10 AL players who could be traded this offseason

In this two-part series, theScore MLB editors Brandon Wile and Jonah Birenbaum identify 10 players in each league liable to be dealt this offseason, and rank them - using a 1(unlikely)-to-5(extremely likely) scale - on their likelihood of being traded.

Jose Abreu, White Sox

AGE: 30
POSITION: 1B
CONTRACT: 2nd-year arb (FA after 2019)
TRADE FACTOR (1-5): 4

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn took major steps to expedite his rebuild last winter, swapping both Chris Sale and Adam Eaton for prospect capital (before making several in-season trades, too), and Abreu, coming off his finest season since his rookie campaign in 2014, should be the next major piece to go. With two years of team control remaining, Abreu won't come cheap, and contenders looking for a first basemen could always hit up the free-agent market in lieu of a trade, but, well, Abreu is just so much better than Eric Hosmer, Carlos Santana et al. Since defecting from Cuba four years ago, in fact, Abreu has been more valuable than every first baseman in the majors not named Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Rizzo, Joey Votto, Freddie Freeman, or Matt Carpenter.

Ian Kinsler, Tigers*

*Traded to Angels

AGE: 35
POSITION: 2B
CONTRACT: Signed through 2018 (5 yrs/$75M + Option)
TRADE FACTOR (1-5): 5

If Kinsler is wearing a Tigers uniform on Opening Day, someone done messed up. With the rebuild now clearly underway in Detroit, Kinsler - a free agent next winter - will be widely pursued this offseason, and, given the bleak season that awaits the Tigers, the four-time All-Star should be amenable to playing even for one of the 10 teams on his no-trade list. Despite taking a step backward in 2017, Kinsler was still the 12th-most valuable player at his position, and even if this is the new norm for him, he's still better than every second baseman available in free agency (with the possible exception of Neil Walker). As such, he's going to go fast: the Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets have already reached out to the Tigers about him.

Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays

AGE: 31
POSITION: 3B
CONTRACT: 3rd-year arb (FA after 2018)
TRADE FACTOR (1-5): 1

It really doesn't seem like the Blue Jays want to trade Donaldson this winter and risk alienating their newly recommitted fan base with an expedited rebuild - they re-signed Marco Estrada, after all, as part of an ostensible effort to compete in 2018 - but they'll need to spend considerable monies to bridge the gap between them and the legitimate contenders in the American League. If they're unwilling to do that, or if the corporate (and publicly traded) giant that owns the team won't give the Blue Jays' front office the requisite cash to do that, Mark Shapiro should strongly consider moving Donaldson, the best player in the game outside of Mike Trout over the last five seasons. The St. Louis Cardinals, for instance, recognize the awkward spot the Blue Jays are in, and are reportedly expected to pursue Donaldson aggressively this winter. Expect other teams to do the same.

Jed Lowrie, A's

AGE: 33
POSITION: 2B
CONTRACT: Signed through 2018 (4 yrs/$28M)
TRADE FACTOR (1-5): 4

Seeing as they share a division with the Houston Astros, the best-case scenario for the A's in 2018 is probably the second American League wild-card berth, and even that seems highly unlikely given that Oakland is, well, bad. Consequently, Billy Beane isn't going to hang onto an impending free agent like Lowrie and potentially forsake loads of trade value to bolster an improbable run at a coin-flip play-in game. Lowrie is coming off the best season of his career, too, and, as such, the A's will be motivated to unload him now rather than at the trade deadline, lest they risk him destroying his market value by regressing closer to his career norms.

Manny Machado, Orioles

AGE: 25
POSITION: 3B
CONTRACT: 3rd-year arb (FA after 2018)
TRADE FACTOR (1-5): 2

Coming off a fifth-place finish in the American League East, with no rotation to speak of and too many core position players firmly in the post-prime stages of their careers, the likelihood of the Orioles making the playoffs in 2018 is decidedly low. Conversely, the likelihood of the Orioles getting a substantial haul for Machado, notwithstanding his down year in 2017 and looming free agency, is high. It's a tough pill to swallow, trading a franchise player, but the Orioles have virtually no chance of signing Machado to an extension - he could command $400 million next winter - and they're not in a realistic position to contend this season, either. Of course, they could hang onto him for the winter and move him at the trade deadline if they're out of it in July, but the Orioles would get much more now. Delaying the inevitable will likely prove costly.

Jurickson Profar, Rangers

AGE: 24
POSITION: IF/OF
CONTRACT: 1st-year arb (FA after 2020)
TRADE FACTOR (1-5): 4

Profar's name seems to surface in trade rumors every offseason, but with Texas seemingly committed to making a World Series run in what could be the final season of Adrian Beltre's career - and Profar's trade value decreasing with each successive season - it wouldn't be surprising to see the Rangers swap the versatile youngster for immediate marginal wins. Following a 78-84 finish in 2017, and with Yu Darvish long gone, they're going to need every victory they can get next year to sneak into the wild-card game, and they still don't have a spot for Profar, anyway, with Elvis Andrus entrenched at shortstop and Rougned Odor, despite himself, locked in at second base. (And, no, Profar isn't a corner outfielder).

Matt Joyce, A's

AGE: 33
POSITION: RF/LF
CONTRACT: Signed through 2018 (2 yrs/$11M)
TRADE FACTOR (1-5): 4

As another impending free agent on Oakland's payroll who enjoyed an uncharacteristically strong 2017 season, Joyce is all but assured to be playing elsewhere next year. The corner-outfield options available in free agency are a little more inspired, but Joyce, with only one year left on his deal, comes with considerably less risk.

Zach Britton, Orioles

AGE: 29
POSITION: RP
CONTRACT: 3rd-year arb (FA after 2018)
TRADE FACTOR (1-5): 3

Even if the Orioles don't end up trading Machado, Dan Duquette would be remiss not to consider moving Britton. Relievers, even the best ones, are fungible, after all, and considering the market rate for the elite bullpen arms available in free agency - Wade Davis and Greg Holland will both command multi-year deals with an AAV above $15 million - the Orioles could shrewdly undercut the market by trading Britton, who has just year of team control left. Following an injury-marred 2017 campaign, Britton's trade value isn't what it was a year ago, but the Orioles could still get plenty for him this winter, and even if they do plan to compete this season, the marginal win that Britton adds probably won't be the difference between making the postseason or not.

Avisail Garcia, White Sox

AGE: 26
POSITION: RF
CONTRACT: 2nd-year arb (FA after 2019)
TRADE FACTOR (1-5): 4

Like Abreu, Garcia is primed to hit free agency before the White Sox are good again, and, also like Abreu, the 26-year-old is coming off a huge season. That said, absent the overall body of work that Abreu has, Garcia is riskier acquisition, having accrued a whopping -1.1 WAR in parts of six seasons prior to 2017. Still, he, too, offers two years of team control, and boasts more upside - and, again, more risk - than the middling corner outfielders available in free agency.

Alex Colome, Rays

AGE: 28
POSITION: RP
CONTRACT: 1st-year arb eligible (FA after 2020)
TRADE FACTOR (1-5): 3

Whether the Rays intend to compete in 2018 or not - it's always tough to tell with them - Colome will likely be aggressively shopped this winter because he's probably more valuable as a trade chip than he is on the mound. Remember what the Chicago Cubs gave up for a half-season of Aroldis Chapman's services at the 2016 trade deadline? Remember the haul the New York Yankees got from Cleveland for two-plus years of Andrew Miller at a below-market rate? Obviously, Colome isn't as talented as either of those guys, but he comes with three years of team control and has still been as valuable as Wade Davis over the last two seasons. Last season, though his strikeout rate dipped significantly, Colome even led the majors with 47 saves. The Rays, beset as they are, know better than to hold onto a reliever with trade value.