Top Off-Season Trades

Judging by the news that Michael Young has requested a trade from Texas after being relegated to the DH spot (a roster move that apparently has nothing to do with the request... yeah, I'm sure, just like when one spouse's cheating has nothing to do with the other asking for a divorce...), we might not be done with big trades in the 2010-11 off-season. But with pitchers and catchers about a week from reporting to camp, I feel like it's late enough to give a rundown of the

TOP 10 OFF-SEASON TRADED PLAYERS (+1 Extra Bonus Pick)

The R-Sox fell from contention in 2010, but aim to get right back in it with a couple of big personnel moves between seasons: they signed speed with Crawford and traded for power in Gonzalez. A-Gon was pretty darn good even playing in Petco Park, the most pitcher-friendly stadium in the game, so he should really thrive in the much comfier Fenway Park.

Dan Uggla should bolster the Braves' lineup as only the heaviest-hitting second baseman in the league can. Atlanta struggled to score runs last year, with rookie Jason Heyward and perennial All-Star Brian McCann the team's only big offensive threats. He's sure to boot a few balls hit his way (which I'm sure ground-ball machine Tim Hudson will take some issue with), but he'll more than make up for it at the plate.

Marcum was one of two big pitcher acquisitions by the Brewers this off-season (see below). I guess they're making a push for Prince Fielder's last season before free agency. Marcum's kind of a risk, coming off a good season, but having missed the entire year before. But if his 2010 is any indication of his true ability, he should absolutely thrive in the National League.

It's unclear exactly where Wells will play, since the Angels already have erstwhile defensive whiz Torii Hunter manning the 8 spot... but judging by the latest defensive metrics, a move to left field might not be such a bad thing. Wells returned to form at the plate in 2010 following a 3-season-long power outage, and should help the Angels field a more well-rounded team.

Greinke fell far short of his 2009 Cy Young performance, which is the only reason he's below fellow Brewer acquisition Sean Marcum on this list. He still shows a lot of upside heading into his age 27 season, especially if he can keep his hits and earned runs down, and the move to the National League won't hurt. Now's Greinke's big chance to prove that his breakout season wasn't a fluke - and to partly justify my wasting my third pick on him in last year's fantasy draft.

This is just good baseball economics: the Rays had a surplus of starting pitchers, and they got the most they could for one of their mid-level guys off a career-high in wins, but not much else. He should help a Cubs pitching staff that ranked near the bottom of the league in ERA last season. However, perhaps they shouldn't have given up five top prospects on the basis of an outdated, meaningless statistic.

Former Angel catcher Bengie Molina is out and former Angel catcher Mike Napoli is in... but this one also plays first base to boot. He can back up both Yorvit Torrealba and Mitch Moreland, neither of whom project as above-average full-time major league starters. Napoli's big time power should also be better served by the Ballpark in Arlington than by Angel Stadium in ANAHEIM NOT AT ALL LOS ANGELES.

Davis has it all: speed on the basepaths, speed in the outfield... okay, so maybe he doesn't have it all, but he's good at what he does have: speed, speed, and more speed. If nothing else, he should cover a lot of ground taking over for former franchise player Vernon Wells in Toronto.

Infante is on this list almost solely due to his selection to last year's All-Star team. He has durability, he has versatility, and he can rack up a lot of base hits if given the opportunity. Despite his lack of any apparent baseball skills that lead to immediately scoring or preventing runs, he's pretty much tops on the Marlins' depth chart for second base, third base, and even maybe center field.

Some people might remember Frank Francisco from his one year setting up for C.J. Wilson, some may remember his one year tenure as Texas's closer... I remember him for tossing a chair at a fan in a fabled fight at the Oakland Coliseum. He'll take his aggression north of the border where he'll join a duo of sometime-relievers-sometime-closers at the back end of the Blue Jays bullpen.

Who can tell if Reynolds will cut down on his strikeouts on a new team in a new league with a new manager, but if he can, then the American League East had better watch out. He's got legendary power, but also owns the major league record for most strikeouts in a season ever, and last year he even failed to crack the Mendoza line. He'll have his work cut out for him in a division that includes Evan Longoria, Alex Rodriguez, and Kevin Youkilis.