MLB Trade Ideas Based on Latest Week 15 News, Rumors and Speculation

The buzzer is sounding, the bell is ringing, the game is over. The All-Star break has arrived, and with it, time has run out on teams that were on the fence as to whether they should buy or sell at the trade deadline.

While they continue to vacillate, their competition has been working the phones and laying the groundwork for deals that will be consummated in the days ahead. If and when they do finally decide to get involved, they'll essentially be stepping into the box with an 0-2 count and Johnny Cueto on the mound.

That's a position nobody wants to be in, especially against an elite starter like Cueto, who is one of the hottest names on the rumor mill and the subject of one of the proposed deals that you'll find on the following pages.

It's important to remember that the teams we'd classify as buyers won't be the only clubs in the running to acquire a given player's services, so the packages proposed are not only geared toward being fair to both sides, but also to ensure that the seller takes a buyer's offer over the competition's.

Additionally, keep in mind that these proposed deals are only ideas and pure speculation. Unless otherwise noted, there's no indication that any of them have actually been discussed.

Ben Revere Gets Traded to Seattle

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Philadelphia Gets: OF Austin Cousino and 1B Jesus Montero

Seattle Gets: OF Ben Revere

Seattle isn't ready give up on the season and has interest in Philadelphia's Ben Revere as its new leadoff hitter, sources tell the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo. While his .337 on-base percentage this year (.326 for his career) is a bit lower than you'd like, he'd be an upgrade over Austin Jackson atop the lineup.

While he has the speed to cover a lot of ground in the outfield and has played all three spots, Revere is best suited for left field, where his lack of a strong throwing arm would be less of an issue than it would be in center or right. Under team control through 2017, he's more than a short-term rental.

In this deal, Philadelphia winds up with a prospect who isn't far removed from being considered one of the best in baseball, Jesus Montero, and a superior defensive outfielder with upside in Austin Cousino.

Despite a lack of production over parts of four major league seasons (a .257/.302/.394 slash line), Montero is still relatively young (25) and seems to have turned a corner this season, getting into shape and maturing emotionally as well. He's the kind of player the Phillies can afford to take a chance on.

Cousino is similar to Revere in terms of build and skill, as he's a smaller player (5'10") who's never going to hit for power but has the speed to cover a ton of ground in the outfield and cause trouble for the opposition when he gets on base.

Still developing as a hitter, the 22-year-old is another year-or-so away from making an impact in the majors. But he's a plus defender at a premium position, one at which the Phillies have a need.

Jeff Samardzija Gets Traded to the Blue Jays

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Chicago (AL) Gets: 3B Andy Burns and C Max Pentecost

Toronto Gets: RHP Jeff Samardzija

Few pitchers have done more to raise their value as a trade chip in recent weeks than Chicago's Jeff Samardzija, who has pitched to a 2.40 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over his last six starts, holding the opposition to a .225/.277/.288 slash line in the process.

While he still might be more of a No. 2 starter than an ace, there's not a contender around that couldn't use that kind of production at the front of its rotation—especially the Toronto Blue Jays, a team that has been linked to just about every healthy starting pitcher on the market.

Samardzija would not only become Toronto's top starter, but his arrival would allow the club to shift rookie Aaron Sanchez into the bullpen once he's able to return from a strained lat muscle, limiting his workload and strengthening a relief corps that, like the rotation, is in need of a boost.

Max Pentecost has yet to play this season as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery, but Toronto's first-round pick in the 2014 draft has all the tools and requisite athleticism to stick behind the plate and develop into Chicago's catcher of the future, though he's still a few years away from the majors.

Blocked by Russell Martin in Toronto, he's expendable, as is third baseman Andy Burns, whose path to the big leagues is blocked by another one of the Blue Jays' offseason additions, Josh Donaldson.

Burns has the range and throwing arm to stick at third base but is versatile enough to play all around the infield and the corners in the outfield as well—much like Oakland's Ben Zobrist. Unlike Pentecost, Burns is nearly major league ready and could be Chicago's answer at the hot corner as early as next season.

Justin Upton Gets Traded to the Mets

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

New York Gets: OF Justin Upton

San Diego Gets: RHP Michael Fulmer and SS/2B Matt Reynolds

Forget about Justin Upton's prolonged slump, which has been in effect since late May/early June—teams in need of a bat are going to scratch and claw to get him out of San Diego, even if he is nothing more than a two-month rental.

The Padres have been scouting the New York Mets farm system, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, leading to speculation that a deal for Upton could be in the works, and the 27-year-old has the kind of impact bat the the Mets desperately need.

That he's a free agent after the season and adds no future payroll is a bonus for a team that's still hellbent on pinching every last penny, and it's a reason they target Upton over someone like Cincinnati's Jay Bruce.

Acquiring him won't come cheap, however, with the Mets sending two of their better prospects—right-handed starter Michael Fulmer (the team's No. 12 prospect per MLB.com) and shortstop Matt Reynolds (No. 9 per MLB.com).

Wait, how can the Mets trade a shortstop prospect since they need an upgrade at the position, you ask? Because contrary to popular opinion, the Mets are deep in shortstop prospects, with Gavin Cecchini (No. 7) perhaps ready to take over full-time in 2016. So Reynolds is expendable.

While he doesn't offer much in the way of traditional power, Reynolds has learned how to turn the pop that he has into line-drive power, which at Petco Park could result in a litany of extra-base hits. The 24-year-old also knows how to get on base consistently and is fast enough to cause problems when he does.

Defensively, he's better at second base than shortstop but can play both positions without an issue, giving the Padres options as they put together their infield in 2016 and beyond.

Fulmer, 22, is a power pitcher with three plus offerings and a knack for inducing soft contact. More of a No. 2/No. 3 starter than an ace, his path to the big leagues is blocked in New York and, quite frankly, he's more valuable to the Mets as a trade chip than as insurance or organizational depth.

Johnny Cueto Gets Traded to the Astros

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Cincinnati Gets: 2B/OF Tony Kemp, OF Domingo Santana and a player to be named later

Houston Gets: RHP Johnny Cueto

There's no love lost between Cincinnati GM Walt Jocketty and Houston GM Jeff Luhnow, who worked together for a time in St. Louis, but as CBS Sports' Jon Heyman points out, those sort of things typically don't stand in the way of deals being made, especially when it's one that benefits both clubs.

The Astros need another starter to pair with Dallas Keuchel atop their rotation and have set their sights on Cueto, according to Heyman, while the Reds need to add high-end talent that isn't all that far from the big leagues, given owner Bob Castellini's insatiable competitive spirit.

Arguably the best pitcher available, Cueto immediately gives Houston one of the most impressive starting duos in the majors, even if it only lasts for a few months. Landing Cueto doesn't come cheaply, of course, as the Astros send two of their better prospects to Cincinnati in the deal.

Domingo Santana is your prototypical right fielder—big, powerful and with a strong, accurate throwing arm. He's very much like incumbent Jay Bruce, who has been rumored to be on his way out of Cincinnati and is ready to contribute in the majors right now.

Primarily a second baseman, Houston has begun to transition Tony Kemp to the outfield, seeing as how he's blocked with the Astros by perennial All-Star Jose Altuve.

Kemp doesn't offer much in the power department but has a terrific eye at the plate (he's walked as many times as he's struck out over parts of three minor league seasons), knows how to get on base consistently and has enough speed to take off running when he does.

He could be Cincinnati's replacement for Brandon Phillips at the keystone, or the Reds could choose to continue his transition into the outfield, where he'd be a fine choice in left field.

Jonathan Papelbon Gets Traded to the Blue Jays

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Philadelphia Gets:  OF D.J. Davis

Toronto Gets: RHP Jonathan Papelbon and $20 million

Jonathan Papelbon has been ready to leave Philadelphia for quite some time, and as he told reporters during his All-Star press conference (via ESPN), he's tired of pitching for a losing ballclub:

"

That's not what I signed up for. I signed up with a team that won 102 games, and I expected certain things. It didn't happen, and I've tried to ride that ship and keep my mouth shut as much as I can. But it's time for the Phillies to you-know-what or get off the pot. I feel like three years is plenty enough time to ride it out, so to speak.

"

While those comments would seem to leave the Phillies with little in the way of leverage in trade negotiations, Toronto is desperate for a closer and has been chasing Papelbon for months. 

By picking up all of the money left on Papelbon's deal—roughly $7 million this year and $13 million next year—Philadelphia can at least assure itself of landing a halfway-decent prospect in a deal while making Toronto's tight fiscal situation a non-issue.

D.J. Davis is a high-risk, high-reward kind of prospect, one who has the power/speed combination that scouts love but is so incredibly raw that it's hard to project just how things are going to turn out. He could develop into a superstar—or he could become the next Ricky Ledee.

For a rebuilding club like the Phillies that can take their time in developing him, adding a premier talent like Davis in exchange for an unhappy closer is a no-brainer.

Unless otherwise linked or noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs and are current through games of July 14. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts.

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