MLB Trade Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz After 2022 Winter Meetings

No player is at the heart of trade discussion right now more than Sean Murphy, the talented young Oakland A's catcher with considerable potential and the eyes of several contending teams on him.

Murphy continues to dominate trade talks but is joined by a bevy of outfielders, all of whom can elevate any team that makes an offer to their current clubs for their services.

What is the latest on Murphy, and which young players might be the target of discussions and offers in the near future?

Find out with this collection of rumors from baseball insiders.

Add the San Francisco Giants to the list of potential suitors for promising young Oakland A's catcher Sean Murphy, per Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. Catcher is not at the top of the team's needs list, but it is telling that they at least inquired about a trade at the same time the team is favored to land shortstop Carlos Correa and was a major player in the Aaron Judge sweepstakes.

The Giants are hardly the only team checking in on Murphy, as the 28-year-old has been the subject of interest from the Diamondbacks, Astros, Cubs, Guardians, Twins, Braves, Rays and Red Sox over the last month.

The St. Louis Cardinals were previously players, but the signing of Wilson Contreras appeared to halt those conversations. The A's, knowing full well the quality of player they have in Murphy, are apparently seeking a large haul in return for him, which almost certainly convinced the Cards to look elsewhere to solve their catcher problem.

Murphy had a career year in 2022 at the plate, accumulating highs in home runs (18), RBI (66), walks (56), batting average (.250), and total bases (229). The same can be said defensively, as he played 1,004 innings, had 878 put-outs, and a consistent fielding percentage of .991.

He was better offensively than nearly every other player at his position this past season, sans the Phillies' JT Realmuto, and defensively, he is as solid as there is behind the plate. Other teams are interested in acquiring him because they recognize the upward trend and want to jump at the chance to get him now before it becomes much more difficult (and expensive) to do so later.

The Giants had solid contributions from Joey Bart in 2022, but Murphy is undeniably an upgrade and would help them realize their long-term goals of making the playoffs more than twice in every seven seasons.

With so many moving pieces and a plethora of teams interested in bringing Murphy aboard, it is nearly impossible to project where he may be playing in 2022. It is also wholly possible he stays in Oakland, though the fact that so many potential suitors have made it into the headlines suggests the organization is actively trying to lure a team into trading, in hopes of acquiring players and, potentially, draft picks that are in-line with its Moneyball philosophies.

With big-name players at key positions signing on the dotted line, some teams are looking to their outfield and how they can improve that position. Those teams are looking to the Arizona Diamondbacks and their embarrassment of riches at that position.

According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, "perhaps a third of baseball's 30 teams have checked in on at least one of the Diamondbacks' outfielders, with two new clubs reaching out for the first time on Tuesday."

He continued, stating the Blue Jays, Brewers, Athletics, Yankees, Marlins, Reds and White Sox are among those teams.

Add the defending World Series champs Houston to the mix, per Chandler Rome of The Houston Chronicle.

"Talks are said to involve players at a variety of positions, with second base, third base, shortstop and catcher looking most likely," Piecoro added. "The club is focused primarily on right-handed hitters."

Daulton Varsho might be the most interesting of the Diamondbacks' outfielders, thanks to his ability to play catcher as well. His 2022 saw him smash 27 home runs and drive in 74 RBI en route to a .443 slugging percentage.

He is an adaptable player who can benefit a team defensively and at the plate, making him a greater asset than Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas, both intriguing young players in their own right.

It is no surprise that contending teams like the Yankees and Blue Jays would be looking to bolster their rosters with quality, young outfielders and why teams looking to get to that next level would hope to add those building blocks to their rosters for years to come.

D'backs General Manager Mike Hazen said of the situation the team finds itself in, "We have enough specificity around some of these (discussions) that I feel like we'll have some decisions to say yes or no."

He continued, "we have some things we're still working on that I feel like we're going to be in a position to make decisions on."

Piecoro added that the team is looking at some deals that would send one player back in return and others that would deal multiple.

Whatever the case ends up being, the Diamondbacks have the ability to sit tight and hold on to their young players, hoping they build on previous seasons and command even more attention, either through the season or after it, or acquire a haul of talent in return for them now.

It is, if nothing else, a testament to the organization's ability to develop young players and put them in a position to flourish enough that other teams come calling.

Aaron Gleeman and Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported that Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler is drawing trade interest.

There are no teams specified in the report.

Kepler's bat below-average numbers (43 RBI, 9 HR, .227 BA) and he has not necessarily played up to expectations in Minnesota, who gave him an extension in 2019 worth $35 million.

With that said, any potential for him to be a significant part of a deal or even a package of players that brings back a star contributor is low. Still, his numbers are not terrible for a starting outfielder, and his defense is solid enough to warrant intrigue in adding him to a roster.

With the Yankees, Blue Jays, White Sox, Reds and other teams linked to the much better Diamondbacks outfielders, it would not be surprising if one of those teams that does not strike a deal with Arizona takes a chance on bringing Kepler in to bolster an outfield it clearly has questions about.