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Trade Market: Left Fielders

Looking to trade for a left fielder?  This entry in the Trade Market series has you covered.  We covered free agent left fielders here.

• Carl Crawford, Rays.  Crawford's $10MM (plus escalators) club option for 2010 should be exercised soon.  Crawford has said he'd like to sign an extension this winter or else play out the 2010 season and try free agency.  In a September mailbag, Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times considered a winter Crawford trade "very unlikely" but a July trade possible if the Rays fall out of contention.  The 28-year-old speedster hit .305/.364/.452 in 672 plate appearances this year.
• Carlos Lee, Astros.  Lee is owed a hefty $55.5MM over the next three seasons, and he has a full no-trade clause in 2010.  There's no indication the Astros are trying to move him, but the payroll flexibility wouldn't hurt.
• Josh Willingham, Nationals.  Willingham, 31 in February, hit .260/.367/.496 in 502 plate appearances this year.  He's due an arbitration raise on his '09 salary of $2.95MM.  Willingham and Adam Dunn drew interest at the trade deadline, but GM Mike Rizzo set a high asking price.
• Adam Dunn, Nationals.  Dunn was named in our first baseman post, but he did play 505 innings in left field this year.
• Juan Pierre, Dodgers.  Assuming Manny Ramirez exercises his $20MM player option, the Dodgers could attempt to trade Pierre.  Pierre is owed $18.5MM over the next two seasons.  His .365 OBP this year was his best since 2004.
• David DeJesus, Royals.  DeJesus has appeared in stray rumors over the years.  He's owed $4.7MM next year and has a $6MM club option for '11.  He posted a .281/.347/.434 line and plays a strong left field.
• Chase Headley, Padres.  With Kevin Kouzmanoff manning third base for the Padres, Headley spent most of his time in left field.  He didn't show much pop, tallying a .262/.342/.392 line in his first full season.  To his credit, he hit .305/.377/.426 away from Petco and had a similar split last year.  The Padres may decide to trade Kouzmanoff and put Headley back at third base.
• Jose Bautista, Blue Jays.  We discussed him in our third baseman post, but Bautista logged 322 innings in left field this year.
• Delmon Young, Twins.  It's not crazy to consider Young a non-tender candidate after 2009's weak .284/.308/.425 line and dismal defense.  Still, Young is only 24 and was considered the best prospect in baseball a few years ago.  Would a second change of scenery help?
• Eric Byrnes, Diamondbacks.  The D'Backs figure to attempt to trade Byrnes before eating the entire $11MM he's owed.  Byrnes could be part of a bad contract swap.
• Jack Cust, Athletics.  Cust is a DH at heart, but he played 401 innings in right field this year and 585.6 in left field in '08.  He's a non-tender candidate after slipping to .240/.356/.417 this year.  The A's could try to move him before that December 12th decision comes due (Cust earned $2.8MM this year).
• Luke Scott, Orioles.  Scott, 31, spent most of his time at DH this year.  He logged 199 innings in left field after getting 840 in '08.  Bolstered by a huge May, Scott posted a .258/.340/.488 line this year.  He's due an arbitration raise on his $2.4MM salary.
• Marcus Thames, Tigers.  Thames could be non-tendered after earning $2.275MM to hit .252/.323/.453 in 294 PAs.  He tallied 125 innings in left this year after 488 in '08.
• Matt Murton, Rockies.  Murton, 28, toiled in Triple A most of the year, hitting .324/.389/.499 at Colorado Springs.  He did a decent job when he last played regularly in the Majors for the Cubs.

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