Potential Jays Trade Targets (A.L West)

I've decided to do a list of whom the Jays could pursue this offseason. I'll release the list division by division, and i've decided to star with the AL West. Note that all I'm going to talk about is Major league talent, and no prospects will be involved.

The A's

Daric Barton 1st Base

If AA could go out and get Barton it would make me a happy Jays fan. He may not have the power you would expect out of a traditional first basemen, but he had an OBP of .393 last season, and the Jays don't really need the power they would receive out of the first base spot because everyone on the roster is capable of 20 home runs ( I think Escobar has some hidden pop in him). Plus he's only 26, and is also a great fielding first baseman (career UZR/150 of 9.1)

The Angels  

Howie Kendrick 2nd Base

He doesn't do one thing exceptionally, but he does provide alright Speed (14 sb's), decent on-base skills(.327 career OBP) and average pop (.131 career ISO). He's a decent fielder (career UZR/150 of 3.0) and would be a nice piece for the Jays.

Erick Aybar Short stop

There isn't much of a need for Aybar as a shortstop (Escobar, Hechavarria, Pierre) but he would be useful as a second basemen. He had a bit of a down year last year, but I'm willing to believe that 2009 wasn't an illusion. In that year he had a triple slash line of .312/.353/.423 and although he never walks (5.0% career walk rate) he wouldn't need to with an average .300+. His BABIP last year dipped from .338 to .289, so that could also be a reason his average plummeted from .312 to .253.

He's always had good speed (will steal 20 bag's a year) and would be a nice chip to trade when Hechavarria/Pierre is ready. He's a middle classed man's Howie Kendrick.

Seattle Mariners

There is no one on this team that would be of use to the Jays. Sure King Felix is probably the best pitcher in the A.L, but would the  Mariners brass be willing to trade him? hell no. Smoak is staying put, I personally don't wan't an aging Ichiro (I was at the game he walked-off on Scott Downs) and Chone Figgins has a huge price-tag attached to his name. Brandon League is Brandon League, and all of their other pitchers would die in the homer haven that is the Rogers Centre. Michael Saunders would have to fight T-snide and Bautista for playing time, and Ian Snell had an era over 7.00 last year while pitching away from Safe Co Field. No thanks, Seattle is a burning heap of terrible right now.

Texas Rangers

 Derek Holland SP

I love the guy. It completely baffles me that Washington didn't slate him as the game four starter over Tommy Hunter (not that Hunter pitched poorly). He's always had a high K-rate (8.48 last year), and has alright control for a pitcher as young as he is (he's 24, and walked 3.77 batters per 9 last year). You'd probably have to trade Marcum+Cecil/prospect to land him. It would be worth it though. He's a Left handed Drabek, and next to Feliz he is the next big thing for Texas. With him the Jays would run out a rotation in 2011 looking something like this

Morrow

Romero

Holland

Drabek

Stewart/Cecil

I don't know about you, but that gets me going.