MLB Trade Deadline 2017: Date, End Time, Hottest Rumors, Predictions and More

The MLB's non-waiver trade deadline is Monday July 31 at 4 p.m. ET, and teams are scurrying to make moves.

On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Rays traded for New York Mets slugger Lucas Duda, who will be the team's primary designated hitter and can moonlight at first base if Logan Morrison needs a breather. 

Other transactions will surely be made at breakneck speed as the trade deadline nears. Here's a look at three of the latest rumors and some predictions on where a few players will be headed before the end of July.

Yu Darvish

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Texas Rangers have put ace pitcher Yu Darvish on the trading block:

A series of tweets from Jon Morosi of Fox Sports and MLB Network pointed to the Los Angeles Dodgers being suitors:

The Dodgers are the best team in baseball right now, as they are 71-31 and on pace for more than 110 wins. Challenging the 1906 Chicago Cubs and 2001 Seattle Mariners for the most regular-season wins in MLB history (116) isn't entirely out of reach.

However, their entire starting rotation has been hit with injuries. Every single pitcher who has started for the Dodgers at some point this year is on the disabled list (Clayton Kershaw and Brandon McCarthy), was on the disabled list (Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Alex Wood, Kenta Maeda and Brock Stewart) or is out for the season with an injury (Julio Urias).

Therefore, it makes sense for L.A. to go after a big-time starter to give the team a boost heading into the postseason, and Darvish fits that bill. Although he's having a down year by his standards (his 4.01 ERA is a career-worst mark), a move to a more pitcher-friendly ballpark and league will certainly help Darvish.

The prediction here is that Darvish is starting for the Dodgers next week.

Tommy Pham and Trevor Rosenthal

According to Morosi, the Washington Nationals are looking at a pair of St. Louis Cardinals as they prepare for their playoff push:

The Cards aren't out of the playoff picture yet, as they sit 4.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs for the National League Central crown, but catching their rivals will be a difficult task. The Cubs are 11-2 in their last 13 games and look like they are about to go on a tear to close the regular season.

Meanwhile, the Cards have scuffled throughout the entire regular season and have played uncharacteristically poor defense. They rank in the bottom third of the league in errors and fielding percentage. They simply haven't looked the part of a playoff contender.

Therefore, some Cardinals could be on the move if the team decides to look toward next year.

Outfielder Tommy Pham has been fantastic, hitting .311 to go along with 14 home runs and 44 RBI in just 73 games. Given the litany of injuries the Nationals have suffered in the outfield this year, Pham would provide much needed depth.

Rosenthal would be a huge asset to a Nats bullpen that has struggled all season. Through games played on Thursday, July 27, the Nats bullpen had a 5.19 ERA, which was worst in the National League and second-worst in baseball behind the Detroit Tigers.

Rosenthal has struggled a bit in the last two years after saving 93 games over a two-year period (2014 and 2015) and has lost his closer spot. However, if he can somehow return to his old form, then he'll be a key piece for the Nats' stretch run.

Sonny Gray

Per Bob Klapisch of The Record (Bergen County, New Jersey) and USA Today, the New York Yankees are the frontrunners for Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray:

However, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported that the A's want outfielder Clint Frazier or superstar prospect Gleyber Torres in return for Gray. The Yankees do not want to part with either:

Still, the Yankees have a few question marks in their rotation right now, which leads to this being a realistic possibility.

First, Masahiro Tanaka has struggled all season, as he currently sports a 7-9 record with a 5.37 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. He's looked unbeatable on occasion, like when he struck out 13 Oakland Athletics in a late May start, but he's also given up seven or more earned runs five times this season.

Second, CC Sabathia has been up and down after returning from the disabled list. A six-inning, no-run performance against Boston was undoubtedly impressive, but he couldn't get through the fifth inning against Tampa Bay or the third inning versus Toronto.

Finally, the fifth spot in the Yankees rotation is unsettled after Michael Pineda suffered a torn UCL that will force him to miss the rest of this season and the beginning of 2018. Numerous pitchers have taken turns trying to fill the spot, but none of them have done well enough to earn a more permanent role.

Therefore, acquiring Gray, who has a 3.43 ERA this year, makes a lot of sense for the Yankees. He should be in pinstripes by the end of the month.