MLB Trade Rumors: Post-All-Star Game Buzz and Speculation as Deadline Looms

The premier goal of the MLB's All-Star Game is to decide which league will take home-field advantage in the World Series, but central on the minds of most around baseball is how teams can maximize their last half of the season.

Not only does the Midsummer Classic fall at the halfway point of the season, allowing teams and front offices to assess where they stand in the race for the postseason, but it also comes just two weeks before the trade deadline. Teams have until just July 31 to wheel and deal before the deadline halts all activity.

Whether it's a club already on the outside looking in on their divisional races or a peaking team hoping to add reinforcements before a championship run, there's no shortage of reasons to be in the trade market. With that in mind, let's take a look at three players who could see a change of scenery in the coming days and weeks.

Johnny Cueto

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Once the euphoria of Todd Frazier's Home Run Derby championship and the allure of Pete Rose's warm welcome at Cincinnati's All-Star Game subsides, reality should set in again for one of the biggest sellers of the trade deadline.

The Reds' 2015 season hasn't panned out as expected, but flush with able pitching and mouth-watering trade assets, they will be among the busiest teams throughout the rest of July. A lot of that hinges upon Johnny Cueto.

One team not thought of to be buyers before the season is reportedly in the mix, as the Houston Astros are poking around with interest in Cueto, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. 

The Astros aren't the only ones in the mix, as other contenders searching for pitching improvements are also being reported by USA Today's Bob Nightingale:

The starting pitcher hasn't built off his 20-9 record from a year ago, instead starting 6-6 despite a still-impressive 2.73 ERA. If he returns anywhere near the form he showed throughout 2014, his $10 million salary hit, per Spotrac, will be a steal compared to the likes of Cole Hamels and other top-end pitchers in the market. 

An aggressive push could be expected from the Astros after years of futility has subsided in a 49-42 record that has them just a half-game behind the Angels for the AL West lead. They already have one of the best aces in the AL in Dallas Keuchel, but Cueto could ideally give them a dominant one-two punch that would fluster the AL's top bats.

James Shields

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

While things have been surprisingly promising for the Astros, the exact opposite could be said of the San Diego Padres. Lauded in the preseason as a club that took the necessary steps to becoming a World Series contender, they're now eight games below .500 and 10 games out of the NL West lead.

It's not surprising, then, that their marquee free-agent pickup of the offseason could be heading to a real contender.

Starting ace James Shields came over from the Kansas City Royals after coming one game away from the world championship, but his chances of returning there in San Diego are slipping fast. In response, it sounds like the Padres are navigating the waters for interest in Shields, per Peter Gammons:

Albeit an expensive one, Shields would be a star-studded addition to any contending pitching rotation. He's thrown at least 227 innings in each of the last four seasons, despite a 4.01 ERA in 2015 that is his worst in five seasons.

A steadily increasing salary from $10 million in 2015 to $21 million for the next three seasons, per Spotrac, is a steep price to pay for a 33-year-old ace. But Shields' playoff caliber is as proven as any available pitcher, and he could be the missing piece to a rotation nearing World Series contention.

But as the Padres can vouch for, the prospective team that lands him had better hope they have the other pieces in place to succeed. San Diego doesn't, and you're seeing the results, as they're already shopping the marquee signing of the offseason.

Jay Bruce

John Minchillo/Associated Press

The focus hasn't shifted away from Cincinnati in the hours and days following the All-Star Game festivities, as they continue to dominate the trade market with some of the most sought-after available players.

The interest flowing in from Cueto was discussed above, but his inclusion in trade talks is somewhat new for teams in the market for starting pitchers. As for intriguing players in the field and at the plate, the Reds' Jay Bruce has long been generating attention.

The right fielder has been thrown around in trade talks for some time, actually, as ESPN's Buster Olney reported. And as for possible destinations, Olney proposed an ideal fit in the New York Mets:

The Mets obviously have star leadoff man Curtis Granderson manning the right field spot, but a spot could easily be forged for the 28-year-old slugger both in the lineup and in the field. An ideal spot would be replacing Juan Lagares, who often bats eighth or ninth and plays center field.

The Mets' 47-42 start that has them just two games out of the NL East lead is one of the surprises of the MLB season so far, and they seem intent on maximizing it as much as possible. Already with standout pitching, New York could bolster its offense in a big way by adding Bruce.