Hot Stove Lunch: Blockbuster trade possibilities serve as intro to spring training

Ordinarily, this is the quietest time on the baseball calendar.

Spring training is on the horizon, and usually, most of the news stories would focus on equipment trucks getting ready for Florida and Arizona. Or aging free agents signing minor league deals with hopes of one more season in the big leagues. Or roster projections.

But not this year.

This year, the focus is on trades. Big trades.



On the final day of January, at least three of the game's biggest stars could still change teams: Kris Bryant, Nolan Arenado and, of course, Mookie Betts.

If you assembled a list of the top, say, dozen position players in the game, it's likely that all three players would make the list.

The Rockies, just a year into a huge extension for Arenado, have determined that it might not make the most sense for a medium-market team to sink so much into one player. The Cubs, having waited all winter for the outcome of an arbiter to rule on Bryant's service time, think that dealing him could accelerate their rebuild. And the Red Sox are intent on cutting payroll and have perhaps come to the decision that Betts can't be re-signed.

Add it all up and you get three huge players being dangled as February arrives.

Of the three, it would seem that Betts has the best chance of being moved. Talks with the Los Angeles Dodgers have intensified in recent days and it appears that the teams are uniquely positioned to get a deal done. The Dodgers believe that Betts could put them over the top, aren't concerned about having just one year of control guaranteed and have plenty of prospects they can sacrifice to made a trade work.

The Cubs, as noted, are getting a late start, but there are a handful of contenders (Nationals, Braves, Rangers) who have an obvious need at third base.

Moving Arenado might be more problematic, if only because of the huge money (seven years, $234 million) due to him. That's a tremendous amount of salary obligation to move on the eve of spring training, when the vast majority of teams have their budgets already set.

It's possible that all three will, for the time being, end up staying put. In the meantime, the trade talk for these three is a fascinating prelude to pitchers and catchers reporting.

Elsewhere:

AL EAST

A guide to some of the better Yankee prospects this spring.

The Rays' search for a new ballpark has become tiresome.

Where are the Jays most vulnerable in 2020?

John Means expects to be even better this year.

AL CENTRAL

Will the Indians come to regret not trading Francisco Lindor?

Big things are expected from Max Kepler

Some spring questions for the White Sox.

Next winter offers some intriguing possibilities for the Tigers.

Salvador Perez is excited about one of his new teammates.

AL WEST 

The Mariners found some pitching help on the international market.

Dusty Baker's Astros have a hole to fill in the starting rotation.

Taking a look at the Rangers' payroll

A closer look at the Angels' rotation.

NATIONAL LEAGUE 

A look back at why the NL passed on the DH.