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Ah, the trade deadline! It’s the time of year when dreams are made and crushed. We’re past the All Star break now, and the high hopes so many teams had in Spring Training have turned out to be nothing but pipe dreams. Now it’s time for the General Managers of the failed teams to start selling off the players, trying to recoup as much as they can and build for the future. Here are the six teams that are most likely to be sellers at this year’s trade deadline.
The Reds didn’t want to admit they were sellers until after the All Star break – they hosted the game, and they wanted an excited and engaged fan base for the big day. But now that the lights of the All Star game have dimmed, it looks like General Manager Walter Jocketty will be selling everything that isn’t nailed down. That includes ace Johnny Cueto, who will be a free agent at the end of the year. Pitcher Mike Leake, closer Aroldis Chapman, and outfielder Jay Bruce are all trade candidates, too. Home run derby champ Todd Frazier could also be traded, though the Reds front office is swearing up and down that he’s “nailed down.”. Selling makes sense for the Reds, who are 16.5 games out of contention and simply have too much money tied up in future contracts.
The Rockies didn’t want to move Troy Tulowitzki or outfielder Carlos Gonzalez before the season, and reports said that the team wanted to see where it stood around the All Star break. Well, here we are, and the team is terrible. It stands to reason that both stars are now available (for the right price, at least). Colorado’s ballpark is famously hitter-friendly, but the offensive pop of these two is no illusion – expect to see offense-hungry teams kick the tires on these guys.
The Detroit Tigers may be the biggest letdown in an AL Central division that has seen more than its fair share of disappointing teams this season. Now it seems that the Tigers are giving up on the season. Rumors are swirling that the Tigers are willing to be sellers, and their team is stocked with enough talent to get a lot of deals done. Look for trades to involve ace pitcher David Price or outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.
The Brewers are sitting 10 games below .500 and a dismal fifth in their division, so they’re more than ready to sell. Center fielder Carlos Gomez is an obvious trade candidate, as the Brewers will never be able to afford his next contract. Young shortstop Carlos Gomez could also be moved.
The Athletics aren’t in the worst position, but their division is competitive and Billy Beane is famously unsentimental. What’s more, some of their players are getting an awful lot of attention from rival clubs. Ben Zobrist, who can play both infield and outfield, is being targeted by everyone from the San Francisco Giants to the New York Mets. If Beane thinks he can get more than Zobrist is worth (and he probably can), then he’s like to pull the trigger. Could a Zobrist deal trigger a fire sale in Oakland?
Philadelphia has been selling longer than anybody. They’ve been trying to move pitcher Cole Hamels since Spring Training, but teams have shied away from his injury history and massive upcoming paydays. The Phillies have some more appetizing players available as well. The list of available players may include speedy outfielder Ben Revere, who is having a solid season with more power than usual.
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