Each AL team's most untouchable player
Some major leaguers are so good that it's hard to fathom a team dealing them. Of course, that doesn't mean they won't be traded. Clubs send stars packing for financial relief or to start a rebuild all the time, but it would be foolish to move any of the following players. Here's each club's most untouchable player in the American League.
Baltimore Orioles: Cedric Mullins, OF
Mullins was one of the best outfielders in baseball last season, while the Orioles put together another miserable campaign. His 5.3 fWAR ranked seventh in the majors at the position, and he was the only player to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases. The 27-year-old is also arbitration-eligible through 2025.
Boston Red Sox: Rafael Devers, 3B
Devers was the heartbeat of a Red Sox club that surprised many with a deep playoff run. The All-Star led all third basemen with 38 homers and 113 RBIs, and he finished tied for first with a .538 slugging percentage. He isn't eligible to test free agency until 2024.
Chicago White Sox: Luis Robert, OF
Robert looks like he has the highest ceiling out of the young stars employed by the White Sox. The 24-year-old has hit 24 homers with 15 stolen bases and a .857 OPS over 124 games during his brief career. He's already won a Gold Glove and is under contract through 2027 after signing a team-friendly deal in January 2020.
Cleveland Guardians: Shane Bieber, SP
Jose Ramirez is the Guardians' best player. However, his name has surfaced in trade rumors for years because he's the club's best asset based on performance and contract. Bieber is likely to stay if Cleveland's front office decides to deal Ramirez. The 2020 AL Cy Young winner is a true ace who's arbitration-eligible for three more seasons.
Detroit Tigers: Spencer Torkelson, 1B/3B
The No. 1 pick from the 2020 draft is projected to start for the Tigers come Opening Day. Torkelson hit 30 round-trippers with a .935 OPS between three minor-league levels in 2021. The 22-year-old should make an immediate impact in Detroit.
Houston Astros: Jose Altuve, 2B
Only four position players in all of baseball accrued a higher fWAR than Altuve since 2016. His list of accolades includes an MVP award, three batting titles, five Silver Sluggers, seven All-Star appearances, and three trips to the World Series. The 31-year-old is set to make $26 million per season through 2024.
Kansas City Royals: Salvador Perez, C
Perez erupted in 2021 to lead the majors in homers with 48. He also collected an MLB-best 121 RBIs. The 2015 World Series MVP is a seven-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glover.
Los Angeles Angels: Shohei Ohtani, SP/DH
The most skilled player in the world is the biggest no-brainer on this list. The reigning AL MVP hit 46 homers with 100 RBIs and 26 stolen bases while posting a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts across 23 starts as a pitcher. He's also only making $5.5 million next season.
Minnesota Twins: Byron Buxton, OF
Buxton owns a .277/.321/.575 slash line with 42 round-trippers in a combined 187 games over the last three years. He's a very good player when he's healthy, and the Twins are banking on him finally staying on the field after shelling out a long-term deal worth $100 million.
New York Yankees: Gerrit Cole, SP
Where would the Yankees be without Cole? New York's current rotation for 2022 includes a combination of Jordan Montgomery, Luis Severino, Nestor Cortes, Domingo German, and Jameson Taillon. The group doesn't strike fear into anybody without Cole, who finished runner-up for the AL Cy Young in two of the last three years.
Oakland Athletics: Matt Olson, 1B
Let's begin by saying that nobody on the Athletics is untouchable with the club expected to commit to a rebuild. However, Olson should be. He's one of the best first basemen in the majors, going deep 39 times with a .911 OPS in 2021. The All-Star is also arbitration-eligible over the next two campaigns.
Seattle Mariners: Robbie Ray, SP
Ray is the reigning AL Cy Young winner and just inked a five-year, $115-million contract to join the Mariners before the lockout halted free agency. Seattle has a lot of young talent, but the left-hander is the biggest star in town right now.
Tampa Bay Rays: Wander Franco, SS
Franco could be the best player in baseball a few years down the road. The Rays signed the 20-year-old to an 11-year, $182-million deal this offseason, which should be an absolute steal. He might be the most untouchable major leaguer on this list.
Texas Rangers: Corey Seager, SS
Seager is locked in with the Rangers after inking a 10-year, $325-million pact. When healthy, the two-time All-Star is one of the best shortstops on the planet, accruing a .297/.367/.521 slash line with 104 homers over seven years. However, the 27-year-old has averaged 111 games per year in his career outside of his rookie campaign and the pandemic-shortened season.
Toronto Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
Guerrero should be a perennial MVP candidate for the next decade. He tied Perez for the major-league lead with 48 homers while posting the best OBP, slugging percentage, and OPS in the AL. He's projected to make $8 million next season and won't be a free agent until 2026.