MLB Trade Deadline 2015: Latest Rumors on Top Stars
Trade activity has picked up before MLB's July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. After watching several trade contenders bolster their lineup, stagnant squads will anxiously spend this week searching for upgrades.
Johnny Cueto, Scott Kazmir, Aramis Ramirez, Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe, Shane Victorino and Tyler Clippard have already changed homes over the last week, but several more veterans will hit the road before Friday afternoon's deadline strikes. Teams can still make trades past July, but all included players must first clear waivers.
That won't happen for any of these three stars. Due to their respective teams vanishing from the postseason picture, these prominent National League contributors have become widely desirable commodities on the trading block.
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Let's look at what's stirring on the rumor mill.
Cole Hamels
So much for Cole Hamels supposedly hurting his trade value. After allowing 20 hits and 14 runs over two starts, the southpaw tossed a no-hitter on Saturday afternoon. If things go according to plan, that gem will mark the last start of his 10-season career with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Despite the drastic turn of events, little has changed on the Hamels trade front. According to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers remain his top suitor:
"A lot can change in the four days before the trade deadline, but the Rangers and Dodgers are still seen as the biggest players in the Cole Hamels derby, as has seemed to be the case for 10 days or so, according to sources. Texas may have a slight advantage at the moment, but people connected to the Rangers don't necessarily seem overly confident they will land the ace left-hander.
"
Per ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox also inquired about Hamels. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick added two more surprising names to the fold:
Yet, the Rangers and Dodgers wield deeper farm systems and gaping rotation holes, making them the most logical destinations.
His no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs dipped his ERA to 3.64, which still represents his highest rate since 2009. The 31-year-old has also, however, notched a 3.20 fielding independent pitching (FIP) and 9.58 strikeouts per nine innings. A Philadelphia defense ranking last in defensive runs saved (DRS) deserves some blame for his unusually high ERA:
| 30 | Phillies | -79 |
| 29 | Yankees | -41 |
| 28 | White Sox | -35 |
| 27 | Mariners | -18 |
| 26 | Twins | -17 |
Injuries to Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson put the Dodgers in need of another starter to join aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. While the Rangers are below .500, they're looking to retool for next season, and Hamels will remain under contract through 2018.
Carlos Gomez
Premier position players are tougher to locate on the open market, but the Milwaukee Brewers are listening to inquiries on center fielder Carlos Gomez. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports provided the latest update.
"Not surprisingly, Gomez is drawing interest—and not only from teams in obvious contention," Rosenthal wrote. "The Rangers and Indians are among the clubs that have reached out to the Brewers about Gomez, according to major-league sources."
The Rangers and Cleveland Indians each have considerable ground to gain in the standings, but the 29-year-old is due $9 million next year, a bargain for someone who generated a 15.1 WAR since 2013.
| 2013 | .284 | .338 | .506 | 24 | 40 | 7.5 |
| 2014 | .284 | .356 | .477 | 23 | 34 | 5.7 |
| 2015 | .263 | .330 | .424 | 8 | 8 | 1.9 |
Gomez has rebounded from a rough start, raising his slash line to .263/.330/.424 with eight home runs and eight stolen bases. Not the typical star, he has never hit above .284 and carries a pedestrian 5.8 walk percentage over his career. Yet strong defense, power and speed alleviate his shortcomings.
Both squads have received middling production in center field. Hitting .219/.266/.317, Leonys Martin lost his starting spot to Delino DeShields Jr. Cleveland is still stuck with Michael Bourn's bloated contract, but enduring his .272 slugging percentage and minus-0.4 WAR on a regular basis only worsens the blow of paying him $13.5 million both this season and next.
Tyson Ross
After going on an offseason trading spree, San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller is furiously searching for his receipts. His moves have widely failed, with the squad stuck at 47-52 at the expense of losing Yasmani Grandal, Cameron Maybin, Jace Peterson, Trea Turner, Joe Ross and more.
According to Heyman, the Padres are now "pushing hard" to reverse course and repair their ransacked farm system. Pending free agents Justin Upton, Will Venable, Ian Kennedy and Joaquin Benoit are all available, along with pitchers James Shields, Andrew Cashner and Craig Kimbrel.
Their most interesting decision lies with Tyson Ross. There's no urgency to trade a 28-year-old pitcher with two more years of arbitration eligibility, but several teams are asking about him, per Heyman.
"Tyson Ross is an extremely popular man on the trade market," Heyman said, "with the Blue Jays, Astros, Dodgers, Rangers and others interested."
| 122.2 | 3.45 | 1.39 | 9.68 | 4.18 | 2.75 |
Ross has struggled with his command, walking 57 batters through 122.2 innings. “Hitters are just a little more patient with me," he told FanGraphs' Eno Sarris. "The slider maybe isn’t as enticing for guys to chase, or maybe they’re just more aware of it, and they’re just trying to lay off it, and I find myself behind in counts more.”
He also, however, has compiled 132 strikeouts and a stellar 63.3 ground-ball percentage. San Diego has several big leaguers to sell, but Ross is a keeper who should stay put barring a Godfather offer.
Note: All advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs. Contract info via Cot's Baseball Contracts.
