Top 5 - AL Players Who May Be Trade Bait

Here are 5 AL players who are probably being shopped as you read this.

Matt Holliday - A's - $13.5 million 2009 contract - I think he definitely gets traded mostly for financial reasons. The A's just can't afford him. They should get a better haul back on Holliday than what they gave up for him. He would fit best with a NL team in need of a bat.

Aubrey Huff - Orioles - $8 million 2009 contract - Huff has a line of 10 HR / 52 RBI / .270 BA. He's an available 1B /DH for a team that needs a bat (especially a left-handed bat). I'm not a fan and I question how Huff would handle a big-city pennant race. Huff will probably be a Type A free agent so whatever a team gives up for him may come back to them with draft picks (assuming Huff does not accept arbitration which is a risk I wouldn't be willing to take on Huff - do you really want to take the risk of having to pay Huff $11 million in 2010?).

Cliff Lee - Indians - $5.75 million 2009 contract with a $9 million 2010 team option. If Lee is traded it will be because the Indians have too much money tied up in bad Kerry Woods, bad Jake Westbrook and bad Travis Hafner. If Cliff Lee is traded - Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge should both be shown the door. My guess is that Lee will not be traded though because it would be admitting to everyone that the Indians have failed on the field and on the budget front and that would lead to Shapiro and Wedge getting fired. It's a Catch 22 for the Indians.

Adam Kennedy - A's - $4 million 2009 contract - would be a good fit for a playoff contender with a need at 2nd base (the Mets and Tampa Bay are two potential landing spots).

Mark Teahen - Royals - $3.5 million 2009 contract - Teahen is arbitration eligible for 2 more seasons and he can play 3rd, OF or 2nd in a pinch. That makes him attractive trade bait. For whatever reasons the Royals have been down on Teahen (Alex Gordon being reason A Teahen has been shunted in KC). I'm not sure the Royals want to be paying Teahen $5 million next season. If Mike Lowell's hip is worse than thought - I'd look for the Red Sox to make a play for Teahen.