MLB Trade Scenarios: Updating Every MLB Team's Biggest 'Sell High' Prospect

With the MLB trade deadline two months away, scouts are starting to report to teams about potential trade candidates they should be looking into.

Some of these players could be prospects that another team is looking to sell high on. Players with a lot of tools and potential, or those that have already put up solid numbers in the minors could be sell-high candidates if there is also a significant chance that they will be a bust.

Many of the players on this list may make the major leagues, and some of them could put together a number of solid years in the bigs. However, there are a number of guys here that will become busts or be nothing more than organizational fodder.

Each player that was chosen for this list was selected as a preseason top-20 prospect for their team by prospect expert John Sickels.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Adam Eaton

There is absolutely no denying that a career .349 batting average is impressive even if it is in the minor leagues. That is the mark that Adam Eaton has put up through his first two-plus seasons in the minors.

Eaton has had an incredibly high BABIP throughout his career, and this season, his BABIP is an unsustainable .436. Teams will certainly be interested in Eaton, and he is certainly a sell-high candidate. If he cannot bat over .300 in the majors, then his value may not be as high as it is right now.

Atlanta Braves: Christian Bethancourt

Christian Bethancourt has impressed people with his defensive abilities, and he has thrown out 38 percent of potential base stealers in the minors.

Bethancourt's offensive skills have yet to develop, and while the young catcher is projected to improve with the bat, there is also the chance that he does not amount to being an MLB regular. The Atlanta Braves could certainly sell high as they try to put together a playoff team this year.

Baltimore Orioles: Gabriel Lino

When a prospect is 19 years old and playing in A-ball, they normally get some slack if they do not put together a great performance. Gabriel Lino has a lot of power potential, but he has struggled at the plate in 2012.

Lino has had contact issues, and he has struck out in almost 32 percent of his 148 at-bats thus far this year. There is still a long time left for Lino to develop, but if the Baltimore Orioles trade him now, they may be able to get the best value on him if he does not continue to develop as hoped.

Boston Red Sox: Sean Coyle

A strong year in Single-A at age 19 put a few more eyes on Sean Coyle, and it helped him move up prospect lists. That shine is not going to last long if Coyle continues on his current trajectory.

Coyle is currently a second baseman, but he has already committed nine errors on the year. If Coyle needs to move to a new position, his value will likely be diminished. The Boston Red Sox's best chance to sell high on him may be now.

Chicago Cubs: Trey McNutt

Don't let Trey McNutt's 2.68 ERA this season fool you. It is his second year in Double-A, and his peripherals don't look great.

His strikeout rate has dropped to 5.4 K/9, and his walk rate has increased to 4.0 BB/9 this year. McNutt also has a 5.11 FIP this year.

If the Chicago Cubs have a chance to sell high on McNutt in the coming months, they should take advantage of it.

Chicago White Sox: Trayce Thompson

Trayce Thompson has the potential to hit for a lot of power for the Chicago White Sox. The flip side is that he also has a chance of becoming a Quad-A player at best.

After spending the last two years in A-ball, the White Sox moved Thompson up to High-A this year. His strikeout problems have continued, and through his first 195 at-bats, he has struck out 69 times.

Cincinnati Reds: Yorman Rodriguez

Yorman Rodriguez could be an outstanding player in the majors, and he has the skills to potentially become a star. However, a lot needs to go right for that to happen.

While Rodriguez has the tools, he is still very raw. He strikes out very often, and he needs to refine his approach at the plate.

Rodriguez has suffered in High-A, but he is just 19 years old, so teams will be willing to take a chance on him.

Cleveland Indians: Luigi Rodriguez

Many players that reach Single-A by age 19 are toolsy, high-potential players that have the ability to turn out a number of different ways. Luigi Rodriguez is one of those players.

Rodriguez has a long way to go when it comes to developing his game. He needs to become much more disciplined both at the plate and basepaths.

Colorado Rockies: Tim Wheeler

Tim Wheeler broke out in a big way when he hit 33 home runs and stole 21 bases during his time in Double-A in 2012. Those numbers are certainly something that caught the eyes of many.

There are some concerns with Wheeler, though. He is already 24 years old and he has struck out almost once a game during his pro career. Still, that does not mean that Wheeler's value is not high right now.

Detroit Tigers: Avisail Garcia

At 6'4" and 240 lbs., Avisail Garcia is an intimidating figure in the Detroit Tigers organization. As one might expect, he can hit for some power. He has already impressed Tigers manager Jim Leyland with his offensive abilities.

It is not Garcia's offensive abilities that make him a sell-high candidate, but rather his defense. He has struggled mightily as an outfielder, and he could end up as a DH. If that happens, his value will certainly drop.

Houston Astros: Domingo Santana

Domingo Santana seems like he may be a boom-or-bust type of prospect. So far, everything has worked out fairly well for him in the minors.

Santana has shown off a lot of power, but he also has struck out often as a result of his long swing. Pitching at the higher levels will certainly challenge Santana, and there is a good chance that he could struggle against them. There is also a good chance that Santana proves that he is more than capable of handling those pitchers.

Kansas City Royals: Jason Adam

The Kansas City Royals have had a lot of success developing positional prospects, but they have not had as much success with pitchers. Now, the organization has begun to develop some solid pitching prospects as well.

One of those players is Jason Adam. He has good control of his pitcher, but he does not rack up strikeouts. Adam has the potential to be an MLB starter, but he could also never get past Triple-A.

Los Angeles Angeles: Taylor Lindsey

The Los Angeles Angels selected Taylor Lindsey with the 37th overall pick of the 2010 MLB draft, and he began to play at rookie ball that same year. He put together solid performances in both 2010 and 2011.

Lindsey has done a fine job with his bat this year, but there are elements of his game that he certainly needs to refine.

Defensively, Lindsey has been a bit of a liability at second base, as he already has 12 errors in 260 chances for 2012.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Scott Van Slyke

Scott Van Slyke has already played 17 games in the major leagues this season, but he has not been able to match the level of success that he had in the minors. This is a small sample size, and a lot could change quickly.

One of the reasons that Van Slyke is a sell-high candidate is because of his age. Van Slyke has already shown that he can handle the minors, but he will turn 26 midseason.

Miami Marlins: Chad James

After being drafted in the first round of the 2009 MLB draft, Baseball America considered Chad James to be one of the game's top 100 prospects the following year. He struggled and did not appear on that list in 2011 or 2012.

However, James has pitched fairly well since 2011. One of the most concerning things about James' numbers is that his strikeout rate has plummeted. He is still valuable now, but his value could drop if he does not pick things up soon.

Milwaukee Brewers: Wily Peralta

Triple-A hitters have been able to take advantage of Wily Peralta so far this year, and as a result of all of the hits that he has given up, his ERA has ballooned up to 6.83 thus far.

Entering the season, Peralta was Baseball America's 52nd-ranked prospect. He still has a lot of value that is derived from that ranking, but it could drop fast. He is an ideal sell-high candidate.

Minnesota Twins: Aaron Hicks

Aaron Hicks has all five tools, and he has the potential to eventually become an elite MLB player.

Things are starting to come together for the 22-year-old at Double-A, but there are a number of concerns. Hicks could be a sell-high candidate if he shows off each of his five tools this year.

New York Mets: Wilmer Flores

It seems like Wilmer Flores should be in his mid-20s considering how long he has been a member of the New York Mets organization. However, Flores is still just 21 years old.

Flores is in his third year at High-A, and he is starting to figure things out. He already has 10 home runs, and he is batting over .300 for the year.

There is a decent amount of risk that Flores does not continue to improve as expected, which certainly makes him a sell-high candidate.

New York Yankees: Manny Banuelos

The Killer B's were supposed to be the future of the New York Yankees starting rotation, but they are seeming to go the way of the New York Mets' "Generation K."

Manny Banuelos is a top Yankees pitching prospect, and he is just 21 years old and in Triple-A. However, there are some things about Banuelos that are concerning and make him a sell-high candidate.

Banuelos has struggled with control at times, and when he does get things on track, he tends to give up a lot more hits.

Oakland Athletics: Grant Green

A prospect's position can go a long way in determining his value. Oakland Athletics prospect Grant Green was much more valuable as a shortstop than he is as an outfielder.

That does not mean that Green does not have value as a center fielder. Green has been impressive at the plate and is in Triple-A. He may not be able to perform at a very high level in the major leagues, however.

Philadelphia Phillies: Lisalberto Bonilla

When a pitcher has a 13.2 K/9 rate, it is clear that opposing hitters are struggling at the plate against him. That is the case for Philadelphia Phillies prospect Lisalberto Bonilla.

Bonilla is looking like he could turn into a fairly solid relief pitcher. With the value of relievers so high, this is the Phillies' chance to sell him at his most valuable.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Luis Heredia

Luis Heredia made his professional baseball debut as a 16-year-old in 2011 when he appeared in 12 Rookie League games.

He is a very projectable pitcher, but he is also very young. There are cautionary tales of young pitchers that should be used as an example. Michael Ynoa is one that comes to mind.

Heredia's value is incredibly high now because of his age and projectability, and the Pirates could get a lot for him.

San Diego Paders: Vince Belnome

Power-hitting middle infield prospects are hard to find, and that is part of what makes Vince Belnome a potential sell-high candidate.

The San Diego Padres prospect is in his first go-around at Triple-A ,and he has been decent this year. Belnome does strike out a lot, and that is something that could hurt his value in the majors.

San Francisco Giants: Francisco Peguero

Francisco Peguero is in the middle of his seventh season in the San Francisco Giants' minor league system. He is a career .304 hitter throughout his career.

Peguero has had his batting average inflated by a high BABIP throughout the years, which could mean that it is hard for him to sustain a very high average in the majors. This makes him a sell-high candidate for the Giants. 

Seattle Mariners: Francisco Martinez

It is not often that you hear of a third basemen that has the potential to steal 20 bases in the year, so they are considered to be a valuable commodity. Francisco Martinez of the Seattle Mariners is one of those players.

Martinez was one of the key pieces of the deal that sent Doug Fister to the Detroit Tigers, so he has a lot of value. This could mean that the Mariners could look to flip him to another team in a potential sell-high situation.

St. Louis Cardinals: Joe Kelly

Even though he has a 2-5 record, Joe Kelly has done well during his first season in Triple-A, with a 2.86 ERA on the year.

Kelly has the potential to break into a starting rotation at the end of this year, and it may be in some place other than St. Louis if the Cardinals view him as a sell-high candidate.

Tampa Bay Rays: Oscar Hernandez

During the 2011 Venezuelan Summer League, there were 190 home runs hit. Twenty-one of those home runs were hit by Oscar Hernandez. This means he was responsible for more than 11 percent of the home runs hit in the league.

Hernandez is a bit of a mystery right now, but his value is high simply due to that one summer alone. The Tampa Bay Rays can certainly sell high on him right now.

Texas Rangers: Christian Villenueva

Following a 2011 season at Single-A in which he hit 17 home runs and stole 32 bases, Christian Villenueva drew a lot of attention. Baseball America considered him to be the 100th-best prospect in the game.

Villenueva has Mike Olt ahead of him in the Texas Rangers' farm system, and that makes him a possible trade candidate.

Given his great 2011, Villenueva could be a sell-high player because of his subpar defense at third base.

Toronto Blue Jays: A.J. Jimenez

The Toronto Blue Jays organization is stacked with catchers. They already have J.P. Arencibia in the majors, and Travis D'Arnaud is looking like a star in the making.

That could make the talented A.J. Jimenez the odd man out. Jimenez is a defensive-oriented catcher, and he has thrown out 43 percent of runners in the minors.

Washington Nationals: Danny Rosenbaum

There have been few players in the minor leagues that have been a bigger surprise than Danny Rosenbaum this year. The Washington Nationals pitcher has put up some outstanding numbers.

Rosenbaum is 7-1 on the year with a 1.75 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. Rosenbaum has a low strikeout rate this year, and his success has been partially fueled by a 1.5 BB/9 rate this year. He is certainly a sell-high candidate.