As we've seen this off-season, almost any prospect can be traded for the right price. Teams have been asking the Royals about Wil Myers for years, but it took the desperation of another year of terrible pitching to make them finally part with their top prospect in order to add James Shields to their rotation.
No prospect is immune to being traded. The Angels never gave in to the temptations or trade offers for Mike Trout, but given that both teams had holes to fill and a surplus of major league outfielders, it's certainly something they considered.
Jurickson Profar is the best prospect in the game, but the Rangers are desperate to replace some of the production they've lost to free agency over the past few years, and they already have a starting shortstop. He probably won't be traded, but every team wants him and he's blocked at his position in the majors, so there's at least a slight chance.
But these five prospects are almost certainly not going anywhere. It's baseball so there's always a chance, but their organizations appear to be dedicated to holding on to these players and enjoying their success in the majors.
5 - Gerrit Cole
There's a couple things working in the favor of Cole staying with the Pirates. For one, the Pirates current regime has traditionally been slower than some to act, meaning they won't make a rash decision with Cole. By the time they got around to trading him, he'll be in the majors. His proximity to the majors is another reason why he'll remain a Pirate. Sure, Myers was closer to the majors than is Cole right now, but the Pirates made an $8 million investment in Cole when they drafted him, and unless he makes it to the majors, the Pirates won't feel like the recouped anything from their investment.
Lastly, even though the Pirates could use a veteran player and have the prospects to deal, they are in the enviable position of being able to trade a potential ace pitching prospect (Jameson Taillon) without moving Cole. Even if the Pirates ponied up the prospects to trade for, say, Giancarlo Stanton, they could get a deal done without Cole, which is a testament to the depth of their farm system.
4 - Zack Wheeler
Sometimes this is just simple observation. The Mets themselves traded for Wheeler, so they're unlikely to move him. They're rebuilding themselves, and the best way to do that is around young, cost-controlled pitching. And Wheeler should be ready for the majors by the second half of 2013. Few prospects are more valuable to their organizations right now than Wheeler is to the Mets.
Not long ago, the Astros farm system was not just bad, but historically bad. Completely void of any impact talent, the Astros have cleaned out their major league roster of virtually every asset with any value, and in return, have re-stocked their farm system with legitimate talent. Leading the way in that rebuilding process is Jonathan Singleton, the best first base prospect in all of baseball and center piece of the Astros next competitive team. He's a legitimate 3-hole hitter and slugging first baseman, and those aren't easy to find. With the Astros move to the American League, they have also rebranded, changed logos and colors, and are re-booting their entire franchise, and Singleton will be the first franchise player of the Houston Astros 2.0.
2 - Jose Fernandez
Let's see here. We have a rebuilding team that's collecting all of the young, cheap assets it can find that also likes players of Cuban decent to relate to their heavily-Cuban fan base. We also have a potential ace in the making, one of the top five pitching prospects in all of baseball who escaped from Cuba as a teenager and could be in the majors by 2014. The Marlins connection to Jose Fernandez goes beyond just baseball, and they're an organization that clearly factors those additional factors more than many others.
1 - Dylan Bundy
Bundy went from high school draft pick to pitching in the majors in less than a year-and-a-half. As the Orioles attempt to add pieces to their suddenly competitive major league roster, teams are sure to be asking about Bundy at the start of every conversation. But to their credit, the Orioles have resisted the temptation of trading their top prospect for a quick fix. If they are going to sustain their recent success, the Orioles are going to need Bundy at the center of things, and not on the trade market. They got by last season with a smoke and mirrors pitching staff, and while their offense still has some potency, if they compete again in 2013, it's because Bundy is in the running for the Rookie of the Year. He could make their rotation this spring, and if not, he'll be up by early summer, and the Orioles will never look back.
