The MLB trade deadline is fast approaching, and that means plenty of deals for fans to take in. Last year, there were a grand total of 40 trades in July, ranging from everyone from Rob Refsnyder and Jaime Garcia (who was traded twice, actually) to J.D. Martinez and Yu Darvish.
While it remains to be seen just which teams will be the most active this month, there could be some that swing for the fences with one or two significant trades that check all of that team’s boxes in terms of need.
What’s more, there figures to be a number of impact players available.
Manny Machado seems all but certain to be on the move, and Baltimore teammates—and fellow rentals—Adam Jones and Zach Britton could join him.
Other notable rentals who could be on the move include Josh Donaldson, Jed Lowrie, Mike Moustakas, J.A. Happ, Lance Lynn and Tyson Ross.
If you’re more into trades involving younger players with long-term controllability, the deadline could have those for you as well.
Michael Fulmer’s name continues to make the rounds in the rumor mill, while other players nowhere near free agency who could conceivably be sent to a new local include Chris Archer, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Raisel Iglesias, Salvador Perez, Sean Manaea, Matthew Boyd and Clint Frazier.
Frazier, in particular, will be an interesting name to watch.
He’s different from the other names on that list in the sense that he’s yet to establish himself at the Major League level.
That’s likely more due to the Yankees’ current outfield depth than Frazier’s talent and upside, which is considerable, but it makes the outfielder a trade chip all the same.
New York Yankees
He’s one of many young players either in the Majors or minors in the Yankees organization—Estevan Florial, Justus Sheffield, Brandon Drury, Chance Adams, Tyler Wade, Thairo Estrada, Giovanny Gallegos and Billy McKinney are some of the others—who could be dealt in search of an impact addition to the Major League roster.
New York is in a dogfight with the Red Sox for American League East supremacy, and figure to face similarly stiff competition from not only Boston, but also Houston, Seattle and Cleveland once postseason play begins.
Manager Aaron Boone presides over a particularly deep roster that has few needs.
Case in point, burgeoning infielder Gleyber Torres went on the disabled list recently, and New York’s primary options to soak up playing time at the keystone include Drury and Neil Walker.
Still, Boone and company could use another frontline starter to headline the rotation with Luis Severino. Or, at the very least, another starter in general considering all the injuries the Yankees have sustained in the rotation.
The presence of Frazier, Florial, Sheffield and others in the farm system gives Brian Cashman and the rest of the Yankees’ front office the fire power to get just about any deal done.
They can part with some combination of the aforementioned trio, along with other prospects, to go get a Fulmer or an Archer, or they could opt for a less-pricey (where trade capital is concerned) addition to the rotation like Francisco Liriano, Marco Estrada or Ross.
In addition to New York, these are the best positioned MLB teams, in terms of trade capital, to make a significant addition at the trade deadline.
(All contract information via Spotrac.)
Want more trade talk? Get our July 2018 MLB Trade Guide:
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers don’t have the farm system they once did. What with Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Austin Barnes and Cory Bellinger contributing at the Major League level in the past few seasons.
Still, there’s plenty of quality to be had, especially in the likes of Alex Verdugo, Keibert Ruiz, Mitchell White, Jeren Kendall, Yusniel Diaz and Dennis Santana on hand.
Verdugo and Ruiz might have the highest ceilings, which certainly helps trade value. However, they might soon be stepping into starting/starring (at the rate young players have contributed in Los Angeles) roles with the Dodgers.
Yasiel Puig and Yasmani Grandal are both free agents this winter, opening up potential positions of need in the outfield and behind the plate.
Conveniently, those are the respective positions played by both Verdugo and Ruiz.
Both could conceivably be used as headliners to bring back a big-name player.
In fact, the Dodgers have been linked with both Machado and Fulmer, per a July 3 tweet from USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale:
The #Dodgers are doubling down: They not only are aggressively pursuing #Orioles SS Manny Machado, but also #Tigers starter Michael Fulmer. The #Orioles, heavily scouting the Dodgers' minor-league system, want Class A pitcher Dustin May included in any package of prospects.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 3, 2018
It’s purely speculative on my part, but either Verdugo or Ruiz could be used as the headliner in a deal for either player.
Of the two, Verdugo’s loss might be easier to swallow considering the Dodgers still have Matt Kemp around for another year.
They can also shift Chris Taylor back to center field following Corey Seager’s return in 2019 while still utilizing some combination of Enrique Hernandez, Joc Pederson and Andrew Toles in the outfield grass.
Even if the Dodgers don’t go and get Machado or Fulmer, they have the firepower to go and get just about any player on the market.
Atlanta
Arguably armed with the deepest cache of quality prospects and trade chips in the league—although the Yankees would likely have something to say about it—Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos and crew have an enviable mix of young talent.
Ronald Acuuna Jr., Dansby Swanson, Ozzie Albies, Sean Newcomb, Luiz Gohara and Max Fried are already in the Majors, while there’s exciting upside in a potential rotation featuring the likes of Mike Soroka, Kyle Wright, Ian Anderson and Kolby Allard down the road.
We’ve also yet to mention Austin Riley, one of baseball’s best third base prospects, or outfielder Christian Pache, 2016 CBA first-round pick Joey Wentz or Touki Toussaint.
Atlanta has a bright future, perhaps one of the brightest of any team in the Majors purely from an “on-paper” standpoint.
While prospects aren’t guaranteed to pan out, there’s lot’s of potential in the National League East franchise’s farm system.
The future could get a whole lot brighter a whole lot quicker if Anthopoulos swings a trade for high end Major League talent that can come and contribute right away to a ball club that is atop the division standings.
Truth be told, Atlanta could probably put together trade packages for Fulmer and Archer and still hang on to at least half of the eight young starters (Newcomb, Gohara, Fried, Soroka, Wright, Anderson, Allard and Toussaint) mentioned above.
San Diego Padres
The team that could throw a monkey wrench into the proceedings, at least where contenders are concerned, the San Diego Padres, seem intent on switching from chronic rebuilding status to contender status in the near future.
San Diego handed Eric Hosmer a massive contract over the winter and could see both Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Urias debut in San Diego before the 2019 season is through.
What’s more, well-regarded starting pitching prospects Chris Paddack and Logan Allen could join a young rotation that also features Joey Lucchesi, Eric Lauer and Luis Perdomo.
Additionally, the club’s farm system is deep in prospects, potentially allowing the Padres to make a splash in July.
Yes, they’re well out of contention at this point, but San Diego could turn things around quickly in time for 2019 with some shrewd trade acquisitions and a solid offseason.
Adding a controllable impact player at the trade deadline would certainly qualify as a significant step in the right direction in terms of turning things around quickly.
With the Padres’ current farm system—not to mention the prospects they could net for MLB players like Brad Hand, Tyson Ross, Kirby Yates, Craig Stammen and Clayton Richard—San Diego could make a feasible offer for just about any player on the market.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros don’t necessarily have to do anything at the MLB trade deadline.
They have more than enviable depth at just about every position—although another catcher wouldn’t hurt with Brian McCann hitting the disabled list—and have a dominant rotation and a strong bullpen.
That being said, if the Astros want to try and distance themselves from the Red Sox, Yankees and Mariners, they could swing for the fences with a big-name acquisition.
Given Houston’s current roster makeup, that would likely be limited to a closer like Raisel Iglesias or Hand, or a backstop like J.T. Realmuto.
Although if there’s an injury in the rotation, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the organization go after a controllable starting pitcher.
Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton are free agents after the season, while Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole will hit the open market following the 2019 campaign.
Houston’s best trade chips include four prospects, namely outfielder Kyle Tucker, right-handed starters Forrest Whitley and J.B. Bukauskas and first baseman Yordan Alvarez.
While it remains to be seen if any of that quartet will actually be moved, they give the Astros the flexibility to get into a bidding war on just about any player out there.
The more likely names to be moved, at least comparatively, are Major League outfielders Derek Fisher and Tony Kemp.
Fisher was a top prospect at one point before making his way to the Majors while Kemp has shown well in left field for Houston.
However, both could be forced out long-term by the arrival of Tucker, who could debut at some point down the stretch.
Dealing Fisher or Kemp could also make sense considering the defending champs can turn to Tucker, Marwin Gonzalez and Jake Marisnick to soak up the majority of the innings in left field.
Philadelphia Phillies
What Philadelphia doesn’t necessarily have in minor league talent, they make up for with young, controllable Major League players.
Make no mistake, the Sixto Sanchez–Adonis Medina–Adam Haseley troika could get a lot of deals done, but the Phillies could also offer teams assets from their MLB roster.
Once again, it’s not a guarantee that any of these players are traded, but Philadelphia could flip J.P. Crawford (once he’s healthy) or Maikel Franco.
From a rotation standpoint, plenty of teams would probably love to acquire Nick Pivetta or Vince Velasquez.
It seems unlikely that the Phillies would trade any of these players without identifying replacements but moving someone like Sanchez or Pivetta in a larger deal for a frontline, controllable starter could make sense for a team looking for its first division title since 2011.
