Some Big Names Could Be Moved At The MLB Trade Deadline
Somehow, the Major League Baseball season is already nearly at the halfway point. And with the trade deadline just about a month and a half away, teams are rapidly assessing their position in the standings and roster needs.
Thanks to some surprising starts, both good and bad, it could be a much more eventful deadline than in years past. Several new reports, from ESPN's Jeff Passan and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, detailed which players might be on the move and which teams might be interested. And it could lead to a wild, rapidly evolving situation as the deadline approaches.
Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
Big Name Players Could Be On The Move At The MLB Trade Deadline
The Chicago White Sox are baseball's worst team, but despite their atrocious 15-46 record, they have two of the hottest targets for contending teams. And according to both reports, they're open for business. Luis Robert Jr has missed most of the season with injury, but turned in a five win performance in 2023, and with many teams searching for offensive help, he could be an intriguing option.
Chicago also has Garrett Crochet, who's been one of the game's biggest surprises. After starting his career as a reliever, Crochet's turned to starting this year and been impressive, to say the least. With a 2.87 FIP and 33.7% strikeout rate, Crochet's contributed two wins above replacement, and at just 24-years-old, is under control until 2027.
The Miami Marlins are also expected to be aggressive, potentially even making stars like Jazz Chisholm Jr or Jesus Luzardo available. Though Chisholm's checked clubhouse reputation could limit their return. Even the Houston Astros could become sellers, according to Passan. Houston's had a miserable start to 2024 at just 28-35, 7.5 games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners. Then on Wednesday, they learned they'd be without stars Jose Urquidy and Christian Javier for the remainder of the season.
Would that be enough for them to move free agent-to-be Alex Bregman and starter Justin Verlander? Or even Kyle Tucker, who's having an MVP-caliber season, but is a free agent after 2025.
If the Astros do decide to sell, they'd have three of the more desirable trade candidates, with Tucker commanding an immense return.
Others have suggested that the New York Mets could make Pete Alonso available, with any number of teams hoping he can provide a power boost down the stretch.
Which Teams Will Be Most Aggressive At The Deadline?
The San Diego Padres are always one of the game's most aggressive teams in acquiring talent. The Padres already traded away Juan Soto, then brought in Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez earlier this season.
Rosenthal reported they'd already been in contact with the White Sox on Crochet, understandably so considering injuries to Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove.
The Dodgers also have several glaring needs; despite building an elite core group, an oblique injury for Max Muncy has exposed a concerning lack of depth in the bottom of the lineup. With their outfielders struggling offensively, Luis Robert could be an obvious target. As could Kyle Tucker, if the Astros make him available.
Starting pitching is always at a premium come playoff time, and teams like the Kansas City Royals or Texas Rangers could look to make additions to shore up their postseason odds.
Complicating matters are the number of teams on the fringes of contention. Some, like Cubs, Cardinals or Reds, might decide to stand pat rather than risk their farm systems chasing a postseason berth. Or they could go all in, realizing that if the 83-win Arizona Diamondbacks can make the World Series, anyone can.
Those Diamondbacks are also on the fringes of contention, as are the San Francisco Giants. And the market for the available players might be determined by how many of those fringe teams decide to buy. Or sell. It seemed like before the season this could be a boring deadline, but these new reports suggest anything but. Stay tuned.