MLB Trade Rumors: Who Are the Top Buyers and Sellers at the Trade Deadline?

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is fast approaching, and that means a whirlwind of rumors will soon pick up involving the contenders and pretenders of the league. 

So who are the top buyers and sellers at the 2011 Major League Baseball trade deadline? Will those teams contending for a playoff spot make a huge splash? Or will they fail to make a move? 

Every division has an extremely close race for first place right now. Soon, some teams will begin to separate themselves, but some divisions will go down to the wire. Certain teams need to make a deal before the July 31 trade deadline if they expect to make the postseason. 

Pittsburgh Pirates: BUYERS  
The Pirates are a contending team after the All-Star Break for the first time in over a decade. They were in first place of the National League Central for a night, but now they find themselves only a half-game behind the Milwaukee Brewers. They're not a complete team, and if they want to continue their success, then they will make a move at the deadline. 

The Pirates offense is holding them back, and if they want to edge past the Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, they will trade for a hitter. Buster Olney tweeted the Pirates are looking for veteran outfielders, which means guys like Carlos Beltran, Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn and Jeff Francoeur are players they're looking at. 

The Pirates have a chance to shock everyone, but they still need help. Pittsburgh has a chance to be buyers for once, and if they're smart, they'll make an impact move. 

Cincinnati Reds: BUYERS 
The Reds are buyers at the trade deadline this year because they know they are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs. They are three and a half games out of first place in the National League Central, but they're in fourth place. 

The National League Central is a tough division this year, and it's going to come down to the wire. That means that if the Reds want to defend their division title, they'll be making a deal to become a better team. For the Reds, the area they need help in is pitching.

The Reds are 23rd in the league in pitching, and if they expect to beat out the Brewers, Cardinals and Pirates they will go after a starting pitcher to boost their rotation.    

Detroit Tigers: BUYERS 
The Tigers are currently tied for first place in the American League Central with the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox not far behind, and both teams are talented enough to take the division.

If the Tigers want to win the division, which they have never done, then making a big deal before the trade deadline is the way to go. Detroit needs help in both pitching and hitting, but pitching is their biggest need. However, with Austin Jackson not getting any better, the Tigers could focus on hitting and go after Carlos Beltran or Michael Bourn.

The Tigers rank 26th in the league in pitching, and they must improve on this if they expect to win the division. They have a negative 18 run differential, which is rare to see from a team in first place. Justin Verlander has been spectacular for the Tigers so far, but he's really all they have. Trading for a starter to help the back end of the rotation is the best idea for the Tigers. 

Houston Astros: SELLERS 
The Astros have multiple players on the trade block, which is no surprise considering they are the worst team in the MLB. They will soon have a new owner, and changes will be coming for the last place team in the National League Central. 

Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn, Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers and Carlos Lee are all on the block, and the chances of all of them being traded is very strong. The Astros know they are very far from a playoff team, which means selling big at the trade deadline is their best move.

It's time for the Astros to focus on the future, which means trading their big time players is a must. Several contenders are looking for hitters and pitchers, and the Astros have some good players to give away.

New York Mets: SELLERS
The New York Mets are another team with no shot at the playoffs this year. They've already made one big deal this season when they traded closer Francisco Rodriguez to the Milwaukee Brewers. The next big player on the move for the Mets is outfielder Carlos Beltran.

Multiple teams want Beltran, and Buster Olney reports that the Mets are willing to pick up the money to get a better return. As many as seven teams have interest in Beltran, according to tweets from ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. That is no surprise because Beltran is the biggest name available at the trade deadline this year.

The Mets would have also been in talks to trade Jose Reyes, but since he got hurt, the rumors involving him diminished. New York is a struggling franchise, and because of that they are sellers this year.

Chicago Cubs: SELLERS
Another team struggling to win this year is the Chicago Cubs. They are 13 games out of first place in the tough National League Central, and they know their season is all but over. Trading players to lose salary and gain prospects is the best move for the Cubs right now.

Chicago hasn't been a factor in the MLB for a few years, and they aren't going to be unless they make some changes. Guys like Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto have been mentioned in the Chicago Cubs rumors. 

Contending teams in need of a veteran hitter on their roster will take interest in Ramirez. He's still able to defend at third base, which is why a club like the Atlanta Braves or Los Angeles Angels are interested in the 33-year-old.

Soto will be a cheap option for contender looking to gain depth on their roster, and even though his numbers are down, he still is capable of delivering when called upon. He might be much more motivated if playing on a playoff-caliber team.

These teams will continue to take or make phones calls in the coming weeks in order to make a splash at the trade deadline. There are several other teams considered as buyers and sellers, but these are the teams that need to make deals. 

We'll see in the next two weeks whether or not these teams will make the necessary deals. There is always a lot of hype building up to the trade deadline, and often times teams fail to make any moves. With so many close division races this year, we should see some big trades pretty soon.