Gift exchange: 8 trades that make sense

When the White Sox dealt Chris Sale and Adam Eaton at the Winter Meetings, it seemed to signal this was going to be a busy winter for trades. That hasn’t materialized yet, with teams continuing to cautiously sort through the free-agent market, but the groundwork has been set for trades that could keep the Hot Stove sizzling into January.

And just in case general managers are running out of ideas, we are here to help with a few modest proposals that make sense for everyone involved. There’s no way to know what the exact packages will look like, but here are some trading partners and combinations that could create headlines. (Note: When prospects are listed we include their ranking within their current farm system according to MLBPipeline.com.)

YANKEES/ROYALSDeal: LHP Danny Duffy to Yankees for infielder Jorge Mateo (No. 3 prospect) and LHP Ian Clarkin (No. 17).

While Duffy turned a corner last season and could be Kansas City’s Opening Day starter, he can be a free agent after 2017. He could work behind Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda for the Yankees next season, helping them compete for a postseason spot, and could be signed to an extension at some point. Mateo, who is blocked by Didi Gregorius and Gleyber Torres, is a toolsy speedster who will play in Double-A this season, and could be Alcides Escobar’s long-term replacement. Clarkin, a 2013 first-round pick, has been slowed by injuries, but is healthy heading into his age-22 season.

PIRATES/WHITE SOXDeal: LHP Jose Quintana to Pirates for CF Austin Meadows (No. 2 prospect), infielder-outfielder Adam Frazier and RHP Clay Holmes (No. 11).

We did a full breakdown of Quintana trade scenarios, and this one still makes a lot of sense. The Pirates have been nurturing Meadows, one of the most complete position players in the Minor Leagues, to replace Andrew McCutchen. But this trade extends the window to get Pittsburgh deep into the postseason with the …

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