MLB Trade Rumors: Cole Hamels and the Best Pitchers Likely to Be Traded

With the MLB trade deadline a little more than one month away, Cole Hamels is just one of the many starting pitchers who will likely be on the move in the coming weeks.

With teams now gaining a sense of whether they are contenders or pretenders, some clubs are offering up top pitchers for younger, hopeful prospects. With other teams in desperate need of good pitching, don't be surprised when some elite pitchers get shipped to new clubs.

Here are the best pitchers who will be on the move by the July 31st trade deadline.  

Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels has been one of the best pitchers in baseball so far this young season. Due to the Phillies' abysmal start—currently last in the NL East at 31-37—the 28-year-old could find himself in another uniform this summer.  

While the Phillies haven't declared Hamels for sale yet, his expiring contract makes moving him almost mandatory. The former NLCS and World Series MVP will likely command north of $100 million this winter, and with over $95 million already invested in Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, the Phillies simply will neither want nor be able to give Hamels his market price.

Hamels will be a hot commodity on the market if the Phillies decide to shop him. He's third in the NL with nine wins, fifth in strikeouts with 92, and boasts an ERA of 3.34.  Hamels has also shown to be extremely durable—starting at least 31 games each of the last four seasons.

The San Diego native has expressed interest in returning to the West Coast and a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers could be an adequate trade partner for the Phillies.

Zack Greinke

Since coming to Milwaukee in December 2010, Zack Greinke has started 41 games for the Brewers, going 23-8 with 290 strikeouts and just 63 walks.  He was a key contributor last year for the Brew Crew, helping them reach the NLCS last fall.  But with the Brewers struggling so far in 2012—Milwaukee is 30-36 and eight and a half games back from first place in the NL Central—the team's best option may be to deal Greinke for a package of young prospects.

Greinke, like Hamels, can become a free agent after this season and the Brewers—being the small-market team that they are—will likely be outbid by one of the wealthier teams.  It will likely be in the squad's best interest to trade the former Cy Young Award winner.

Greinke obviously has the stuff to be great—a 16-8 record and microscopic ERA of 2.16 in 2009 are evidence of that.  But after his Cy Young season, Greinke struggled—going 10-14 and finishing the year with an ERA north of four.    

However, the 28-year-old has impressed thus far in 2012, boasting a 7-2 record with an impressive 3.10 ERA. Greinke has apparently overcome some anxiety issues and that has shown on the mound.  

If teams are willing to take a small chance on trading for Greinke, the Brewers may have no choice but to trade their best starting pitcher.

Joe Saunders

The Arizona Diamondbacks are nine and a half games out of first place and may be looking to become sellers.  Perhaps their most tradable player is pitcher Joe Saunders.

Saunders has been one of the more consistent pitchers in recent years.  He's not a guy who's going to wow you with his stuff or strike out 200 batters in one season, but the 31-year-old just wins, with 58 in the last five seasons combined. 

The lefty could certainly help out a contender and become that No. 3 or No. 4 starter.  

The D-Backs seemingly want to deal Saunders in order to make room in the rotation for their top pitching prospect, Trevor Bauer. Bauer has been throwing in Class AA and AAA—he is 10-1 with a 1.79 ERA and 102 strikeouts in just 80.1 innings. 

Because Saunders is not part of the long-term plan in the desert, swapping him for a couple of prospects should be very appealing to Diamondback management.

Matt Garza

Matt Garza, while struggling mightily thus far in 2012, has shown dominance in the past and may still have the ability to become a No. 1 starter. However, that will likely not happen on the North Side of Chicago.  

The Cubs are an MLB-worst 22-44 and have shown no signs of improvement. Garza, the 2008 ALCS MVP, also has not impressed anybody in 2012 with his 2-5 record and 4.04 ERA. Still, the 28-year-old may be young enough to develop into a dominant starting pitcher.  

Garza has shown some brilliance at times in his career, but has been inconsistent for the most part. He has just three double-digit win seasons and a career ERA of 3.85.  

The entire baseball world knows that Garza has loads of talent, but his maturity and work ethic have been questioned in the past. However, if he goes to the right team with a strong clubhouse and a respected manager, Garza could be great.  

Look for multiple teams to be interested in the 6'4'' right-hander if Theo Epstein does end up shopping him.  

Ryan Dempster

Ryan Dempster seems to be the most likely starting pitcher to be traded this summer. The Cubs are off to a terrible start and may finally pull the trigger on dealing Dempster after flirting with the idea each of the past few seasons.   

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Red Sox and Dodgers are front-runners for the 35-year-old's services.

Dempster is in the final year of his contract and the Cubs are looking to shed his $14 million and load up on some young talent.  

Since becoming a full-time starter in 2008, Dempster has been a very consistent pitcher who could help bolster a contender's rotation. He has averaged over 11 wins and an ERA around 3.50 over that time span. So far this year, Dempster has been excellent on the mound. Despite his 3-3 record, he has a remarkable ERA of 2.11—good enough for second in the NL.

Dempster could end up playing a key role for a contender, as he would be a viable third or fourth starter in any rotation. At one of those positions, his ability would be a tremendous advantage—especially come playoff time.