The Seattle Mariners signing Robinson Cano isn’t the last big move you’ll see this offseason.
ESPN Deportes‘ Enrique Rojas reported the team signed the All-Star second baseman to a 10-year, $240 million deal.
Even with Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury off the market, plenty of marquee names are still available. Carlos Beltran, Shin-Soo Choo, Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli have yet to find homes, while Masahiro Tanaka and Ervin Santana are among the hurlers looking for new teams.
Then you’ve got the multitude of possible trade scenarios that could come good in the coming months.
The free-agent market is very fluid, changing on a daily basis. Rumors can change in a matter of hours. For now, here’s the latest on three of the bigger names who could be moving soon.
David Price
How about a starting rotation with Felix Hernandez as the ace and David Price as No. 2? That’s what the Mariners could look like come next season.
Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported that Seattle could look to trade for the Tampa Bay Rays ace.
It would make sense that the Rays would look to trade Price this offseason. He will be a free agent after 2015, and it’s almost impossible that Tampa Bay will have the money to re-sign him. In addition, the team has stockpiled enough arms that it could be successful without him.
Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported that the Rays would be looking to get at least minor-league pitcher Taijuan Walker back.
The 20-year-old Walker was called up to the Mariners last season after working his way through the system. He’s one of the brightest prospects in baseball and would help to provide Tampa Bay with an ace in the making.
Shin-Soo Choo
Another free-agent target for the Mariners is Choo. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reported Choo is among a host of other outfielders the team is tracking this offseason.
Should the 31-year-old outfielder sign with Seattle, it would be a bit ironic, considering he started his career with the franchise but was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2006 for Ben Broussard. It would be an expensive way for the Mariners to admit they made a mistake.
Although 2013 was far from a career year for the outfielder, he hit .285 with 21 home runs, 54 runs batted in and 20 steals.
Signing Choo would make Seattle’s offense very formidable.
Jonathan Papelbon
Despite having two good seasons in Philadelphia, Jonathan Papelbon has reportedly been made expendable by the Phillies. According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the team is trying to get away from the final three years of his contract.
In 131 appearances for the Phillies over the past two years, the veteran closer has saved 67 games and kept an earned run average of 2.67.
At 33 years old and making $13 million a year, you could see why Philadelphia might want to move on to cheaper alternatives. Closers in general are overpaid. Every year there’s somebody who emerges and saves 30 games. A couple of years later, usually after he’s gotten a huge contract, he struggles to get 20 saves.
Although Papelbon still has plenty of value, the Phillies want to get ahead of the problem.
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