MLB Trade Rumors: Could Dee Gordon End Up Being Dealt to the Los Angeles Angels?
Gordon's sizable contract could be one cost-cutting Miami Marlins look to move
The Miami Marlins are already one of the more talked-about teams of this offseason, and that is not because they are loading up for a pennant run.
Instead, the Marlins are making headlines because they are expected to swing deals this offseason that will involve some of the better-known players on the team being moved to different clubs.
Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is widely expected to be traded at some point this offseason, and there is a good chance that he is not the only Marlin who will be playing for a different team in 2018.
In a recent article, Thomas Bennett of Fish Stripes made the case that the Los Angeles Angels could benefit significantly from acquiring second baseman Dee Gordon from the Marlins.
Bennett pointed out that the Angels could benefit from adding Gordon in two ways.
First, Gordon could slide in at second base for the Angels, solidifying a position that has been in flux recently. The second reason is that the team could ask for more international signing money from the Marlins if they are willing to take on the entirety of Gordon's contract. The Angels could then use that additional international signing money to present free agent Shohei Ohtani with a more substantial contract offer.
Even if the Angels end up failing to sign Ohtani, they can still benefit significantly from the addition of Gordon.
Gordon can add an element of speed to a lineup lacking a true base-stealer. He's led the National League in stolen bases in three of the last four seasons, as seen on Baseball-Reference, and the one year he failed to do so was the one in which he was suspended for half of the season.
The speed element Gordon brings could make the Angels a more dynamic team overall, and put them in better position to contend for a playoff spot next season.
It certainly seems that Gordon could fit in well with the Angels, but whether or not that player and team union is realized this offseason is just something fans will have to watch out for.