Ranking the Top Potential MLB Trade Deadline Steals

Every July there are at least a handful of names that become staples in the trade rumor mill. It seems one cannot discuss any rumors without finding a way to invoke those names in the conversation.

In 2015, you know the names well. Cole Hamels. Johnny Cueto. Ben Zobrist. Jonathan Papelbon. David Price. Troy Tulowitzki. Those guys are expected to be the blockbuster names that offer huge impacts to whatever teams acquire them, assuming they are moved, of course.

But there is also a second and even third tier of players on the market. These guys should not require the return packages of the above mentioned names, but it is quite possible they impact the playoff races just as much.

If these players are traded by 4 p.m. ET Friday, they just might be the real difference-makers come late September and early October. So, we'll rank them from smallest to biggest steal.

8. Will Venable, San Diego Padres

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The San Diego Padres' Will Venable has not done a whole lot to attract attention this season, or since 2013, and he's picked a bad time to slump as he's hitting .146/.286/.268 with one home run in his last 49 plate appearances (18 games).

All that means is Venable will not cost a suitor much in return in his contract year. 

That could be why the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs have interest in Venable, according to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi. Venable gives a team versatility in the outfield and hope that he can hit away from Petco Park.

In 149 plate appearances on the road this year, Venable is hitting .284/.356/.463 with an .818 OPS and five of his six home runs.

Getting him on the cheap and out of Petco could mean he provides a boost to some club's offense.

7. Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies

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Carlos Gonzalez is a star, and he is paid like one with $37 million owed to him in the two seasons after this one. Plus, the Colorado Rockies are likely to ask for a lot in return.

That does not sound like much of a steal. But think of it like this: CarGo has mostly avoided the trade buzz this season, partly because he was unproductive for much of it and also because the Rockies aren't going to lower their asking price just because they are 12 games under .500.

But Gonzalez's recent production might make the cost more palatable. After Friday's two-homer binge, he was hitting .344/.375/.738 with a 1.113 OPS and six home runs in July. Five of his 16 dingers have come in the eighth inning or later, which is second-most in the National League.

That could get the rumors going again. And the Rockies certainly seem open to moving one of their more valuable pieces.

"His stats aren't as good as Tulo's or some of the other guys on our team, so if a team is just going off that, I don't know," Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich told Nick Groke of the Denver Post. "But we'll certainly know more in 10 days to two weeks."

If CarGo gets traded and continues hitting as he has in July, he will undoubtedly be the offensive prize of the market.

6. Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee Brewers

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After a few seasons of elite production in center field for the Milwaukee Brewers, Carlos Gomez has fought injuries and inconsistency in 2015. And that might be exactly why he is a steal.

Gomez had a 128 OPS+ in 2013, when he was an All-Star, won a Gold Glove and finished ninth in MVP voting, and he followed that with a 130 OPS+ last season. This year he has dipped to a .267/.333/.433 slash line with a .767 OPS and 110 OPS+ entering Saturday. However, since July 3, Gomez is hitting .280/.429/.540 with a .969 OPS and three homers.

That recent production could get the market stirring, and it could get the Brewers a decent return as they attempt to rebuild their farm system and major league talent pool. And because Gomez won't be a free agent until after next season, he is more than just a rental, giving the Brewers some leverage in negotiations.

Teams interested in Gomez include the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. It is possible other teams in need of offense, like the New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels, could inquire over the next week as well.

Whoever lands Gomez could be getting a player on the verge of a huge uptick in production.

5. Juan Uribe, New York Mets

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This trade has already happened, and it could be a big under-the-radar get for the New York Mets and their malnourished offense. 

The Mets acquired Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson from the Atlanta Braves for two minor league pitchers Friday. This is the second time this season Uribe has been traded. In late May, the Los Angeles Dodgers moved him to Atlanta for Alberto Callaspo in a six-player deal. 

Uribe has already shown why he could be a steal. While the Dodgers had a carousal at third base, the Braves gave him regular playing time, and he thanked them with a .285/.353/.464 slash line and .817 OPS, including seven homers in 167 plate appearances. Those numbers were drastically improved from what Uribe did with the Dodgers in 87 plate appearances: .247/.287/.309 and a .596 OPS.

If Uribe continues that kind of production with the Mets, he will quickly be hitting in the middle of their order while they attempt to catch the Washington Nationals in the National League East and capture one of the league's wild-card berths.

4. Brad Ziegler, Arizona Diamondbacks

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Brad Ziegler has been one of the surprises of the season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his left knee in September. He took over as the Arizona Diamondbacks' closer in May and has pitched superbly.

Entering Saturday he had a 1.27 ERA, 0.820 WHIP and 312 ERA+ in 42.2 innings. That is elite production for a back-end reliever on a team that has little need for one, and it comes a season after Ziegler was just average with a 3.49 ERA and 109 ERA+. Also, because he is not Jonathan Papelbon or Joakim Soria or someone of that ilk and reputation, one would expect Ziegler to cost far less in a trade.

However, the Diamondbacks hold a club option for Ziegler in 2016 and plan to exercise it unless they are "overwhelmed" by a return package for him, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.

The Diamondbacks are seven games under .500, but they expect to contend next season. That makes Ziegler a valuable part of their roster. Prying him away could be difficult.

But if a club can pull him out of Arizona, he would be one of the most productive, least-discussed relievers to change teams.

3. Yovani Gallardo, Texas Rangers

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Yovani Gallardo is not necessarily an unknown commodity. He is having a career year in his first with the Texas Rangers after eight in Milwaukee. His 2.91 ERA would be his lowest in a full season and his 138 ERA+ would be his highest. He also has a 3.69 FIP, which suggests that his ERA is not entirely fabricated. 

Gallardo is a free agent after the season, which lowers his value from where it was in January when the Rangers sent a few midlevel prospects back to the Brewers. Then again, there could be a run on Gallardo in the next week if teams are scared off by the asking prices for the likes of Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto and possibly David Price.

For now it seems the Kansas City Royals, with Jason Vargas out for the season, are interested in Gallardo, according to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi. The Los Angeles Dodgers are intrigued as well, and they could move quickly on a deal, according to ESPN's Jayson Stark.

"If they're selling, they have to sell Yovani Gallardo," Stark said on Baseball Tonight. "He's a free agent. They're not going to re-sign him. I could see him going to a team like the Dodgers—and fast."

While Los Angeles already has two of the best pitchers in the game in Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, it lacks rotation depth, and Gallardo could make a difference in the final two months.

2. Adam Lind, Milwaukee Brewers

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Adam Lind has been the Milwaukee Brewers' most productive offensive player this season, his first with the club after being traded from Toronto over the offseason.

He entered Saturday hitting .286/.366/.502 with an .868 OPS, 137 OPS+, 16 home runs and 20 doubles in 358 plate appearances. This production is in line with what Lind did in 2013 and 2014, when he posted a 132 and 143 OPS+, respectively.

As is the case with Carlos Gomez, any team with offensive needs like the New York Mets or Los Angeles Angels could have interest. The left-handed Lind would fit in Anaheim as the designated hitter, and before Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto resigned, he had discussed Lind with the Brewers, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

If those talks heat up again, Lind—who has a club option for next year and won't cost a ton—could be one of the offensive steals of the trade season.

1. Gerardo Parra, Milwaukee Brewers

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Gerardo Parra is having his breakout offensive season at age 28, his first full year with the Milwaukee Brewers. His .319/.357/.512 line and .869 OPS in 326 plate appearances entering Saturday are much better than anything he's ever produced, and the Brewers are likely to cash in by dealing him within the week.

The New York Mets and Chicago Cubs have interest in Parra as they do Will Venable, as Fox Sports' Jon Morosi noted earlier this week.

However, the Mets might have dropped out of the race when they could not strike a deal with the Brewers and opted to promote Michael Conforto instead, Marc Carig of Newsday reported Friday.

Parra will be a free agent after the season, so that gives the Brewers incentive to trade him. If they do, his combination of newfound offensive prowess and defensive wizardry could prove to have a significant impact on whichever playoff race he enters.

Advanced stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.