Before you know it the Major League Baseball trade deadline will be upon us, and fantasy owners across the country will be having fits trying to determine the consequences of their small town ace heading to the bright lights in the big city. And those fits will be nothing compared to the full blown conniption that AL- or NL-only league owners will be throwing, when one of their better players suddenly disappears from the player pool as though he never existed.

We here at RotoExperts.com hate to see the fantasy owners whom we care so much about in such a panicked state, so as always, we are right here presenting the information you truly need to see. Moving Up, Moving Down has identified for you the ten big name players most likely to be shopped, their most likely destinations, and the fantasy ramifications of such a move.  So, print this article and keep it in a warm, dry place near your bed, so when your favorite overnight sports talk guy announces that the heart of your team is now on the San Francisco Giants, you’ll know exactly how to react. 

BIG NAMES THAT MAY BE TRADED (in order of likelihood):

Player: C.C. Sabathia, SP, Cleveland Indians
Rumored Destination(s): Milwaukee Brewers or Chicago Cubs
Pros: C.C. Sabathia has been awesome for the last two months, so any lingering worries over his slow start should have completely dissipated by now. Both the Brewers and Cubs have great lineups that would provide this true ace all the run support he needs. There will be no bigger FAAB draw. He should bring the Indians a fantastic haul of prospects and young players, guys who should be close enough to the majors to allow them to contend in 2009.
Cons: AL-only owners will be very annoyed to see him go. He is almost impossible to replace. With Sabathia gone, the players left behind in Cleveland may lose some of their motivation to keep fighting for wins. We could also see players like Andy Marte, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Josh Barfield get extended chances to show what they can do, which could send guys like Casey Blake, Jhonny Peralta, and Jamey Carroll to the bench or away in trades of their own.
Something to Ponder: Would Seattle’s Erik Bedard come cheaper for the Cubs or Brewers, or will his presence on the market simply drive the price to acquire starting pitching even higher?

Sure fire future HOFer Griffey Jr. Photo Credit: peterrieke

Player: Ken Griffey, Jr., RF, Cincinnati Reds
Rumored Destination(s): Tampa Bay Rays
Pros: As a designated hitter, Ken Griffey, Jr. would dramatically increase his ability to avoid injury. He could also be motivated to keep playing and re-sign (at a discount) with the Rays. Tampa Bay is also the closest location to Orlando, where he has a home, that Griffey could possibly end up. A healthy and motivated Griffey could play well enough and long enough to break Barry Bonds’ home run record and lead the Rays past the Red Sox and Yankees in the American League East. He also puts "butts in seats."
Cons: Griffey isn’t nearly the player he once was. He still has that great swing, but his bat speed has declined. Also, his ability to hit for average has suffered.
Something to Ponder:  Can Griffey come to Tampa and actually be a better hitter than the player he would displace?

Player: Bronson Arroyo, SP, Cincinnati Reds
Rumored Destination(s): New York Yankees
Pros: Bronson Arroyo would be back on a contending team and with an imposing lineup behind him. His mediocre statistics this season would probably make him a bargain FAAB acquisition. Arroyo has had quite a bit of bad luck this year, and a new setting might be exactly what he needs to get it going.
Cons: Unfortunately, Dan Giese would probably lose his spot on the Yankees’ pitching staff. Just kidding, there are few cons to this deal for fantasy owners who would probably like to see the return of Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes to the rotation delayed for as long as possible.
Something to Ponder: Could this be a sign that the Yankee youth movement has been cancelled or delayed?

Player: Huston Street, RP, Oakland Athletics
Rumored Destination(s): New York Yankees
Pros: Oakland GM, Billy Beane, has developed a habit of trading his closers, and the outstanding talent in the Oakland bullpen makes this trade look extremely likely. Huston Street would help ensure that the good performances of the Yankees’ starters aren’t lost, as often happens so far this year in the seventh and eighth innings. A new closer (Joey Devine or Santiago Casilla?) would also become available in the American League, to the delight of fantasy owners everywhere.
Cons: Huston Street would become a setup man for Mariano Rivera, and his save chances would be rare.
Something to Ponder: Would Shelly Duncan become a star if traded to the Oakland Athletics?

Player: Christian Guzman, SS, Washington Nationals
Rumored Destination(s): Los Angeles Dodgers
Pros: Christian Guzman is healthy and productive for the first time in years. He would come relatively cheaply when compared to the huge salaries being shopped and the prospect packages being demanded for them. Felipe Lopez would become a fulltime player again and provide some lucky owner with a touch of power and a bunch of steals.
Cons: Rafael Furcal’s return to action has already been delayed several times, since he was initially expected to miss just three weeks. At this point, Furcal may not return until after the All-Star Break. When the team talks of returning Nomar Garciaparra to the shortstop position, you know that the Dodgers are desperate.  Great, that makes them perfect suckers, ahem, I mean partners for Jim Bowden and the Nationals.
Something to Ponder: Could the Nationals package 3B Ryan Zimmerman, SS Christian Guzman, and an outfielder for OF Matt Kemp?

Player: A.J. Burnett, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
Rumored Destination(s): Philadelphia Phillies
Pros: If healthy, A.J. Burnett could be the ace that the Phillies were hoping Brett Myers might become. Burnett could also be a FAAB bargain due to fantasy players' fear of the Phillies' hitter-friendly home park. A.J. would be third or even fourth in the rotation, which would set him up against much weaker starters.
Cons:  Burnett is rarely healthy for long, and the Phillies home park could put a serious hurting on his statistics.
Something to Ponder: How great would the Phillies be if Brett Myers, A.J. Burnett, and Cole Hamels were all healthy, effective, and in the rotation at the same time?

A.J. Burnett warming up for a Spring Training Game.

Player: Coco Crisp, CF, Boston Red Sox
Rumored Destination(s): Chicago Cubs
Pros: Although center fielder Jim Edmonds has been much better than anticipated, acquiring Coco Crisp would improve the Cubs and double the fantasy value of Crisp, who would become a full-time center fielder again. Crisp would also serve as great insurance in case Alfonso Soriano is unable to return and Matt Murton isn’t so hot.
Cons: A trade like this would bury Felix Pie in the Cubs system, unless he were included in a trade to the Mariners for Erik Bedard or to the Blue Jays for A.J. Burnett. The Red Sox would demand Rich Hill in return, who, with the proper coaching, could be the left-handed equivalent of Josh Beckett.
Something to Ponder: Wouldn’t it be fun to see the Cubs and Red Sox in the same World Series?

Player: Erik Bedard, SP, Seattle Mariners
Rumored Destination(s): St. Louis Cardinals
Pros: The Mariners won’t move Erik Bedard unless they get a very nice package of players for him. The Cardinals are one of the few teams that seem willing to part with the level of talent Bedard will cost (maybe the Dodgers as well). Being on a winning team that actually needs him may be just the motivation Bedard needs to get his mojo back. If the Cubs miss out on Sabathia, then Bedard will become a priority for them.
Cons: Trading Bedard would let Mariner fans know that re-building is back in effect. If Bedard goes, fantasy fans can expect to see Richie Sexson and Raul Ibanez on new teams as well.
Something to Ponder: A Cardinals package of Anthony Reyes and Colby Rasmus might be better than the players the Mariners sent to the Orioles to acquire Bedard in the first place.

Player: Jason Bay, LF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Rumored Destination(s): New York Mets
Pros: Trading Jason Bay would open up a spot in the Pirates’ talented outfield for their best positional prospect, center fielder Andrew McCutchen. The Mets would finally have the healthy and productive left fielder they’ve been seeking all season. It would be very interesting to see what Jason Bay could do when the games actually matter.
Cons: The Pirates would be breaking up the best lineup they’ve put together in a more than a decade. A move like this might annoy Moises Alou, who would become a part-time player. Of course the Mets don’t have much in the way of team chemistry anyway, and it's not like Alou is the picture of health at his age.
Something to Ponder: I’m far from the first to suggest it, but why not trade RF/1B Xavier Nady instead? Of course he’ll need to prove he’s healthy first.

Player:  Mark Teixeira, 1B, Atlanta Braves
Rumored Destination(s): New York Yankees
Pros: Mark Teixeira would be a monster in Yankee Stadium. The Yankee lineup would get a huge injection of energy, and Alex Rodriguez would have a scary bat hitting behind him. The Yankees would love to have a head start in signing him as a free agent after the season.
Cons: This trade would probably send Melky Cabrera to the Braves. Cabrera on the Braves would push Johnny Damon back to full-time in center field and would push Hideki Matsui back to left field. Damon and Matsui in the outfield would severely weaken the outfield defense, which would have an effect on every pitcher the Yankees throw out on the mound. It would also make Jason Giambi a DH again, which Giambi would protest since he has historically hit much better when he plays in the field.
Something to Ponder: If the Braves keep Teixeira and acquire a starter, could they win a weak NL East?

Next week Moving Up, Moving Down will take a look at the prospects and other buried treasures that could very well be moved for the players you just read about. What could be better than a sneak peek at the players To Be FAAB’d Later?

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