MLB Trade Rumors: 8 Contenders Anibal Sanchez Could Be Dealt to by July 31

The Miami Marlins saw their seven-game win streak come to a halt on Tuesday in Houston, but it definitely wasn't Anibal Sanchez's fault. He pitched seven great innings, allowed two runs (no earned runs) and five hits while striking out eight.

It's been that kind of season for the 28-year-old righty. He only has two wins to show for his good work, but he's sitting on a 2.01 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. He ranks first in the National League with 46 strikeouts.

Because the Marlins have played their way back into the NL East race, there's plenty of incentive for them to hold on to Sanchez. But if they fall back out of the race, Sanchez is very much a candidate to be traded before MLB's July 31 trade deadline.

Jason A. Churchill speculated on ESPN Insider recently that Sanchez, a free-agent-to-be, could be moved at the deadline. Last year, Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports noted that Sanchez was a candidate to be moved at the deadline. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com noted that the Marlins didn't want to give him up, but things will be different this year seeing as how the team knows that Sanchez's free agency is looming.

If Sanchez does find his way onto the trading block later this summer, here are a few teams that could give him a look.

Atlanta Braves

Why They'd Be Interested

Atlanta's starting pitching hasn't been that sharp this season. Brandon Beachy and Tommy Hanson are both good, but Mike Minor and Randall Delgado have been inconsistent and Jair Jurrjens was bad enough to get demoted. Veteran starter Tim Hudson is a guy who has a long history of nagging injuries. 

Why They'd Pay the Price

To compete with the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves are going to have to upgrade their starting pitching. Their offense has been great and their bullpen has some great arms in it, but it's clear that they're going to be involved in some close games with key division foes, and they'll need to be able to match up.

Complications

Even if the Braves come to desperately want Sanchez, it wouldn't be easy for them to convince the Marlins to trade him within the division. Furthermore, the Braves have a ton of young talent in their system, and sending said young talent to a division foe wouldn't be the best idea.

Boston Red Sox

Why They'd Be Interested

The Red Sox have serious pitching problems. Sox starters have a 5.89 ERA, and No. 3 starter Clay Buchholz could be one more bad outing away from getting demoted to the minors. If the Red Sox don't do something to fix their starting pitching, they're going to fall even further out of the AL East race.

Why They'd Pay the Price

New Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington's pitching acquisitions haven't worked out. He may feel the need to redeem himself by bringing in an impact arm at the trade deadline. And, of course, bringing in an impact arm would help the Red Sox stay relevant in the AL East.

Complications

The Red Sox may be in sell mode by the time the deadline comes around. This season has been a disaster from the very start, and they just don't seem to have the firepower they need to recover, especially when it comes to their pitching staff. To boot, they don't have a lot of talent at the upper levels of their farm system. Making a competitive offer would be tough if the Sox get into the Sanchez sweepstakes.

Cincinnati Reds

Why They'd Be Interested

The Reds have gotten good starting pitching this season, but Homer Bailey and Mike Leake have not been reliable at the back end of their starting rotation. The Reds could move Aroldis Chapman into their rotation, but trading for a starting pitcher would allow them to keep Chapman in the eighth-inning role he's excelled in this season.

Why They'd Pay the Price

It looks like the Reds are going to be in a tough battle with the St. Louis Cardinals for control of the NL Central this season, and the Cardinals have better starting pitching than they do. The Reds can even the playing field by acquiring Sanchez.

Complications

The Reds had to give away an impressive package of prospects to get Mat Latos this offseason (Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported that they initially went after Jair Jurrjens). Walt Jocketty is going to hesitate before making a similar deal, especially if it means getting a rental pitcher in return.

Detroit Tigers

Why They'd Be Interested

The Tigers have a bona-fide ace in Justin Verlander, a great No. 2 starter in Doug Fister and a talented youngster in Drew Smyly. The back end of their rotation isn't quite as strong, and it's dragging the rest of the team down.

Why They'd Pay the Price

Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski is a crafty one. He solved the team's pitching problems last season by trading for Fister, and we've seen him swoop in out of left field and make surprising acquisitions without warning (see Fielder, Prince). If he sees an opportunity to improve his team, it's a good bet he'll take advantage of it. 

Especially with this team. These Tigers could go to the World Series and win it if they get another starting pitcher.

Complications

The Tigers don't have a deep farm system, and they're not going to be quick to give up their two prized prospects: Jacob Turner and Nick Castellanos. Dombrowski could easily choose to stand pat and hope that Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello figure things out. If they do before the deadline, the Tigers won't be in the Sanchez hunt at all.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Why They'd Be Interested

The Dodgers have gotten excellent starting pitching this year, and that's a big reason why they've gotten off to such a strong start. However, Aaron Harang has been true to form, and the Dodgers have to know that Ted Lilly is overachieving right now. They'll be looking to upgrade their rotation before long.

Why They'd Pay the Price

The Dodgers are under new ownership, and that new ownership is taking over a team that has a very real shot at making the postseason this year. They could decide to go for it all and acquire Sanchez as a major rotation upgrade for the stretch run. Keep in mind that they have to compete with two teams that have great rotations in the Giants and Diamondbacks.

Complications

The Dodgers have some very good arms down on the farm. It's a good bet one or more of those would have to go in a trade for Sanchez. Given the struggles their bullpen has gone through this season, the Dodgers brass could move to upgrade their bullpen instead of their rotation.

New York Yankees

Why They'd Be Interested

Starting pitching was supposed to be a key strength for the Bombers this season, and it hasn't been. Michael Pineda is out for the year, Freddy Garcia has been moved to the bullpen and the Yankees are going to be in even more trouble if Andy Pettitte doesn't pan out in his return to the majors.

Yankees starters currently have an ERA well over 5.00. CC Sabathia is the team's only reliable starter, and that's going to be a problem in the long run in a very tough AL East.

Why They'd Pay the Price

They're the Yankees. They're always in "win now" mode. Acquiring Sanchez would boost their chances of winning the AL East, and it would all but secure one of the AL's two wild-card berths.

Complications

The Yankees have some good young pitchers in their farm system, most notably Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances. The Marlins would probably ask for one of these guys in return, and Yanks GM Brian Cashman is not going to be too quick to give either of them up for a rental pitcher who has never pitched in the American League.

Texas Rangers

Why They'd Be Interested

As reported by Morosi last July, the Rangers inquired about some of the Marlins pitchers before the 2011 trade deadline. Anibal Sanchez might have been one of the pitchers they were interested in.

Starting pitching isn't really an issue for the Rangers this season, as they have one of the top starting rotations in the American League. However, it's too soon to call Yu Darvish a true ace, and none of their other starters qualify either. To bolster their chances of making it back to the World Series, the Rangers could move to acquire an ace.

Why They'd Pay the Price

The Rangers have been to two straight World Series, and they stand a very good chance of going to a third this year. They'll do whatever it takes to make sure they have a great chance of winning it this time around.

Complications

The Rangers have an excellent farm system, and they have a lot of guys they could afford to part with for the sake of trying to win now rather than later. However, this doesn't mean they'd ship off a significant portion of their young talent for a rental pitcher who, once again, is unproven in the AL. The Rangers could set their eyes on a bigger prize, a la Jake Peavy.

Toronto Blue Jays

Why They'd Be Interested

The Blue Jays have some great young arms in their starting rotation, but it's hard to determine which one is supposed to be their ace. They could acquire Sanchez and erase all doubts.

For what it's worth, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com has reported that the Jays have been on the lookout for a "top-of-the-rotation arm."

Why They'd Pay the Price

The Yankees are weak and the Red Sox are a mess. The time is now for the Jays to make a move at a playoff spot in the AL East. The Yanks and Sox aren't going to stay down for long, so the Jays may as well go for broke and go for it all this year.

Complications

The Jays have a ton of talent in their farm system, so they'd have to decide whether they're ahead of schedule or if this year's team is for real. If they think this year's team is for real, they'll part with some of their young talent. If they don't, Alex Anthopoulos will stand pat. 

It's worth noting that Anthopoulos denied being on the lookout for a starting pitcher at a recent press conference, according to MLBlogs.com.

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