MLB Trade Rumors: Latest on Teams Expected to Sell at the Trade Deadline

The 2015 MLB trade deadline is just around the corner, and the first domino could fall at any point.  

Last year, we had to wait several days for the first true blockbuster—the July 31 swap of Jon Lester and Yoenis Cespedes qualifies there—but this year, we may get something a whole lot sooner.

With several teams having already fallen out of contention, the potential for major shake-ups is there. Some of those fading teams' biggest names are already rumored to be available—e.g., Justin Upton, Aroldis Chapman, Jonathan Papelbon and others—so we should expect some high-caliber players to switch jerseys in the very near future.

The buzz around the 2015 trade deadline is already building, so to help sort out all the noise, here's a look at the latest rumors and news surrounding teams looking to sell at the trade deadline.

Cincinnati Reds

According to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the floodgates have opened, and the Reds are ready for a full-blown "fire sale."

Fay stated that "the fire sale is in full swing. The Reds have put all the players they (are) willing to part with on the shelf. Owner Bob Castellini has given go-ahead to trade as needed."

He also noted that "Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Aroldis Chapman, Jay Bruce, Marlon Byrd, Skip Schumaker and Brayan Pena could all be gone before the calendar turns to August."

Bruce and Chapman have done wonders to their trade stock in recent weeks, considering their individual performances over the last 30 and 10 games, respectively.

Splits	G	2B	HR	RBI	R	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Last 30 Games	30	13	5	17	17	.319	.368	.584	.952
2015 Season	86	19	14	46	37	.255	.342	.474	.816

Bruce has been on a tear over his last 30. The 28-year-old has driven up his triple-slash components by 42, 20 and 73 points, respectively, on the back of a .319/.368/.584 batting line in that time. His improvements coincidentally coincide with speculation he could be available for trade.

Splits	G	IP	ERA	WHIP	SV	K/9	BB/9	K/BB
Aroldis Chapman Last 10	10	10.0	0.00	0.70	6	18.0	2.7	6.67
2015 Season	38	37.1	1.69	1.18	18	15.7	4.8	3.25

Chapman, meanwhile, hasn't allowed a run through his last 10 appearances (10 innings) and has struck out a whopping 20 batters in that time compared to just three walks.

A proverbial sinking ship, the Reds are willing to part with anything not bolted down to the floor, according to Fay. Gigantic fixtures such as Joey Votto, Homer Bailey and Brandon Phillips are unlikely to move, and general manager Walt Jocketty stated to Fay that Frazier wasn't going anywhere.

The club's other young talent won't be going anywhere either, but the Reds are loaded with potential trade chips.

San Diego Padres

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, the San Diego Padres have had conversations about trading some of their starting pitchers, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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Sources told the Union-Tribune that the Padres and the Astros have held preliminary talks on starting pitchers, with right-handers Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner believed to be among those mentioned. There are no indications of anything imminent, and one source said the two sides had not spoken on the subject since early this month.

"

This report coincides with information that ESPN Insider Buster Olney received from a rival evaluator who placed "the odds of James Shields being dealt before July 31 anywhere from 75 to 90 percent, and he believes the Padres will move Craig Kimbrel by the end of this month."

That puts four of the Padres' top arms on the block—Ross, Cashner, Shields and Kimbrel—and according to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi, the Baltimore Orioles have been linked to outfielder Justin Upton.

With CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reporting the New York Mets have him "on their radar," it seems as though the 27-year-old may be on the block.

Philadelphia Phillies

Back on the East Coast, the Phillies are still discussing the possibility of trading starter Cole Hamels prior to the trade deadline.

According to ESPN Insider Buster Olney, "The Phillies have had trade discussions with multiple teams regarding Cole Hamels." Olney also noted that the team "could be pushing to finish a Jonathan Papelbon deal."

Hamels has been a trade candidate since the beginning of the season, but speculation has ramped up as we inch closer to the deadline.

That said, there is also a faction that still believes that the Phillies might elect to hold on to Hamels through the remainder of the 2015 season. In fact, Joel Sherman of the New York Post recently noted that he was "surprised" by how many felt that way about Hamels and the Phillies.

Papelbon seems like a sure thing for the Phillies to deal, but at this point, don't be surprised if they keep Hamels until the offseason, when rosters become a bit more flexible.

Milwaukee Brewers

If recent rumors hold true, then the Brewers are going to play a big hand at the trade deadline. According to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, "The Brewers are willing to trade not only star center fielder Carlos Gomez but even young shortstop Jean Segura, according to one person familiar with their thinking, who suggested it's somewhat likely they move both players."

Gomez has been linked to a team as recently as Sunday, when Fox Sports insider Ken Rosenthal broke news that the Baltimore Orioles had interest in the 29-year-old outfielder.

The Dominican Republic native was an All-Star in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons, and while he lost a portion of his 2015 season to injury, he's been effective while healthy. Over 64 games this year, Gomez boasts a .267/.322/.439 batting line with eight home runs, 18 doubles, 41 RBI, 38 runs scored and a 61-16 K/BB ratio.

Meanwhile, the other half of that Heyman report, Segura, is enjoying a slight bounce-back season after a disappointing 2014 campaign. Through 75 games Segura sports a .273/.302/.343 batting line with 12 extra-base hits, 24 RBI, 31 runs scored, 13 stolen bases and a 44-9 K/BB ratio.

Segura would be a solid addition for a team in need of an upgrade at shortstop—maybe the New York Yankees or Mets—but the acquiring team will be in line to give up quite a bit given his young age—he's only 25—and vast upside.

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