MLB Trade Speculation: 20 Players Who Could Be Dealt Between Now and Deadline

With many of the big-name free agents now off the market, many teams have turned their attentions to the trade block where teams are at least willing to gauge interest on some of their big-name players if nothing else.

Every season, a handful of star players change teams between the winter meetings and the July 31st trade deadline, whether it is an upcoming free agent a team does not intend to keep, a rebuilding team looking to add a few more pieces or a team simply not wanting to pay a young player as he moves through the arbitration process.

With that in mind, here is a look at 20 of the top players who could be moved between now and the trade deadline.

RF Seth Smith, Colorado Rockies

At the deadline last season, the Rockies chose to hold onto Smith and Ryan Spilborghs despite the fact that a number of teams were interested in adding the outfielders.

However, this winter the Rockies have signed Michael Cuddyer and acquired Tyler Colvin in a trade with the Cubs, and there is now an abundance of outfielders in Colorado.

Smith has averaged a line of .275 BA, 16 HR, 55 RBI in just 390 at-bats over the past three seasons, and he is under team control through 2014 as he will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this year.

There is no question that he would be a nice bat to have off the bench, but there are a number of teams interested in his services and if the right deal comes along, the Rockies really have no reason not to move him.

SP Jeremy Guthrie, Baltimore Orioles

No one has been on the trade block as long as Jeremy Guthrie—he always seems to pop up whenever available starting pitchers are mentioned as a quick look at his rumor history will show.

There is a lot to like about the 33-year-old right-hander, as he has reached the 200-inning mark each of the past three seasons (190.2 the season prior to the streak) and has a respectable 4.12 ERA since joining the Orioles in 2007.

However, he has lost 17 games in two of the past three seasons, and is by no means a frontline starter, at least not on a contender.

Still, he could help shore up a rotation, much like Erik Bedard did with the Red Sox last season. He'll be a free agent at season's end so he seems a safe bet to be moved at some point this season.

1B/OF Carlos Lee, Houston Astros

The Astros will look to move their few remaining veterans at some point this season, and among them is Lee. Once one of the top sluggers in the game, he is in the final season of a six-year, $100 million deal.

Due $18.5 million this season, chances are the Astros will have to eat some of his salary to move him. However, by midseason, the team could eat $6 million and move him to a contender looking for an offensive spark.

That could land them a solid prospect and save them about $3 million, and is certainly not out of the realm of possibility. Coming off a .275 BA, 18 HR, 94 RBI season, he is still a productive run-producer and could be the piece a contender needs to help push them into the postseason.

SP Ryan Dempster, Chicago Cubs

The Cubs fell out of contention early last season, but chose not to become sellers, instead holding on to veterans who had legitimate trade value like Dempster, Carlos Pena, Jeff Baker, Marlon Byrd and Sean Marshall.

With a new front office in place committed to rebuilding the team from the ground up, that won't be the case this season and there likely will be a number of veterans on their way out from the time I'm writing this until the deadline.

Dempster is an innings-eater, and while he has been up and down the past few seasons, he would be a solid veteran addition to anyone in contention.

He may not bring much in return to the Cubs, but if they can save some of the $14 million he is owed this season and get a mid-level prospect, it would be a wise deal.

2B Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels

Coming off an All-Star season in which he posted a .285 BA, 18 HR, 63 RBI line, Howie Kendrick has quietly become one of the best second basemen in the American League.

However, after the Angels spent big this offseason to land Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, and still tied to the terrible contract of Vernon Wells, the team simply may not be able to afford to re-sign Kendrick.

While he has been valuable he is also already 28 and the Angels have some talented middle infielders in their system who could replace him.

It would take the Angels falling out of contention, as they would no doubt hold onto him if they were headed to the postseason, but if that happens expect Kendrick to be moved to one of a handful of contenders with a big hole at second base.

RP Francisco Rodriguez, Milwaukee Brewers

After finding no one willing to offer him a multi-year deal, K-Rod surprised a few people and accepted arbitration from the Brewers.

After complaining about not getting a chance to close, despite the presence of John Axford in the Brewers bullpen, K-Rod was as much of a distraction as he was an asset last season and the Brewers will likely look to deal him to a team in search of a closer.

He still has top-notch stuff, as he posted a 1.86 ERA and 10.2 K/9 mark in 29 innings as the Brewers setup man last season after coming over at the deadline.

Regardless, he will likely cost more than a good setup man should, and the Brewers would be best off moving him and giving him that chance to close games elsewhere.

1B/3B Mark Reynolds, Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles were aggressive last offseason as they brought in four new everyday starters via trades and free agency.

Reynolds and J.J. Hardy are what remains of that group, and while Hardy has been locked up long-term, Reynolds is a different story.

There is no questioning his power, as he hit 37 home runs last season and has some of the best pure power in the game. However, he also hit just .221 last season, led the league in strikeouts for the fourth straight season and had to be moved off of third base because of his defense.

He will make $7.5 million this coming season, and the team has an $11 million option on him for 2013. With teams always looking to add some power for the stretch run, he should be in demand if made available, and since the Orioles will likely decline his option there is no reason to think he won't be.

SP Wade Davis, Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays have the deepest stable of young starting pitching talent of anyone in baseball, and with an anemic offense, they would be crazy not to use some of it to upgrade a number of holes in their lineup.

After being shopped early in the offseason, the price for James Shields looks to be high enough that he is not going anywhere. The same can't be said for teammate Wade Davis though, as he is still very much on the block.

He is now viewed as the Rays pitcher most likely to be moved, and after signing a four-year, $10.1 million extension prior to last season he is under control for the next three years with three years worth of options following that.

With a 25-22 record and 4.22 ERA in 64 big league starts, Davis is not quite on the level of guys like Gio Gonzalez and Mat Latos, but moving him should still land the Rays at least a few solid prospects. 

SP Gavin Floyd, Chicago White Sox

The White Sox have begun the rebuilding process, as they let Mark Buehrle walk in free agency and traded closer Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays.

That said, they also extended starter John Danks on a five-year, $65 million contract, as he was set to hit free agency at season's end. 

With Danks locked up, the chances of fellow starter Gavin Floyd being dealt seem even higher as the team may very well have one of the best available arms as we move closer to spring training, and he is also set to become a free agent at the end of 2012.

Floyd has been unable to duplicate the success he had in going 17-8 with a 3.84 ERA back in 2008, going 33-37 with a 4.17 ERA since. However, he is still only 29 years old and has proven to be durable in starting at least 30 games each of the past four seasons.

CF Denard Span, Minnesota Twins

The Twins put center fielder Denard Span on the block last season and he nearly wound up with the Nationals, but in the end it was Delmon Young who was traded.

With Ben Revere knocking on the door and likely to open the season as the starting right fielder, Josh Willingham signed for two years and prospect Joe Benson on the cusp as well, the Twins have some options in the outfield.

Span is currently signed through 2015 to a very cost-effective five-year, $16.5 million deal so it will take an impressive offer to pry him away from the Twins. However, if they were listening last year there is no reason to think they won't again.

SP Wandy Rodriguez, Houston Astros

The Astros have been as active as anyone over the past two seasons, trading away the likes of Roy Oswalt, Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence as they look to build up their farm system and begin to rebuild from scratch.

They do still have three major veteran contracts in Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers and Carlos Lee and while all three could be moved in the right deal, Rodriguez has the most trade value.

A popular name at the deadline last season, Rodriguez is signed through 2013 so the Astros could choose to hold onto him and build their staff around him.

However, he will be 33 next season and is set to make $25.5 million over the next two seasons (with 2014 buyout included) so the more likely scenario would be the Astros eating some of his salary and swapping him for some prospects.

RF Ichiro, Seattle Mariners

Coming off the first season of his career in which he did not hit .300 or tally 200 hits, Ichiro is winding down what has been a fantastic career in the MLB and as a professional in general.

That said, he is still one of the best table-setters in the league and in the final year of his current contract, the Mariners could look to shop him when they inevitably fall out of contention.

There will be a market for Ichiro, but in the end he has a limited no-trade clause and could decide he does not want to play anywhere other than Seattle.

On the other hand, he has been to the postseason just once—in 2001—and he could welcome a chance to play in October again before his time in the MLB is up.

RP Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals

Despite the overall struggles of the team over the past several seasons, the Royals have had one of the best closers in all of baseball in Joakim Soria.

Now, with the team heading in the right direction thanks to an impressive core of homegrown talent, the time may be now for the Royals to move their stopper for the sake of improving the team as a whole.

Jayson Stark confirmed that the team is in fact willing to listen to offers for Soria, and while I don't think he will be moved this winter, he could be the in-demand player of the deadline.

Relief pitching is always coveted come July, as the myriad of Heath Bell rumors this past offseason shows, and that could be when the Royals get the best possible value out of their 28-year-old All-Star.

CF B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Rays

Upton has been rumored to be on his way out in Tampa for the better part of two years now, and facing free agency at the end of the 2012 season he almost certainly will be moved at some point this coming season.

After posting a .300 BA, 24 HR, 82 RBI, 22 SB line in 2007 as a 22-year-old, Upton has been unable to match those numbers and has been at odds with coaches and teammates at times.

The Rays have a fantastic young pitching staff, but a number of holes offensively and if they were to move Upton it would likely have to be for big league-ready position talent.

Catcher and shortstop look to be the two most pressing areas of need, and a team willing to help them upgrade at those positions could very well land Upton.

SP Jair Jurrjens, Atlanta Braves

The Braves unloaded the anchor of a contract that was Derek Lowe already this offseason when they dealt him to the Indians, but they might not be done overhauling their rotation.

With an abundance of young starting pitching, and after watching Mat Latos and Gio Gonzalez fetch huge prospect hauls for the Padres and Athletics, the Braves would be wise to take advantage of the market.

Jurrjens has been the most rumored starter to be on the move, and after making $3.25 million last season, he will be set to make well over $6 million this coming season in his second year of arbitration.

Moving him before he becomes expensive and reaping the prospect benefits would be in the Braves' best interest.

RF Carlos Quentin, Chicago White Sox

The White Sox traded for Carlos Quentin prior to the 2008 season, picking up a former first-round pick who up until that point had failed to live up to lofty expectations due to injury.

The injury problems have remained, but when healthy Quentin has been among the most productive run-producers in the American League. In his four seasons with the White Sox he has averaged a line of .257 BA, 27 HR, 80 RBI in just 426 at-bats per season.

The 29-year-old is arbitration-eligible for the final time this season, and will become a free agent for the first time at season's end.

With the White Sox looking to rebuild, Quentin could be the in-demand bat of the deadline if he can remain healthy, and chances are he will not finish 2012 in Chicago—and according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, he could be gone before next season even starts.

RF Andre Ethier, Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers already locked up one of their star outfielders this offseason when they signed Matt Kemp to an eight-year, $160 million contract. However, right fielder Andre Ethier is still set to be a free agent at season's end.

Asked whether he would be traded if the team does not reach an extension, GM Ned Colletti said last October that "we will entertain signing him as well, but he's coming off an injury and a subpar season."

He will be 30 years old next season, so he should have at least a handful of solid seasons left in him, but the chances of him getting a deal over three or four years from the Dodgers seem slim at this point.

The team could hold onto him and attempt to sign him or else take the draft pick compensation, much like the Mets did with Jose Reyes, but if he has another All-Star first half the gain in trading him may be too much for the Dodgers to pass up.

SP Matt Garza, Chicago Cubs

Acquired last winter from the Rays in a deal that sent five players out of Chicago, including three of the team's top 10 prospects, Garza could be on the move once again.

With the addition of Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein to the Cubs front office, a newfound emphasis has been placed on building a strong core of young players. The team looks ready to mortgage the next couple seasons for a shot at building for the long haul.

Coming off the best season of his career, despite what his 10-10 record may indicate, it will cost a good deal to acquire Garza. That said, according to CBS's Jon Heyman the Blue Jays and Yankees have what it takes to get him.

3B David Wright, New York Mets

After failing to re-sign Jose Reyes, the Mets now look to be headed for a full-on rebuild, and while they do still have a superstar in third baseman David Wright, for how long remains to be seen.

Wright is under contract through 2012, with a $16 million team option for 2013 that holds a $1 million buyout. His production has been down over the past three seasons but the fact remains that there are very few impact third basemen in the league and he is still in his prime.

The Rockies were linked to Wright at the deadline last season and earlier this winter, and while the team signed veteran free-agent Casey Blake to step in at third base, he is hardly an impact bat at this point in his career.

Whether or not it is the Rockies who wind up going after him, there are very few impact third basemen in the league and if the Mets make Wright available there will no doubt be at least a few teams willing to pay the price.

SP Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants

The duo of Lincecum and Cain atop the Giants rotation is among the best in all of baseball, and while it may seem crazy to think the team would deal either of them, both are without a long-term deal at this point.

With a Madison Bumgarner, Ryan Vogelsong and prospect Eric Surkamp also in the fold, it would not be unfathomable for the Giants to move one of their two aces, especially if it means upgrading their anemic offense in the present and for the long-term.

The price for both starters will be high, but in the end, Cain will be the easier to acquire, as he is set to hit free agency and would be considered by most to be the lesser of the two.

It will take a package of prospects in excess of what the Reds gave up to get Mat Latos, and perhaps would likely have to include a big league-ready hitter to bolster the lineup and a pitcher with the upside to replace Cain in the near future. It is not likely but it remains a possibility until he is extended.