Low-Risk, High-Reward MLB Trade Targets Teams Should Consider<\/h2>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nJo Adell is still only 23 years old.<\/span>AP Photo\/Mark J. Terrill<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n The best targets on Major League Baseball’s trade market are guys such as Bryan Reynolds and Pablo L\u00f3pez, but everyone already knows that.<\/p>\n So, why don’t we dig deeper for value that other teams might be able to mine from trades?<\/p>\n We specifically want to speculate on eight players\u2014four hitters and four pitchers\u2014who look like candidates to be had in low-risk, high-reward trades. Their names should be recognizable given that each was a top prospect in recent history but finds himself with diminished value after having fallen out of favor with his club.<\/p>\n That doesn’t necessarily mean these guys are outright available, mind you, but there’s no harm in asking.<\/p>\n Starting with the pitchers, let’s go through in alphabetical order.<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n 1 of 8<\/p>\n Mitchell Layton\/Getty Images<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Age: <\/b>24<\/p>\n 2022 Stats: <\/b>22 G, 22 GS, 111.2 IP, 115 H (12 HR), 97 K, 54 BB, 5.00 ERA<\/p>\n Contract Status: <\/b>Under club control through 2026<\/p>\n Why the Risk Is Low<\/b><\/p>\n Ian Anderson was a rising star in Atlanta’s rotation in 2020 and 2021, and not just in the regular season. That’s where he put up “only” a 3.25 ERA, compared to a downright historic 1.26 ERA in eight playoff outings.<\/p>\n It’s hard to believe, then, that Anderson was bad enough in 2022 to get optioned back to the minors in August. And now, Atlanta’s rotation is so stacked that he isn’t even guaranteed a spot at the back end.<\/p>\n Why the Reward Is High<\/b><\/p>\n At least Anderson’s trademark changeup remained in fine form in 2022. The opposition hit just .209 against it.<\/p>\n Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja<\/span><\/p>\n Ian Anderson, Nasty Changeups. \ud83d\udc4c <a href=”https:\/\/t.co\/jnFuWNzHZX”>pic.twitter.com\/jnFuWNzHZX<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The real problem for Anderson in 2022 was his four-seam fastball, which went from<\/a> being very good to very bad. But even if he wasn’t throwing quite as hard as he did in 2021, it’s a positive that he was still in the mid-90s at an average of 94.0 mph.<\/p>\n Atlanta is hardly obligated to trade Anderson, but it should consider it if a chance to plug the hole at shortstop presents itself on the trade market. He and other pieces could be dangled in talks for, say, Willy Adames or Amed Rosario.<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n 2 of 8<\/p>\n Denis Poroy\/Getty Images<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Age: <\/b>23<\/p>\n 2022 Stats: <\/b>26 G, 6 GF, 34.0 IP, 31 H (4 HR), 28 K, 9 BB, 4.24 ERA<\/p>\n Contract Status: <\/b>Under club control through 2025<\/p>\n Why the Risk Is Low<\/b><\/p>\n Even if he never reached top-10 or even top-20 status, Adrian Morejon was a regular on top prospect lists in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Particularly for Baseball America<\/i>, which put him in its top 100 five years in a row.<\/p>\n The lefty nonetheless failed to make an impression on the San Diego Padres in 2019 and 2020 before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2021. He worked out of the bullpen in his return last season, and he didn’t do a good enough job to secure a role for 2023.<\/p>\n Why the Reward Is High<\/b><\/p>\n His results may not have been what he wanted, but Morejon’s stuff did play up in relief in 2022. He got his fastball up to 99.6 mph, and it had a spin rate in the 96th percentile to boot.<\/p>\n Morejon was likewise able to crank up the heat on his slider, getting it as high as 91 mph while also maintaining above-average downward action on it.<\/p>\n As he’s only 23 years old, it’s too early to give up on the notion that such weapons could be of use to Morejon in a starting role. Failing that, this year is a proof of concept that he has the goods to make it as a reliever.<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n 3 of 8<\/p>\n Douglas P. DeFelice\/Getty Images<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Age: <\/b>23<\/p>\n 2022 Stats: <\/b>6 G, 6 GS, 20.0 IP, 26 H (6 HR), 11 K, 13 BB, 8.10 ERA<\/p>\n Contract Status: <\/b>Under club control through 2026<\/p>\n Why the Risk Is Low<\/b><\/p>\n Luis Pati\u00f1o was the Tampa Bay Rays’ big prize in the trade that sent 2018 American League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to the San Diego Padres in Dec. 2020. To wit, MLB.com had him ranked as the No. 23 prospect in the league.<\/p>\n Pati\u00f1o has struggled to live up to the hype, especially in 2022. He sustained an oblique injury in April and never got back on track afterward. Heading into 2023, he’s been relegated to a depth option for the Rays rotation.<\/p>\n Why the Reward Is High<\/b><\/p>\n There isn’t a whole lot on Pati\u00f1o’s major league record worth getting excited about, as his 5.10 ERA over 114.2 career innings comes paired with too few strikeouts (106) and too many walks (56) and home runs (21).<\/p>\n Still, it would be folly to write off Pati\u00f1o while he’s still only 23 years old and has lightning in his arm. He’s gotten his fastball as high as 100.3 mph in the majors, and his slider as high as 89.8 mph.<\/p>\n As Pati\u00f1o is listed at a slender 6’1″, 192 pounds, whether he can sustain stuff like that in a starting role remains a good question. But at the least, other teams can dream of him as a potential weapon in a relief role.<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n 4 of 8<\/p>\n AP Photo\/Charles Krupa<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Age: <\/b>26<\/p>\n 2022 Stats (MiLB): <\/b>13 G, 1 GS, 15.1 IP, 8 H (2 HR), 19 K, 8 BB, 3.52 ERA<\/p>\n Contract Status: <\/b>Under club control through 2026<\/p>\n Why the Risk Is Low<\/b><\/p>\n Nate Pearson was considered by some outlets (including MLB.com) to be a top-10 prospect heading into 2020. He sure looked the part at times that year, particularly in an impressive performance in his lone playoff appearance.<\/p>\n Since then, though, the hard-throwing righty has barely been seen as he’s dealt with illness and injuries. As a result, he doesn’t seem to be in the Toronto Blue Jays’ immediate plans for either their rotation or their bullpen.<\/p>\n Why the Reward Is High<\/b><\/p>\n Even though much time has passed since Pearson was being hyped as the Next Big Thing, memories of his fastball persist. He regularly hit 100 mph in his prospect days, topping out at 101.8 mph in the majors.<\/p>\n Of course, the catch then was that Pearson didn’t pair his velocity with particularly good fastball command. And after all he’s been through, it’s not clear what kind of radar gun readings can be expected from him.<\/p>\n But if not as a starter, it seems reasonable to believe that Pearson will still be capable of dialing it up as a reliever. The ideal outcome in that scenario is him serving as a shutdown multi-inning fireman.<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n 5 of 8<\/p>\n Katelyn Mulcahy\/Getty Images<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Age: <\/b>23<\/p>\n 2022 Stats: <\/b>88 G, 285 PA, 8 HR, 4 SB, .224 AVG, .264 OBP, .373 SLG<\/p>\n Contract Status: <\/b>Under club control through 2027<\/p>\n Why the Risk Is Low<\/b><\/p>\n It wasn’t that long ago that the whole baseball world was fawning over Jo Adell. He went into 2020 ranked as a consensus top-10 prospect, with Baseball Prospectus even ranking him at No. 2 behind Wander Franco.<\/p>\n So, suffice it to say it’s been a bummer for the Los Angeles Angels to watch Adell post minus-1.7 rWAR in the 161 games he’s played for them. It’s also hard to blame them for how he’s on the outside looking in at both the team’s outfield and bench heading into 2023.<\/p>\n Why the Reward Is High<\/b><\/p>\n Say whatever you want about Adell, so long as you don’t say his raw power isn’t impressive:<\/p>\n Los Angeles Angels @Angels<\/span><\/p>\n Blasted by <a href=”https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/4%EF%B8%8F%E2%83%A32%EF%B8%8F%E2%83%A3?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#4\ufe0f\u20e32\ufe0f\u20e3<\/a>! <a href=”https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoHalos?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#GoHalos<\/a> <a href=”https:\/\/t.co\/1U9fjOMYfb”>pic.twitter.com\/1U9fjOMYfb<\/a><\/p>\nRHP Ian Anderson, Atlanta<\/h2>\n
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\nLHP Adrian Morejon, San Diego Padres<\/h2>\n
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\nRHP Luis Pati\u00f1o, Tampa Bay Rays<\/h2>\n
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\nRHP Nate Pearson, Toronto Blue Jays<\/h2>\n
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\nOF Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels<\/h2>\n
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