MLB Trade Rumors: Top Reports Before 2018 Deadline

We're fast approaching the 4 p.m. ET MLB trade deadline, and things about to get nuclear.

We've already seen a bunch of notable deals go down involving players such as Manny Machado, Zach Britton, J.A. Happ and Mike Moustakas, but the fun won't stop there.

We will be getting rumors up until the last minute, so it's time to examine some of the ones we have at the moment.

Could we see any more major players get moved? Have the biggest splashes already been made?

Let's start with a rumor buzzing around one of the best players in the entire league.

Harper the Subject of Rumors

It should be prefaced that this is highly unlikely, but Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has made his way into the rumor mill.

Perhaps the rumors began when Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said it would take "something extreme," according to Joel Sherman of New York Post, to lure Harper away from D.C.

Jon Heyman of Fancred has dispelled some of those rumors, by stating the Nationals want to lock him up for the long term, they're in striking distance of the NL East and the team is mostly back to being healthy:

However, even with that stance, the Nationals have reportedly had discussions with the Cleveland Indians about Harper, according to Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com. Adding the 25-year-old would be revolutionary for their team heading into the postseason.

The 2018 season hasn't been kind to Harper, who is batting just .220 despite his 25 home runs. He also has the exact amount of strikeouts he had in 2016 right now in 44 fewer games and 18 more than in 2017 in eight fewer games.

On the open market, he will still net a monstrous contract despite this poor season, but that is one of the main reasons there are any rumors about him.

That, and the fact he's in the final year of his deal, and there's real potential he could walk after this season.

It would be unbelievable to see Harper get dealt. The trade package in return would deplete whichever farm system the team that receives him would have, such as the Indians'.

Granderson Back to Yankees?

With players such as outfielder Aaron Judge and catcher Gary Sanchez on the disabled list, the New York Yankees could look to add to their squad.

The Yankees are looking for an extra hitter who plays the outfield, according to Heyman, who also noted Toronto Blue Jays outfielder and former Yankee Curtis Granderson could be an option:

At 37, Granderson doesn't have a whole lot left in the tank. He has double-digit home runs (10), but his batting average is just .233 over 294 plate appearances.

Granted, he would be a cheap asset to acquire and would be back on a familiar team, so perhaps he can be the Band-Aid fix they're seeking.

Granderson isn't a player a team in 2018 should rely on, but he should do just fine for a few weeks while they get healthy. He'd be cheap and would handle the role the Yankees are looking to fill.

Nats Not Done with Realmuto

It seems the Nationals have their eyes on Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto.

According to Craig Mish, a national sports radio host on SiriusXM, Marlins chief executive Derek Jeter would have the final call on whether to deal the 27-year-old:

Heyman added that Nationals outfielder Victor Robles and shortstop Carter Kieboom could be considered for trading for the league's best catcher:

Realmuto is an elite player in the big leagues, batting .311 with over a dozen home runs.

As mentioned already, Washington is nipping at the heels of the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, and adding Realmuto would help its cause immeasurably.

However, it sounds like they would need to trade two of their top prospects for a guy the Marlins are working out a long-term extension with.

It's not totally impossible this deal goes down. At the end of the day, will the Nationals meet the Marlins' asking price to the point where they can't say no? Or do they hold on to their prospects and plan for a life without Harper after 2018?

This could be a monumental decision that could heavily impact the Nationals organization.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference