It is strange to believe that the MLB trade deadline will not only be in August but also be 30 games into the season, but as weird it may be, the deadline is closing in quickly. Though there might not be as many trades as we near the trade deadline, it is always interesting to discuss potential players who could be flipped and where they could possibly end up in a best case scenario.
Mitch Moreland
Boston Red Sox (1B/DH)
The loss of Mookie Betts paired with an awful pitching staff leaves the Red Sox’s playoff chances slim to none this year. As the organization looks to rebuild into their championship glory once more, though, flipping a player like Moreland might not be a bad idea. Moreland has a 3 million dollar club option after this season, and with a strong start to 2020 (194 wRC+) plus a decent amount of playoff experience to boot, Moreland could bring a lot of value to the Sox and wherever he gets traded to.
Fits: Indians, Athletics, Brewers, Padres, Braves
Kevin Pillar
Boston Red Sox (OF)
After playing for only one team for six years, Pillar has started to become something of a journeyman following his trade to the Giants and recent signing with the Red Sox. Though his recent travels might seem like a red flag for most contending teams, his service as an acceptable/average starting outfielder is a lot better than what some of these teams have right now, making him a somewhat interesting player to trade for.
Fits: Indians, Padres, Rangers, Phillies
Jonathan Schoop
Detroit Tigers (2B/DH)
Schoop presents a rather weird case, going from having a top 12 MVP finish in 2017 to seemingly falling off the face of the Earth. He has somehow ended up in Detroit, putting up average numbers and remaining eternally forgettable. Not many players bring his amount of pop at the second base position however, and considering his history of killing left handers, he could make a decent platoon bat for a contender.
Fits: Indians, Rangers, Brewers, Astros, Padres, Athletics
Tommy La Stella
Los Angeles Angels (INF)
La Stella has really rejuvenated his career over the last two seasons with the Angels, highlighting his comeback with an appearance in the 2019 All-Star Game. La Stella has always thrived against righties and provides a lot of positional versatility, playing 3rd, 2nd, and 1st. More than anything, though, I just have a gut feeling that La Stella is the type of player who randomly hits four home runs in the World Series and wins WS MVP (e.g. Steve Pearce).
Fits: Indians, Padres, Twins, Athletics, Cubs, Braves, Dodgers
Jason Castro/Max Stassi
Los Angeles Angels (Catcher)
If you want a strong lefty bat at catcher, then your pick is Castro. If you want an absurd defender with some pop in his bat, Stassi is your man. Both won’t take much to get and thus could end up in a lot of places considering how lackluster catchers are throughout baseball nowadays.
Fits: Dodgers, Rockies, Athletics, Astros, Rays
Taijuan Walker
Seattle Mariners (SP)
Walker has tapped into some of the potential that made him a top 5 prospect a while back this season. With the SP market looking rather bleak this year, Walker could potentially bring in more than he’s worth as contending teams with a weak rotation look to up their chances in the playoffs.
Fits: Braves, Mets, Nationals, White Sox, Athletics
Jonathan Villar
Miami Marlins (UTIL)
Villar’s positional versatility and speed makes him a good fit almost anywhere. He won’t hit much but as a utility (Marwin Gonzalez)-esque player, he can provide value.
Fits: Indians, Rangers, Phillies, Padres, Athletics, White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees
Jesus Aguilar
Miami Marlins (1B/DH)
Pretty much the right handed Mitch Moreland, Aguilar has rediscovered his bat from his great 2018 season. With the universal DH being implemented as well, Aguilar may shine once more as he hides his defensive woes behind his above average bat, making him enticing for most teams.
Fits: Indians, Brewers, Rangers, Astros, Cubs
Pablo Lopez/Sandy Alcantara
Miami Marlins (SP)
I would bet against either of these two getting traded considering their age and amount of control left. However, as mentioned before, the starting pitching market is poor and a team like the Braves may be forced to overpay if they intend on being legit contenders.
Fits: White Sox, Braves, Mets, Nationals, Athletics
Adam Frazier
Pittsburgh Pirates (UTIL)
Frazier isn’t a super inspiring player, but he fits the bill as an average, solid utility guy. He is pretty much average at everything, which has its value when it comes playoff time.
Fits: Indians, Padres, Twins, Braves, Dodgers
Mike Yastrzemski
San Francisco Giants (OF)
Yastrzemski has become one of the most prolific bats in the NL out of nowhere this season, already accumulating 2.0 fWAR. Yaz’s current MVP pace and the fact that the Giants still have four years of control over him should mean that they’re asking for a steep price for him, one that most teams may not be willing to pay. On the off chance that he is moved, though, he may be the biggest name swapping jerseys this deadline.
Fits: Indians, Padres, Rangers, Phillies, Mets, Athletics
Wilmer Flores/Donovan Solano
San Francisco Giants (INF)
Both veteran journeyman, Flores and Solano are off to a quick start. They have pretty different skill sets, but both can play around the infield, and are great against lefties. Solano will hit more for average whereas Flores has more pop to his bat, but both could definitely help a contender this year.
Fits: Indians, Brewers, Padres, Braves, Athletics
List of relievers who could get moved:
BOS: Heath Hembree, Brandon Workman, Matt Barnes
BAL: Mychal Givens, Miguel Castro
TOR: AJ Cole, Anthony Bass, Rafael Dolis
KC: Scott Barlow, Greg Holland, Trevor Rosenthal
DET: Gregory Soto, Buck Farmer
LAA: Jacob Barnes, Mike Mayers, Matt Andriese
SEA: Carl Edwards Jr., Taylor Williams
MIA: Brandon Kintzler, Brad Boxberger
PIT: Chris Stratton, Richard Rodriguez
SF: Tony Watson, Jarlin Garcia
Fits: Padres, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Nationals