Over the next two weeks, many MLB players’ names will be bandied about as potential trade targets. Some of these players will actually be traded, some will not.
In some situations there are players who need be moved. And these trades should be made not only for the good of the player but, in some cases, for the good of the organization as well.
Here are five players who should be traded at the 2024 MLB trade deadline.
Who would have thought Guerrero would be a trade candidate this summer? And yet, here we are.
Things haven’t gone as planned for the Blue Jays, and after years of expectations that they would be one of the best teams in the game, it’s probably time for them to retool and move in a new direction. Guerrero has always been expected to carry a franchise — perhaps unfairly at times, but that didn’t stop him from being the runner-up for the 2021 American League MVP award — and after a few “good” seasons, he showed this season that he can still be a force in the middle of a lineup. While 2024 shortstop Bo Bichette hasn’t been the player the league has seen in recent seasons, Vladdy’s value could provide Toronto with an opportunity to retool for the future.
Enter the Mariners, whose biggest problem over the past few seasons has been their inability to hit. Even their star outfielder, Julio Rodriguez, has struggled to produce consistently. A player like Guerrero could help take the pressure off Rodriguez and change the overall dynamic of Seattle’s offense. The added benefit of acquiring the 2021 American League MVP finalist would be that the team would have another year of club control after this season. If things go well in Seattle, Rodriguez and Guerrero could become the next great MLB duo.
The Blue Jays may not be willing to move Guerrero, but the reality is what they built hasn’t worked, and it’s time for them to start thinking about a future that doesn’t involve Guerrero or Bichette.
There’s no doubt that any team looking to make the playoffs and in need of a starting pitcher has their eyes set on the White Sox ace. Coming off Tommy John surgery, Crochet has had a breakout season in his first year as a starter and currently leads the MLB in strikeouts. The big lefty has shown that he can not only lead a rotation, but also dominate in the ace role.
The Orioles have been methodically building their roster and scouting system over the past few seasons. After being the best team in the American League last season but being eliminated from the wild-card round after not making any major moves at the deadline, they need to strike while the iron is hot this year. Corbin Burnes has been everything they thought he would be since arriving from the Brewers, but he’s a free agent after this season. And with season-ending injuries to John Means, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells, the O’s are in desperate need of arms.
Crochet would provide the O’s with an extra arm at the top of their rotation as they make another push toward the pennant. Plus, with his two years of club control after 2024, he’d give the O’s a great option if Burnes leaves in free agency. One caveat: Crochet has never thrown as many innings in professional baseball as he has this year, which will be something any team that acquires him will have to monitor as the season progresses.
The White Sox have plenty of leverage here, but the Orioles should be kicking down the doors in their bid to acquire one of baseball’s most valuable assets.
Chisholm may be the most polarizing player in baseball. His talent and confidence are unmatched, but they haven’t always translated into on-field production. That’s largely due to his inability to stay healthy throughout his five MLB seasons, but this year, Chisolm has reaffirmed his value, having already played 93 games.
Chisholm’s best asset is his bat, as he offers a good combination of speed and power. While he was an elite defender at second base in 2021, his defensive prowess and athleticism didn’t translate to center field, where he’s not considered a good defender.
Elsewhere in the National League, the Reds were expected to be a wild-card contender this season, but they haven’t found the magic they had last season. Much of that decline comes from an inability to sustain offense. But Great American Ballpark is the type of environment in which Chisholm’s fluid, left-handed swing could flourish and provide some thunder. The Bahamian outfielder could be the perfect platoon partner for current Reds center fielder Stuart Fairchild, who crushes lefties, and the smaller stadium could help Chisholm’s defense, as he would have less room to cover than he did in Miami.
Cincinnati could use a spark and should capitalize on Chisholm’s potential. Plus, Chisholm and Elly De La Cruz in the same lineup would be the most stylish duo in baseball, if nothing else.
There was a time when Alonso could sign an extension to stay at Queens for the long term, but those days are over. With a new regime at the helm and Alonso’s tenure under club control coming to an end, it would seem like the right time for the Polar Bear to get moving.
Alonso’s best quality as a player may be his consistency. Over the last four full seasons (not counting 2020), he’s hit at least 37 home runs, played in at least 150 games, and posted an OPS+ above 120. This year, he’s on pace to reach those records again.
For most of the past decade, the Astros have been a force to be reckoned with. And the organization’s aggressive approach to the trade deadline is one reason they’ve reached the ALC Championship Series for seven straight seasons, winning two World Series championships. Yet because of that aggressiveness, their roster isn’t as deep as it once was. Still, they might have enough players to secure Alonso for two months.
Sure, the Mets have been a great story so far this season, and they currently hold the third wild card in the National League, but it’s a lot to ask of them to continue playing like they did before the All-Star break.
While the Mets have publicly stated that they would like Alonso to remain in Queens, the reality is that the decision rests with Alonso and his representative, Scott Boras. At this point, Alonso is more likely to test the free-agent market. If that’s the case, it would be in the Mets’ best interest to make their first baseman available this month, especially given their other areas of need and a farm system that could use more high-quality talent and depth.
It seems incredible that Scherzer could soon be on his fifth team in four seasons, but with the Rangers 7.5 games out of the wild card, that could be the reality for the three-time Cy Young winner on July 31. After winning their first World Series in franchise history last season, things haven’t gone as well for the Rangers this year, and they should likely be sellers at the deadline.
The Brewers, meanwhile, have been the class of the National League Central for most of the season, and if there’s one area they could bolster their roster, it’s the rotation. With several injuries to young starters like top prospect Robert Gasser, the Brewers have needed plenty of depth. Milwaukee already added an arm via a trade earlier this month, acquiring right-hander Aaron Civale from the Tampa Bay Rays. Scherzer would bring in another quality arm for a rotation that could use depth and playoff experience to support Civale, Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers and Colin Rea.
With Scherzer a free agent at the end of the season and the Mets/Rangers paying his salary this year, acquiring him wouldn’t cost Milwaukee the prospect capital they’d have to give up for other starting pitchers who might be available.