MLB trade rumors: Nationals, Angels, Cubs interested in Ben Zobrist
By Hayden Kane
Ben Zobrist is the subject of a number of MLB trade rumors, and now three interested teams can be added to that list.
If you take a moment to think about it, Ben Zobrist needs to play for a National League team. He has spent his career with the Tampa Bay Rays and that’s all fine and good, but he belongs in the NL. His skill set and his ability to play so many positions around the diamond make him an ideal fit for the Senior Circuit.
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For the past week or so, it has sounded like a sure thing that Zobrist would be headed to the National League in a trade sending him to the San Francisco Giants. That deal has not been executed, however, and so a number of teams are reportedly interested in pushing to land Zobrist.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, and Chicago Cubs are also interested in trading for Ben Zobrist:
"Zobrist, 33, has one of the biggest trade markets out there. The super utilityman is being pursued seriously by the Giants, Nationals, Angels, and Cubs. The Rays recently acquired Asdrubal Cabrera on a one-year deal, sparking further speculation that Zobrist might be on the move. The Rays are said to be asking for at least one top prospect and a mid-level one."
The Giants still seem like such a natural fit, both in terms of roster construction and personality. While it’s hard to articulate the exact reasons why, it is just easy to imagine Zobrist fitting in and playing well for the defending champions.
The Nationals are presumably interested in Zobrist as an answer at the second base position. They acquired Asdrubal Cabrera for the playoff stretch last year to plug that hole after Danny Espinosa‘s struggles got to be too much. With Cabrera now Zobrist’s teammate in Tampa Bay, Washington is a logical landing spot for Zobrist.
As for the Cubs, they are in on everybody, apparently. In this case, the familiarity between Zobrist and manager Joe Maddon could potentially bode well, depending on Chicago’s willingness to meet Tampa Bay’s asking price.
The Angels have the hole left by the recently traded Howie Kendrick to consider in their infield. While that explains their interest in trading for Zobrist, I will be actively rooting against that outcome.
Why, you may ask? It’s nothing against the Angels, but seriously, we need to watch Ben Zobrist in the National League.
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