MLB Trade Talk: Deals Most Likely to Happen by the Deadline
With the July 31 MLB trade deadline just a few weeks away, we may soon find out if the likes of Johnny Cueto, Cole Hamels and Scott Kazmir will in fact wear new uniforms at some point during the second half of the season.
Of course, it's tough to predict exactly what's going to happen leading up to the deadline, but certain players have been linked to particular teams, giving some sort of indication of how the market will play out.
Based on reports that have been swirling of late and the different needs of some of the contenders, let's try to predict the trades that are most likely to happen over the next couple of weeks.
A lot of this is speculation, so keep that in mind when going through the list.
With that, take a look at who may be on the move.
Honorable Mentions: Deals That Won't Happen
1 of 11
Carlos Gomez to the Minnesota Twins
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported that the Milwaukee Brewers may move the stud center fielder since they probably won't be able to keep Gomez beyond 2016. Heyman proposed a trade that would land Gomez back in Minnesota. That, however, appears to be a long shot. Chances are the Brewers won't get a good enough offer for Gomez and revisit trade talks for the former Gold Glove winner in the offseason.
Ben Zobrist to the New York Mets
Zobrist has been linked to the Mets throughout the first half, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that Mets general manager Sandy Alderson would be willing to overpay for the versatile switch-hitter. But Alderson knows Zobrist isn't going to cure New York's offensive woes and will ultimately bypass any potential trade with the Oakland Athletics.
Andrew Cashner to the New York Yankees
2 of 11
After stealing the headlines with myriad moves during the offseason, the San Diego Padres entered play Thursday 9.5 games out of first place in the NL West.
With so much ground to make up, general manager A.J. Preller may try to get as much in return for whatever valuable pieces the Padres may have on their roster, as Jon Morosi of FoxSports.com noted this week.
One guy who may be available is starting pitcher Andrew Cashner, whom the New York Yankees may be looking into.
Now, the Yankees haven't been linked to Cashner yet, but it's possible this move transpires as the deadline approaches and San Diego continues to lose.
Assuming the Yankees miss out on the more sought-after commodities on the market—Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com reported that the top guys are "probably too expensive" for New York—general manager Brian Cashman is going to have to deal for a guy of Cashner's ilk.
New York is in first place in a tight AL East, but it still needs help in a rotation where CC Sabathia and Nathan Eovaldi are underperforming.
This is pure speculation, but Cashner would be a solid acquisition and won't cost the Yankees Aaron Judge or Luis Severino.
Jeff Samardzija to the Detroit Tigers
3 of 11
Samardzija could be looking at his fourth team in two years.
The Chicago White Sox sit at the bottom of the AL Central entering play Thursday, and according to CBS Sports insider Jon Heyman, they could be listening to offers for the right-hander.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe mentioned the Detroit Tigers as one of the teams that are interested in Samardzija. It makes total sense.
After beginning the season with three straight great outings, Shane Greene pitched his way to the minors. He could be on his way back to the big leagues soon, according to Lindsey Foltin of FoxSports.com, but he has a 5.82 ERA this season.
Alfredo Simon and Kyle Lobstein don't exactly have opposing hitters shaking in the box with 4.18 and 4.34 ERAs, respectively.
Through four starts since making his return, Justin Verlander hasn't proved he can be counted on, so basically, the Tigers have a bunch of question marks in the rotation after David Price and Anibal Sanchez, who hasn't been too good either. Sanchez actually has a higher ERA than both Lobstein and Simon but with a much better track record.
While he's had an inconsistent season to this point, Samardzija would be a welcome addition to the Detroit staff. He pitched a shutout against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday afternoon to lower his ERA to 4.02, following up a solid performance against the Baltimore Orioles in his last start, in which he threw 7.2 innings of one-run baseball.
Detroit is behind both the Royals and the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central, and it's going to be hard to make up ground unless it trades for a pitcher like Samardzija to shore up the rotation.
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Johnny Cueto to the Houston Astros
4 of 11
It's clear at this point that the Astros are going to be in the thick of things come August and September.
Despite hitting .243 as a team entering play Thursday, they've sat atop the AL West pretty much all season thanks in large part to their MLB-leading 121 home runs.
Meanwhile, the starting pitching has been excellent, led by Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh at the front of the rotation. Behind those two, however, there are a lot of question marks going forward.
Rookie Lance McCullers is having a wonderful first half, but as Evan Drellich—Astros beat writer for the Houston Chronicle—noted, he and fellow rookie starting pitcher Vincent Velasquez probably won't be able to pitch deep into the season, let alone the playoffs, because of team-imposed innings limits.
With Scott Feldman on the disabled list, Houston is going to have to make a deal for a starting pitcher. Who better than Cueto, the best arm on the market?
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Cueto is the kind of pitcher Houston would like to acquire—one with an expiring contract.
General manager Jeff Luhnow isn't looking to deal Mark Appel or Domingo Santana for what may be a rental. But Houston's farm system is deep enough that it can afford to trade a Michael Feliz or Brett Phillips in a blockbuster trade for Cueto.
Mike Leake to the Kansas City Royals
5 of 11
It's clear last year was no fluke, as the Kansas City Royals are the second team in baseball to reach 50 wins this season.
That being said, they're going to have to acquire a starting pitcher to help their cause in a potential playoff series.
Jeremy Guthrie (5.36) and especially Danny Duffy (5.14) raised their performance last year, helping the Royals reach the World Series. That hasn't been the case this year, with both pitchers possessing ERAs above 5.00.
It's hard to see Kansas City bidding for the top pitchers out there, but a guy like Mike Leake of the Cincinnati Reds could be a possibility.
A few weeks ago, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi of FoxSports.com reported that the Reds had expressed interest in Leake and Cueto.
Cueto doesn't appear to be all that likely, but Leake would be a nice addition to that Royals rotation, and he won't be that expensive in terms of prospects.
A modest trade for Leake makes sense from Kansas City's perspective, and the Reds are willing to unload some players after the All-Star break.
Gerardo Parra to the San Francisco Giants
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Hunter Pence was just activated from the DL this week, but the San Francisco Giants could use another bat in the outfield.
Angel Pagan has been in a rut at the plate over the last few weeks, and Nori Aoki is still on the DL. The Giants have been asking Justin Maxwell to do more than he's capable of in a starting role for a bulk of the season.
ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted earlier this week that San Francisco was in search of outfield help and Gerardo Parra of the Milwaukee Brewers was among the players under consideration.
Parra is putting up good numbers for the lowly Brewers in the first half, hitting .309 with an .832 OPS entering Thursday.
The Giants have made midseason acquisitions in the past with the hopes of making a playoff run. It worked in 2010 when they claimed Cody Ross off waivers and signed Pat Burrell. Those players went on to help the Giants win the World Series that year.
In 2012, San Francisco traded for Pence, and he played a big role on that World Series-winning team, as well as last year's championship club.
It didn't pay off when it traded for a rental in Carlos Beltran in 2011, giving up Zack Wheeler to the Mets, but not every trade pans out.
This organization has proved it's willing to do whatever it takes to win, and the team has been struggling of late, so a move for Parra may be on the horizon.
Marlon Byrd to the Kansas City Royals
7 of 11
With Alex Gordon expected to miss eight weeks with a strained groin, per ESPN.com, the Royals could use a veteran outfielder to fill in during his absence.
The Cincinnati Reds are supposedly selling, and Marlon Byrd would be a perfect fit in Kansas City.
Jon Morosi of Fox Sports tweeted that Byrd to Kansas City may be a possibility depending on the approach the Royals' front office takes.
Maybe the Royals have enough confidence that Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando can get the job done for a couple of months.
But even if Gordon recovers quickly and is back by September, a player like Byrd who has been around a long time could help this team that expects to make a deep playoff run.
Byrd's numbers—.245 batting average, 14 homers and 32 RBI entering Thursday—aren't all that great, but that may be a good thing for a team like the Royals who could be looking to trade for him because the Reds probably won't be asking for too much in return.
He'd be an upgrade over Alex Rios and is more proven than Orlando and Dyson. Furthermore, Byrd's presence in the locker room would benefit a young playoff contender.
Jonathan Papelbon to the Chicago Cubs
8 of 11
Jonathan Papelbon's name has come up in trade talks for some time now. However, Jayson Stark of ESPN tweeted that the Philadelphia Phillies came close to trading the closer in June, but higher-ups in the organization—president Pat Gillick and adviser Andy MacPhail—got second thoughts.
Still, Papelbon doesn't think he'll be a Phillie at the end of the season.
"I would be surprised if I wasn't traded," Papelbon said, according to ESPN.com. "...The front office knows where my heart is and where my mind is. And that's to be with a contending ball club. The ball is in their court, so to speak."
Philadelphia is in rebuilding mode, and there's no need to hang onto an All-Star closer when he can be traded to a contender for players who can help the team in the future.
The Chicago Cubs were one of the teams Stark said had been talking to the Phillies last month.
Papelbon had a 1.60 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 14 saves entering play Thursday and would allow the Cubs to use Hector Rondon as the setup man, while Pedro Strop handles the sixth and seventh innings when necessary.
Jon Lester thinks Papelbon would be a good addition to the Cubs bullpen, according to Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com.
"He's one of the best closers in baseball. I don't see why he wouldn't," Lester said, per Mooney. "...I know he would be excited to come here, and be excited to help."
The Phillies will eventually come to the realization that it's in their best interest to trade Papelbon, and Chicago will find a way to make a deal happen.
Tyler Clippard to the Blue Jays
9 of 11
The Blue Jays are looking for bullpen help, and the Athletics appear to be sellers.
According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, Toronto has expressed interest in Clippard, and with good reason.
While relievers Steve Delabar, Liam Hendriks and Roberto Osuna have performed well, closer Brett Cecil hasn't had a good first half.
The Jays have a dangerous offense, and with the addition of another starter, as well as a reliable shutdown guy like Clippard, they can be a real threat in the AL.
Clippard—who had a 2.52 ERA and 16 saves despite limited opportunities in Oakland entering Thursday—would give Jays manager John Gibbons a reliable arm to turn to in the ninth inning.
Though the A's are going to try to get as much as possible for their trade chips, the Jays won't have to give up Dalton Pompey in this deal. They'll come to a fair agreement that ships Clippard to Toronto, as the closer will help the Jays attempt to win a tight AL East.
Scott Kazmir to the Chicago Cubs
10 of 11
The Cubs are one of the many teams who have shown interest in Kazmir, who has been dangled in trade rumors since the start of the season.
He was forced to exit Wednesday night's game against the New York Yankees after three innings with left triceps tightness, but it's believed to be "minor," according to Jane Lee of MLB.com.
Kazmir will enter the All-Star break with a 2.49 ERA and 1.12 WHIP.
Kyle Hendricks hasn't been able to duplicate last year's numbers, and Tsuyoshi Wada has done an all right job since taking over for Travis Wood, who was moved to the bullpen so the Cubs could use another front-end guy in that rotation to compete in a tough NL.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Cubs had scouts in attendance when Kazmir pitched in Seattle last week.
If the Cubs want to bolster their rotation—while holding onto Addison Russell—Kazmir, not Hamels or Cueto, will be the player they make a move for.
Cole Hamels to the Los Angeles Dodgers
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While Mike Bolsinger and Brett Anderson are filling in admirably for a depleted rotation that's without Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy for the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers need another pitcher if they hope to make a World Series run.
One guy who makes sense for Los Angeles is Hamels.
Jim Duquette of MLB.com listed the Dodgers as one of the front-runners to land Hamels.
His former teammate and current Dodger, Jimmy Rollins, would like to see Hamels in Dodgers blue.
"That would be nice," Rollins said, per Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. "That would be nice. Cole would be close to home. We know what kind of pitcher he is, especially in big games. ... You have two big-game pitchers that are already here, so that would be three, and that's one heck of a combination."
Rollins, of course, was referring to Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, and he's right. Adding Hamels to that group would certainly boost the team's chances in a playoff series against the St. Louis Cardinals or Washington Nationals, two National league clubs with great starting pitching.
The Phillies have been asking for a big package in return for Hamels, a big reason why he still hasn't been traded. Ruben Amaro Jr. is going to ask for Corey Seager and Julio Urias, but it's hard to imagine the Dodgers parting ways with their top two prospects.
In the end, Philadelphia will press, and a trade with right-hander Grant Holmes as the centerpiece will suffice for both clubs.
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