2014 has been a disappointing season for the Tampa Bay Rays, as they currently own the worst record in the major leagues. The Rays have several attractive trade chips on their roster, one of which is the versatile second baseman Ben Zobrist. He’s under contract for this season and has an affordable team option for 2015. While his production has declined slightly this year, he’s still a valuable player than can contribute in a variety of ways.
Zobrist’s power production has dipped in the past couple seasons after hitting 20 home runs in both 2011 and 2012. Last year he popped just 12 home runs and managed a .127 ISO. This season he’s hit five long balls and owns a .130 ISO. He still walks at a high rate while avoiding strikeouts, runs the bases well and plays good defense at a variety of positions. Projections systems peg him for 3.5-4fWAR by the end of the seasons. That represents a dip from the 5-6 wins he managed the past three years but it’s very good nevertheless.
Here are a few of the several teams that would be well-served to look into acquiring Zobrist.
The Detroit Tigers would most likely use Zobrist as a shortstop, or possibly in the outfield. Rookie Eugenio Suarez has been sensational in his first eight games with the big league club, but it’s unlikely he’ll continue to play at anywhere near this level. Beyond that, Danny Worth, the now-released Alex Gonzalez and Andrew Romine have been awful, totaling -0.8 fWAR. In the outfield the Tigers have regularly employed Rajai Davis, J.D. Martinez and Don Kelly. Shortstop isn’t Zobrist’s best position, but he’s played 75 games there over the last three seasons, and grades out as average.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals could also be in on Zobrist. Los Angeles has gotten good production out of Dee Gordon, but as expected he’s cooled off after a torrid month of April. Going forward, he projects as a well-below average hitter, albeit a weapon on the basepaths. Zobrist would certainly be an upgrade. Danny Espinosa is manning second base for the Nationals, and he’s hitting only .218/.281/.366, with a 33.9 percent strikeout rate. Ryan Zimmerman recently returned for a DL stint, but the Nats might be better off keeping him in the outfield as they have really struggled in the absence of Bryce Harper.
While David Price is sure to be the hottest Rays player on the trading block, more teams will be in on Zobrist due to the low price tag and positional flexibility. Given his versatility, he could help fill a need for almost every contending team. His skills might be declining with age, but he’s still a very good player.
