MLB Trade Scenarios: 3 Teams with Chips to Pull Felix Hernandez Blockbuster

The trade deadline is a little over a month away, which means it's time for our yearly dose of Felix Hernandez trade buzz.

While he has never officially been made available by the Mariners and has in fact been deemed untouchable on more than one occasion in the past, that has not stopped MLB insiders from speculating that he could be moved.

The rumors have begun already this season, with Seattle Times writer Geoff Baker saying Thursday that the Mariners likely won't be in a position to contend before Hernandez's contract is up after the 2014 season and now may be the time for them to consider moving him.

The 26-year-old right-hander is 6-5 on the season with a 3.09 ERA and an AL-best 114 strikeouts in 110.2 innings of work as he once again ranks among the top pitchers in all of baseball.

Despite his age, he is already in his eighth big league season and holds a career record of 91-72 with a 3.23 ERA and 8.3 K/9 mark as he has been as sure a thing as there is on the mound in the MLB.

He is due $39.5 million over 2013 and 2014 combined, and in an offseason where he would be the marquee player on the market without question, Baker may have a point in saying this may be the year for the Mariners to pull the trigger on the move. 

After an offseason in which starters Gio Gonzalez and Mat Latos both fetched a hefty, four-prospect package, it would take an absolutely stacked offer to pry Hernandez away from the Mariners.

This is purely speculation, but here is a look at three teams that make sense as a potential landing spot for Hernandez, both in terms of having a need for a front-line starter and having the caliber of prospects to pull off such a deal. 

Toronto Blue Jays

After making a serious run at Yu Darvish this offseason and coming up short, the Blue Jays continue to search for a franchise cornerstone in the rotation alongside Ricky Romero.

Add in the fact that the Blue Jays rotation has been decimated by injury with three starters currently on the DL and two expected to be out the rest of the season, and the Blue Jays certainly make sense.

They have a bevy of top-level prospects, but lack a true stud prospect so it would likely take several of their organizational top 10 to pull off the deal. Here's what the package could look like:

• SP Henderson Alvarez (15 GS, 4-6, 4.36 ERA, 21 years old)
• OF Anthony Gose (Organization No. 2 prospect, Baseball America No. 39 prospect)
• OF Jake Marisnick (Organization No. 3 prospect, Baseball America No. 67 prospect)
• SP Justin Nicolino (Organization No. 5 prospect) 

The Mariners organization is stocked with top-end starting pitching in Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen and James Paxton, so they'd no doubt look to target positional prospects.

Given their recent selection of Mike Zunino, they likely won't go after injured catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud, but the duo of Gose and Marisnick would give them two high-end outfield prospects they sorely need.

Alvarez would provide an immediate replacement for Hernandez in the rotation with some decent upside at just 21 years old, while Nicolino has an even higher ceiling and continues to dominate in the low minors.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers will be as aggressive as anyone these next few years, with new ownership in place and looking to turn the team into a winner by any means possible.

They are expected to make a run at Cole Hamels, either via trade if he is made available or as a free agent this upcoming winter, but Hernandez could be an alternative.

Their farm system is thin, but they would likely be willing to part with anyone and everyone to pull off such a trade, and here's a look at one package that could work.

• SP Zach Lee (Organization No. 1 prospect, Baseball America No. 62 prospect)
• SP Allen Webster (Organization No. 2 prospect, Baseball America No. 95 prospect)
• RP Josh Lindblom (Organization No. 8 prospect, 35 G, 3.22 ERA with Dodgers)
• OF Joc Pederson (Organization No. 9 prospect)
• OF Alex Castellanos (Organization No. 19 prospect)

The team's top prospect Lee would almost certainly have to be involved in any this deal, as the 20-year-old has advanced to Double-A this season and remains one of the highest ceiling pitching prospects in baseball.

From there it would be a handful of other top prospects from the organization. Getting Webster would give the Mariners another high-end young starter, while Lindblom would be someone who can contribute right away as he has been a key cog for the Dodgers bullpen this season.

Pederson has tons of upside currently playing in Single-A, while Castellanos is already 25 but is destroying Triple-A pitching to the tune of .374/.460/.707 and could also contribute immediately.

New York Yankees

The Yankees are expected to make a play for at least one big-name starting pitcher at the deadline this season, with Cubs' starters Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster and Astros lefty Wandy Rodriguez possible targets.

With Andy Pettitte on the shelf with a fractured ankle and C.C. Sabathia also nursing an injury the starting pitching situation has gone from bad to worse in New York.

The Yankees have pushed towards emphasizing homegrown talent in recent years, but they wouldn't pass up a chance to acquire Hernandez and could make a pitch that looks something like this.

• SP Ivan Nova (15 GS, 9-2, 4.03 ERA, 25 years old)
• SP Dellin Betances (Organization No. 3 prospect, Baseball America No. 63 prospect)
• CF Mason Williams (Organization No. 5 prospect, Baseball America No. 85 prospect)
• OF Ramon Flores (Organization No. 13 prospect)

Mason Williams is the type of marquee prospect that could be enough for the Mariners to pull the trigger on this sort of deal, as he has been terrific this season as a 20-year-old in Single-A.

Both Betances and Manny Banuelos are struggling this season, and seeing as Betances profiles both as someone who will be able to contribute right away and as someone who could thrive in the bullpen or rotation he makes more sense as a target.

Nova would give them a solid, controllable starter to step into Hernandez's rotation spot right away, and Flores gives them a speedy outfielder with good plate discipline in the low minors who could develop into an everyday player.