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MLB hot stove: top trade target for each team

By Benjamin Chase

SEATTLE, WA - JULY 30: James Paxton #65 of the Seattle Mariners waits to deliver the pitch in the second inning against the Houston Astros at Safeco Field on July 30, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Mariners beat the Houston Astros 2-0. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - JULY 30: James Paxton #65 of the Seattle Mariners waits to deliver the pitch in the second inning against the Houston Astros at Safeco Field on July 30, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Mariners beat the Houston Astros 2-0. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) /
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MLB hot stove
PHOENIX, AZ – AUGUST 06: Paul Goldschmidt #44 of the Arizona Diamondbacks makes an underhand toss to first base against the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field on August 6, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

As the MLB hot stove gets piping hot, we look at the top trade target for every MLB team

The trade of James Paxton to the New York Yankees kicked off the MLB hot stove trading season. As we prepare for what is assumed to be a very active trading season this offseason, who is the top trade target for each team?

We will look at each team to discuss the top trade target. The players mentioned are not going to be guys who are known to be unavailable, i.e. the top trade target for the Angels is obviously Mike Trout, but there has been no indication that the team is listening to trade offers at this time, so he will not be the top target.

We will go alphabetically, beginning with a team out West:

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been rumored to be active on the MLB hot stove in moving trade pieces, possibly even heading toward a rebuild in the desert.

With that possibility, nearly everyone on the roster is open to consideration for this spot, and the easy top choice is first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Much was made in the media of the impressive rebound that Matt Carpenter had in 2018 to spur an MVP campaign, but MVP voters got it right in placing Goldschmidt’s equally impressive rebound from a dreadful start to yet another elite season at #6 in voting (Carpenter finished 9th).

From 2013 through 2018, only three players have boasted combined slash lines in that time frame of .300/.400/.500 – Mike Trout, Joey Votto, and Goldschmidt. His production has been incredibly impressive when held to the light of Trout, as he has just 24 less home runs and 34 less stolen bases over that 6-year time span.

Goldschmidt is on the last year of his contract with the Diamondbacks, earning $14.5 million in 2019, a very reasonable sum for his production, so he should have a definite market out there. His biggest restriction will be that he is a first baseman and doesn’t exactly fit in a lot of team’s needs for that purpose.

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