Yesterday, we went over the teams that should look to buy at the trade deadline. As always, there will also be sellers in the market, and these teams should look to make a deal ahead of the July 31st deadline.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays have battled this season, which they seem to do every year, but they probably don’t have a realistic shot to make the postseason in a stacked American League. Tampa Bay already traded Nathan Eovaldi to the Red Sox, but they have more pieces to move before next week. Chris Archer continues to regress statistically, but a change of scenery could give him a major jolt—and his contract is very reasonable, giving team control at under $10 million for a few more years.
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto might be the team most likely to make a relatively big trade in the coming days. Curtis Granderson could give a contender the perfect veteran presence and bat off the bench, but Josh Donaldson is the player I’m watching. He’s had an injury plagued year, but the former AL MVP had 33+ home runs in each of the last three seasons. If he stays healthy and catches fire, Donaldson can really be a difference-maker in September and October. J.A. Happ could also be on the move for the Jays.
New York Mets
With a 1.71 ERA and a 5-5 record to show for it, Jacob deGrom is probably praying that he gets traded by the Mets. Considering how well he’s thrown this season, someone should give up almost whatever is necessary to make a deal—imagine adding him atop a contender’s rotation. Noah Syndergaard is another stellar potential acquisition, but his contraction of hand, foot, and mouth disease complicates things.
St. Louis Cardinals
Manager Mike Matheny was already fired, so more shake-ups being on the horizon for St. Louis makes sense. Matt Carpenter’s scorching stretch could make a team in need of another bat in their lineup want to at least make an offer. Also, Carpenter is one of the best people in baseball, so he’ll be a positive addition to a clubhouse.
Texas Rangers
Adrian Beltre, Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, Keone Kela, and Shin-Soo Choo are all potential trade candidates for the Rangers. Beltre, Hamels, and Choo all have at least part no-trade clauses, but they might want to play for a contender if the right opportunity arises. The Rangers might ultimately decide to try and re-tool and compete next season, but they could get a nice haul of prospects if they become sellers.
Degrom robbed of wins lol