Poll: Which Expected Contenders Will Turn Into Sellers?

It’s mid-May, so the likelihood of a significant trade going down in the near-term is pretty low. After all, even the clubs buried in the cellars of their respective divisions will be waiting on further results before deciding their course of action this summer.

Still, though, we’re reaching the point where clubs will begin weighing their options to buy or sell at the deadline. And we’ve seen a reasonably significant amount of action, with injuries and performances changing expectations for some players and teams.

While there’s still a lot to be learned, then, it’s a good time to make some predictions. As is usually the case, a variety of teams are off to surprisingly slow starts. Some of these will likely bounce back and at least enter the Wild Card picture. Others will fade out of contention and face tough choices on key veterans.

The question for MLBTR’s readership, then, is which of the teams that entered the year anticipating contention will likely end up being so buried that they’re forced to sell at the trade deadline (if not sooner).

In defining our slate of poll options, there are some necessarily arbitrary lines of demarcation. In this case, I’ve made wholly subjective assessments of which teams entered the year with realistic expectations of contending — meaning, at least remaining in the postseason picture for the vast bulk of the season. And I’ve then drawn the line for consideration at four games below .500 entering today’s action.

Select which of the following teams you expect to end up selling this summer (check all that apply; link for app users):