit .353 during an excellent postseason for the Dodgers, but that doesn't change the fact that he has hit .195 with a .642 OPS since the start of the 2020 season. Of course, Bellinger had a historic 2019 season en route to winning the National League MVP. At his best, he's an elite middle-of-the-order hitter who can play Gold Glove-caliber defense at first base or any of the three outfield positions. But it's hard to think of another situation in which you would commit more than $16 million to a player who has had back-to-back disastrous regular seasons. How the Dodgers proceed with Bellinger this offseason will be an especially interesting storyline to watch.

Matt Olson: 1B, Oakland Athletics

Remaining money owed: Projected to make $12 million in second year of arbitration eligibility

By allowing Bob Melvin to leave to manage the San Diego Padres, the Athletics made it clear that they're "slashing payroll," as Bob Nightengale of USA Today said. Olson rebounded from a disappointing 2020 season to hit 39 home runs and post a 5.0 fWAR in 2021. Trading Olson would allow the Athletics to slash payroll -- which certainly shouldn't be the goal of any team, much less a consistent contender -- and likely add a few impact prospects.

Josh Bell: 1B, Washington Nationals

Remaining money owed: Projected to make $10 million in third and final season of arbitration eligibility

Once an All-Star with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bell posted an .887 OPS after the All-Star break in 2021, finishing the season with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs. The Nationals may be best served to hold onto Bell, at least until the trade deadline, so Juan Soto has some level of support in an increasingly barren lineup. But if the designated hitter becomes universal in 2022, it would hardly be surprising if the Nationals get calls from contending teams interested in using Bell as their DH and/or first baseman.

Nick Ahmed: SS, Arizona Diamondbacks

Remaining money owed: $17.75 million through 2023 season

Since the start of the 2019 season, Ahmed has posted 24 defensive runs saved, the fifth-most among all shortstops. The problem is that over the last two seasons, Ahmed has hit just .235 with a .654 OPS. He's also making quite a bit of money playing for a team that's not typically a top-tier spender. To move Ahmed, the Diamondbacks would like need to find a team hoping to swap a bad contract and get a great defender -- Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation has suggested that a deal involving Ahmed and Gregorius could make some sense.