MLB Trade Rumors: 11 Players Contenders Are Already Chasing After

The first month of the MLB season is a time for evaluation. Clubs will see what they have out on the field, what works and what doesn't and what kind of adjustments need to be made going forward.

April is over now. Teams know what they have and they know what they don't have. The question in the coming months is, how will the league's would-be contenders find the pieces that they don't have?

Major League Baseball's trade deadline is still three full months away, so there's not much out there in terms of trade rumors. There are, however, a couple of names that are already being mentioned as possible trade candidates, and they could very well find themselves on contenders at some point in the coming months.

Here's a rundown of key players who have emerged as possible trade candidates.

Grant Balfour, RP, Oakland Athletics

Possible Suitors: Los Angeles Angels

Grant Balfour has been as adventurous as ever on the mound this season. He has six saves, but he also has two blown saves already and he's given up three home runs in 13 innings. 

Despite his unpredictability, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe has it on good authority that Balfour is "becoming one of the more sought-after possible back-end pieces." ESPN's Buster Olney said more or less the same thing back in April when he tweeted that Balfour is "probably the best reliever you could trade for today."

He's blown two saves since that tweet, but that doesn't mean Balfour's trade value is a lost cause.

Cafardo says the Los Angeles Angels have "inquired" about Balfour, and he's not the only reliever they've kicked the tires on (stay tuned). Makes sense seeing as how they have a bullpen ERA over 5.00 and they've demoted Jordan Walden as their closer (see Los Angeles Times).

The A's have probably been better than advertised this season, but that won't stop them from selling. Billy Beane has thrown the club into a perpetual rebuilding process.

Bartolo Colon, SP, Oakland Athletics

Possible Suitors: Detroit Tigers

Bartolo Colon's first season with the Oakland A's has gone quite well. He's 3-2 in six starts with an impressive 2.53 ERA, and he's last at least seven innings in five of his six starts.

Back on April 21st, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote that Colon's hot start could make him "one of the most sought-after trade targets, and maybe sooner rather than later." He's a classic case of a sell-high guy, and you have to think that this dream start is exactly what Billy Beane had in mind when he brought Colon aboard.

Jason A. Churchill of ESPN.com (Insider access required) speculates that Colon will be in play for the Detroit Tigers, who have had issues with their rotation outside of Justin Verlander and Drew Smyly. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has reported that rival executives are expecting the Tigers to make a "strong push" for starting pitching at the deadline, and possibly even before the deadline.

The best part about Colon? His $2 million salary doesn't present any problems whatsoever.

Carl Crawford, OF, Boston Red Sox

Possible Suitors: Los Angeles Dodgers

Carl Crawford's first season in Boston was an absolute disaster, and he's currently on the shelf with wrist and elbow woes. His return is still a few weeks away.

At least one writer thinks the Red Sox could cut their losses and trade Crawford away. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times wrote over the weekend that the Los Angeles Dodgers could give Crawford a look. The team is transitioning into a new era with Magic Johnson taking over, and Crawford could be had for "decent pitching" if his value stays as low as it is right now. Better yet, the Red Sox would surely pick up part of Crawford's $142 million contract if they decide to trade him.

I addressed this notion in a completely different article on Tuesday. The Red Sox trading Crawford is a possibility, but not a very likely one. It's in their interest to see how he does after he returns this season. If he continues to struggle, that's when they may consider moving him, but it won't be until the offseason.

Matt Garza, SP, Chicago Cubs

Possible Suitors: Detroit Tigers

Matt Garza has long had ace potential, and he's definitely looked like an ace this season. Through five starts, he has a 2.67 ERA and an NL-high 36 strikeouts.

David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com reported back in February that the Cubs were going to try to lock Garza up in an extension, but there hasn't been any further news on that front. 

It makes sense that the Cubs would want to sign Garza to an extension. He's in his prime, and Theo Epstein needs to this club to have a steady ace as he pulls other strings to make the Cubs a contender in the near future. Garza will cost a lot, but he's a guy who could be worth it in the long run.

However, Epstein does have a farm system that needs to be restocked, and Garza can help him do that. It's worth noting that Jon Morosi of FoxSports.com reported way back in early February that at least one executive figured Garza would be moved at the deadline.

Churchill thinks the Tigers will give Garza a look. If he finds his way onto the block, they won't be the only ones. I for one wouldn't be surprised if the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox got involved in the bidding.

Cole Hamels, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

Possible Suitors: Detroit Tigers

Free-agent to-be Cole Hamels is going to make a ton of money in his next contract, whether it comes from the Philadelphia Phillies or someone else.

At last check, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweeted on April 11th that Hamels and the Phillies hadn't yet rebooted contract talks after pushing them aside before the start of the season. It could be that the Phillies are biding their time and hoping Hamels does something to shave a few million bucks off his price tag. 

Now, pay attention to this next part, because it's trade speculation at its finest. 

If you see the Churchill link on the Colon slide, you'll see that he thinks Hamels could become a trade candidate if the Philles continue to struggle. If so, he thinks the Tigers could give him a look.

It sounds nuts, but the Phillies are a game under .500 entering Tuesday, and they are going to be in trouble for the long run if their offense continues to struggle. They won't know for sure until Chase Utley and Ryan Howard return, though.

The Phillies dealing Hamels this offseason is the longest of longshots right now, but it's not an eventuality that should be ruled out completely.

Joel Hanrahan, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Possible Suitors: Los Angeles Angels

Joel Hanrahan is having a fine season so far for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has four saves, and he's allowed just two hits in seven innings. Both of those hits came in the same outing.

Per Cafardo, Hanrahan is yet another reliever that the Angels have looked into, and he may intrigue them more than Balfour because he's a proven closer. He makes it interesting on occasion, but he's coming off a 40-save season and has picked up right where he left off this season.

Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted back in December that the Pirates don't seem very interested in inking Hanrahan to an extension, and even then he could see that Hanrahan was a possible trade candidate.

The Pirates are hanging in there this season, but they won't be able to continue to do so unless their offense picks up. Come deadline time, they could very well look to feed their future by dealing Hanrahan.

Brandon League, RP, Seattle Mariners

Possible Suitors: Los Angeles Angels

Brandon League is proving that his 37-save season last year was not a fluke. He already has seven saves.

League is another guy who can be an adventure on the mound, as he currently has a WHIP of 1.31 and he's had trouble missing bats in recent outings. He's got live stuff, however, and he's going to be successful more often than not.

Cafardo says the Angels are interested in League, meaning two of their primary relief targets are in the AL West. Angels GM Jerry Dipoto is getting bold, which is something he more or less has to do given how disappointing his team has been this season.

The Mariners have a strong farm system, but they're still a year or two away from contention. And since they're certainly not winning the AL West this season, dealing League for a prospect or two will be in their interest as the deadline approaches.

Brett Myers, RP, Houston Astros

Possible Suitors: San Francisco Giants

The Astros raised a lot of eyebrows when they decided to have Brett Myers start the season as the team's closer, but the move has panned out pretty well. Myers have five saves in five opportunities, and he's currently sporting a 1.35 ERA.

If the Astros were looking to boost Myers' value by showing off his versatility, their little ruse has worked. It therefore wasn't all surprising when Bob Nightengale of the USA Today tweeted a couple weeks ago that the Astros were already shopping Myers. He speculated that the San Francisco Giants would be a possible suitor with Brian Wilson gone for the season.

Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweeted a couple days later that Luhnow said there was "nothing" to the report that Myers was on the trading block, but that hasn't stopped the speculation. Ben Nicholson-Smith of MLBTradeRumors.com wrote recently that Myers is very much a trade candidate.

He's not the only trade candidate on the Astros.

Carl Pavano, SP, Minnesota Twins

Possible Suitors: ?

Carl Pavano hasn't gotten off to a great start this season. Minnesota's veteran righty has a 1-2 record and a 4.91 ERA. He has, however, gone at least six innings in all five of his starts.

That's the book on Pavano at this stage of his career. He's an innings eater, and a darn good one too. He'd be a good catch for a contender looking for a little rotation stability.

There's not a ton of buzz about Pavano being dealt out there right now, but Cafardo speculates that Pavano could be a "sought-after pitcher" moving forward.

It's definitely possible. The Twins aren't going anywhere this season, and Pavano is a guy whose value won't go away because of his ability to eat innings.

Jake Peavy, SP, Chicago White Sox

Possible Suitors: Detroit Tigers

Jake Peavy is off to a tremendous start this season. Through five starts, he has a 3-1 record, a 1.67 ERA and an AL-best 0.69 WHIP. He's doing himself a huge favor by being economical with his pitches, as he's averaging just 13.8 pitches per inning.

The White Sox, however, are just 11-11 entering Tuesday, and GM Kenny Williams needs to rebuild a farm system that ESPN's Keith Law (Insider) thinks is the worst in baseball. 

Mike Axisa of MLBTradeRumors.com speculated last week that the White Sox will indeed look to trade Peavy. Trading him won't be easy given his big contract (he's on the hook for $17 million this season) and his limited no-trade clause, but these things are going to look like minor headaches if Peavy stays healthy and continues to pitch as well as he has early in the season.

Churchill of ESPN.com speculates that Peavy could be in play for the Tigers. Surprise, surprise.

The White Sox could be hesitant to deal Peavy within the division, but it should be considered a possibility because Williams is well aware that he has to rebuild. He admitted as much to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com and other writers back in December.

Wandy Rodriguez, SP, Houston Astros

Possible Suitors: Detroit Tigers

Wandy Rodriguez is rolling right along this season. He's won his last two decisions, and his ERA is down to 1.72 on the young season. Just as important, his WHIP is at an uncharacteristically low 1.09.

This is good news for the Houston Astros, who have to know as well as anyone that Rodriguez is their biggest trade chip. If Rodriguez keeps it up, they'll be able to sell high.

The Astros needed Rodriguez to get off to a hot start, as Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has reported that many clubs are turned off by the lefty's contract, which owes him $10 million this season and $13 million next season. His $13 million club option for 2014 becomes a player option if he is dealt.

Like Colon and Peavy, Churchill also thinks the Tigers could kick the tires on Rodriguez. And if the White Sox would indeed prefer not to trade Peavy within the AL Central, Rodriguez will be the easier of the two to acquire. He'll be the cheaper of the two to acquire as well.

But given Rodriguez's recent history, it's a good bet he'll have a lot more suitors before long. Astros GM Jeff Luhnow told Examiner.com before the season that Rodriguez was going to be an "important" part of his team's puzzle this season, but he'd be a fool not to deal Rodriguez if his value stays as high as it is right now.