MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince has proposed a wild seven-team trade involving the Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Guardians, Arizona Diamondbacks and Minnesota Twins. The hypothetical deal would shuffle key players and prospects across the league, aiming to address various roster needs. While unlikely, it highlights creative offseason possibilities.
In a Black Friday brainstorm, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com outlined a record-setting seven-team trade that would reshape several MLB rosters. The proposal includes the Philadelphia Phillies sending third baseman Alec Bohm to the Cleveland Guardians. In return, the Phillies would acquire center fielder Alek Thomas from the Arizona Diamondbacks and right-handed pitching prospect Braylon Doughty from the Guardians.
The Miami Marlins would part with right-handed pitcher Sandy Alcantara, heading to the Diamondbacks, while receiving first baseman Triston Casas from the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox would gain slugging first baseman Jake Burger from the Texas Rangers, who in turn would get catcher Ryan Jeffers from the Minnesota Twins. Finally, the Twins would receive infield prospect LuJames Groover from the Diamondbacks and outfield prospect Aaron Walton from the Guardians.
Castrovince described the idea with humor, writing, 'I was on such a roll constructing bad trades involving more than two teams that I figured I might as well go for the record for most teams involved in a single trade (good or bad). The current record, as far as I know, is four teams. This seven-team spectacular (?) blows past it … and solves (?) a lot of roster questions in the process.' He noted that while the NBA has executed a seven-team deal through combined transactions, this MLB version would be more intricate due to interdependent moves.
The trade remains purely speculative, but it underscores the potential for complex deals to resolve salary and roster challenges across multiple teams during the offseason.