3 Most Intriguing Trade Candidates: AL West

We continue our look at the most likely trade candidates around baseball with a focus now on the AL West. And no, Shohei Ohtani is not on this list after the Los Angeles Angels made it clear that he won't be traded this winter. 

But when it comes to trading talented veterans, nobody does it more frequently than the Oakland Athletics. They comprise two of our three most tradeable assets from this division.

Sean Murphy, Oakland A's

Murphy is a viable starting catcher in the big leagues, and it's safe to say that a lot of teams can use one of those. He was on the trade block all last season and was expected to be dealt at the trade deadline, but made it through to season's end. He's certainly expected to go this offseason. 

Top catching prospect Shea Langeliers got his feet wet in the majors late last season, and the A's seem to feel either he or another big catching prospect, Tyler Soderstrom, will be ready to take over behind the plate. 

Murphy offers Gold Glove defense and some big-time power when he connects, but is entering arbitration for the first time, and that would be the penny-pinching A's cue to ship him out, as his salary is about to go way up. 

WATCH THIS RIGHT NOW pic.twitter.com/VlMakEw4Cd

— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 22, 2022

Jesse Winker, Seattle Mariners

The season finished with Winker having seemingly worn out his welcome in Seattle. The beleaguered outfielder had a disastrous first year with the Mariners, combining injuries with poor play, and a seeming ability to wear out his act on teammates. 

Divish confirmed Jesse Winker wore out his welcome in the clubhouse and the organization. They told him to take his ass home. Hopefully he doesn’t wear a mariners uniform ever again.

— Nathan Curtis (@NateC206) October 18, 2022

Winker played just 136 games in '22, and saw his average drop 85 points from the year before to just .219 while his OPS fell by 250 points to .688. His power also dropped off to just 14 home runs (from 24). He might have been a victim of some bad luck, as his BABIP was extremely low, but it's still possible the Mariners could try to cut their losses and get something for Winker who's only one year removed from an All-Star season in Cincinnati.

Ramon Laureano, Oakland A's

We head back to the Bay Area once again, as the Athletics are expected to deal off the remainder of their marketable veterans. Laureano was a difficult player to trade this past season, as he was coming off an 80-game PED suspension, and after his return in May struggled to keep his average much above .200, with an OPS about 100 points below his career average (he finished at .663). 

But he does have that tantalizing power/speed combination and may convince teams looking at his overall career numbers to take a shot. 

Trade Candidates from the AL East can be found here. 

Photo: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports