MLB Trade Deadline 2015: Date, Time and Latest Rumors on Top Names

Major League Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline of 4 p.m. ET Friday brings out the crazy side of teams.  

There have already been a few interesting moves, perhaps highlighted by the Colorado Rockies shipping Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins to the Toronto Blue Jays for Jose Reyes and others, per Patrick Saunders and Nick Groke of the Denver Post.

Consider it and a few others just the opening salvos of what is sure to be a wild market. Something about the clock ticking down and remaining stagnant can coerce even the most patient of front offices into a move.

Below, let's take a look at the latest rumblings off the mill as the deadline nears.

Fallback Plans for the Dodgers

Scott Kane/Associated Press

It's no secret the Los Angeles Dodgers want to find a boost to the rotation. 

Sitting atop the National League West is great, but the competition becomes a different animal when the playoffs start. Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke are top-tier contributors, but improvement alongside them is a want of the front office.

This explains why the Dodgers have eyes on major names and, if those fall through, backup plans, as ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reported:

Yovani Gallardo of the Texans Rangers is an interesting choice given his 3.19 ERA and 7-9 record. The veteran wouldn't have any problems helping right away, not with his best ERA since 2008 on record.

The Cincinnati Reds' Mike Leake might be even more interesting, though. He sits with a 3.56 ERA at 9-5, but he's allowed two earned runs over his past 30 innings. Joe Danneman of Fox 19 captured his thoughts:

In other words, the 27-year-old hurler has the same mindset as the Dodgers and the recent production to back up his rising stock.

For a team hoping to go all the way, there are much, much worse backup plans.

Cole Hamels' Surprise Suitor

Matt Marton/Associated Press

It's almost as if the Philadelphia Phillies just love being in the spotlight.

Each trade deadline it seems the Phillies flirt with the idea of hosting a sale, then balk when the front office considers itself one offseason away from contention.

This time, things seem different at face value thanks to Cole Hamels. The usual suspects have interest, but few expected the Houston Astros to enter the fray. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal confirmed their entrance into the race:

Houston's interest makes sense. The team sits second in the American League West with 56 wins, but star Dallas Keuchel is the only player of two with more than 20 starts who has an ERA below 4.0.

The thing is, Hamels can deny trades. At 31 years old with a 3.64 ERA, 6-7 record and 137 fanned batters, he might not view the Astros as the change of scenery he deserves.

If not, Houston is flat out of luck. There are other options on the market, though, and the cat's out of the bag—the Astros want to wheel and deal. Odd times, indeed.

Jesse Chavez's Trade Status

Ben Margot/Associated Press

At fifth in the AL West, many expect the Oakland Athletics to act as sellers, which is somewhat true, with the team just shipping Ben Zobrist to the Kansas City Royals, per CBSSports.com's Mike Axisa.

Just don't expect Oakland to go crazy when it comes to the rotation. According to Crasnick, don't look for Jesse Chavez to hit the block:

Cheap, effective arms are not easy to find in the league these days, so Oakland wanting to keep the 31-year-old veteran around makes sense.

It's also the reason his name came up in the first place—teams are bound to have interest for the same reason. Despite the 5-10 mark, Chavez's 3.45 ERA ties for best in his career, and his 1.25 WHIP, per ESPN.com, is better than his career average. 

Some may argue that Oakland should sell high, which wouldn't be a horrible move. Others would suggest the A's ride it out and look to next year, which also makes sense. 

Either way, it sounds like the Athletics are a team to watch down the stretch. Once pitching dominoes start to fall, there's no telling which teams will offer what as the clock ticks.

Stats and info courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise specified.