Who are you willing to trade for real improvement?

[Hallas]

It's obvious that the O's aren't going to sign any blue chip players. But they might make a trade. Are you willing to part with Bundy? E. Rodriguez? Schoop? Gausman? None of the above?

I'm probably willing to part with any of them except for Gausman for the right player. (this means a pre-arb player for Bundy, or a first-year arb player for ERod or Schoop.) The best would be a salary dump. (Hello Andre Eithier?)

Some may say that trading prospects is short-sighted. I don't think this is the case at all. Because if the Orioles truly have made strides in their scouting and development, then the players we trade away now will just show up again in the form of newer, younger players next season. The fountain of prospects never stops giving, and there's a very high variability in the value of prospects. With a ML ready player in his prime years, you have a reasonable expectation that, barring serious injury, he will keep performing till around the age of 30-32 before he starts losing a step. With a prospect, you might hit the jackpot and get an all-star. Or you might get a washout. And the O's can't afford variability for the next two years while their window to compete is open.

[Orioles0615]

Everybody not named Manny Machado

[Ommaculate]

Everybody not named Manny Machado

What could they get for Manny?

[clapdiddy]

I think a lot of this depends on what the team is looking to do. Do we intend to compete for a playoff spot this season? If so, then, yes I would look to deal some of the players you mentioned.

If the goal is to keep the roster in place with one or two minor additions, then I'd like to see us deal Wieters and/or Davis now. This team, as currently constructed, would need everything to go right in order to stay in a pennant race.

Personally, I think we could deal Wieters and/or Davis and still be competitive this year.

[Morgan423]

What could they get for Manny?

A AAA team? In all seriousness, we'd have to get a ridiculous return. Manny's got first ballot HOF potential if he gets tbroth his whole career without serious injury.

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[Hallas]

I think a lot of this depends on what the team is looking to do. Do we intend to compete for a playoff spot this season? If so, then, yes I would look to deal some of the players you mentioned.

If the goal is to keep the roster in place with one or two minor additions, then I'd like to see us deal Wieters and/or Davis now. This team, as currently constructed, would need everything to go right in order to stay in a pennant race.

Personally, I think we could deal Wieters and/or Davis and still be competitive this year.

You make a good point. I am going on the assumption that we have to go for it - I do believe that if we don't go for it in the next 2 year we miss a window of opportunity. But of course that's not our only option. We could trade Wieters and try and reload for 2015 or 2016.

[sandman0838]

What could they get for Manny?

It starts with Clay and ends with Shaw...and then entire LAD top ten prospect list.

[theobird]

The smart thing to do is to shop Hardy, Davis, Markakis and Weiters. That is the smart thing to do. We will not do it.

[Elbren]

What could they get for Manny?

Makes no sense to trade Machado.

There's nothing you're going to get that's as good as him, as young as him and under team control as long as he is. At best, you get a similar player to him at a different position, so you're not really making any gain there.

The guys you want to trade are Hardy, Davis and Wieters. Both Wieters and Davis are Boras clients and are all but certain to leave once they hit FA. Hardy probably has the most potential of the three to sign an extension, but if you're trading the other two, why keep a SS on the wrong side of 30? Even a team-friendly extension for Hardy will be a sizable increase to what he's getting now. Trade him now while he's underpaid and still has value.

[Elbren]

The smart thing to do is to shop Hardy, Davis, Markakis and Weiters. That is the smart thing to do. We will not do it.

Markakis has almost zero value right now.

He doesn't hit HR's, doesn't steal bases, doesn't score runs, doesn't drive in runs and he has four seasons of declining numbers to back that up. Add to that, his performance last year where he was basically a singles/slap hitter and he's guaranteed $15 Mil. next year w/ a $17 Mil. option. That (rather sizable) option has a $2 Mil. buyout so whichever team you wanted to take him off our hands would be taking on $17 Mil. of guaranteed salary ... all for little/no production.

Only way to get a team to take him off our hands would be to:

1) pay most/all of his salary

2) include a top prospect to give a team a reason to eat that bad contract

[theobird]

Markakis has almost zero value right now.

He doesn't hit HR's, doesn't steal bases, doesn't score runs, doesn't drive in runs and he has four seasons of declining numbers to back that up. Add to that, his performance last year where he was basically a singles/slap hitter and he's guaranteed $15 Mil. next year w/ a $17 Mil. option. That (rather sizable) option has a $2 Mil. buyout so whichever team you wanted to take him off our hands would be taking on $17 Mil. of guaranteed salary ... all for little/no production.

Only way to get a team to take him off our hands would be to:

1) pay most/all of his salary

2) include a top prospect to give a team a reason to eat that bad contract

I disagree. I do not think he has a lot of value...You won't get back much. But look at what teams are paying Free Agents this year, and keep in mind that Markakis is a solid all around everyday player with a better track record than last year suggests.

[oriole]

It's a little late but a trade Davis and sign a first baseman approach would have been wise. Cash in on what is likely to be far and away Davis' best season for young cost controlled pitching. SEA was a perfect example. We probably could have made a trade for Paxton, Franklin, Smoak AND a minor league player or two. Alas next off-season we'll al bel crying about Davis and how we should have traded him coming off an MVP caliber season. When he turns back into the solid but not outstanding player he is we will not even be able to get a Paxton type alone for him.

[markakis8]

I know many will not agree with this, but I can't help but think this could be a great move for the Orioles. I can guarantee CD's trade worth will never be higher than it is right now. He could hit 40 HR next year sure, but if he brought the right package back (missing puzzle pieces for a playoff run) and a couple prospects, I'd trade him in a heart beat. He's Ryan Howard 2.0. Strikes out a lot and can drive the ball to all fields. I don't ever see him hitting .300 and I would be surprised if he ever hit .280 again.

This may seem like a reactionary post b/c of the timing of our offseason but I've thought about what value trading CD now would bring long before this year's FA were flying off the shelves or the Balfour debacle. I've always been in favor of keeping Wieters and trading CD (as much as I love the guy).

So, let's look around. Who wants to be a contender next year (aka not rebuilding) and could benefit from two years of Chris Davis, while at the same time, can afford to give up valuable pieces of their own and dip into their farm?

I think Seattle is one team. They just signed Cano and still have some holes to plug if they want to compete with Oakland and Texas and even the Angels. They have a surplus of 1B and a decent young prospect (even though he had a subpar 2013) sitting behind Cano. Smoak and Franklin have put up mediocre to subpar numbers in the MLB but they are still very young with HUGE upside. Smoak can fill in for Davis, Franklin can step in @ 2B, and we have another potential ace in Walker to go with Bundy and Gausman.

Mariners get:

Chris Davis

Orioles get:

Taijuan Walker

Justin Smoak

Nick Franklin

Edwin Diaz (19 years old 10.30 k/9 and 2.35 BB/9 in A+)

Chris Taylor SS - could be 2B (.312/.403/.452 in AA)

How about the Cardinals? They are stocked with young pitching and I believe would jump at the notion of upgrading their power at 1B for 2 years at a low cost. They planned on Craig in the OF with Beltran's departure anyway. I don't think the Cardinals would be willing to part with so many MLB-ready young talent but we could snag a couple. Adams would replace Davis, Martinez (or Shelby) would slide right into the rotation, Siegrist would be a much-needed dominant LHP in the bullpen and then a couple prospects. The Cardinals really would not be giving up much here and would stay as one of the top teams in the NL.

Cardinals get:

Chris Davis

Orioles get:

Matt Adams

Carlos Martinez

Kevin Siegrist

Stephen Piscotty

Tim Cooney

And finally, I suggest, the Pirates. This one might be tricky b/c they don't really have many replacements that would allow us to still compete right away in 2014. But we could get a ton of value in return for 2015 and beyond. Pirates keep their biggest young arms in Cole (they are not giving him up) and Taillon while we get two huge prospect arms in Glasnow and Kingham. Polanco is their best player in the farm and could slide into LF. Hanson looks good to battle out the 2B job with Flaherty and Schoop.

Pirates get:

Chris Davis

Orioles get:

Gregory Polanco

Andrew Lambo (low average, high power guy that is cheap and would play 1B for us)

Tyler Glasnow

Nick Kingham

Alen Hanson

Other benefits to trading Davis now: We save the headache of "who do we re-sign and who do we let go" between Wieters and Davis. Let's face it....Wieters BA could use improving but where are you going to find another catcher that is one of the top 2 defensive catchers in the game while parking out 20 a year and driving in 70? Take Wieters away and we have a HUGE gaping hole. Lock him up whenever you can before he hits the open market in 2015.

Where else are you going to find a guy that hits 30-40 HR a year and play 1b? A little easier to replace, IMO. Davis has proven he's one of the top power hitters in the game but I'm willing to give up 10-15 HR a year at 1B to improve significantly at other positions, especially the rotation.

Most, if not all, of the players in the trades proposed above would be cheap and under team control for a very long time. Let most of these guys play and get experience in 2014 and see where we are the next offseason when the FA list is much much more appealing.

I liked the idea of NOT trading Davis and Wieters and just GOING FOR IT in 2014 and 2015. But this offseason has been a joke and it doesn't look like 2014 is going to be a contending year for us. Why not get the most possible value out of a replaceable player now and still have a shot 2015 and beyond?

[theobird]

Why can't we still make a trade like that? Seattle is still in the win at all cost mode, and we still have Davis. I think they intend to have Hart play RF, and Morrison is not a good reason to not get Chris Davis. Morrison can DH.

[atomic]

I would trade Manny he is the one you will get the biggest return. Then I would trade Gausman he would probably get you a solid player.