Breaking Down All 30 MLB Teams' Trade Shopping List at Midseason
Whether it's been scribbled down on a scrap of paper that is hiding in the corner of a cluttered desk or has been neatly typed out on a smartphone, each general manager of MLB's 30 teams has a trade shopping list at the midseason mark.
Not all deadline to-do lists are created equally, though. For division front-runners like the Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals, the top bullet point is to bring in a front-line starter like Johnny Cueto. But with 26 teams within seven games or less of a playoff spot, tons of clubs don't fit into the traditional "buyer" or "seller" roles.
As a result, creativity will be necessary between now and July 31. After all, teams will want to cash in on valuable trade chips like pending free agents, but they also won't want to punt on the season when a sliver of hope remains.
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 30
The Shopping List
- Try to offload Aaron Hill's contract
The Breakdown
With a 40-42 record, the Arizona Diamondbacks are too competitive to be full-on sellers but not quite competitive enough to be true contenders.
The endgame is that it could be a quiet trade season in the desert.
The D-backs aren't loaded with trade chips, but the squad does have a surplus of infielders. As Jon Morosi of Fox Sports notes, the Washington Nationals recently checked in on the likes of Nick Ahmed, Chris Owings, Cliff Pennington and Aaron Hill.
From the D-backs' perspective, shedding Hill would be the ideal outcome. The 33-year-old is hitting .220 and is making $12 million this year and the same amount in 2016.
Atlanta Braves
2 of 30
The Shopping List
- Find a young catcher
- Keep track of the market for veteran trade chips like Juan Uribe, Jason Grilli, Jim Johnson and A.J. Pierzynski
The Breakdown
With a 41-42 record, the Atlanta Braves are much too close to the .500 mark to be flat-out sellers this month. The reality is that general manager John Hart could do some buying and selling before the end of the month.
According to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark, the Braves are willing to part with some of the organization's impressive stable of rising pitchers to land a young catcher.
At the same time, Atlanta will also have to consider subtracting from the big league roster if the club tumbles out of playoff contention. Even after a busy offseason of trades, the club still has a variety of experienced players who could make for compelling additions to a contender. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports points to Juan Uribe, Jason Grilli, Jim Johnson and A.J. Pierzynski as vets who fit that mold.
Baltimore Orioles
3 of 30
The Shopping List
- Look into the possibility of adding a reliable starting pitcher
- Add an outfielder to the bench
The Breakdown
One-and-a-half games off the lead in the AL East, the Baltimore Orioles don't have a bunch of needs as the trade deadline approaches.
Based on the numbers—the O's starting five ranks No. 19 in ERA—adding a starter would seem to make sense. But it's not as simple as that. Kevin Gausman has already supplanted the struggling Bud Norris, which means former staff ace Chris Tillman now owns the infamous distinction of weak link in the rotation.
One minor move that the Orioles could make would be to try to find an established outfielder to come off the bench, as the team has already shuffled through an array of reserves.
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Boston Red Sox
4 of 30
The Shopping List
- Add a young starter who has multiple seasons of team control
- Consider trading away a free-agent to-be
The Breakdown
So much for the summer sell-off.
After a disastrous start to the season, the Boston Red Sox, winners of seven of the past 10, are just six games out of first place. The team is still in the cellar in the East, but the Red Sox could still be in the market to add to the roster. As Rob Bradford of WEEI reports, the primary aim for Boston is to add young arms who are under team control for multiple seasons.
While such an addition would help the club both this summer and in the future, the Red Sox will also have to plan for the contingency that they crash out of the race entirely before the end of the month. In such a scenario, the shrewd move would be to ship out players who become free agents at the end of the season like first baseman Mike Napoli.
Chicago Cubs
5 of 30
The Shopping List
- Acquire a starting pitcher with multiple seasons of team control
- Look into dealing Starlin Castro
The Breakdown
As Jon Morosi of Fox Sports explains, the top goal for Theo Epstein, the Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations, is to trade for a starting pitcher. Since the organization's minor league system is lacking for high-upside starting prospects, the preference would be to snag a pitcher under team control for several seasons, per Morosi.
While solidifying the rotation is atop the trade to-do list, Morosi also notes that the Cubs could look to deal shortstop Starlin Castro. The Dominican has underwhelmed with the glove (15 errors) and the bat (.619 OPS) in 2015. With rookie Addison Russell capable of playing shortstop, Chicago could effectively look for a second baseman to replace Castro.
Chicago White Sox
6 of 30
The Shopping List
- Shop Jeff Samardzija
- At least consider the idea of selling Chris Sale for a ransom
The Breakdown
With a 37-43 record, the Chicago White Sox are stranded in a tie for last place in the AL Central.
Since the team is 9.5 games out of first place in the division, it's not a given that the White Sox will have to sell, but it's a very real possibility.
One player who looks like a text-book trade chip is Jeff Samardzija. The righty starter, who will be a free agent in the winter, doesn't have stats that jump off the page, as he's 5-4 with a 4.33 ERA. But what he does have is a reputation for pitching quality frames after surpassing the 200-inning mark in back-to-back seasons.
As Buster Olney for ESPN The Magazine argues, there is a far more dominant starter whom the White Sox should be taking calls on: Chris Sale. According to Olney, the lefty ace might be the most valuable trade chip in baseball, as he's pitching in the third season of a five-year, $32.5 million deal.
Cincinnati Reds
7 of 30
The Shopping List
- Sell Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake to the highest bidders
- Decide whether now is the time to trade away Aroldis Chapman
The Breakdown
It's not the club's record (37-44) that will lead the Cincinnati Reds to sell. It's the fact that the team is already 16.5 games out of first place in the remarkably competitive NL Central.
If the Reds concede on 2015 and flip to seller mode, it would make a ton of sense to start by shopping Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake, who can both walk away for free at season's end when they hit the open market.
Another arm that the Reds could look into shipping out is electric closer Aroldis Chapman. Back in the middle of June, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark predicted that Chapman, who has an unreal ratio of 15.5 strikeouts per nine innings, would land with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cleveland Indians
8 of 30
The Shopping List
- Field offers for veterans like Brandon Moss
The Breakdown
At the midway point in the season, the Cleveland Indians are tied for last place in the AL Central with the Chicago White Sox. The club's 38-44 record indicates that all isn't lost for Cleveland, but the team still looks a lot more like a pretender than a contender.
If the Indians end up as sellers at the deadline, it's unclear just who they'd pawn off. Unloading underachieving and overpaid players like Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, who make a combined $28.5 million in 2015, would make financial sense, but neither vet has any sort of trade value.
One player who could net the Indians a decent return is Brandon Moss. The lefty masher is under team control for the 2016 season, as he's arbitration-eligible. Plus, with 14 bombs, he has the kind of pop that would attract the attention of a power-hungry contender or two.
Colorado Rockies
9 of 30
The Shopping List
- Try to offload Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez
- Sell high on John Axford
The Breakdown
With the Colorado Rockies hurtling toward a last-place finish, the club needs to do whatever it can to build toward the future this month, and that means selling off as many players as possible.
As Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post notes, there has been "trade speculation" surrounding both Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. The difficulty is that both players are attached to onerous contracts. Just this season alone, Tulo and CarGo combine to rake in $36 million.
One Rockie who is playing on a far more reasonable salary is closer John Axford. He makes $2.6 million and has ripped off a 2.28 ERA.
Detroit Tigers
10 of 30
The Shopping List
- Contemplate selling off the team's free-agents to-be
- Check in on the market for veteran starters
The Breakdown
After a frustrating first half, which was punctuated by losing Miguel Cabrera for at least six weeks with a calf strain, the Detroit Tigers are standing at a fork in the road.
The first option would be to cut their losses and throw in the towel on 2015. In such a scenario, the Tigers could sell high on the likes of David Price, Rajai Davis and Yoenis Cespedes and start building for next season.
The alternative would be to add to a roster that has underachieved to this point in time. No group on the team has been more disappointing, and is more in need of help, than the rotation, which is No. 23 in ERA.
Houston Astros
11 of 30
The Shopping List
- Find another ace to help anchor the rotation along with Dallas Keuchel
- Sell off some of the organization's outfield depth
The Breakdown
For now, the upstart Houston Astros are the kings of the American League West. Even with the most wins in the AL (49), staff ace Dallas Keuchel knows the club needs to add an extra arm to the inexperienced rotation.
"[I] fully intend for the front office to make a move," Keuchel explained, via Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle at the end of June. "And that's not like something that's a given; it's just that, I know that they want to win and it's a shared interest between the players and the front office."
According to Drellich, the list of arms that the front office has checked in on is extensive and includes the likes of Cole Hamels, Mike Leake, Johnny Cueto, Scott Kazmir, Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza and Jeff Samardzija.
It's possible that the Astros could end up moving an outfielder in a swap for a starter. As Drellich notes, Houston has pieces to move in L.J. Hoes and Alex Presley.
Kansas City Royals
12 of 30
The Shopping List
- Acquire an ace
The Breakdown
With the first-place Kansas City Royals sporting the best winning percentage (.582) in the AL, it's easy to overlook the fact that the club's rotation is a mess.
The group has the seventh-worst ERA in the majors and doesn't have anybody who resembles an ace. As Jon Morosi of Fox Sports notes, the team is already on the lookout to fix that looming disaster. According to Morosi, the Royals have reached out to the Cincinnati Reds about both Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake.
Acquiring Cueto would come at a steep cost, but based on how weak the AL is, now is the time for the Royals to go big.
Los Angeles Angels
13 of 30
The Shopping List
- Find an extra bat to help out in left field or as a designated hitter
- Consider an upgrade at the hot corner
The Breakdown
For Bill Stoneman, the interim GM of the Los Angeles Angels, the game plan is simple: improve the lackluster offense.
Last year, the Halos led baseball in runs. This year, the second-place club ranks No. 17 in that department. With the team struggling to get consistent production in left field and the designated hitter's spot, finding a player to fill one of those voids would be a big help.
According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Angels recently came close to trading for Ben Revere of the Philadelphia Phillies before talks collapsed. As Cafardo points out, Los Angeles could also look to supplant David Freese at third by making a trade for a vet like Aramis Ramirez.
Los Angeles Dodgers
14 of 30
The Shopping List
- Acquire at least one starting pitcher
- Add a setup man to the bullpen
The Breakdown
Thanks to injuries to Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy and the limited track records of Carlos Frias and Mike Bolsinger, there's no question that shoring up the rotation is the chief priority for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the trade season.
As Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports explains, "in a perfect world the Dodgers would get a top-of-the-rotation type like Johnny Cueto." Adding the Dominican to a rotation that already includes Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and a resurgent Brett Anderson would give Los Angeles a filthy quartet of starters.
However, as Rosenthal adds, it's possible that the team could instead settle for a mid-rotation arm and potentially even add "multiple" starters.
Aside from improving the starting staff, the Dodgers could also look to boost the pen. With Kenley Jansen shredding the competition in 2015, acquiring a lockdown setup man would allow the Dodgers to effectively turn games into seven-inning affairs.
Miami Marlins
15 of 30
The Shopping List
- Trade away pending free agents Dan Haren and Mat Latos
- Explore the market for Martin Prado
The Breakdown
Stuck in fourth place in the NL East, the Miami Marlins have been one of the most disappointing teams in 2015. With the team 11 games off the pace in the division, time is running out for the Fish to jump back into the postseason chase.
Unless the Marlins pull off a remarkable run between now and the end of the month, the brass will have to sell at least a few players. Per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, free-agents to-be Mat Latos and Dan Haren are at the top of that list, as both starters have drawn "multiple trade inquires."
Another player to keep an eye on his Martin Prado, as Jon Heyman of CBS Sports notes. Prado is on the shelf with a shoulder injury, but if he returns before the deadline, he'd be an intriguing addition for a whole slew of contenders thanks to his ability to line up all over the diamond.
Milwaukee Brewers
16 of 30
The Shopping List
- Find new homes for pending free agents Kyle Lohse, Gerardo Parra and Adam Lind
- Decide whether now is the time to trade Carlos Gomez for a monster haul
The Breakdown
All it takes is one look at the standings to confirm that the Milwaukee Brewers will be sellers this month.
For GM Doug Melvin and the rest of the front office, the question is just how extensive the sell-off will be for the 36-49 club. Pending free agents like Gerardo Parra, Kyle Lohse and Adam Lind all make for logical trade candidates.
If Melvin wants to get really aggressive, he could consider parting ways with Carlos Gomez.
As Jon Heyman of CBS Sports explains, the Brew Crew recognizes that the odds of keeping the center fielder past the end of the 2016 season, when he's set to hit the open market, are "slim." With a season-and-a-half of club control and the ability to impact the game at the plate on the bases and in the field, Gomez would bring back a major bounty for the Brewers.
Minnesota Twins
17 of 30
The Shopping List
- Add an arm to the suspect pen
- Check in on the market for veteran starters
The Breakdown
Just four games behind the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central and in possession of the second wild-card spot, the Minnesota Twins have barged right into the middle of the playoff conversation.
Like so many other contending clubs, though, it's the late innings that have been causing the most problems for Minnesota. The team's crew of relievers ranks No. 21 in the bigs in ERA.
According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, securing a veteran starter could be in the cards for Minnesota. As he reports, the Twins are just one of an array of teams that have kicked the tires on Jeff Samardzija and Clay Buchholz.
New York Mets
18 of 30
The Shopping List
- Bring in help to fix the club's mess of an offense
- Take phone calls on Jon Niese
The Breakdown
The New York Mets offense has been so bad in 2015 that it doesn't even deserve to be called a dumpster fire.
The team is No. 29 in OPS and average and No. 27 in runs. Suffice it to say that GM Sandy Alderson will have to do whatever it takes to fix that situation between now and the deadline.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the exec is already getting desperate. He reports that Alderson is willing to "overpay" for the ideal bat. Sherman notes that the player that the GM was referring to is Ben Zobrist of the Oakland Athletics.
He wouldn't be a centerpiece in any game-changing deal, but starter Jon Niese, who is in the process of falling out of the rotation, has the look of a player who could be on the move. However, per David Lennon of Newsday, the Mets are in no "rush" to part with the vet.
New York Yankees
19 of 30
The Shopping List
- Add a starter to solidify the rotation
- Acquire a new second baseman
The Breakdown
For now, the New York Yankees sit atop the standings in the absurdly congested AL East.
If the Yankees are going to maintain their perch, additions will have to be made to the roster before the end of the month. The rotation has been particularly dicey as of late. Over the past month, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and CC Sabathia have all posted ERAs north of 4.91.
Second base is another position that GM Brian Cashman will have to address. The Yankees have received atrocious production from that spot while cycling through the likes of Stephen Drew and Jose Pirela. On the year, Yankees' second basemen are last in the bigs with a .182 average.
Oakland Athletics
20 of 30
The Shopping List
- Track the market for pending free agents Scott Kazmir, Tyler Clippard and Ben Zobrist
- Look into adding an extra bullpen arm
- Consider acquiring a defensively sound shortstop for insurance
The Breakdown
The Oakland Athletics are one weird team.
The club is tied for fifth in runs, and the rotation has the sixth-best ERA in the bigs, and yet Oakland is in last place in the AL West with the worst record in the circuit.
The explanation for that incongruous set of facts is that the bullpen has been a gas can and the team's defense has committed the most errors in baseball.
After a disastrous start, the Athletics have slowly begun to climb back into the race, upping their record to 38-47. If the team continues its improbable rise, the two most obvious areas of the roster to improve would be the pen and the defense.
In particular, it would be highly beneficial to at least explore the possibility of findings a backup option at shortstop, where Marcus Semien has already racked up an alarming 26 errors in 83 games.
If Oakland returns to its early-season form, there will be no choice but to shop free-agents-to-be like Scott Kazmir, Tyler Clippard and Ben Zobrist.
Philadelphia Phillies
21 of 30
The Shopping List
- Jump-start the rebuild by finding takers for Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Jonathan Papelbon, Aaron Harang and Ben Revere
The Breakdown
There's only one bullet point on the shopping lost, but it's going to be a busy month for Andy MacPhail, the new president of the Philadelphia Phillies, who just inherited the worst team in baseball.
The Phillies, owners of a 28-57 record, have been losing at an astonishing pace and need to shed as many veterans as possible between now and July 31.
Lefty ace Cole Hamels is unquestionably the team's most valuable trade chip, but Jonathan Papelbon could become a popular target too. With a 1.65 ERA and ratio of 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings, the 34-year-old has returned to his vintage form.
Pittsburgh Pirates
22 of 30
The Shopping List
- Acquire another outfielder to shore up the offense
- Look around for a starter
The Breakdown
Regardless of what GM Neal Huntington does at the deadline, it's going to be difficult for the Pittsburgh Pirates to catch up to the St. Louis Cardinals, who have a six-game advantage in the NL Central.
Even if a division title appears elusive, that doesn't mean that Huntington should stand pat. The most pressing need for the Bucs is to bring in an extra outfielder in case Gregory Polanco, who's batting .231, doesn't turn his season around in the next couple of weeks.
Another move to consider would be to reel in a mid-rotation starter. Jesse Spector of the Sporting News argues that Pittsburgh should make a run for Jeff Samardzija. With Gerrit Cole, A.J. Burnett and Francisco Liriano already headlining the rotation, the addition of The Shark would give the Pirates a dangerous four-man staff entering October.
Seattle Mariners
23 of 30
The Shopping List
- Add a bat in hopes of salvaging the dismal offense
- Start listening to offers on the club's pending free agents
The Breakdown
The 2015 season has not gone to plan for the Seattle Mariners, who are wallowing in fourth place in the AL West. For GM Jack Zduriencik, there are two very different approaches to follow.
The first is to dig in his heels and go find a bat on the trade block to try to spark the embarrassing offense. Since the Seattle Mariners rank No. 29 in runs, that's not exactly the wisest idea. Then again, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes, Jack Z is on the chopping block and could make a desperate move to try to save his job.
The other course of action would be for the Mariners to cut their losses and start picking up phones calls for players who are about to hit free agency like Austin Jackson, Hisashi Iwakuma, Fernando Rodney and Mark Trumbo.
San Diego Padres
24 of 30
The Shopping List
- Shop players who are set to depart in free agency like Justin Upton, Ian Kennedy and Joaquin Benoit
- Explore the market for Andrew Cashner, Craig Kimbrel and James Shields
The Breakdown
It's getting late early at Petco Park.
With the fourth-place San Diego Padres sitting at 39-46, the squad's postseason chances are looking increasingly bleak. If the Pads can't climb back up the standings, they certainly have pieces to be moved.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post points to Justin Upton, Ian Kennedy and Joaquin Benoit, who are all on the verge of hitting the open market, as the most prominent chips of all. Upton makes for an especially intriguing target as the left fielder. With 14 home runs, he has plenty of pop, which is one of the most elusive assets on the trade block.
As Sherman speculates, the Padres could also begin taking calls on talented arms like Craig Kimbrel, Andrew Cashner and James Shields, if the team really wants to hit the reset button after a failed offseason rebuild.
San Francisco Giants
25 of 30
The Shopping List
- Acquire a No. 2 starter
- Add a bat to improve the club's outfield depth
The Breakdown
The San Francisco Giants have an uncanny knack for making low-profile yet high-impact summer trades, and the front office is going to have to work its magic again in 2015.
The Giants have all sorts of rotation options, but after Madison Bumgarner, the group has dealt with all sorts of injuries and plenty of inconsistency. For the NL Central squad, the top priority should be to nab a No. 2 starter to slot into the rotation behind MadBum.
Bringing another outfielder to AT&T Park should also be a primary objective, with Hunter Pence and Nori Aoki both on the mend. Whether it's a pitcher or position player, don't count on the team bringing in a prominent name, as GM Bobby Evans explained.
"The focus is on depth, guys off the bench," Evans said, via Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group. "You never know when those roles are needed and when they need to be expanded."
Based on the track record of Evans and vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean, there's an excellent chance that whoever the team acquires will end up being a key piece.
St. Louis Cardinals
26 of 30
The Shopping List
- Find a player to add some pop to the squad
The Breakdown
With the St. Louis Cardinals sporting the best record (54-28) in the bigs, GM John Mozeliak doesn't have to do a lot of shopping on the trade front.
While the Cards have a 2.56 ERA as a team, which is the best mark in baseball, the offense isn't nearly as impressive. St. Louis is No. 22 in runs and No. 25 in homers. It's never easy to find pop at the deadline, but if Mozeliak is going to do anything, adding a little firepower would make a lot of sense.
Tampa Bay Rays
27 of 30
The Shopping List
- Acquire a bat or two to improve the offense
- Find an extra arm to plug into the bullpen
The Breakdown
It takes just one look at the numbers to see that the Tampa Bay Rays' greatest weakness is the inept offense. They are No. 26 in average and No. 25 in runs.
With the Rays having lost eight of their past 10 contests, the time is now for president of baseball operations Matt Silverman to start working the phones to find a player or two who can help spark the uninspiring offense.
The bullpen could also use some help. Tampa Bay's relief corps has served up the most home runs in baseball and also ranks No. 22 in ERA.
Texas Rangers
28 of 30
The Shopping List
- Find a taker for Neftali Feliz
- Bolster the home run-happy bullpen
- Look into acquiring a reliable veteran starter
The Breakdown
After piling up 95 losses in 2014, the Texas Rangers weren't supposed to be a factor in this year's postseason race. Apparently, rookie skipper Jeff Banister and his squad didn't get that memo.
With the trade deadline looming, the Rangers are three games off the second wild-card spot. The club has the look of a buyer, and it's the pitching staff that could use a tweak or two. The relief corps has served up 36 yard shots, which is tied for third-most in the majors.
The rotation also would benefit from a steady veteran presence, as the Rangers have been cycling through starters at a furious rate.
Toronto Blue Jays
29 of 30
The Shopping List
- Bring in a starting pitcher
- Add a late-inning reliever to the bullpen
- Trade away Dioner Navarro
The Breakdown
For the Toronto Blue Jays, the trade season is all about the pitching staff.
The AL East squad will be looking to upgrade both the rotation and the bullpen, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. Fixing the starting staff is an absolute must, as the Jays' starters rank No. 25 in ERA. Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Jeff Samardzija is "being strongly pursued" by Toronto as a result of that underwhelming showing.
While the 43-42 Blue Jays will be primarily buying this month, they could also do some selling. As GM Alex Anthopoulos explained via Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, he could deal extra catcher Dioner Navarro to immediately strengthen the 25-man roster.
Washington Nationals
30 of 30
The Shopping List
- Bring in a reliever to strengthen the pen
- Add a position player to provide some much-needed insurance for the lineup
The Breakdown
With the New York Mets wobbling, the NL East is the Washington Nationals to lose.
Even if the Nats are heavy favorites to secure the division crown, GM Mike Rizzo still has work to do as he looks to give his team the best chance possible to make some noise in October.
As is the case with so many other contenders, snagging an extra reliever should be priority No. 1 for the brain trust. Strengthening the lineup should also be a top goal for Rizzo. This season, the Nats have been hampered by a slew of injuries to key cogs like Jayson Werth, Anthony Rendon, Denard Span and Ryan Zimmerman.
Ben Zobrist, the Swiss Army knife of baseball, is just the kind of versatile player who could provide Washington with plenty of cover. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the team reached out to the Oakland Athletics in mid-June about the availability of the 34-year-old.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com. All salary information courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts on BaseballProspectus.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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