For all but four teams in baseball, the offseason has already begun, and so has the speculation and buzz. With the winter meetings about a month-and-a-half away, the rumor mill is starting to buzz once again.
Let's break down some of the more interesting buzz making the rounds.
Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington Nationals
After a disastrous 2015 season, the Washington Nationals could be set for a few renovations. And that could mean starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg ends up on the trade block.
As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported on Sunday, there's "a lot of buzz that the retooling Nationals could make the 27-year-old available."
As Cafardo notes, the Nationals have some major decisions to make on their pitching staff. Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister are both free agents, while Strasburg is entering his final year of arbitration and will hit free agency after the 2016 season. The Nationals will have to make major decisions about which players are worth paying, and the injury-prone Strasburg may ultimately be deemed too risky to sign to a long-term contract.
When healthy, Strasburg did pitch well this season, finishing 11-7 with a 3.46 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 155 strikeouts in 127.1 innings. The 27-year-old still has dominant stuff and strikes out batters at an elite pace, and he was especially dominant down the stretch, as Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports noted in early October:
There's no doubt that the Nationals are loaded with talent, and the right manager should be able to lead the underachieving group back to the postseason. The question will be whether the front office will keep the 2015 core generally intact or decide to start fresh in 2016. If they go the latter route, Strasburg is a prime candidate to be moved.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox missed the postseason in 2015, finishing a disappointing 78-84, good for last in the competitive AL East. And that could prompt the team to sacrifice its farm system to compete in the 2016 season, according to Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald:
Those prospects could be sacrificed to improve the pitching staff. While the team scored 748 runs (fourth in baseball) and hit .265 as a team (sixth), they ranked 23rd in team WHIP (1.36), 25th in team ERA (4.31) and 25th in batting average against (.264).
And though Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski acknowledged that improving the pitching staff is the team's priority this offseason during a press conference last week, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.com, he seems to think the staff can be solidified through free agency:
There are many more starting pitchers available in free agency than there are bullpen guys. So I'm sure that comes into play at some point. Again, we'll tackle that in a couple weeks when we sit down with our group and discuss all the names.
But I think you're much more apt to be in a position where the availability of what you're looking to acquire is out there in free agency. Now, can you do it? What's the cost of making a trade? Those conversations are just starting.
Blowing up the farm system to compete in the present is always a risky game to play, so the Red Sox will likely hope to improve as much as possible through free agency. It wouldn't be surprising if the team made a few splashy trades if they can't patch their weaknesses through free agency, however.
Chris Carter, 1B, Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are loaded with young talent, could make some of their veterans expendable going forward. One such candidate is first baseman Chris Carter.
According to Cafardo, "While Carter had a good second half, the Astros, according to one major league source, could dangle him as trade bait. Carter’s unpredictable performance, coupled with high strikeouts, could have the Astros seeking a steadier performer at the position. He’s right-handed power, which is sought-after."
Carter, 28, hit just .199 this season, though he did manage 24 homers and 64 RBI in 129 games. He was solid for the team in the postseason, hitting .294 with a solo home run and three runs scored in six games, though his abysmal batting average during the season limits his value on the market.
For a team lacking home run power in the lineup, however, some of his woes at the plate may be overlooked.
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