Back Off: Top MLB Trade Assets Who Should Be Untouchable
With Major League Baseball's July 31 trade deadline now less than two months away, it's a good idea to be familiar with players who are likely to be on the move.
But also, guys who shouldn't be going anywhere.
We're going to look at nine trade assets who should be untouchable in the run-up to the trade deadline. The list covers four prospects whom buyers must protect and five major leaguers whom sellers should have no interest in cashing in.
Let's take it away.
Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves
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The Atlanta Braves are in an enviable position. They're in a tie for first place in the National League East, and they have a deep farm system to draw from in trades.
But if there's one guy whom they shouldn't listen on, it's Austin Riley.
Riley, who began the year as a consensus top-100 prospect, has been on a steady upward trajectory since he got to Double-A Mississippi in 2017. His .961 OPS in 75 games there earned him a promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett in May. He's been humbled there, but he's still managed a .777 OPS with four home runs.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old also appears to be making strides with his defense following his offseason weight loss.
All told, Riley isn't far from breaking in as a hard-hitting, slick-fielding third baseman. That happens to be the one element the Braves are missing in an infield that already includes Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson.
In lieu of Riley, the Braves should try to put the focus on their young pitchers in trade talks. Between Kyle Wright, Mike Soroka, Luiz Gohara, Ian Anderson, Kolby Allard, Max Fried and others, they have plenty of those to spare.
Brendan Rodgers, Colorado Rockies
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The Colorado Rockies (32-30) may only be a half-game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the division lead, but their minus-27 run differential suggests they're standing on thin ice in the NL West race.
That's their cue to pursue upgrades on the trade market, so long as none of them involve sacrificing Brendan Rodgers.
At least in theory, the 21-year-old is indeed an expendable prospect. He's a natural shortstop who can also play second base and third base. Those are positions where the Rockies have Trevor Story, DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado, respectively.
But just because the Rockies can expend Rodgers doesn't mean they should.
Rodgers has been steadily climbing the prospect ranks since the Rockies chose him third overall in the 2015 draft, and he's now as high as No. 10 for MLB.com. That fits, as he's a solid defender who's rocking an .838 OPS and 11 homers for Double-A Hartford. It might not be long before he jumps from there to The Show.
Besides, the Rockies have other prospects (e.g., Colton Welker, Peter Lambert and Riley Pint) to dangle in trades.
Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros
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Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow was asked in March if he expected to see top prospect Kyle Tucker with the big club at some point in 2018.
"I do," was his answer, according to Chandler Rome of Baseball America.
However, the Astros are not the well-oiled machine they were in 2017. They may have to make some trades before they catch up to the Seattle Mariners in the American League West race, much less repeat as World Series champions. To this end, Tucker would be a heck of a centerpiece in a move for a star.
And yet, the Astros must not be deaf to how loudly he's pounding on the door.
The 21-year-old began the year as one of the top outfield prospects in baseball, and he's recently been living up to the hype for Triple-A Fresno. He's followed a slow start with a .276/.346/.507 batting line since April 29.
The Astros could use a guy like this. As per usual, George Springer has been excellent. Otherwise, Houston's outfield has been marred by disappointing seasons from Josh Reddick, Marwin Gonzalez and Jake Marisnick.
Clearly, it shouldn't be long before Tucker gets his shot.
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Sixto Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies
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The Philadelphia Phillies are slipping in the NL East race. They haven't won consecutive games since winning three in a row from May 13-17, and they're just 7-12 overall since then.
From here, the Phillies must strike a balance. They should use the trade market to pursue upgrades, but they also need to recognize that they're probably ahead of schedule. Now is not the time to go all-in.
As such, Sixto Sanchez should remain in the organization.
Although he's just 19 years old, Sanchez makes it all too easy to invite comparisons to Pedro Martinez. Everything he throws is plus, and his command is well beyond his years.
Sanchez did get a rude welcoming at High-A Clearwater late in 2017 and early this year. But he's putting that behind him. In his last four starts, he's allowed just two earned runs with 29 strikeouts and four walks in 25.2 innings.
Sanchez is unquestionably the Phillies' best prospect. And with Forrest Whitley suspended, Alex Reyes and Brent Honeywell injured and Michael Kopech, MacKenzie Gore and Hunter Greene struggling, he's arguably the best pitching prospect in baseball right now.
If anyone calls about him, the Phillies should immediately hang up.
Michael Fulmer, Detroit Tigers
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The Detroit Tigers can and arguably should trade Michael Fulmer this summer.
The interest is going to be there. Teams were after the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year over the winter. Given the shortage of impact starters on the trade market, they're sure to be after him again this summer.
For another thing, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported that the Tigers are prepared to listen on Fulmer. That makes some sense, as they're rebuilding and he's the best trade asset they have left.
And yet, there's the nagging question: Why not keep him?
It's not as if his value is sky-high at the moment. The right-hander has struggled with a 4.73 ERA through his first 12 starts. The Tigers can afford to be patient and see if he can turn things around. After all, he's 25 years old and under team control through 2022.
It's also far from out of the question that the Tigers will be ready to contend before free agency comes calling for Fulmer. Although their farm system needs work, it's already loaded with promising arms. The newest addition is 2018 No. 1 pick Casey Mize, who's darn near MLB-ready.
Even if somebody tempts the Tigers, they should say no to moving Fulmer.
Nomar Mazara, Texas Rangers
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There don't appear to be any whispers about the Texas Rangers trading Nomar Mazara in the coming weeks, but it wouldn't be surprising if they start coming.
At 27-37, the Rangers are deep in the AL West standings. Factor in how both their major league roster and minor league system are short on talent, and a full-on rebuild sure seems to be in the cards.
Trading Mazara would be a heck of a way for the Rangers to kickstart a rebuild. The 23-year-old broke into the majors as an elite prospect back in 2016, and he's finally realizing that potential in 2018 with an .841 OPS and 14 homers.
Mazara's team control is up after 2021. On one hand, that's a long way off. On another, the rebuild the Rangers must carry out may not be finished by then.
However, it's simply too soon for them to make that call. They obviously can't assess the timing of a rebuild that hasn't even started yet. Beyond that, Mazara is only now tapping into his potential. If the Rangers do trade him, it should be after he's gone from budding star to superstar.
So, mark this as an interesting idea that shouldn't actually come to fruition.
Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets
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Defiance, thy name is New York Mets GM Sandy Alderson.
"Can circumstances change that, yes," Alderson told Bob Nightengale of USA Today when asked about the possibility of a summer fire sale, "but I think that would be very, very remote. It's not something we're even considering or talking about."
Nevertheless, circumstances are changing. Things have been getting progressively worse for the Mets since their trip to the 2015 World Series. So it goes now, as they're 16-31 since an 11-1 start. To boot, their farm system is one of the worst in MLB.
It's not completely beyond the pale that, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets could be willing to listen to offers for staff aces Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. Dealing them would allow the Mets to take a major step toward future contention.
But, nah.
There's no hurry to trade deGrom, who's controlled through 2020, or Syndergaard, who's controlled through 2021. And despite their struggles, the Mets aren't entirely devoid of hope. In addition to deGrom and Syndergaard, they have strong building blocks in Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto and Amed Rosario.
This is a team that should sell but which should stop short of blowing it up.
Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
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There's a growing chorus of people who want the San Francisco Giants to trade Madison Bumgarner.
It started in earnest with ESPN's Buster Olney back in April. Now, the idea has support right here at Bleacher Report, not to mention from former major leaguer Alex Rodriguez.
But, let's be real.
The Giants got to 30-30 this season without Bumgarner atop their rotation. Now that he's back from a broken hand, their odds of finishing strong are considerably higher.
That alone should keep him off the trade market. Throw in how the Giants can bring him back for just $12 million in 2019, and they'd probably decline a trade offer even if it involved a Mike Trout-shaped moon.
Will the Giants have to think about trading Bumgarner eventually? Absolutely. They're an old team with a largely empty farm system, and their grip on the NL West has long since loosened. They're going to have to rebuild sooner rather than later. Starting now by trading their ace wouldn't be the worst way to start.
But for now, they have every reason to see if he can't carry them back to the postseason.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.
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