MLB Trade Deadline 2015: Latest Rumors on David Price, Carlos Gonzalez and More

The trade deadline has become a seller's market since the introduction of the second wild card, since so many teams find themselves on the fringes of playoff contention and thus fancy themselves as buyers.  

Nevertheless, that hasn't prevented a wave of blockbusters from occurring this year, from Johnny Cueto and Troy Tulowitzki to the Wednesday night deal sending Cole Hamels to Texas, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.

However, there's still an abundance of pitching and outfield help on the market, especially after the Detroit Tigers' decision to reverse course and put "for sale" signs on David Price and Yoenis Cespedes. There certainly isn't a shortage of hungry buyers who have gotten shut out thus far, so Detroit and other sellers should have a robust market as the July 31 deadline arrives on Friday.

On the eve of the trade deadline, here's a look at the latest rumors surrounding several of the biggest names on the block.

Big Field for Price

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As alluded to, Price is easily the biggest rumored name remaining on the market following the Tigers' decision to become sellers. Unsurprisingly, the former Cy Young Award winner has at least five teams vying for his services, based on reports from CBS Sports' Jon Heyman and Fox Sports' Jon Morosi:

When thinking about a potential package for Price, looking at the package Detroit gave the Tampa Bay Rays last year probably isn't helpful. In that deal, the Rays received a pair of high-floor, low-ceiling players in Drew Smyly and Nick Franklin who were already in the majors but also relatively uninspiring in comparison to Price.

The deal was widely panned from Tampa's perspective at the time, but in truth, the Rays had almost no leverage given their inability to keep Price as his salary skyrocketed through his arbitration years.

This year, prospect-rich organizations like the Dodgers and Yankees certainly have the ammo to construct a better package, but their leverage likely depends on how desperate the Tigers really are to trade Price.  

The large field of buyers should keep his selling price relatively high. Even though Detroit has been an all-in franchise under aging owner Mike Ilitch, the Tigers may want to replenish a woeful farm system with premium grade-A prospects in this trade.

What's clear is that the 29-year-old's trade value is at its peak. Price's current 2.53 ERA would be a career best, and while he hasn't pitched nearly that well due to a fortunate strand rate and HR/FB percentage, his 3.00 fielding independent pitching (FIP) still ranks ninth among qualified AL starters.

Once again, Price could become the biggest prize of the trade deadline for the second straight year.

CarGo Staying Put?

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The Colorado Rockies have finally hit the reset button following the Tulowitzki trade, but their other big-name veteran bat might not go the way of his former teammate. Carlos Gonzalez is the next logical player to move if the Rockies really intend to rebuild, but ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick suggests that Colorado hasn't been impressed with any of the current offers:

The obvious trade fit would seemingly be the New York Mets, who saw a reported agreement for Milwaukee's Carlos Gomez fall through on Wednesday night, per Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.  

However, Crasnick also reports that the Mets aren't currently in on Gonzalez, though it's unclear how that picture may have changed after losing out on Gomez:

CarGo has rebounded from a calamitous 2014 campaign in which he missed 92 games and hit just .234. His power has returned in the form of 20 homers, as well as a .239 isolated power mark that ranks seventh among all outfielders.

However, given his spotty injury history and clear dependence on Coors Field (.301/.359/.577 at home, .250/.302/.452 on the road), teams might be hesitant to take on the $37.8 million remaining on the two years of his deal (plus a prorated portion of his $16.4 million 2015 salary).

If Gomez is off the market now, Gonzalez immediately emerges as one of the top outfielders left on the trade block. Colorado might be asking a bit much for someone who was a sub-replacement-level player last season, but the offers only figure to get sweeter from here.

Astros-Padres Swap Imminent?

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Despite the recent acquisition of Scott Kazmir, the Houston Astros don't appear to be done shopping for pitching. According to the Houston Chronicle's Evan Drellich, the Astros are currently discussing a trio of pitchers with the San Diego Padres, though no deal is apparently imminent:

"

The Astros and Padres gained steam in talks about pitching Wednesday, a person familiar with the situation said.

However, nothing was in the red zone yet, as the Astros continue to talk to many teams, several sources close to the process said.

San Diego closer Craig Kimbrel and starting pitchers Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner — a former Conroe High School standout — all could be fits for the Astros, who are being opportunistic and looking for the best deal at the deadline as opposed to searching for one specific piece on the roster.

"

After failing to land Hamels, the Astros are certainly in Plan B mode at the moment. Kazmir is a nice boost alongside Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers, but the drop-off remains fairly steep after the top three.  

Scott Feldman has struggled in two starts since coming off the disabled list, while replacement-level talents like Vincent Velasquez and Roberto Hernandez loom as uninspiring alternatives.

Based on the names Drellich lists above, Ross is probably the starter Houston seeks most. There's obviously good reason for that, as Ross' 2.75 FIP ranks 13th among all starters, but the significant level of competition for Ross might squeeze the Astros out:

Cashner has been traditionally reliant on Petco Park's pitcher-friendly confines, but he's under team control through 2016 and has suffered from a poor strand rate this season. Houston doesn't need to trade solely with the Padres, of course, but if its pitching search reaches a crisis point on Friday afternoon, Cashner might loom as an intriguing consolation prize.

Unless otherwise cited, all stats via FanGraphs.