Free agency has begun at quite a rate in the Major Leagues, and this years winter meetings promise to be as exciting as ever. Several free-agents have begun to move off the board, with B.J. Upton signing in Atlanta, Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino joining the Red Sox and the Nationals securing a one-year deal with Dan Haren. However, it is not just free agent signings that will be taking place this off-season. Trades are always hot-topic, and during the off-season this is no different. Some trades clearly benefit both sides whilst some leave fans and players alike scratching their head (ahem Marlins/Blue Jays). So which trades would make sense this off-season?
1. The Texas Rangers trade Elvis Andrus to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Justin Upton
This trade makes sense in my eyes for a number of reasons. Firstly, the Texas Rangers have top prospect Jurickson Profar playing elite short-stop at AAA, and scouts generally consider him major-league ready. The small glimpse we got of Profar in September last year was certainly enticing, and I'm willing to believe that he would not be much a of a downgrade at all with the bat in the Rangers line-up. They need to make room for him somehow, although whether they would prefer to deal away second baseman Ian Kinsler remains to be seen. Secondly, with the possible exit of Josh Hamilton (though I do think the Rangers will keep him), Texas will need an impact bat to slot into it's line-up. Upton had a down year in 2012, but he's still young and has incredible 5-tool potential. He'd be an immediate upgrade to the Ranger line-up. For the Diamondbacks, this fills a large hole at a shallow position at SS, and also creates room in their out-field for young star Adam Eaton. There has also reportedly been a dispute with Upton over his maturity, although the D-Backs maintain he is a key cog in their line-up. The Rangers have publicly said they will not be trading away either short-stop for Upton, but in my opinion (and especially if they are unable to sign Hamilton) the trade makes sense.
2. The Philadelphia Phillies trade Vance Worley to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Dexter Fowler
As a Colorado fan I don't really love this trade, but it makes sense from a baseball viewpoint. I expect the Phillies to go hard after Bourn, but this trade may well be seen as a cheaper one - Fowler is under team control for another 3 years. Coming off the back of his best year in the Majors with a .300 clip from the lead-off spot, Fowler is one of the top players in the Rockies organisation, but they need starting pitching desperately. Worley is probably at the peak of his trade value, although he still provides excellent value for the Rockies and would help an ailing rotation. Fowler's home/road splits provide reason for concern, although the Reds are also said to be interested in securing his CF services.
3. The Minnesota Twins trade Josh Willingham to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for James Shields
Having secured themselves a SS in Yunel Escobar, the Rays are still on the hunt for an impact bat to firm up their line-up. They have a plethora of pitching, and though Josh Willingham has just come off a career-year for the Twins, James Shields would likely be a pitcher of a calibre high enough to pique their interest. Aged 30, Shields is younger than you would expect for a pitcher with well over 1300 innings logged including 200+ over the past 6 seasons. He is extremely durable, and more recently has become one of the top pitchers in the American League, although he is said to be one of the most likely players to be traded this off-season. It is likely and maybe even possible that Shields ends up being traded away for a group of prospects, but this trade appears to answer immediate needs for both teams.
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