Surprise, surprise. A number of MLB clubs are interested in both Evan Gattis of the Atlanta Braves and Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies. Will either of them be traded before the 2015 season begins?
Let's start with Gattis since it's now obvious the Braves are serious about moving their stars. So far this offseason, president of baseball operations John Hart has traded outfielder Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals and outfielder Justin Upton to the San Diego Padres. He has portrayed an emphasis on acquiring young prospects to build the farm system as well as starting pitching to improve the rotation for 2015 and beyond. Gattis could yield both of those things in return.
The 28-year-old Gattis owns a stat line of .253/.304/.487 with 43 home runs and 117 RBIs in 213 career games. He can play both catcher and left field, which is why interest in him is still alive despite the fact Hart is asking for a lot in return for him. However, now that the Braves acquired starter Shelby Miller as well as prospects Tyrell Jenkins, Max Fried, Dustin Peterson, Jace Peterson and Mallex Smith, they may not be so quick to deal Gattis because that could result in a significant decline in offensive production next season.
But there still remains a possibility.
"Though Gattis might not be deemed as valuable as Heyward and Upton, the fact that potential suitors could control him for the next four years provides reason to believe he might garner a return that rivals those gained for the two corner outfielders who have already been traded," writes Mark Bowman of MLB.com. "If the Braves do opt to trade Gattis, I believe they will attempt to gain a starting pitcher or an outfielder who could provide an immediate impact and remain under contractual control for the next few years."
As for the Rockies, new general manager Jeff Bridich said he would entertain trade talks for stars Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. Now that Colorado is looking like the odd man out in an NL West division that consists of the World Series champion San Francisco Giants, the new-look Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, and the now-healthy Arizona Diamondbacks, perhaps they could be looking to move one of these players to get value.
Colorado had the worst ERA in the majors last season, witnessed Tulo and CarGo miss most of the year because of injuries/season-ending surgeries, and then watched Michael Cuddyer sign with the Mets this offseason, among other departures. A number of MLB teams are particularly interested in Tulowitzki, but they are looking to buy low on him because of his past three injury-shortened seasons. While Bridich is willing to listen to offers, he won't be giving away his best players for a bargain.
"I am constantly reminding myself and other people are reminding me that when we had health last year, we had a good team," Bridich said, via Tracy Ringolsby of MLB.com. "It is not our intention from the get-go to give the roster a radical facelift. We are going to stick to our plan."
It's been reported the Mets have been trying to work out a deal for Tulowitzki, but a "big gap" still exists. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the New York Yankees and a few others have checked in on the 30-year-old. Although it's been fun to think of Tulo succeeding Derek Jeter in the Bronx, it's probably not going to happen because New York simply doesn't have the resources to acquire the shortstop. The Mets seem to be the frontrunners, which isn't saying much, despite the fact Tulo has said his preferred teams would be the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, Angels and Cardinals.
"One person familiar with the talks suggested Colorado may not agree to a deal unless it feels the return is to too good to turn down," writes Heyman. "The sides have been discussing packages centered around top Mets pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard, but some have suggested that at least at some point the Rockies were also requesting Zack Wheeler be included in the package."
Bridich may be a new general manager, but he won't be easily convinced. When healthy, Tulowitzki is regarded as the best shortstop in the game and he's under contract through the 2020 season.
