Jordan Gluck (MLB Reports Writer/Part Owner) 

Follow @jgluck777 @mlbreports

I will be doing this series as the season rolls along. I will focus first at teams that are basically not in contention anymore and teams that are very far ahead and are almost assured to be buyers. I will focus on assets that are likely to be traded and not like general assets like Byron Buxton who is very talented but very unlikely to be traded. As of now these are the only 2 teams who are definite barring a miracle to be sellers.

Atlanta Braves

Lets be honest everybody and their grandmother knew the Braves were going to suck this season and are aiming for 2017 and later when their new stadium opens in Cobb County. They don’t have much to sell by design and will look to free up cash to go nuts in free agency at the end of the season and with trades. They already have a top tier farm system which maybe the best in baseball at this point.

As of now they have committed a paltry 44M to next seasons payroll. Four players contribute to the bulk of that in Freddie Freeman 20M, Nick Markakis 11M, Hector Olivera 10.5M and Julio Teheran 6.5M. They have a few arbitration cases which remain small and a club option on Jason Grilli. Keep in mind this team will have the ability to eat cash if needed to get better prospects. Here are the players which could be moved.

Nick Markakis: He is under contract until 2018 making 11M per season. That is a hefty price tag to pay for what he has done on the field but could be a solid veteran option for a competing team as a mid to lower end corner OF or a 4th OFer. His slash line of 258./ 363/.341/.704 will divide some teams. He hasn’t hit a HR all season and has decent gap power but is excellent at taking walks.

Potential Suitors: A suitor would have to have the financial power unless the Braves are willing to eat some salary and have a big need in the area. The return will depend on the money that the Braves eat. If no money has been eaten I can potentially see a top 20 prospect, If the whole salary for 2017 is eaten then possibly a top 10 prospect. Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees.

Guess Trade: Nick Markakis to the Seattle Mariners for D.J. Peterson.

Arodys Vizcaino: He is still young and I am not sure that he will be traded but he could command a hefty price as a back end bullpen option. He is 25 years old and not eligible for free agency until 2020 which means he would be controlled for the prime of his career.

Potential Suitors: Many teams would be interested so I won’t list suitors but the cost would be prohibitive for many teams. I would predict it would cost a top 50 prospect or 2 top 100 prospects to acquire him. With the low salary small market teams will be interested.

Guess Trade: Arodys Vizcaino to the Texas Rangers for Lewis Brinson

A.J. Pierzynski, Erick Aybar, Gordon Beckham, Kelly Johnson, Jeff Francoeur: All are bench players at best in this point in their careers and likely would not require a top 30 prospect to acquire.

Alexi Ogando, Hunter Cervenka, Jason Grilli: These are your middle relief bullpen arms which could go to nearly any contender and would cost a relatively minimal amount to acquire. Grilli would have to start turning it around.
Minnesota Twins

Coming into the season the Twins had a drastically different perception than the Braves. We knew the Braves were going to suck but the Twins had varying projections based on their over achievements of last season and their strong farm system. They have been the biggest bust so far this season but I am not sure how big the tear down will be. They also have a relatively strong farm system with depth around the diamond.

Financially this team has a payroll of 110M which is way to high for a small-mid market club that is playing this poorly. Their biggest expense is Joe Mauer who is making 23M until 2019 and someone who they may not want to trade as he has been the icon of their franchise in the 21st century. They have 77M committed to next season before arbitration increases which could come in the ballpark of 15-30M.

They will get some pieces for their farm system but their biggest goal will likely be to shed salary so they can address weaknesses on their team for the goal of being competitive in 2017 where GM Terry Ryan and Manager Paul Molitor could be on the hot seat.

Joe Mauer: He is the face of the franchise and is having a comeback season although he has been light in HRs. He makes a large salary and the Twins aren’t going to just give him away to dump salary as he is marketable and is a future HOFer. I still believe he can provide much more value as a hitting catcher than at 1st base.

Potential Suitors: It would be a prohibitive price tattoo acquire him in the first place as he is owed 23M for the next 2 seasons. It would also cost a lot in terms of prospects most likely a top 50 prospect with another top 100 prospect thrown in. I would say a trade of Mauer is doubtful at best and I don’t expect the Twins to eat any money.

Guess Trade: Joe Mauer to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jose De Leon and Alex Verdugo

Ervin Santana and Ricky Nolasco: Both are well paid but mediocre options in a rotation. Santana has a 3.38 ERA this season but that is lower than it probably should be due to a 1.50 WHIP among other factors. Nolasco on the other hand has a higher ERA than the advanced stats may suggest boasting a 4.87 ERA yet has only a 1.15 WHIP.

They also both pitch in a ballpark which leans more towards the pitcher’s favor due to the far fences and cold weather for a lot of the season. Both players are 33.4 years old.

Potential Suitors: The salaries for both players are going to be prohibitive for other teams. Santana makes 13.5 Million for the next 2 seasons with a vesting 2019 option while Nolasco is under contract for 12M next season with a 2018 club option.

My best guess is the team to acquire one of these pitchers especially Nolasco would be a team that has money to spend but is low on prospects. I would estimate a team such as the Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago White Sox would fit this mold. The prospect hauls would be low for both players but potentially with the Twins eating money on Santana they could get a top 10 prospect.

Guess trade: Ricky Nolasco to the Los Angeles Angels for Kaleb Cowart.
Ervin Santana and 10M to the Toronto Blue Jays for Connor Greene.

Fernando Abad, Trevor May, Michael Tonkin, Kevin Jepsen: These are your bullpen arms which won’t break the bank to acquire but could build more depth for the Twins farm system. May still might have starting potential.

Eduardo Nunez: He is having a breakup season currently batting .333 and plays the premium position of SS. The Twins also have SS options in Eduardo Escobar and Nick Gordon coming up among others. He could have appeal to contenders.

Potential Suitors: Nunez would likely be a stopgap option for a team that has lost its SS due to injury and wants a cost prohibitive option. It remains to be seem if he can sustain his success this season.

Buying Ho Park, Kurt Suzuki, Brian Dozier: All are unlikely to move unless the Twins get a big overpay or Suzuki starts playing much better.

Trevor Plouffe: The issue I have with moving him is that they don’t have a 3B option ready to come in for next season unless Gordon slides over or Miguel Sano reverts back to his old position. He is having a nice season despite missing games early in the season due to injury. He can provide decent pop at the hot corner and can hit 6th or 7th in a lineup. He is hitting about .280 with 3HRS buts with a SSS of under 100 ABs.

Potential Suitors: He has one more season of arbitration next season which will likely be valued over 10M before becoming a FA and potentially could be a QO candidate. This makes him have pretty decent value and will likely have a good amount of suitors.

I would expect a fringe top 100 prospect at least in return for his services. Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants.

Guess Trade: Trevor Plouffe to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Cody Bellinger and Chris Anderson.

** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com and their partners***

Jordan Gluck (Right)

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