MLB Rumors: Latest Buzz on Remaining Trade Targets as Deadline Looms

With one coveted starting pitcher off the trade market, the focus of some contenders could shift to the Cleveland Indians' Trevor Bauer.

Even though the Indians have put themselves in contention in the American League Central, they are still receiving calls for the starting pitcher, who may generate more interest after Marcus Stroman was shipped from the Toronto Blue Jays to the New York Mets.

The phones inside the Arizona Diamondbacks' front office could be seeing more calls as well ahead of Wednesday's MLB trade deadline since Robbie Ray has drawn interest from contenders.

While some potential sellers have had buyers focus in on one or two players, the Cincinnati Reds have a handful of trade targets that could be on the move if the right price is met.

Latest MLB Trade Buzz

Trevor Bauer

David Dermer/Associated Press

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Indians are continuing to evaluate trade scenarios involving Bauer and have not made a hard decision whether to buy or sell the 28-year-old.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Monday that the Indians are still "aggressively shopping" Bauer, but "they have to get players to help immediately in return."

Cleveland sits in a peculiar position with Bauer because he has one year left on his current contract, and the player has been vocal about his views on long-term deals.

Back in February, Bauer made a case to sign one-year deals throughout his career while talking to Nightengale at spring training.

"I'll go year-to-year my entire career," Bauer said "Why would you lock yourself in a situation that may not make you happy? I think that's highly inefficient. Everybody is afraid of risk. Everyone is scared."

If the Indians feel like they can't lock up Bauer for the long term, it would be wise of them to attempt to deal him now because he contains value on the market with the year of control for the 2020 season.

The problem the Indians will likely run into is the reluctance of other contenders to let go of major league talent in exchange for Bauer.

Mortgaging an important roster piece or a high-profile prospect in Triple-A could turn off potential buyers that need everyone available to contribute in a march toward a championship.

There could have been concern across the league about Bauer's incident Sunday in which he hurled a ball over the center-field fence in frustration.

However, a few executives told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand that it would not change their view on the player, and one NL front office member laid their opinion out in detail.

"Honestly, I doubt it," the NL executive told Feinsand. "I suppose if a team was on the fence it could, but I think we all know what he is and what he isn't. Don't get me wrong, I don't like it ... but if we were on the verge of acquiring it wouldn't change my personal opinion. That's just me. I'm sure for some out there it changes things. He doesn't surprise me anymore."

Since there are a wealth of variables to consider when it comes to a potential Bauer trade, it seems unlikely at the moment that Cleveland will receive the return it wants.

Of course, discussions can always change in the hours building up to the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline Wednesday as teams become more desperate to add players, but for right now, it might be best to keep Bauer and power forward with the hunt for the AL Central title with him aboard.

Robbie Ray

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

According to Nightengale, there has been intensifying interest in Arizona's Robbie Ray, with two teams even looking at him as a potential bullpen option.

On Saturday, MLB.com's Jon Morosi reported the Diamondbacks were focused on selling.

Morosi noted there is interest from the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees in the 27-year-old, who is set to become a free agent following the 2020 season.

The extra year of control should be intriguing to contenders because it means they are not just paying for a rental and can use Ray to go after a pennant next year if they fail over the next few months.

However, the one year remaining on Ray's contract could lead to Arizona pushing up the price for the left-handed hurler, especially with Marcus Stroman off the market.

Toronto received two of the best pitching prospects from the New York Mets organization in the Stroman deal, and that could set the tone for the going rate of available pitchers in the buildup to Wednesday.

The Diamondbacks reside in an interesting spot in the National League standings entering Monday since they are just 3.5 games back of the second wild-card position.

Although they are within reach of a playoff spot, there are six teams currently ahead of Arizona in the wild-card race, and that could turn the team away from a push for contention and shift to selling instead.

Of the five teams mentioned in Morosi's report, Minnesota has already worked on improving its pitching staff by adding Sergio Romo to its bullpen.

The Twins could continue their shopping on the trade market in order to suppress the recent surge of the Indians and avoid falling into the wild-card mix alongside the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics.

Milwaukee is locked in a three-way battle atop the NL Central with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, and it recently suffered a pair of setbacks to its rotation that sent Brandon Woodruff and Jhoulys Chacin to the injured list.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported the Brewers have kicked around the idea of dealing one of their impending free agents, Yasmani Grandal or Mike Moustakas, but he said it is unclear if it advanced beyond internal conversations.

If the Brewers look to maneuver that type of deal, it could make Moustakas expendable because of the production they are getting out of Keston Hiura at second base.

But the problem they would run into is a team with coveted pitching targets would likely be more interested in younger players it can benefit from for multiple years, instead of a player it is not guaranteed of keeping around more than a few months.

Cincinnati Reds

John Minchillo/Associated Press

The Reds have been an active team on the rumor mill in recent days because they possess a handful of assets that could help contending franchises.

According to Rosenthal, the Reds are entertaining a variety of situations, with Yasiel Puig, Scooter Gennett, Tanner Roark and Raisel Iglesias among those in play.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the Reds are open to discussing Iglesias, who has two years of control left on his deal.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported the Yankees and Phillies looked into Roark as part of their starter searches.

Cincinnati went into Monday seven games behind the Cubs and Cardinals in the NL Central race, and it is looking up at nine ballclubs in the wild-card competition.

With little hope of a postseason berth still alive, it may benefit the Reds to take advantage of the needs of teams that have scoured the market in search of help.

Roark is 6-6 with a 3.95 ERA, and a potential deal involving him would not be a significant hit to the Cincinnati rotation since Alex Wood recently returned from an extended injury layoff and Anthony DeSclafani has thrown well of late behind Luis Castillo.

In his last two starts, Roark conceded two earned runs to the Cardinals and Brewers, and he has given up fewer than five runs in all but one of his starts since the start of June.

With 19 saves, Iglesias could fill the bullpen needs of some contenders, but he has a 2-8 record with a 4.40 ERA that may turn away some suitors.

Puig is second on the Reds in home runs and RBI, and he would provide value to any lineup in the final few months of the season. But if the price tag is too high, some teams may shy away from him.

Gennett could provide infield depth to teams like the Cubs and San Francisco Giants that missed out on Eric Sogard.

If the Sogard trade between Toronto and Tampa Bay was an indication of the market for infielders, it would take two players for the Reds to have a sufficient return on Gennett.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from MLB.com.