MLB Rumors: Top Trade Reports Entering 2018 Deadline Day

With each passing day, we get more rumors coming down the pike as we approach the MLB trade deadline on July 31.

From now until then, there's going to be so many that it will almost be impossible to keep track of them all.

A rumor could emerge one day and then a deal is agreed on the next.

That's what happened with Cole Hamels. He's now a Chicago Cub, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic:

Fortunately, we can help with that in a small way.

We'll look at three players who could land on your favorite MLB team ahead of the 4 p.m. ET deadline on July 31.

There is a slew of starting pitchers in the news, so let's take a look at some.

Zack Wheeler on the Move?

With the deadline looming, the Milwaukee Brewers are 60-46 thanks in large part to a relatively consistent pitching staff.

Even with that, they're looking to try to improve it even further.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Brewers have discussed a potential deal for Wheeler with the New York Mets, though no deal is close:

The back end of the Brewers' rotation could use a more consistent arm. They sport Wade Miley and Freddy Peralta back there at the moment, and while they're doing well, they've combined for just 13 starts this season.

Wheeler has an ERA of 4.33 over 19 starts, but in his last 10 starts, his ERA is 3.50.

No, Wheeler isn't a player you're going to break down the door for, but he could certainly help the Brewers push themselves over the hump in the postseason with a more well-defined rotation.

Let's see how this rumor evolves.

Stroman On the Block?

One would have to assume that baseball general managers are fans of certain players for one reason or another.

Perhaps they drafted someone during their time with one team and are now with another team and are interested in trading for that player to make their current outfit better.

Well, that could be happening with the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays.

Former Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos, now the general manager of the Braves, has reached out to his old team about acquiring starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, Morosi reported, though nothing appears close.

Morosi noted that Stroman is not a free agent until after 2020, but he pointed out the arbitration difficulties the Blue Jays had with the 27-year-old, and they may not feel they can complete a long-term deal.

The Braves are remarkably competitive, but they need to bolster their rotation.

They've dealt with injuries all year long and also poor play from fellow starter Julio Teheran.

Although, Stroman has been horrific this year, pitching to a 4-7 record with an ERA of 5.20 over 14 games started.

This could be a move that helps Stroman because of the new team, but this is also a move that Anthopolous wants to make to assist with the future of the club.

Brewers Eyeing Schoop and Gausman

It seems as though the Brewers are ready to buy at the deadline as they have rumors flying around them over numerous players.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Brewers have engaged in "serious discussions" with the Baltimore Orioles, though Rosenthal isn't sure if it's about infielder Jonathan Schoop, starting pitcher Kevin Gausman, or both as a package deal:

The Orioles would be trading Schoop at a premium right now, as he's hit five home runs over his last six games.

The Brewers sporting Hernan Perez at second base is fine and dandy and all, but Schoop would be an immediate upgrade especially in the power department, as Schoop has more than half of the total home runs Perez has.

As far as Gausman goes, he's another guy who could appear consistently for the Brewers like Wheeler and log some innings.

His numbers haven't been that spectacular this season, going 4-8 with a 4.54 ERA, but going from the AL East to the NL Central could benefit Gausman, and it will help the Brewers to have more consistency in their starting rotation as we get closer to the postseason.

With a trade like this, the Orioles will have officially cleaned house. They've traded third basemen Manny Machado and relief pitcher Zack Britton, so a deal like this will even further illustrate their desire to get this rebuild going sooner rather than later.

It should be noted, though, that the Brewers acquired third basemen Mike Moustakas, according to Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com:

That transaction could impact the prospect load the Brewers are willing to give up. They dealt Brett Phillips and Jorge Lopez as a part of the deal, and Phillips ranks as a top-10 prospect for the club overall.

Both Schoop and Gausman would have a defined role on the Brewers today if they were able to get them despite trading prospects for him?

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and ESPN.com.