The added wild card in both leagues means that more teams will be in the MLB playoffs this October than ever before. 10 of the 30 teams will be playing in the fall, which means that being in 3rd place in August no longer means that your team has no hope of making the postseason. In trade deadlines past, there have been clear buyers and sellers. For the most part, this hasn't changed: the Astros, Athletics and Padres tend to be sellers more often than not, and the Cardinals and Yankees normally buy rather than sell. However, teams hovering at or around .500, like the Tigers, Angels, Mets, Reds, and every team in the AL East will no longer be fence sitters, content to watch the dealings but not necessarily getting involved. Now they want in.
So, let's take a quick look at some of the players who could be dealt and begin playing with another team before we reach the last third of the 2012 season. Just to note, this is all purely speculation based off of the most persistent trade rumors and the subjects of those rumors...there's a good chance none of them get traded, and just as good of a chance they all do, so don't send any hate mail if these aren't true:
Zack Greinke - After playing with two sub-.500 organizations, Greinke is no stranger to trade rumors. He came to the Brewers from the Royals following the 2010 season, and while he has shined both in the regular season and during the Brewers' surprising NLCS run last season, the trade talks never seem to die down around him. A free agent following this season, Greinke will most likely garner the Brewers a slew of good prospects that may be able to support Ryan Braun throughout the remainder of his 10-year extension that he signed in '10, so moving Zack may not be the worst move the Brew Crew has made in the past few months. Potential Landing Spots: Rangers, Orioles.
Cole Hamels - It's almost unthinkable that we're sitting here at the All-Star break, and Hamels is seriously on the trading block. The Phillies, 5-time NL East Division champs, have taken a massive fall from grace, losing their 50th game of the season to the Braves to finish the first half (for some perspective, the 2011 club lost 60 games in the entire season). So there has been relentless talk about where Hamels may go and for what. As you may assume, Cole will either get the Phils prospects out the nose, or Major League-ready talent, in a trade, or he may elect to wait it out and test the free agency waters (he recently said in an interview that he was open to absolutely anything). Only time will tell. Potential Landing Spots: Dodgers, Phillies.
Matt Garza - Garza, who threw the first no-hitter in Rays history back in 2010, has been the target of trade rumors almost since the day he was traded to the Cubs nearly 2 seasons ago. And for good reason: while his record hasn't reflected it, Garza's seen a career renaissance since joining the North Siders, and posted a career high in strikeouts with 197 while pitching to a career low 3.32 ERA. Garza has stated many times that he likes playing for the Cubbies (go figure), and would prefer to sign an extension rather than get traded. Still, after Theo Epstein's proclamation that the entire roster, save Starlin Castro and possibly Jeff Samardjiza, can be had in a deal, it seems unlikely. Potential Landing Spots: Red Sox, Tigers.
Shane Victorino - The Flyin' Hawaiian is still viewed as a hot commodity as a semi-power hitting speedster, just entering his real prime at age 31. Regardless of his close relationship with manager Charlie Manuel, it almost seems certain that Victorino won't be playing in the City of Brotherly Love come next April. His hot feet could benefit a number of speed-challenged teams, and Victorino would love to go to a team that's contending, what with his 5-time NL East champion Phils 12 and a half games back as we begin the second half of the season. While the Phillies still claim that they won't give up Victorino and his teammate Hamels so quickly, it appears that their time in Philadelphia is rapidly coming to a close. Potential Landing Spots: Indians, Pirates.
Justin Upton - Wait, really? Justin Upton, who placed 4th in MVP voting last year while helping the Diamondbacks reach the playoffs in a worst-to-first season, is up for grabs? I wish that was true in my fantasy league, but somehow, this is real life. Upton has had a less than spectacular season, going .273/7/37 through the first half, which wouldn't necessitate any consideration for the MVP award this year, but he's only 24 and is one of those players who are still viewed as huge potential/upside players. We hear a lot about his older brother, B.J., every summer as a possible trade candidate...it's pretty shocking to suddenly hear the same about Justin. No matter: if he does get traded, it will cost the receiving team some great prospects and, possibly, MLB-ready players, which the Snakes would not be unhappy about. Potential Landing Spots: Giants, Marlins.
Carlos Quentin - Traded to the Padres from the White Sox this offseason, Quentin has been one of the few highlights for a dismal San Diego team. So, of course, the buzz around him is not that they'd try to retain him for years and build around him, but that they ought to trade him to a contender. Go figure. Quentin started the season on the disabled list, and didn't play in a game until May 28th, but since then, he's gone .268/7/17, numbers that won't be garnering him any MVP awards, but respectable enough to have him leading the Friars in nearly every one of those categories. If he does get traded to a contender, he most likely wouldn't be an impact player, but more likely just an offensive boost. Potential Landing Spots: White Sox, Pirates.
Peter Bourjos - There's a good chance you may not even know who Peter Bourjos is. If that's the case, let me fill you in: Petey is one of the amazing young outfielders currently struggling to find playing time with the Angels. Because of the albatrosses Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter, he seems to have drawn the short straw between himself, Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo on how often he gets into the lineup. There's no doubt that he would certainly have no problem elsewhere in finding time on the field, as his potential and mechanics make him a surefire star outfielder. A deal that almost sent him to the Nationals this offseason progressed somewhat, but never materialized. There's a chance Washington could try again soon. Potential Landing Spots: Nationals, Braves.
Alfonso Soriano - Every year, we hear whispers that the Cubs are trying to move Soriano and his giant albatross of a contract, and every year, he remains in a Cubs uniform. Is there reason to believe this year could be different? Probably not, but that hasn't stopped us yet. Alfonso's production has declined in the past few seasons (shocking for a 13-year veteran who is 36 years old), but he still puts up moderately respectable numbers: 65 homers, 215 RBI and an average OPS of .798 is nothing to turn your nose up at, and most teams have been sniffing around him for months, not just this season but last season as well. Unless the Cubbies are willing to absorb a massive amount of his remaining salary, he will probably remain in Chicago. But he's played for 4 teams in his career, and number 5 may be on the way. Potential Landing Spots: Rays, Astros.
Chase Headley - Again, there's an excellent chance you have never heard of Headley, but solely because he's spent his entire career with the Padres. Even more so, his career numbers are nothing impressive at all: .268 career average, 44 home runs and 246 RBI along with a .741 OPS means Headley won't be enshrined in Cooperstown any time soon. However, he can be clutch at the plate, and he is considered to be one of the better defenders at the hot corner in the game today. While he probably wouldn't go straight to a powerhouse team, an organization that's on the outside looking in right now may pick him up for a little insurance. Potential Landing Spots: Orioles, Diamondbacks.
Felix Hernandez - Just like Soriano, there's always mention of King Felix when July begins as a possible trade candidate for the perennial cellar-dwelling Mariners. Even though general manager Jack Zduriencik has made it incredibly obvious that they're not interested in fielding calls inquiring about Hernandez, they will invariably come a-callin' for Felix's services. Hernandez, the 2010 AL Cy Young winner, is currently 6-5 with a 3.13 ERA and 128 strikeouts, numbers that make many front office employees for most organizations salivate. Even more enticing is his age (26), but his contract is a turn off to most potential suitors (he is owed $18.5 million this year, $19.5 million next year and $20 million in 2014). Potential Landing Spots: Yankees, Mariners.
There's never any telling just when the trade winds will start blowing. But once they do, the whirlwind of players is always fantastic to watch. Stay tuned for any updates regarding players and teams on the move.
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