Add another bat to the trade market – Texas Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland is apparently attracting plenty of interest as we enter the final week and a half before the trade deadline.
But according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox, Texas isn’t inclined to move Moreland.
The Rangers are drawing significant interest in first baseman Mitch Moreland, but aren’t motivated to trade him, according to major-league sources.
[…]
Still, the Rangers likely would want at least a young starting pitcher for Moreland. Maybe a team desperate enough for a hitter in this offensively challenged era would meet the Rangers’ price (Moreland would be a terrific fit for say, the Angels or Pirates). But chances are, the Rangers will hold Moreland, then sort through their options during the offseason.
The 29-year old Moreland is enjoying by far the best season of his career, hitting .287/.333/.529 with 16 homers in just 70 games. But there isn’t exactly a great track record of success for Moreland before this season – from 2010 to 2014, he hit just .252/.316/.430 with 65 homers over 494 games. He’s a free agent after next season, his final year of arbitration.
There aren’t many similar first basemen on the market – Adam Lind is hitting .285/.368/.497 with 15 homers for the Brewers, and whichever club he ends the year with will hold an $8.5 million option on Lind for the 2016 season. Aside from him, you’re looking at a bunch of corner outfield types like (possibly) Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton, and Jay Bruce.
If the Rangers really want to maximize their return on a pitcher like Yovani Gallardo, they could package Moreland with him to a team that needs help at first base. Imagine Gallardo and Moreland heading to the Pirates – Moreland’s a lefty just like Pittsburgh’s incumbent at first, Pedro Alvarez, but he’s not nearly as bad against southpaws as Alvarez is. Gallardo could slide into the back-end of their rotation to give the Pirates one hell of a starting foursome for a playoff run.
I doubt Moreland gets moved, but the Rangers would be wise to at least listen – Joey Gallo is going to need to play *somewhere* in the majors in 2016, and the third base and DH positions are both filled next year.
