Welcome, there is one week left until the trade deadline and things have started to heat up. Let’s check the trade thread…
Wow. Okay, they’re really going to do everything in the last week, aren’t they?
Today we’re going to work from a cheat sheet. Tim Britton and Aaron Gleeman have compiled The Athletic‘s trade deadline chart, a list of their top 50 players who could be moved at the deadline. Check out the links as you go — our trade deadline team did a great job last week.
Starting Pitchers
Everyone needs it, it’s just a matter of degrees. With so many buyers vying for a boost (and so few teams fully committed to a “sell” strategy), the price this year might be a bit higher than you’re used to. So who’s available? Here are three that I think are the most interesting.
• Garrett Crochet (left-handed, White Sox) — Two factors make a player interesting for this exercise: talent and the likelihood he’ll be traded. Crochet scores well on both metrics, with a 3.02 ERA, a team-best 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings and 1.9 walks per nine innings. He’s also under team control through 2026. But there are red flags: After missing the 2022 season (Tommy John surgery), Crochet entered 2024 with a career total of 85 1/3 professional innings from 2020-23. His heaviest workload in a season: 65 innings in 2019 … as a Tennessee Volunteer. He’s already at 107 1/3 this season. Will he be able to keep pitching through October?
• Nathan Eovaldi (right-handed, Rangers) — With a 3.05 ERA in 79 2/3 innings with the Red Sox and Rangers, Eovaldi is a proven asset heading into October. But will the Rangers go into sell mode next week? They’re dangerously close, 7 1/2 games behind in the wild-card race, but remember: The AL West is weak, so they’re only four games behind in the division. Plus, the core is in place to contend again next year, so it makes sense to stick with upcoming free agents, including Eovaldi… probably If he throws another 61 innings, that would trigger a $20 million player option for next season, but that’s probably not a problem barring injury: He’s been pretty good, and even at age 35 (in February), it seems possible he could beat that number on the open market.
• Jack Flaherty (right-hander, Tigers) — After last year’s disaster in Baltimore, Flaherty signed a one-year deal with Detroit and has done a fantastic job of getting back into shape. His .964 WHIP is a career best, slightly better than the .968 mark he had in 2018, when he finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting. The Tigers are actually ahead of the Rangers in the wild-card standings, but even at 11-3 in their last 14 games (while Cleveland is 5-9), they’re still just 10 games back in the division. There doesn’t seem to be a reasonable path to the playoffs, so expect Flaherty and the rest of the Tigers to be gone soon.
Desperately searching for SP: Astros, Guardians, Orioles
Need a SP: Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Padres, Red Sox, Twins, Yankees
If that’s okay with you, of course: Mets, Pirates, Royals
No:Mariners, Phillies
Will a team make the A’s an offer they can’t resist for All-Star Mason Miller? (Kevin Jairaj / USA Today)
Relief pitchers
• Mason Miller (right-handed, A’s) — Miller only meets half of the equation I listed for Crochet above; I just don’t think anyone meets Oakland’s asking price. Not for a closer. That’s not to say I think the A’s are asking for too much. He’s an All-Star with a fairly marketable presence, he throws 104 mph, and he’s controllable through 2029! He’s a guy you want to keep on the roster when you’re going into two new cities in the next few years and trying to build new local fan bases. But if someone gets rowdy and decides to set the A’s up for big success in, say, 2027? They should at least listen.
• Lucas Erceg (right-handed, A’s) — If you can’t change Oakland’s mind on Miller, Erceg could be your consolation prize. Also capable of triple-digit performances and under control through 2029, he makes a bit more sense as a tradeable asset simply because he’s 29 (Miller is 25). He’s not going to be a difference-maker in a contender’s World Series hopes, but if you’re replacing your worst reliever with this guy, he’s a big upgrade.
• John Brebbia (right-handed pitcher, White Sox) — You might look at Brebbia’s 5.12 ERA and wonder why I put it here, but as Gleeman points out: “From June 1st through the All-Star break, John Brebbia could lay claim to being the best reliever in MLB. He owns the MLB’s best WAR in relief and his strikeout rate for the season has now reached the 30% mark.“He won’t be a blockbuster name that gets a lot of buzz, but he could be the sneakiest and most effective addition of the deadline.
Another interesting point: the Rays still have a few players who could be moved. (The Cubs do too.)
Desperately seeking RP: Diamondbacks, Mets, Padres, Pirates, Royals, Yankees
Need a RP: Orioles, Phillies, Red Sox
If that’s okay with you, of course: Astros, Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Dodgers, Guardians, Mariners, Twins
No:Nobody, literally. You can always use another reliever.
Randy Arozarena has played closer to his career highs over the past six weeks, with a .921 OPS in his last 40 games before Monday. (John Jones/USA Today)
Right-handed hitters
• Bo Bichette (SS, Blue Jays) — Toronto’s trade deadline strategy is shaping up to be the most intriguing in the league. They’ll probably trade a pitcher or two, but Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (for different reasons) are the ones that intrigue me the most. For Bichette, this could be a low-cost proposition for any potential buyer — he’s had a terrible year at the plate and is currently on the injured list with a calf injury. But the positive track record could convince a team to make a move.
• Randy Arozarena (left, Rays) — This is a unique situation for Tampa, as Arozarena is under team control through 2026 and has a history of postseason success (1.104 OPS in 33 games). His slow start has given way to more career-level production over the last six weeks or so, but with his arbitration-eligible salary set to increase in the coming years, he could reach that classic Rays threshold.
• Brent Rooker (DH, A’s) — Like Miller and Erceg, Rooker still has a few years before he hits free agency (three more after this one, to be exact). He’s on pace to surpass his career-high of 30 home runs from last year, and while he’s limited defensively — 72 games as a designated hitter and 14 split between left and right field — it’s not like any team needs a right-handed hitter.
Note: While these tiers are simpler for pitchers’ needs, they’re a bit more complicated for hitters. They’re based on team stats for right-handed hitters versus left-handed pitchers. But team needs are much more position-specific, so I’m not necessarily suggesting that teams with the greatest needs are necessarily on the market for the guys I listed above.
Desperately searching for RHB: Cardinals, Mariners, Padres
Need a RHB: Astros, Braves, Brewers, Pirates, Yankees
If that’s okay with you, of course: Diamondbacks, Guardians, Phillies, Orioles, Royals, Twins
No:The Dodgers, Mets and Red Sox
Left-handed hitters
• Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Outfielder/2B, Marlins) — Chisholm’s OPS has declined slightly in each of the last two years, from .860 in 2022 to .761 last year and then .733 heading into Monday night’s game. He’s also been an injury risk, playing a combined 157 games from 2022-23. But he’s been healthy this year and his skill set is still electric at times. I can’t help but wonder if he’s going to be a guy who changes scenery and thrives after a trade.
• Ryan McMahon (3B, Rockies) — I still don’t know if Colorado will trade McMahon, since he’s under team control through 2027, and you never know for sure what the Rockies are thinking. But teams have to be interested in a left-handed hitter with positional flexibility — he can play third, second And first base. (He also played three innings at shortstop, but that’s not a realistic position for him.)
• Michael Conforto (left wing, Giants) — It all depends on the Giants being sold, which isn’t a given, but it’s starting to feel like it’s time. I don’t think Conforto is the kind of player who would be the difference-maker he could have been before his shoulder injuries — he hasn’t had an OPS above .800 since 2020 — but if you can get some money back in the deal to cover the $6 million or so he’s owed before he becomes a free agent at the end of the season, it’s a low-risk bet.
Desperately searching for LHB: Braves, Mariners, Mets, Royals, Pirates
Need a LHB: Brewers, Cardinals, Guardians, Twins
If that’s okay with you, of course: Diamondbacks, Padres, Phillies, Yankees
No:Astros, Red Sox, Dodgers, Orioles
More links
(Top photo by Nathan Eovaldi: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)