MLB Trade Rumors: Latest Reports Before 2021 All-Star Game

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The 2021 MLB All-Star Game is set to take place on Tuesday night. While the annual game is a celebration of baseball's biggest stars, it also marks the unofficial start of the playoff push.

The All-Star game also begins the countdown to the trade deadline, which will arrive on July 30 this year. Buyers and sellers alike will be active over the next couple of weeks, as struggling teams look to purge players and playoff hopefuls accumulate reinforcements.

What moves might fans see coming out of the All-Star break? Let's dig into some of the latest buzz.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

With a 53-40 record, the San Diego Padres fall into the "buyer" category at the break. While in third place in the NL West, San Diego has an excellent chance of pushing into the postseason. Th 35-55 Texas Rangers do not.

This dynamic could lead the Padres to try poaching Joey Gallo before the deadline.

"According to sources, the Padres remain particularly interested in Gallo, but the asking price might still be prohibitive," The Athletic's Dennis Lin wrote. "Gallo is making $6.2 million in his penultimate year before free agency, can play all three outfield positions and has drawn attention from other contenders."

Coveting and landing a player are two different things, and the Padres are going to face competition in the trade market. A versatile defender with plenty of offensive talent—he has 24 home runs this season—Gallo will be a popular trade target.

With plenty of teams interested, the Rangers will not be inclined to dump Gallo for anything less than a stellar return. The Padres, meanwhile, aren't desperate and may not be interested in overpaying.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier has been the topic of trade chatter for some time, and it's not hard to see why. Frazier has been fantastic this season—with 115 hits and a .397 on-base percentage—while Pittsburgh has not.

The Pirates currently hold a 34-56 record and reside in last place in the NFL Central.

Frazier, though, hasn't let the trade talk get to him.

"I've said this a bunch, but I just try to take it in stride, control what I can control and see what happens," Frazier said, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I know I can't control it, so why worry about it?"

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Frazier can count the New York Mets among the teams that would like to obtain him. Heyman reported that New York is "in on" the 29-year-old All-Star.

The Mets sit at 47-40 and in control of the NL East.

Aaron Doster/Associated Press

While the Padres and Mets could look to buy at the deadline, the Chicago Cubs appear to be moving in the opposite direction. Sitting in fourth place in the NFL Central, Chicago is reportedly more interested in selling and moving on toward the offseason.

"After years of mounting frustrations with their offense, and a predictable midseason crash on the pitching side, the Cubs have finally picked a lane, beginning the process of becoming sellers at the July 30 trade deadline," Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic wrote.

Kris Bryant and Craig Kimbrel are mentioned as possible trade chips, and according to The Athletic, Chicago team president Jed Hoyer is "open for business."

Bryant knows that he could be on the move within the next couple of weeks.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't think about that," he said, per Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. "I've thought about it just because of the rumors that are out there."

There's a good chance that rumors will turn into action for the Cubs coming out of the All-Star break.