The mud is simply now starting to settle. Late Saturday night time, the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers bought collectively for one of many greatest and most gorgeous trades in sports activities historical past: Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. There have been different gamers and draft picks concerned, nevertheless it’ll be the Doncic/A.D. commerce endlessly and ever. Two of the game’s finest traded for each other.
Baseball superstars get traded on a regular basis (Mookie Betts, Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and so forth.), although we will often see these trades coming down the pike as a result of a staff is rebuilding, the participant is arising on free company, no matter. Very hardly ever can we get an out-of-nowhere blockbuster like Luka for A.D. The final shock blockbuster was what? Shelby Miller for Dansby Swanson?
With that in thoughts, let’s rank the 5 MLB stars we’d be most shocked to see get traded. It is a onerous listing to place collectively as a result of I feel you possibly can squint your eyes and see, say, Ronald Acuña Jr. getting traded, or Tarik Skubal. I am not saying it would occur, or that it will be a good suggestion to commerce them. Simply which you could kinda sorta see how it will come collectively.
Anyway, listed below are the 5 baseball superstars who would most shock us to see get traded.
5. Aaron Judge, Yankees
The Yankees could not presumably commerce their captain, might they? Not solely is Decide their finest participant and captain, he is the perfect hitter on the earth proper now, and the Yankees do not commerce guys like that. Decide just isn’t Derek Jeter stage untouchable, however he is fairly darn shut. He’s approach too essential to the Yankees on the sector and in addition on the field workplace. The person sells tickets and shirseys and business time on the YES Community. To place it one other approach, Decide is the Yankees’ meal ticket.
4. Julio Rodríguez, Mariners
I do know he had a “down” yr in 2024 — a down yr by which he put up a 116 OPS+ and 4.3 WAR — however Julio is among the sport’s prime all-around skills, and he is signed affordably long-term. Additionally, he has a captivating and magnetic character. He’s every part you need in a franchise participant. Nice participant, nice character, represents the group nicely. I simply cannot see how the Mariners would say sure to any commerce package deal that sends Julio the opposite approach. He’s their constructing block. The participant they hope will take them to the primary World Sequence in franchise historical past. (And, , assist them win it.)
3. Paul Skenes, Pirates
You already know, I virtually did not listing Skenes right here. Squint your eyes sufficient and I might see how the Pirates commerce him. Simply not now. There isn’t any probability they commerce him now. Any commerce must wait a couple of years, like Pittsburgh’s Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen trades. Skenes took the game by storm final yr, going from No. 1 general decide in 2023 to beginning the All-Star Sport in 2024, and successful Rookie of the 12 months and ending third within the Cy Younger voting. Even with Skenes, Pirates followers usually are not pleased with the staff proper now. They need to see larger funding within the roster and higher gamers introduced in. Commerce Skenes and overlook it, there could be riots. Or maybe indifference, which, in a approach, is quite a bit worse.
2. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
There isn’t any such factor as an ideal participant, although Witt comes awfully shut. Elite hitter, elite energy, elite protection, elite pace, you identify it and Witt does it exceptionally nicely. He is additionally signed to a greater than affordable long-term contract. Once you decide excessive within the draft, just like the Royals did after they used the No. 2 choice on Witt in 2019, that is the sort of participant you hope to land. An excellent-duper-star who you’re desirous to plaster on each billboard and poster. There isn’t any approach you would get Kansas Metropolis to say sure to a Witt commerce. I do not suppose they might commerce him for anybody, together with …
1. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
Ohtani’s worth to the Dodgers is such that, even when he by no means pitched once more and his bat slipped to league common, he would nonetheless be greater than value his contract. He’s the sport’s most well-known and hottest participant. One who’s revered on two continents and brings in tens of thousands and thousands in sponsorships every year. The inroads Ohtani helps the Dodgers make in Japan cannot be quantified. We’re speaking generational affect. I wish to suppose that no commerce would shock me, everybody is accessible for the appropriate value (proper?), however there is not any approach Ohtani goes wherever. The Dodgers would transfer again to Brooklyn earlier than buying and selling Ohtani.
Different untouchables: Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez, Astros; Jackson Chourio, Brewers; Elly De La Cruz, Reds; Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, Orioles; José Ramírez, Guardians; Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres