MLB Trade Rumors: Latest Rumblings on Available Starting Pitchers

MLB squads needing a late boost have a month remaining before the July 31 trade deadline. As is often the case, starting pitchers preoccupy most contenders' attention.

Nearly all the most talked-about names are hurlers of the starting variety. Most teams dreaming of October baseball would love one more rotation piece for the stretch run. In a rare exception, one contender grasping for life has a spare arm drawing mild interest.    

Squads tend to procrastinate and maneuver right before the deadline, but the rumor mill kicks into full gear with July underway. Here are the latest scoops on some starting pitchers potentially on the move. 

AL Teams Afraid of Cole Hamels?

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Few starters boast a track record stronger than that of Cole Hamels, who carries a 3.22 career ERA and is on pace to make 30 starts for his eighth straight season. A sturdy, durable ace, the 31-year-old southpaw stands out as one of the deadline's grand prizes.

The last-place Philadelphia Phillies should have no trouble finding interested suitors, but the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo brought up some troubling splits as a possible reason for American League clubs to reconsider:

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He is a terrific pitcher, but he is now 8-15 with a 4.73 ERA in 31 career starts in interleague play after the Yankees hit him around on Wednesday. Yet that hasn’t stopped the Yankees or Rangers from seriously considering dealing for him. Some teams view it as merely a fluky thing that Hamels has problems with American League teams, others see it as an issue.

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Dissecting small sample sizes is dangerous, but 190.1 innings is essentially a full season. It's also worth noting now since the National League East is currently an offensive wasteland. Then again, nine years of resounding success also deserves notice from the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and anyone else searching for a front-line starter.

While Hamels has a limited no-trade clause that allows him to veto deals to all but nine teams, he told CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury that he's "open-minded on everybody and everything." 

Miami Hurlers Drawing Interest

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Right before Jose Fernandez's scheduled return for Thursday, the Miami Marlins lost Giancarlo Stanton with a left wrist fracture. With MLB's home run leader out four to six weeks, Miami can shelf any hopes of a second-half rally.

Stanton's absence forces the Marlins to accept their allotment and entertain offers for their veterans. According to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi, Mat Latos and Dan Haren in particular are drawing interest:

They don't make sell-high candidates more obvious than Haren, a 34-year-old who possesses a 3.38 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. He hasn't posted a sub-four ERA since 2011, and a 4.24 fielding independent pitching (FIP) suggests he's far from a lock to end that trend this year.

Haren has particularly benefited from a .234 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), MLB's highest rate among qualified starters. While Houston Astros righty Dallas Keuchel can explain his mark with a 64.5 ground-ball percentage, Haren's 31.6 ground-ball rate points to inevitable regression.

Latos, on the other hand, looks sharper after returning from three weeks on the disabled list. He has notched 24 strikeouts in 25.2 innings, and Rotoworld's Ryan Boyer noted the righty's encouraging velocity rise:

Neither hurler is under contract past the 2015 season, making them intriguing short-term boosts for a contender needing rotation depth.

Dodgers, Cubs Eyeing Jon Niese

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The New York Mets welcomed yet another bright young pitcher to the big leagues on Sunday. Steven Matz threw 7.2 strong innings during his strong MLB debut, joining a six-man rotation not including the injured Zack Wheeler and demoted Dillon Gee.

The ship has long sailed on landing anything for Gee, whom the Mets optioned for Triple-A after a 5.90 ERA allowed him to clear waivers. Yet if the team still wanted to move a starter outside its young nucleus, it has two possible chips in Bartolo Colon and Jon Niese.

Colon, a 42-year-old on an expiring contract, will help the Mets more on the mound than the trade market. Niese, on the other hand, has drawn inquiries from fellow NL adversaries, per Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal:

The 29-year-old righty has posted a 3.90 ERA and a career-low 6.30 strikeouts per nine innings. After surrendering 26 runs (21 earned) during a disastrous May, he repaired his stock with a 3.00 June ERA.

While the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs both boast star power atop their rotations, each playoff hopeful can use another man or two to round out the starting staff. Niese, who owns a 3.78 career FIP, presents an above-average No. 4 or 5 starter.

The Mets, however, may want to keep him around. Along with monitoring Matt Harvey's workload a year after Tommy John surgery, they're employing a six-man unit to avoid shutting down rookies Matz and Noah Syndergaard. Neither newcomer is guaranteed a starting spot throughout the season, which makes Niese a useful safety valve.

Note: All advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.