MLB Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Chris Johnson, James Shields, More

It's looking like a seller's market as we head toward Major League Baseball's July 31 trade deadline. With most divisional and wild-card races still wide open, many teams will be looking to pump up their lineups and pitching staffs. 

Players with any value should fetch a good price for the teams looking to pack it in and reload for next year.

Chris Johnson

The Braves look like they could be set to move a bat in Chris Johnson, a player they considered trading earlier in the year, according to a tweet by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

With Atlanta struggling to even approach .500 this year, Rosenthal says Johnson remains up for grabs:

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Johnson's production has hardly been overwhelming in his somewhat limited duty over the first half of 2015. He's hit just one home run and posted a slash line of just .252/.294/.333 in only 119 plate appearances. 

Still, he's a veteran bat who has contributed in the past. His lifetime slash line is a respectable .281/.318/.415. For any team that needs help at the corner positions, Johnson could be a nice pick-up. Per Rosenthal, he's owed $20 million through 2017, so he's not overly expensive for the potential production he would bring. 

James Shields

With San Diego's season well off the rails at this point, expect the tag sale to begin in the second half of this month, although according to ESPN's Buster Olney, there is some disagreement inside the organization over how to proceed:

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In some corners of the organization, there is a belief it is time to reload and restructure for next season, and the best way to do that is to add players who can help in the future and create more financial flexibility.

In other corners of the organization, there is a belief the Padres should move James Shields in the 20 days remaining before the July 31 deadline, as a cheaper market alternative to Cole Hamels, and consider offers for closer Craig Kimbrel.

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There's a good chance Shields will be in a new uniform by the time the deadline passes. The always-informed Peter Gammons tweeted:

Shields should garner major interest. For one thing, he is an incredibly durable arm. He currently leads the league with 19 games started. If he holds onto that lead, it will be his third straight season leading the league. 

Reliability can be as important as any other quality during the dog days of a pennant race. Any team in the thick of a playoff push will want to know they have a reliable arm that has consistently posted ERAs below 4.00 and WHIPs below 1.30 for the past five years.

While Shields might not have quite the same glitz as the Phillies' Cole Hamels, he could be easier to acquire, and there are few teams that couldn't use him. 

Cole Hamels

Speaking of Hamels, he remains one of the league's marquee commodities. He's got the potential to be a truly dominant force in a short-game series. I'd wager there are general managers in the league who dream about him at night at this point in the season. 

But don't be surprised if he doesn't end up moving. According to CBS Sport's Jon Heyman, "One Phillies person told an interested team executive that they are 'not bending' on Cole Hamels, leaving the impression he could stay in Philly for the foreseeable future."

Hamels' no-trade clause could ultimately make him difficult to move, and the Phillies seem reluctant to let such a valuable commodity go on the cheap, especially since he is the type of front-line starter who will retain his value in the offseason. 

Beyond that, Hamels has been less than sharp of late. As Fox Sport's Jon Morosi pointed out:

Teams will likely be hesitant to give up a lot to acquire a pitcher nursing a sore leg and putting up poor numbers. My guess would be that teams such as Boston, who have previously shown a lot of interest in Hamels, might hold off and see how he finishes the year before committing to such a contract.