MLB Trade Talk: Breaking Down the Latest Buzz Ahead of Midsummer Classic

The Major League Baseball All-Star Game is around the corner, which means the trade deadline is just a brisk jog farther up the road. There’s no point in teasing it out since we all know how this works.

Lots of big and exciting things will happen before July 31 winds down, but we don’t know exactly what. To wit:

Four teams have registered an interest in claiming the American League East for their own. One team in the National League, the New York Mets, has opted out of scoring runs, although it’s possible that’s just because everyone’s in line at Shake Shack. And the Houston Astros have popped their head in to check on the playoff race and decided they quite like it there.

Who’s on the move? Which team will make a splash? Let’s have a look at the latest buzz and sort some of this out.

Will the aforementioned Astros do something big?

The folks over at ESPN’s Baseball Tonight tackled this one on Wednesday:

Both those inside and outside the organization expect the Astros to target pitchers before the deadline passes. In fact, SB Nation’s list is remarkably similar to the list compiled by Dallas Keuchel, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich:

Houston has been patient with its rebuild, but now’s the time to get aggressive, and the club has the flexibility to be aggressive while also remaining methodical—a near impossible juxtaposition.

According to ESPN’s Keith Law, the Astros have the third-best farm system in all of baseball. They can afford to unload some prospects to get the right pitcher into their rotation.

It comes down to this:

The Astros lead the American League in wins and have a real shot at getting to the World Series. They’re at a point where it’s imprudent to muck about trying to be prudent. Just go for it.

Cole Hamels leaving Philadelphia?

Hamels, one of the pitchers potentially in the Astros’ crosshairs, has spent his entire career with the Phillies. Including the postseason, he’s made over 300 appearances for the club and totaled 120 wins.

But it’s time for a change, and Hamels seems to agree, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com:

Philadelphia has the worst record in baseball and needs to replenish its farm system. Hamels, meanwhile, is that rarest of baseball commodities, a left-handed pitcher.

Hamels’ contract is onerous, but it’s the kind of onerous that a team doesn’t mind putting up with given a postseason resume that includes a World Series MVP award.

Is Theo Epstein ready to pounce?

Perhaps this is more speculation and conjecture than true, honest-to-goodness buzz, but there is growing sentiment in Chicago that the Cubs are in prime position to make a move.

From Patrick Mooney and David Kaplan of CSN Chicago:

The Cubs are lurking in the National League wild-card picture and could use some reinforcements. Epstein might not be the same executive he was in Boston, but we’ve seen him pull some miracles before.

Maybe this is the year to not count out the Cubs.