MLB Trade Rumors: 5 Veterans Who Must Be Dumped Before the Deadline

We have officially hit the All-Star break which means that all 30 franchises will be mingling with one another at Chase Field this week.

It's a tough market to judge right now as 15 teams are either on top or within five games of first place. It's tough to figure out who is buying and who is selling.

That's why the next two weeks after the break after going to be extremely important for the majority of Major League Baseball.

The closer we get the better idea we will have of who is available. There are already five candidates that are primed for a location change due to various reasons. I'll review why they are on the market and what teams are a potential match for their services.

Let the speculation begin...

5. Heath Bell- San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres Heath Bell is one of the best closers in the game. He has been as reliable as it gets over the last three seasons.

This year he has a 2.43 ERA with 26 saves and a tidy 1.19 WHIP. He hasn't blown a save since May 6th and he is extremely valuable on the trade market.

The Padres offense is extraordinarily bad and the team finds themselves very far away from competing. He is on the trading block and will have lots of teams courting his services.

Potential Suitors: New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays.

All of the above mentioned teams need help in the back end of the bullpen and getting a workhouse like Bell could be enough to propel them to the top.

The Phillies are in desperate need of a closer because of all of the injuries they have endured, and have the dough to absorb some of the $7.5 million contract Bell is making this season.

If Philly can get a package of young players to entice the Padres...it's going to make beating the team with the best record in baseball that much harder.

4. Casey McGehee- Milwaukee Brewers

Casey McGhee is a guy that really needs a change of scenery.

He has struggled mightily this season and his numbers certainly reflect that.

The 28-year-old is batting a poultry.225 with five homeruns and 36 RBI this season.

He is making under $500,000 this season so money is certainly not an issue. As the Brewers make a run for a spot in the postseason, looking for relief pitching is the top priority.

Turning McGhee into a reliable seventh or eighth inning guy is very appealing for the Brew Crew.

Potential Suitors: New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics and Anaheim Angles.

The Yankees could certainly use a utility player that plays third while Alex Rodriguez recovers from his knee injury. But can they provide the Brewers with a player that can help them right now?

Keep an eye on the Rays, A's and Angels with McGhee. They all have an abundance of pitching and can afford to trade some of it for a guy that is a career .273 hitter.

3. Kevin Gregg- Baltimore Orioles

Kevin Gregg is stuck on a young team going nowhere and the 33-year-old is going to be available at the right price.

This season he has 15 saves on the season and 137 in his career. The righty holds a 3.41 ERA and 1.49 WHIP with 28 strikeouts. Very solid numbers for a reliever/closer in the death row gauntlet  also known as the American League East division.

He is making $4.2 million this season and is an affordable option for contending teams that need help in the bullpen.

Potential Suitors: New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals.

The O's will be looking for a high level prospect in return and that will really hamper the ability for the Brewers to make the deal.

The Cardinals and Phillies are both very realistic options and each team can offer Baltimore an attractive package.

Gregg is going to be a great trade chip for the O's to dangle in the next three weeks.

2. Ricky Nolasco- Florida Marlins

While the Florida Marlins haven't officially deemed themselves "sellers", it's pretty clear they are going nowhere fast.

Expect starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco to be on the trading block sooner or later in the coming weeks. His numbers are certainly enticing to potential suitors. He's complied a 6-5 record with a 3.73 ERA and a respectable 1.28 WHIP.

He's given up a grand total of two runs in his last 25 innings and looks primed to be a key contributor on a team contending for a World Series title.

The 28-year-old is young...and affordable at $6 million. Add it up and the Marlins should be able to land a great package to help rebuild.

Potential Suitors: Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers.

The Reds have underachieved this season because of the struggles of the starting rotation. They may be two games under .500 at the break, but are still right in the thick of the race only four games out of first place. They have the strong farm system to offer Florida a very enticing package.

The Cards have struggled to stay healthy and could use a No. 3 starter to help fill the void Adam Wainwright has left.

This will turn into a bidding war and the team willing to give up the most prospects will likely end up being the winner in this sweepstake.

1. Carlos Beltran- New York Mets

The New York Mets are having a surprising season yet find themselves far out of the National League East race because of the dominance of the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.

Most of the talk has been surrounding shortstop Jose Reyes, but his injury has really complicated matters. He may not even be healthy by the time July 31st rolls around.

The main trade target is outfielder Carlos Beltran.

He is back to his old self after dealing with injuries for seemingly the past half decade. Beltran's .285 average, 13 homers and 58 RBI are right around his career numbers and it's clear he is healthy once again.

His value on the market is rising by the day.

Potential Suitors: San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox.

The Mets just completed a series in San Francisco and it gave the Giants a chance to get an up-close look at the 34-year-old. He would be a perfect fit and could be the offense spark that carries the Giants into the postseason...and potentially to another World Series appearance.

Don't count out the Cardinals who aren't afraid to take on a humongous contract ($19.4 million) that is set to expire at the end of the season.