Ranking the Top 10 MLB Trade Targets

Taylor Ward is an underrated bat with serious power, with 12 home runs in 70 games with a 110 wRC+ this season. He has a good right-handed bat that can help any outfield, and his +2 Fielding Run Value in the outfield is helpful too. He has a .343 OBP and 49 home runs in 302 games dating back to 2022, and a good team could get more out of that bat than the Los Angeles Angels have.

Zach Eflin’s 4.12 ERA is not a reflection of how good he actually is, as the 1.33 HR/9 rate is something that won’t be sustained throughout the season. He’s a control artist with solid stuff, and his 3.78 FIP and 3.45 xERA are indicators that Eflin is due for positive regression. The Tampa Bay Rays could look to move him and his roughly $20 million of salary between this year and next remaining to help clear some payroll.

Jack Flaherty has a 3.01 ERA and 33.3% strikeout rate through 13 starts on the season, showing off an excellent ability to limit damage contact and pick-up whiffs. He’s one of the best right-handed pitchers in baseball this season, and people overlook him because of his struggles over the last two seasons. There are few pitchers doing what he’s doing in terms of strikeout rates, command, and damage prevention, and could be a frontline option for anybody.

While the underlying metrics for Tanner Scott isn’t great, he has a 1.86 ERA and last year was one of the best relievers in the game. He has the lowest ERA among left-handed relievers dating back to last season with the second-most strikeouts, and with the Miami Marlins being one of the worst teams in the game, you can expect him to readily available for teams to pick up on the final year of his contract.

Pete Alonso should be higher on this list if you just look at home runs, but from a player value standpoint, he’s more of a good player than a star one. He’s the sixth-best first baseman offensively according to wRC+ and he is a bottom-10 defensive first baseman according to various metrics. He has an excellent power tool, but the production hasn’t been there to warrant valuing him as anything more than a solid player (which is more than fine).

Isaac Parades is one of the most underrated players in all of baseball, he has the 15th best-qualified wRC+ (137) dating back to 2023. While the Rays aren’t terrible, they could find themselves being sellers at the trade deadline since the AL East has two titans at the top of the division. He has multiple years of control after this season, and the Tampa Bay Rays could get a haul and provide a contender with a top-tier corner infielder.

The White Sox suck, so they get to have two players on this list, and Garrett Crochet is one of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball. He’s fifth in fWAR (2.6) and first in strikeout rate (35.7%) among starting pitchers, and Crochet could end up being the best pitcher traded at the deadline. He has a devastating fastball-cutter combination, and teams should be all over his profile, even with the lack of MLB innings.

The Diamondbacks might not sell, but if they do, Christian Walker’s 130 wRC+ and +6 Defensive Runs Saved makes him one of the best first baseman in baseball. Very quietly, he has the fourth-best WAR among first basemen dating back to 2022, and he’s shown an ability to blast the baseball over the fence with excellent defensive value. We’re looking at one of the best players at his position, and any team in need of a first baseman would love to have him.

Mason Miller leads all relievers in strikeout rate (47.1%) and has some of the best stuff in all of baseball. With a 2.27 ERA and 100.9 MPH fastball velocity, this is an overpowering weapon that the Oakland Athletics could consider moving with how many teams could be willing to go out and spend top dollar on a multi-inning demon. This is one of the best relievers in the game, and he has five more years of control after this season.

One of the best players in the game, Luis Robert Jr. could be the biggest star moved this trade deadline as the White Sox are horrendous and he’s their best hitter. While his 108 wRC+ and 0.3 fWAR aren’t awesome, it’s only 19 games and the power has been insane since his return with 7 home runs. He’s a star, MVP candidate, and could be seen as the final piece to push a team into the promised land this October.