This is the first update to our annual ranking of top trade candidates in the run-up to the trade deadline, drawing from our power ranking approach to pending free agents. You can check out the original list (and review the methodology) here. Essentially, we’re ordering players based upon our assessment of both their trade value and likelihood of being dealt.
One significant name is now off the board as we originally compiled it, as the Nationals landed Royals closer Kelvin Herrera. It has been fairly quiet on the trade front since, with the exception of the Red Sox’ acquisition of Steve Pearce, though plenty of other notable developments have occurred as well.
Here’s the updated ranking as we prepare for tonight’s All-Star Game:
1. Manny Machado, SS, Orioles (LR: 1): All indications are that Machado will be gone before play resumes after the All-Star break. While it will hurt to part with young talent to land a player who’ll reach the open market at season’s end, Machado promises to be a massive upgrade for whatever contender gets him.
2. Jeurys Familia, RP, Mets (LR: NR): At the time of the first iteration of this list, the Mets were still hanging around in the NL East. Not so much anymore. Familia is the best rental reliever available at this point. Though he may not quite be operating at peak capacity — his 12.0% swinging-strike and 50.5% groundball rates are down from his peak levels, though he’s throwing about as hard as usual — Familia carries a 2.88 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 and has shown he’s healthy after an injury-and-suspension-marred 2017 season. He’s earning $7.9MM this year, a manageable enough sum for an established late-inning reliever, and was excellent during the Mets’ 2015 postseason run (though things didn’t go quite as well in the ensuing season’s Wild Card game).
3. Zach Britton, RP, Orioles (LR: INJ): The southpaw really didn’t figure to land this high on the list, but recent developments have knocked down other candidates and he seems to be working out the kinks, with improved results and increased velocity of late. There are also loads of reports on interest, so it’s all but certain he’ll be dealt. Britton is still just 15 games into his return from Achilles surgery, of course, and dealt with elbow/forearm troubles last year. But the Britton of old was one of the game’s best relievers and he has certainly shown some eyebrow-raising signs of late, including increasing fastball velocity and a swinging-strike rate that is up to 14.5% for the year. He’s earning a $12MM salary this year, which will also serve to impact his market and the O’s potential return.
4. Wilson Ramos, C, Rays (LR: 6): While the Rays are playing well, the postseason outlook remains bleak and Ramos is a high-performing, highly compensated player. With some clear potential demand behind the dish for multiple contending organizations, a trade seems inevitable. Unfortunately, Ramos is also now dealing with a hamstring injury of unknown severity. We’ll keep him on the list despite the likelihood of a coming DL placement, since the length of said DL stint isn’t known and he may be moved regardless, but it’s hardly great news given his history of leg issues.
5. Asdrubal Cabrera, INF, Mets (LR: NR): The switch-hitting Cabrera has been a consistently strong offensive producer since coming to the Mets. He’s showing more power than ever before at the moment, with 17 home runs and a .215 isolated slugging mark. Cabrera could be tasked with playing at second or third, though metrics have not smiled upon his glovework. With Jed Lowrie set to stay in Oakland, the Mets should receive some added interest in Cabrera.
6-10. J.A. Happ, Blue Jays; Cole Hamels, Rangers; Tyson Ross, Padres; Matt Harvey, Reds; Nathan Eovaldi, Rays, SP (LR: 3, 4, 7, 27, INJ): The market for pitching rentals has not looked stellar of late, to say the least. There are two rising pitchers here, Harvey and Eovaldi, but both come with long-term injury questions and their share of short-term performance inconsistencies. Since a brutal start to the season, Harvey’s velocity has stayed up, and he’s getting more and more whiffs with his slider. He has allowed just five earned runs over his past four starts, and while he’s hardly the ace he was early in his Mets career, he’s a near-lock to be traded in the next two weeks. Eovaldi is throwing about as hard as ever, getting more swings and misses than ever, and drawing grounders on about half of the balls put in play against him. He’s also continuing to exhibit the home run problems he had in 2016 and was just shelled (eight earned runs, one strikeout, 2 2/3 innings) in his most recent outing. Meanwhile, recent developments have not helped the value of Happ and Hamels, who we have discussed extensively in recent weeks. Both veteran southpaws entered the break with ERAs in the 4.3 range following three consecutive rough outings. Ross also had a pair of messy starts after carrying a 3.32 ERA through the end of June, with his velocity also trending down. But he showed much better against a tough Dodgers lineup in his most recent appearance. In all of these cases, contending teams will surely be watching the next few starts quite closely.
11. Mike Moustakas, Royals, 3B (LR: 5): Moustakas has been trending in the wrong direction since last we looked, but he’s a known commodity with good power and he remains a reasonably affordable option at the hot corner.
12. Joakim Soria, White Sox, RP (LR: 12): Soria recently saw an end to a string of 18-straight scoreless appearances. He’s earning $9MM this year, with a $1MM buyout on a 10MM mutual option for 2019. With a 2.75 ERA and 11.3 K/9 vs. 2.3 BB/9 on the year — buttressed by a career-high 14.7% swinging-strike rate — Soria looks to be quite a worthwhile target.
13-15. Brad Hand, Padres; Raisel Iglesias, Reds; Felipe Vazquez, Pirates, RP (LR: 8, 9, NR): Vazquez joins the list as the Bucs have faded. This trio represents the field of conceivably available, controllable, high-quality closers. There’s no real reason to think that these hurlers’ respective teams are particularly inclined to deal them, but the deadline is often an optimal time to move relievers and it’s generally easier to imagine one of these pitchers changing hands than a similarly affordable/controllable starter or position player.
16. J.T. Realmuto, C, Marlins (LR: 10): If the Marlins were more clearly interested in continuing their sell-off, Realmuto would rank higher — probably in the top two to three spots on this list. As it stands, the hints are that the 27-year-old won’t be dealt barring an overwhelming return. Will another team step up? Thee possibility of adding Realmuto down the stretch, and for two more affordable seasons, is awfully tantalizing after watching him race out to a .310/.365/.536 slash with a dozen home runs in 303 plate appearances to open the season.
17. Jacob deGrom, SP, Mets (LR: NR): The star righty is firing on all cylinders right now. His two future seasons of arb control are immensely valuable to the Mets, but most of the other top starters that could conceivably be dealt have even more cheap years of control remaining. If a contender is going to line up a monumental offer for a starter, deGrom seems like the clear target. While the likelihood of a deal still seems on the low side, the lack of top-end rental-starter talent should not be overlooked as a factor in driving interest. Given deGrom’s sheer excellence for a lost Mets team, he warrants a fairly lofty spot on this list.
18-21. Eduardo Escobar, INF; Brian Dozier, 2B; Fernando Rodney, RP; Zach Duke, RP, Twins (LR: NR): This group of trade chips may not quite yet be available, given that a nice run has put the Twins back within plausible striking distance in the AL Central. That’s not to say, though, that the organization isn’t readying for a sale, in which case all could well be on the move. Escobar can play short, but hasn’t really been trusted there much of late. He is, however, doing more than ever before with the bat. The same can’t be said of Dozier, but he is starting to turn things on and is a productive all-around player even if he’s not hitting at the levels he did in the prior two campaigns. As for Rodney, the experience has been a good one thus far for Minnesota, which signed him to a $4.5MM deal that also includes some incentives and a 2019 option. Though he’s not a pure rental, the 41-year-old figures to be as available as any other Twins relievers. In 34 1/3 innings this year, the closer-for-hire — he has appeared with nine teams in his career and recorded saves for eight of them — owns a 3.12 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9. Meanwhile, Duke has reversed a tough 2017 showing and then some. He has dominated lefties and turned in passable-enough results against righties. Overall, he’s back to producing good strikeout rates (9.3 per nine) with excellent groundball rates (59.4%). Plus, he’s earning just $2.15MM this year plus some reasonably priced appearance-based incentives.
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22-27. Kirby Yates, Padres; Nate Jones, White Sox; Kyle Barraclough, Marlins; Shane Greene, Tigers; Mychal Givens, Orioles; Keone Kela, Rangers, RHP (LR: 21-26): Controllable relievers, anyone? All six of these arms can be controlled cheaply through at least the 2020 season, though some seem likelier to move than others. Yates is a natural candidate to be dealt after adopting a splitter that has turned into a wipeout pitch for him at age 31. Jones has battled injuries over the past three seasons, which could mitigate some trade interest, but none of his three club options are more expensive than $6MM. Barraclough and Givens probably have the steepest price tags of the bunch, as neither Miami nor Baltimore is keen on dealing them with three and a half years of control left. Greene recently returned from a minor DL stint and may not be at peak value. Kela has had some ups and downs with the organization, and the Rangers are set on selling off some pieces to restock the farm this summer, even if they’re not necessarily embarking on a full-scale rebuild.
28-30. Zack Wheeler, Mets; Jake Odorizzi, Twins; Mike Fiers, Tigers, SP (LR: NR, NR, 30): Wheeler has a 3.50 ERA with nearly a strikeout per inning and respectable control dating back to mid-May. He’s controlled through 2019, and while he comes with a lengthy injury history, he’s also earning just $1.9MM this season. A few of his more-prominent rotation mates would fetch better returns, of course, but Wheeler might be the most marketable Mets chip that has a truly realistic chance of being moved. Odorizzi is missing bats again, and he’s controlled through 2019, which should generally hold some appeal. But his walk rate is up a bit, he’s inducing fewer grounders than ever before, and homers look like they’ll always be a problem for him. He’s similar to Wheeler in that he’s a serviceable option with another year of control, but he’s more expensive at $6.4MM and doesn’t have that same type of value. Minnesota may still be able to get a bit more than it gave up to get him, though. As for Fiers, he has been on a solid run as his velocity has recovered over the course of the year. He’s not exactly exciting, but he’s a useful fourth starter who can thrive in a big park. The price tag shouldn’t be sky-high, as he’s earning $6MM and could be in line for a raise to $8MM+ in his final arb year.
31-38. Tyler Clippard, Seunghwan Oh, John Axford & Jake Petricka, Blue Jays; Sergio Romo, Rays; Brad Ziegler, Marlins; Brad Brach, Orioles; Jesse Chavez, Rangers, RP (LR: 31, 32, 33, NR, NR, NR, 11, 34): Teams looking to add solid veterans to their middle relief mix will have quite a few names to choose from. These are some of the most interesting rental arms. Since the start of June, Clippard has recorded 22 strikeouts against just one walk in 16 2/3 innings. And he’s getting gobs of infield flies (20.0%) once again. Oh has been getting it done all year long, with a 2.82 ERA and better than ten strikeouts per nine. Romo ended May with a 6.33 ERA. since, he has allowed three earned in 19 2/3 frames. Similarly, Ziegler carried a 7.88 ERA at the end of the day on June 1st and has allowed only a pair of earned runs in his most recent 21 frames. As for Brach, he has had a rough go of late but has been hurt by a .372 BABIP and is still generating a 13.4% swinging-strike rate. Though Chavez may not represent an exciting target, he’s showing well this year in a multi-inning role, with 56 1/3 innings of 3.51 ERA ball thus far for Texas.
39. Shin-Soo Choo, Rangers, OF/DH (LR: NR): Choo isn’t just having his best season with the Rangers, he’s having one of the best seasons of his career at the plate. He may be 36 years old now, but he’s mashing at a .293/.405/.506 clip with 18 homers already under his belt. (Worth noting: his previous season-high for dingers is just 22.) Choo is due the rest of this year’s $20MM salary plus $21MM in both 2019 and 2020, but trading him doesn’t look quite like the pipe dream it once was. The Rangers, of course, would still have to eat the majority of the money he’s owed. The major question here is whether a National League team will view Choo as a plausible target despite lacking the ability to utilize him as a DH. If not, there’ll be quite a limited group of potential suitors.
40-41. Jose Bautista, Mets; Curtis Granderson, Blue Jays, OF (LR: NR): The Mets were panned for their signing of Bautista, but he’s hitting .241/.399/.457 with five homers and 10 doubles in 188 PAs since joining up with them. Not much has gone right in Queens this season, but he’s been a nice surprise and could fetch a modest return from a team seeking a bench upgrade. As for the Grandy Man, the strikeouts are piling up a bit and he’s drawing poor grades for his baserunning and corner outfield glovework. He’s also riding a .326 BABIP that outpaces his career mark, but he’s hitting right-handed pitching well and still showing impressive pop.
42-44. Jake Diekman, Rangers; Jerry Blevins, Mets; Luis Avilan, LHP, White Sox, RP (LR: 38, NR, 36): Diekman’s longstanding walk problems have continued, though he has pared them back of late and owns an appealing 3.34 ERA overall. Surprisingly, he’s doing that while carrying rather drastic reverse platoon splits that have never before been apparent. Blevins also has had some struggles against lefties but has finally started racking up strikeouts again of late. It’s tough to know what to make of his season, though, which features a rather incredible turn from being a roughly average groundball pitcher to one that draws grounders only twenty percent of the time the ball is put in play against him. As for Avilan, he has held 58 opposing lefties to a cumulative .203/.263/.302 slash this year, so he’s a potential LOOGY target for the right organization. He’s also controllable for another season.
45-46. Adrian Beltre, 3B, Rangers; Adam Jones, OF, Orioles (LR: 16, 17): Neither player is really in top form with the bat, but both of these respected vets are still hitting at league-average rates. Their current teams can’t expect much in return given their hefty salaries ($18MM and $17MM, respectively), and full no-trade rights could also impact the outcome, but both should draw real interest from teams that want a boost on the field and in the clubhouse.
47-52. Michael Fulmer, Tigers; Noah Syndergaard, Mets; Dylan Bundy & Kevin Gausman, Orioles; Chris Archer, Rays; Jameson Taillon, Pirates, SP (49, NR): Miss out on deGrom but still want to get a talented, controllable starting pitcher? This list represents the slate of top candidates. The fact that they are all listed together here should not be read as an argument that they’re all on the same tier of talent. But they all share key attributes: low cost, multiple seasons of future control, and high established ceilings in the majors. The odds of any single one of these pitchers being dealt are fairly low, but there’s at least a reasonable chance that one member of this group ends up on the move.
53-55. Justin Smoak, 1B, Blue Jays; Nicholas Castellanos, OF, Tigers; Corey Dickerson, OF, Pirates (LR: 18, 20, NR): Anybody need a corner bat with another season of control? These are probably the most realistic targets out there. Smoak and Castellanos both featured on our original list and their situations remain about the same. That is: both are hitting quite well but neither seems particularly likely to be dealt. It’s not an altogether different situation for Dickerson, who has had a strange season. His power is down substantially from his time with the Rays and Rockies, but he’s also somehow managed to halve his strikeout rate. He’s also suddenly drawing terrific marks in left field after posting poor numbers there for most of his career. Dickerson doesn’t walk enough to be a big on-base threat, but he’s an above-average bat with another year of control remaining on a team that probably won’t want to pay him next season.
56. Derek Dietrich, INF/OF, Marlins (LR: NR): The Marlins can control Dietrich through 2020 — one more year than the others in this bunch — and he can play anywhere on the field besides center, shortstop and catcher. He’s not a particularly good defender at any of those spots, but Dietrich has long been a solid bat and is having his best year at the plate, hitting .286/.349/.450 with 11 homers. His $2.9MM salary is manageable for just about any team.
57-58. Scooter Gennett, 2B & Billy Hamilton, OF,Reds (LR: 14, 41): The 28-year-old Gennett has continued his remarkable breakout, and while there’s probably some degree of regression in store (.371 BABIP), his strikeout rate is down and he’s maintaining much of last year’s power spike. It sure doesn’t sound as if Gennett is going anywhere, but the Reds will have to listen to offers. As for Hamilton, he’s still a compelling presence on the bases and in the field, but carries only a 73 OPS+ on the season — right at his career level of production at the plate. That said, he has been on a hot streak of late. The speed demon is the likelier of these two to move — he’d be of particular interest as a late-season/postseason roster piece, after all — but is also the less valuable member of the pair.
59-62. Jordy Mercer, Pirates; Adeiny Hechavarria, Rays; Jose Iglesias, Tigers; Freddy Galvis, Padres, SS (LR: NR, INJ, 38, 39): Need a utility guy or a plug-in at short? These are the most-established, glove-first rental infielders on the market.
63-64. Devin Mesoraco, Mets & A.J. Ellis, Padres, C (LR: NR, 40): Or can I interest you in an extra backstop? Both of these vets could fit the bill. Mesoraco’s big contract means he’s an equally plausible August trade candidate. The 30-year-old has hit at a league-average rate in 44 games with the Mets.
65-67. Craig Stammen, Padres & Jared Hughes & David Hernandez, Reds (LR: 13, 47, 48): These relievers are all outproducing expectations on affordable, two-year deals. None have to be traded, but all would likely be available at the right price.
68-71. Yangervis Solarte, Blue Jays; Starlin Castro, Marlins; Wilmer Flores, Mets; Josh Harrison, Pirates, INF (LR: 19, 46, NR, NR): Evan as Solarte has faded after a strong start to the year, Castro entered the break on a tear. Flores won’t be viewed as an everyday guy but has been hitting quite well. This hasn’t been a great season for Harrison at the plate, but he’s valued for his defensive flexibility and quality baserunning.
72. Lance Lynn, SP, Twins (LR: NR): It just hasn’t turned out as hoped for the Twins or for Lynn, who’s earning $12MM before reentering the market this coming winter. He has, however, shown quite a bit more of late — even including a disastrous outing on July 1st. Over his past ten starts, Lynn has held opposing hitters to a .683 OPS and carried a 3.67 ERA through 54 frames. He’s also trending in the right direction in terms of velocity. Given his history of success, it stands to reason that some contending team will see the merits in adding Lynn for the stretch run, though in all likelihood the Twins will have to help pay down the deal.
73. Adam Conley, RP, Marlins (LR: NR): Conley is in something of his own category just because he’s still reemerging. The former starter has thrown 25 quality frames this year, with a big boost in velocity (95.5 mph fastball), swinging-strike rate (15.4%), and even first-strike rate (65.6%) as against his prior work from the MLB rotation. Because he didn’t ascend to the majors this year until late May, moreover, he’ll end the season with less than three full years of service (though he’ll qualify for Super Two status). While Miami can certainly choose to stand pat, it also may be an opportune time to deal a player who has had his ups and downs, particularly given the dearth of quality rental lefties this year.
74. Whit Merrifield, 2B, Royals (LR: 50): Merrifield can play all over and isn’t eligible for arbitration until after the 2019 season. He’s a player that doesn’t need to be traded, by any stretch, but could fetch a nice return if the right organization decides it has to have him.
75. Elvis Andrus, SS, Rangers (LR: INJ): It’s hard to know how to value Andrus, who has struggled since returning from a lengthy DL stint and has the ability to opt out of his contract either this coming winter or next. His contract includes $15MM annual salaries in 2019 and 2020, $14MM pay-outs for the two following years, and a $15MM vesting option for 2023.
Disabled List
Josh Donaldson (Blue Jays); Leonys Martin & Miguel Cabrera (Tigers); Avisail Garcia (White Sox); Tony Barnette, Chris Martin (Rangers); Darren O’Day (Orioles); Jay Bruce, Yoenis Cespedes, AJ Ramos (Mets); Francisco Cervelli & Sean Rodriguez (Pirates); Addison Reed, Twins
Also Considered
Starting Pitchers: Bartolo Colon & Doug Fister, Rangers (LR: 28-29); Marco Estrada & Jaime Garcia, Blue Jays; Francisco Liriano, Tigers; Ivan Nova, Pirates; Dan Straily, Marlins (LR: 43); Clayton Richard & Jordan Lyles, Padres (LR: 44-45); Mike Minor, Rangers; Steven Matz, Mets; Andrew Cashner & Alex Cobb, Orioles; Danny Duffy, Royals; Jordan Zimmermann, Tigers; Kyle Gibson, Twins; James Shields, White Sox
Relievers: Matt Andriese, Rays; Alex Wilson & Blaine Hardy, Tigers; Aaron Loup, Blue Jays (LR: 35); Seth Lugo & Anthony Swarzak, Mets; Drew Steckenrider, Marlins; Blake Parker, Jose Alvarez & Cam Bedrosian, Angels
Infielders: Jose Abreu, White Sox (LR: 15); Martin Prado, Marlins; Todd Frazier, Mets; David Freese, Pirates; Lucas Duda, Royals; Jurickson Profar, Rangers; Kendrys Morales, Blue Jays; Justin Bour, Marlins; Jonathan Schoop, Orioles; Danny Valencia, Orioles; Robinson Chirinos, Rangers;
Outfielders: Starling Marte & Gregory Polanco, Pirates; Scott Schebler & Adam Duvall, Reds; Mark Trumbo, Orioles; Cameron Maybin, Marlins; Carlos Gomez, Rays; Wil Myers, Manuel Margot, Hunter Renfroe & Travis Jankowski, Padres
Degrom seems way too high since the list is partially based on likelihood of a trade. Just don’t see a team putting together the monster offer it would take for the Mets to accept.
It’s bc he’s so above everyone else not named Machado
I think the comments under his name justify the place on the list, in that while all discussion and comments from Mets ownership seems to indicate he won’t be traded, on paper he’s too appealing a target not to be made available for the right price.
Gun to my head, I’d say he IS traded. Some team will get desperate, and the Mets will get close to what they really want for him.
The Yankees just make TOO much sense. They were already just one of 2-3 teams with the talent necessary to acquire him, and a team that was already in need of starting pitching; now having fallen 4 and half games back of Boston, they may just get desperate enough to unload the farm for him.
Desperate is not in Brian Cashman’s vocabulary Adam.
However the trade could happen if the Three Stooges get desperate to show that they are in charge and Abbott and Costello become confused then they will steal deGrom
In comparison to Boston, starting pitching is the Yankees Achilles heal, I am with you I expect the Yankees to make a play for DeGrom. The question is will the Mets want to deal him to the Yankees? Considering it’s a battle in New York for press I expect the asking price to be higher for the Yankees than just about any other team outside the divison
Yanks do have the prospects, though. Mets need to rebuild from the ground up. I would want Sheffield, Frazier and Andujar (although Yanks probably would balk at including Andujar).
Seems like a lot more sellers than buyers this year…..
Seems like a used car lot after a flood. With Familia second, not much to pick from after Machado and of course deGrom.
I was actually surprised to see Familia listed as number 2 not because I disagree but because I don’t think people put enough value on what he can do, especially compared to Zach Britton.. He is a perfect fit for the Red Sox and probably could be acquired for just the salary relief alone and a low-level prospect.
Please no Familia in Boston. He reminds me of Armando Benitez (and others) in that he’ll pile up the regular season numbers but when it counts, can you rely on him? Even Mariano had blips but Familia gets me as nervous as Kelly and Barnes.
Lol..they are relief pitchers they should all get you nervous.. but he is by far the best one that is available at the moment.. and as for Barnes he’s been lights out lately.. as compared to Kelly
He’s in his way Dewey. Since there were no players in the minors Trader Dave took on the salary that puts them over the limit—so more luxury tax.
Well the Mariners are on track to win 95 games and they are the last place wild card team in the AL. That’s really the only spot being contested and that’s because Oakland just got hot.
Absolutely no way Taillon gets dealt. The Pirates I could see being dealt are Nova, Freese, Dickerson, Harrison and Mercer.
I am not suggesting it’s at all likely – in fact, I stated the contrary – but I think he’s in roughly the same general bucket as the others listed in that bunch.
Good call on Marte and Polanco. While I can see them dealing Dickerson I’d rather them deal Marte or Polanco and give meadows a starting spot. But I still see Dickerson being dealt before Marte or Polanco
They’d better get a super offer for Marte or Polanco as they have higher ceilings and have good contracts. Both hot also.
Polanco would be a good trade target for the Braves, maybe this offseason.
Marte, yes. Polanco, no.
I don’t think I saw any Angels on the list. Correct me if I’m wrong, I scrolled fairly quickly.
However, I’d expect some relievers to be dealt, possibly Valbuena or Kinsler too.
Listed some relievers in the “also considered.” Not really ready to put their players in the mix, particularly since it doesn’t look like they have many clear candidates.
Thanks! Makes sense.
If only Valbuena could be traded…
The put bum Famillia number 2. Your list lost all credibility. He’s horrible
He also put Realmuto as #16. It’s not only about how they rank in terms of value, It says in the first paragraphs the ranking is also based on likelihood of being dealt.
You lost all credibility when you decided to comment on a story you didn’t even read.
You just cried in a bunch of comments on a previous article and yet here you are again 2 hours after you said you were going to delete the app…..just saying.
Whatever axe you have to grind with Familia is misplaced. Take a look back at his career, you’ll note last year was the anomaly he has been otherwise dominant.. if he maintains his health he is actually just now entering his prime for elite relief / closers.. a strong finish this year with a contender, such as the Red Sox, could easily Propel him to a three-year $40M+ free agent contract
Expect a couple of Cardinals be on the list, like Jose Martinez and Tommy Pham.
Cardinals will consider themselves buyers, FO has been in denial the last couple of years.
Had enough sense to fire Matheny at least
Itll be interesting to see what happens in a week. If the Cards fall further out they may become minor sellers.
It is possible, yes. Like the Angels, not much in the way of clear summer trade pieces, as there’s no reason at this point to believe they are going to be blowing things up in advance of 2019 even if they do really fall off the pace this year.
And anyone on the Cardinals not named Flaherty or Molina
I send us Martinez and or wacha
Dodgers should forget Machado and focus on one or two bullpen arms and a solid infielder whose salary they can control (Royal’s Merrifield would be first choice)
[sarcasm]No market for Chris Davis?[/sarcasm]
No team will trade for Chris Davis, do you know how much is remaining on his contract? You are crazy to think that any team would even take Davis on a minor league deal yet alone taking on the contract and while losing other assets in the process.
The one player in the league I wouldn’t trade ellsbury for…..
LOL. So slow he doesn’t recognize sarcasm when it’s labeled as such.
The internet is an amazing place, isn’t it?
136 names on this list an no Cardinals. If Jose Martinez is still wearing the Birds on the Bat I will be shocked. He has no business in the NL. He is an AL DH period. After the Matheny firing, Mo needs to shake things up. Wouldn’t mind seeing C. Martinez go too. Would love to see Fowler go but no one is going to touch any of that salary. If Knizer is all the Cards say he is then C. Kelly should be shopped too.
They’re still not sellers, in my view. But we’ll reassess if we manage to get another version of this list together before the deadline.
Martinez could be a trade candidate regardless, but he’s not much of a match to any AL contenders as far as I can tell.
Jeff, fan of your work and MLbTR. Edit*** noticed you meant other Mart. Lol Could see guys like 1B Martinez, Gyorko, Wong, but don’t see them marketing SP Martinez. They locked him up and he’ll be still pitching when they reload. I see them trying to pull a NYY from a couple years ago and trade guys with 3 years or less control so I could see Wacha, Miles Mikolas, also added . The cards young pitching is literally my envy as a cubs fan. I think upper level SP with high ceiling is huge right now. They can even do a quick reload this FA if they want to give Machado a boatload of money. We know they have it.
Yup, I was saying Jose Martinez could be a trade candidate regardless, not Carlos Martinez. And yeah they could decide it’s time to move on from some other infielders, perhaps. Otherwise, barring a total collapse, I wouldn’t expect them to do any selling, per se.
Choo has reached base in 51 consecutive games, a feat only 50 other MLB players have accomplished since 1908.
During those 51 games: .337 BA, .469 OBP, and .596 SLG; Choo’s scored 31 runs, 13 home runs, 28 RBI, and walked 47.
2018 overall season-line: .293 BA, .405 OBP, with .506 SLG, 18 home runs, 20 doubles in 90 games.
mlb.com/news/shin-soo-choo-enters-all-star-game-wi…
Is he not tradeable
Too much money left on that contract and basically only DH. All the AL teams are basically set for DH’s.
He’s on the list.
I want to make one thing totally clear; If that’s what you took from my post, I am truly sorry I sound like a douche. (That is NOT what I meant.. thanks for addressing it.)
If he was not included in the list, I would never have mentioned him because I would have been laughed off the stage. 🙂
I meant to say, DESPITE all this good, Is he STILL not tradeable? How much cash do you estimate Tex has cover? .293 BA with 18 HR OBP >.400 is solid.
I think he’s owed 2 1/2 years, $50M
Which DH would you replace….Boston, New York and Houston are all set at that spot. Hell, even as solid Choo has been he’d be a downgrade for them. Maybe Seattle or Oakland might try but they are in division and Seattle has Nelson Cruz so I’m not even sure they’d trade for Choo either.
Great article!
Thanks!
How many needs of the Indians would the Pirates need to fill in one trade to get Mejia?
Dickerson,Harrison and one of the young relievers?
Don’t see a guy like Mejia going in a volume deal, esp one that involves taking on Harrison’s contract. He’d only be used in a deal for a significant, controllable talent.
Why the low ranking on Scooter?
Leads the league in hitting.
Has a a higher WAR then Manny?
Because he’s not likely to be traded
Fair enough
Kind of surprised Soria is that much lower than Familia and Britton. He has definitely been the best pitcher of the 3 over the last 2 years, and you could pretty easily make an argument that he has been the best of the 3 this year (if you just want to focus on recent results). He’s also the only one with an extra year of control – which comes at a reasonable price, relatively speaking.
Really, the only way he doesn’t look better than the other two is if you want to focus solely on the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
*And he’s extremely likely to be traded.
Yes, Soria will be a nice under-the-radar get for one of the contenders.
He’s really not that far behind, just spaced down the list a smidge. And nobody else is talking about him, so I feel like we’re already leading the charge here!
That said, the separation in my mind is based in part on taking the info the market has given us. Namely: Soria ended up on the White Sox, rather than with a contender, after a 2017 season in which he had good peripherals. And there hasn’t been any discussion surrounding him yet (though that could mean several things).
I don’t really consider the mutual option to be a factor, other than the buyout amount, b/c he and his new team could just agree to an extension regardless if they both liked that (or any other) price tag. Given that, we’re really looking at a rental scenario. And with rental relievers, it’s going to be about who is throwing the best right now.
True, Familia and Britton have had their injury issues. But if scouts think they are in top form (or close to it), they are bigger arms than Soria, who is also a fair bit older.
You’re right – you guys are absolutely leading the charge here, which is part of the reason I feel the way I do about it.
My bad on the option. BBref has it listed as a team option. If it is indeed a mutual option, it’s certainly not as valuable, and he should probably be looked at as a rental. Although I wouldn’t really bother looking at the $1M buyout because I don’t see anyway (barring injury) that he wants to stay with the team he goes to and they say no at a $10M price tag.
As far as on the field performance, he arguably is throwing the best of the 3 right now (and over the last 2 years). He also has a fantastic track record. If all 3 were at top form, Britton and Soria are probably 1A and 1B, while Familia is slightly behind them. The problem with that is Britton certainly isn’t in top form, but Soria and Familia are pretty close to it. The only thing he has going against him is his age, which I don’t think is a gigantic factor when looking at rental relievers.
It’s definitely more of a general thing and not just related to this post. As you said, you guys are the only ones talking about him. All you have to do is take a look at the rental market poll you guys posted to see how people value Soria. It makes absolutely no sense to me. He has the current performance, he had the performance last year, and he has the track record. If it was 2015 or 2016 (coincidentally, the last time Britton was good) I would understand it, but he has apparently fixed whatever issues he was having. I don’t get why people value other guys so much more than him.
Hey writer, when did you write this? You say right after Vasquez at like 12, “since the Bucs have faded.” So 6 wins in a row, 8 of 10, 5 game sweep of a first place Brewers team, all but ruining their season. Yeah, that’s what I call fading. Sorry, you updated this 2 hours ago but forgot to update it.
Dude, this was probably done a week or two ago. I agree, they could have updated it, but don’t act like they don’t have deadlines or did this yesterday.
When we published the first iteration of this list last month, the Pirates were six games back in the division and four back in the Wild Card. They’re now 9 back in the Central and 5.5 back in the Wild Card.
Recent surge aside, they have unequivocally faded since within the division in the time between our initial Top 50 and today’s posting.
Here’s to the cubs hopefully getting some bullpen help. Gonna have to roll the dice because no starters they can get really and upgrade. I see them going after Vet innings eater as they have frequently. Bring Richards back or go for old Bartolo. I still think they have best team in NL even if Dodgers get Machado, but I doubt the dodgers would be done dealing if they go get him. I could see LAD going after Hand or Iglesias maybe some other shutdown reliever.
Anybody else hear that Tony Clark came out & said the players would unanimously vote in favor of the DH in the NL
It coming just a matter of time now
Thank god. Maybe I’ll actually start watching NL games.
Great effort with this write-up, Jeff. There’s a boatload of good content in here.
Much appreciated! It truly is an effort to put this particular post together, ha.
Analyzing 75 players I am sure was quite an ordeal!
Familia and Cabrera in the top 5? Lol
Is this list comprised by jeff wilpon?
Don’t worry…the Mets will likely find a way to screw up both deals. Familia could bring back someone interesting. Obviously not a top prospect, but a low-A high ceiling lotto ticket would be fair.
ps. Both are walking after the year, so they almost certainly will get moved. Familia has been solid and Asdrubal opened the season on a tear, went cold, warmed up…and now he is about as expected.
Hey hojo-the deals will all be about the cash the Mets can get out, not the prospects. There are too many Brooklyn Dodgers auctions coming up and Jeff needs all of the cash he can get his hands on
The Angels really should look into trading Trout. I know, I know… The point is, and I am sure it’s been said many times, this is the point where they are going to get an insane haul from someone. They have a lot of holes to fill. I can’t even imagine the package it would take to get him, but the Angels are in need of a major rehaul.
Its what they should do, but they wont because they are a short sighted organization that only thinks about selling tickets.
They have a weak farm system.
Money tied up in older players who will only get worse, and no where near enough pitching to compete in the next few years.
The real question is will trout walk away in 2 years or is he content playing his whole career with no pressure on him in baseball oblivion.
He will walk, there are plenty of teams that will be in better position and have plenty of money to sign him. You are right though, they seem to be a pretty short sighted organization.
Whatever happen to teams going for it even if it isn’t guaranteed to win it all, does anyone have the motto ” We don’t rebuild we reload!”
I still think that Washington is going to fade in the next week, besides they have not been able to put a winning stretch of any length this year, So I think Gio Gonzalez should be made available. However not just for a bag of baseballs, but Three top ( out of fifty in a teams system) one being Major League ready. That means Washington would get players that could play next year, but could be seen in September ( by them) to give the team an advance on how and who to pay come free agency. Listen Gio Gonzalez will get a big payday, but not a long one, still the one year contract under the CBA will be over fourteen million dollars. Washington may need that just for Harper( he may take it because of this down year) or maybe pay him, but then what about money to look for another bullpen pitcher? No money equals the return of Tyler Clippard? More money equals some one like a David Robertson or Andrew Miller. To avoid all the guess work, they need more than Soto next year. The latter of upgrading with younger ready to play first year players is much cheaper then resigning everyone that Washington will need to do and besides the NL Eastern division will be even rougher next year, Washington should take one from Brian Cashmans book and become sellers! Remember a barely five hundred team( in third only because NY and Miami are bad) and eight places out of a wild card spot!
The Nats are only five games out in the division, and the teams ahead of them are the Phils and Braves.
There’s no reason to sell, in fact I think they have just as good a chance to win the division as the Phils, and better than the Braves.
Maybe you will change your mind when the two divisional teams below them,send Washington back under 500 and the Pirate’s pull ahead of them for the Wild Card slot.
You’re crazy if you think the Phillies are better than the Braves. Look at the head to head games this year.
Am I mistaken on this years All Star game. I don’t recall either defense using the shift.
I would imagine that players on .500-ish NL teams (especially the Cardinals and Giants), are more likely to be traded than Noah Syndergaard. Some of them are also better than Noah Syndergaard.
So what was the criteria used, that put him on the list, but none of the other guys?
I would love to know who you think is better than Noah Syndergaard…
Is Scooter that low b/c he may not be available? He’s now the top IF bat on your list with Machado off of it.
He’s a tough one to value but Reds need SP and projected 3 with more than a couple years of control seems like a small price to pay for a playoff team with a need for his output.