5 Hypothetical College Softball Trades

There are no trades in college softball though the transfer portal sure makes it feel like it does at times. However, this exercise helps point out the biggest holes for teams around the nation and how we could hypothetically solve them. This is a fun article, so don’t take it too seriously and let us know your favorite trade.

Texas strengthens its lineup for a national title run

Texas acquires
– SR OF Taylor Minnick

Indiana acquires
– FR RHP Cambria Salmon

The top-ranked Longhorns have one of the best offenses in the country, but without Vivi Martinez, they’re still lacking another true RBI producer. Insert Taylor Minnick. The Indiana outfielder is batting .506 with 14 doubles, eight home runs and driven in 40 runs this season. This also allows Katie Stewart to go back to first base and the Texas outfield should be more athletic.

Indiana has struggled to find quality pitching but Cambria Salmon, the eighth-overall recruit in the Softball America 2024 Recruiting Rankings, easily becomes the Hoosiers’ ace for the present and future. Texas can take the hit to their future pitching depth knowing Teagan Kavan and Citlaly Gutierrez return next year. The Longhorns also add four-star arm Hannah Wells from the 2025.

Oklahoma gets Sam Landry help on the pitching staff

Oklahoma acquires
– SR LHP Lilli Backes

Georgia acquires
– FR LHP Audrey Lowry

Lilli Backes hasn’t had the best year at Georgia as she doesn’t appear to be trusting her stuff as she did last year. However, that might be because she’s better suited to be the No. 2 than what Georgia is asking her to be with Randi Roelling. Why not see if Jen Rocha can solve her issues and pair her with Sam Landry? Backes would give the Sooners a veteran arm with SEC experience.

Oklahoma would have to give up freshman Audrey Lowry, Softball America’s No. 4 overall recruit from the 2024 class. Lowry, who is dealing with a minor injury, has a higher ceiling than Backes but Oklahoma also has Sophia Bordi, Allyssa Parker and Berkley Zache ready to throw next year. Lowry also gets to grow with a very young Georgia lineup.

Film Room: Sam Landry

Tennessee adds power to a struggling lineup

Tennesee acquires
– SR INF Shaylon Govan
– SR LHP Lillie Walker

Baylor acquires
– FR INF Amayah Doyle
– FR RHP Erin Nuwer

Tennessee has struggled to provide adequate run support for Karlyn Pickens this season. The Lady Vols need another bat who can change the game with one swing. Let’s add All-American Shaylon Govan to the lineup. Govan can hit for power and average, giving Tennessee an offensive threat it needs to win big games.

In return, Tennesee sends five-star infielder Amayah Doyle, who has a ton of power and four-star pitcher Erin Nuwer, who has flashed at times this season when called upon. Baylor has been one, if not the most disappointing team this season. Despite the Bears likely not destined for the postseason, they lack a ton of youthful pieces to build upon for the future. Doyle and Nuwer change that. The Bears also give up Lillie Walker, who can revert back to the closer role she was so good at for Duke. Imagine dealing with Pickens throwing 75-plus for six innings then turning to Walker’s changeup for the seventh.

Texas A&M finds offensive production behind the plate

Texas A&M acquires
– SR C Taylor Krapf

Minnesota acquires
– FR LHP Kate Mynnerlyn

The Aggies have struggled to find any offensive production from their catcher spot between the trio of Olivia Johnson, Gracyn Coleman and DeeDee Baldwin. We change that here as they add Taylor Krapf from Minnesota. It hasn’t gone well for the Golden Gophers this season, but Krapf is far from their issues. Krapf has hit 32 doubles and 36 homers in her career since transferring from Duke and is on pace for a career year.

Meanwhile, Kate Mynnerlyn is stuck behind a pretty deep staff right now that is pretty young. The 2024 California Gatorade Player of the Year has shown good stuff in her limited outings. Plus, Minnesota needs all the help it can get in the circle at the moment.

Arizona gets its ace

Arizona acquires
– SR RHP Lauren Derkowski

Michigan acquires
– FR C/UTL Emma Kavanagh
– RS SO Sydney Somerndike

Arizona has the offense to reach and compete for the Women’s College World Series, but they don’t necessarily have that go-to ace we see in the postseason. While pitching coach Christian Conrad has the staff in a good groove lately, Michigan’s Lauren Derkowski gives Arizona that go-to arm. The senior has a 1.66 ERA and 0.96 WHIP but a 10-5 record due to struggles from the Wolverine offense. That wouldn’t happen in Tucson.

Meanwhile, Michigan is poised to make the postseason but the Wolverines are a pretty young team with a decent amount of arms. They also add Emma Kavanagh, a Midwest native and Softball America’s 27th-overall recruit in the trade. Kavanagh has power but is behind a pretty deep lineup. Although she can probably break through at Michigan. The Wolverines also get Sydney Somerndike, a once top recruit herself, who probably needs a fresh start as it hasn’t clicked in Tucson yet.

Read more at Softball America:

ACC Power Rankings: Week 8
Recruiting Rankings