8 Blockbuster MLB Trades We Want to See in 2024

It doesn't feel like any blockbuster MLB trades are imminent, and the trade deadline is so far away that one can only imagine what deals might go down this summer.

So, what the heck. Let's indulge ourselves.

Ahead are eight hypothetical trades that, at least as far as I'm concerned, would just plain be cool to see happen in 2024. Partially because they revolve around really good players, but more so because the player-team pairing in question would make for headline gold.

For instance, what if Pete Alonso went to the...well, best not to spoil that one. Or if Mike Trout went to the...nope, don't want to spoil that one either.

Which is to say we'd better just get to it.

Why It Would Be Cool

Kenley Jansen has worn uniforms for two different teams since he last pitched for the Dodgers in 2021, but can we agree that neither has looked quite right on him?

One supposes that 12 years in Dodger Blue will have that kind of effect, and to say that those were good years would be just a bit of an understatement. The 36-year-old Jansen saved 350 games just in the regular season as a Dodger, plus another 19 in the playoffs.

So, that's partly where this idea is coming from. But it also comes to mind because of how the Dodgers have conducted business in recent months.

They've brought in some kinda-sorta-very notable guys from outside the organization, sure, but they also couldn't let Clayton Kershaw, Jason Heyward, Ryan Brasier, Joe Kelly, Enrique Hernández or Daniel Hudson get away. So, why not seek a reunion with Jansen as well?

But How Realistic Is It?

Jansen's talents frankly seem wasted on a Boston Red Sox team that's going nowhere, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Jon Heyman of the New York Post kicked up some Dodgers buzz back in January. Back then, at least, this idea was a sound one indeed.

But these days? Maybe less so. That Jansen buzz was going on before the Dodgers re-upped with Brasier, so it could take an injury or some other unforeseen event for a reunion with Jansen to make sense again.

Why It Would Be Cool

Have we entered spit take territory? We might have just entered spit take territory.

After all, it was barely more than a year ago that the Minnesota Twins and Miami Marlins swapped Luis Arraez and Pablo López. And it was a winner for both teams in 2023! Arraez won a second straight batting title, while López was an All-Star who got Cy Young votes.

The Twins nonetheless could have used Arraez in an offense that was a little too reliant on the long ball. And even now, all you have to do is squint to see how he might eventually fit into the club's plans for this season.

Though Minnesota is set with Edouard Julien at second base and Carlos Santana at first base, the latter might be needed at designated hitter if Alex Kirilloff can't stay healthy, which has unfortunately been the story of his career. Should he go down again, well, there's your opening for Arraez's return.

But How Realistic Is It?

The idea of the Marlins trading Arraez sometime this season has legs, at least. Heyman wrote about it in January, mainly under the pretense that the 26-year-old is as good as gone as a free agent after 2025.

The Marlins are ostensibly a contender, however, and the musical chairs scenario I outlined for Minnesota does have at least one flaw: Given his own recent injury history, the Twins need to keep the DH spot more or less open for Byron Buxton.

Why It Would Be Cool

As to this next idea, a big part of what's so fun about it is how many familiar faces Ha-Seong Kim would be surrounded by if he ended up on the Giants.

They're skippered by Bob Melvin, who managed Kim for two years with the San Diego Padres and apparently quite liked doing so. The Giants also have Jung Hoo Lee, who's good friends with Kim from their days with the Kiwoom Heroes in Korea.

And call me sadistic if you want, but I take great pleasure in imagining how many ground balls would die at the hands of this infield defense.

Kim would line up next to Matt Chapman, giving the Giants a total of five Gold Gloves on the left side of their infield. At second base would be Thairo Estrada, who arguably should have won a Gold Glove last year after ranking second with 19 Outs Above Average.

But How Realistic Is It?

The Padres trading the 28-year-old Kim is realistic enough. He's all but certain to decline a mutual option for 2025 and become a free agent after this season. And while the Friars will have an excuse to keep him around if they're contending, the odds of that aren't great.

Then again, the Giants' own playoff odds are barely better than San Diego's if you ask FanGraphs. And even if they do pull away from the Padres, would they really trade Kim within the National League West?

Why It Would Be Cool

"You know what Atlanta needs? Another power-hitting infielder."

Said nobody ever. Or at least, not right now. Atlanta got 30-plus home runs from Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies last season, leaving shortstop as the only infield position to not top that mark. And Orlando Arcia was fine at that spot.

But do you know what's better than merely fine? Such things as good and better, of course, and Willy Adames would be either of those relative to Arcia.

Even in a down year relative to the standards he set in his first year and a half with the Milwaukee Brewers, Adames still put up 24 home runs and 3.0 rWAR last season. Or, seven more homers and 1.4 more rWAR than Atlanta got from Arcia.

But How Realistic Is It?

The Brewers eventually trading Adames, 28, is realistic in the same way that the Padres trading Kim is realistic. He's due for free agency after 2024, and the Brewers are facing relatively long odds (i.e., 33 percent) of making the playoffs.

But while Atlanta eventually seeking to upgrade on Arcia seems possible, it's probably not likely. And even if they did pursue Adames, a big question would be whether they have enough talent in their farm system to barter to pay the price for him.

Why It Would Be Cool

Speaking of Brewers players who are A Whole Lot of Fun, Devin Williams should need no introduction in this regard.

In five seasons in the majors, all he's done is win the Rookie of the Year, make two All-Star teams, rack up a 1.89 ERA and throw more GIF-able changeups than one can count.

The Astros, meanwhile, don't need another reliever. They already have three really good ones in Josh Hader, Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly, two of whom had ERAs in the 1.00s last year.

Still, you'll have to pardon me for never not wanting to see a Big 3 become a Big 4, especially if it involves Hader and Williams being in the same bullpen again. And in this case, said bullpen would be to high-leverage work what the xenomorph is to organisms: perfect.

But How Realistic Is It?

Even if they do fall out of the race, the Brewers trading the 29-year-old Williams is less likely than them trading Adames. The former is controlled through 2025, and one would otherwise hope the Brewers have learned their lesson about rushing to trade ace closers.

As for the possibility of Houston eventually trying for Williams, it may not be a reach. Despite that elite back three, general manager Dana Brown spoke openly on Sunday about wanting to acquire more relief pitching. This kind of trade would obviously fit the bill.

Why It Would Be Cool

Despite all that was said and written about the apparent weakness of their rotation, it ultimately wasn't starting pitching that doomed the Orioles last year.

If anything, that's more likely to be the case this year. It's all well and good that Corbin Burnes is aboard ahead of Grayson Rodriguez, but Kyle Gibson is gone and Kyle Bradish and John Means are set to begin the year on the injured list.

The Orioles therefore should have their eye firmly on Dylan Cease. And in a scenario in which they acquire him and eventually get Bradish back fully healthy, their rotation will be overloaded with stuff.

To wit, do you know where Burnes, Bradish and Cease ranked among qualified hurlers in Stuff+ last season? Try first, second and fifth, Jack.

But How Realistic Is It?

There's real smoke here, as the Chicago White Sox are reportedly likely to move the 28-year-old Cease sometime this summer and the O's are one of the teams that's known to have kicked the tires on him in recent months.

But hold on just a minute. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, it was with "basically the same package" that the Orioles swapped for Burnes that they tried to get the White Sox to flinch on Cease. That didn't work, and that package is obviously gone now.

Why It Would Be Cool

It's a good team the Cubs have, but it may not be good enough to win the NL Central.

This is according to the odds at both FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus, which favor the St. Louis Cardinals. The indication is that the Cubs are still missing something even after re-signing Cody Bellinger, and whatever could that be?

Well, how about a proper middle-of-the-order slugger around whom the various 20-homer sluggers the Cubs already have could coalesce? Someone like Pete Alonso, in other words.

The 29-year-old is MLB's leading home-run hitter since 2019, and his nose for the RBI is most evident in how he's clubbed 101 of his 192 homers with men on base. The Cubs weren't great in that department last year, hitting only 75 of their 196 homers with men on.

But How Realistic Is It?

Alonso-to-the-Cubs isn't exactly a fresh idea. They were in on Alonso, who's due for free agency after 2024, last summer and again early in the 2023-24 offseason. And since Bellinger can play center field just as easily as he can play first base, the fit is still there.

Precisely because Bellinger is back, however, the fit isn't really a pressing need anymore. And even if the Cubs do try for Alonso again, the New York Mets wouldn't have to relent. Even setting their contention odds aside, they're serious about keeping him long-term.

Why It Would Be Cool

This is another idea that's not exactly fresh. Speaking for myself, I feel like I've been wanting to see Mike Trout traded to the Phillies for the better part of the last decade.

A trade to the Phillies wouldn't just put Trout in the same city as his favorite NFL team, after all. It would also team him with Bryce Harper, thus finally realizing the crossover event that baseball fans have been dreaming of since 2012.

There's also the prospect of Trout getting something he's never had with the Los Angeles Angels: an automatic ticket to the playoffs.

The Phillies are going into 2024 eyeing a third deep playoff run in as many years. Were the 32-year-old Trout to get involved, this would mean a chance to fill in the biggest gap in his Hall of Fame resume. His playoff career consists of one trip and zero wins.

But How Realistic Is It?

It's easy enough to imagine Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski picking up his phone and calling about Trout this summer. Dombrowski loves his big trades, after all, and center field is a relative weakness on this year's team.

However, any deal involving Trout is only going to happen if he changes his stance on wanting to be traded. I'm reluctant to take it for granted that he ever will. And even if he did, Angels owner Arte Moreno's stubbornness would still be a threat to block a deal.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.