Breaking down the TOP 10 remaining MLB trade targets ahead of the deadline on Tuesday! Let us know if you think anyone else might be moved in the comment section.
10.) Brandon Lowe
Brandon Lowe is an excellent offensive piece for a contending team, representing a competent defender at second base that has power in the batter’s box. The 30-year-old does have a checkered health history but is an impact piece when available. He’s hitting .257 with a .352 OBP this year, adequate numbers for a team that needs a jolt of production in the heart of their lineup.
9.) Blake Snell
I didn’t think this would be possible at first, and while his ERA is still over 5.00, Blake Snell is still an awesome pitcher. The strikeout rates are great and he’s put his bad start behind him, with the likelihood of him opting out is very high. At just $15 million for this season, teams won’t have to worry about how much he costs, and with the stuff looking sharp again, the San Francisco Giants can get an actual return back for the 2023 NL Cy Young Winner.
8.) Yandy Diaz
Yandy Diaz has gotten better as the season has gone on, and from 2022-2023 he was one of the best hitters in baseball. It hasn’t been as awesome this year, but his great plate discipline and solid power should make him an attractive trade chip this July. Teams need help at first base, and it wouldn’t shock me to see him get traded before this even comes out because of how willing the Rays are to sell.
7.) Jack Flaherty
While he hasn’t been the best starter on his team, Jack Flaherty might be the best starter who ends up getting traded. The right-hander has a 2.95 ERA and 32% strikeout rate, showing off an incredible three-pitch mix. His four-seamer picks up plenty of whiffs and his slider and curveball have plenty of vertical drop and movement that allows him to pick up strikeouts. His stuff is great, his command has gotten even better, and he’s a free agent after 2024.
6.) Brent Rooker
Brent Rooker is one of the best hitters on the planet right now with a 169 wRC+ and 25 home runs on the season. He drives the baseball with power and has the on-base skills that have allowed him to transcend into an elite hitter. There are so many teams who need a thumper like him, and the Oakland Athletics could also get an absolute haul for him. If there’s one thing that plays in October, it’s dudes who mash.
5.) Tanner Scott
The best left-handed reliever on the market, Tanner Scott has a 1.18 ERA with an excellent strikeout rate and groundball rate to go alongside it. His ability to fire 97 MPH fastballs with excellent vertical ride and fire an unbelievable slider that has two-plane movement makes him such a strikeout machine, and the appeal is there for literally any contender. He’s awesome, the Marlins stink, and they’re going to try and get a HAUL for him.
4.) Mason Miller
We’re doubling up with relievers and while the Oakland Athletics may choose to keep him, they could get a generational haul back for him. Teams are willing to trade a premium to get closers, as evidenced by Carlos Estevez and Jason Adam who yielded top-100 caliber prospects in return. Miller is better than both, but there is one massive caveat; he broke his left pinkie (not his pitching one) in a fit of rage in the trainer’s room. Maybe that stops him from being traded.
3.) Luis Robert
Based on this season alone, Luis Robert should not be the fourth-ranked player on this list as he has a 102 wRC+ and has struggled at the plate. With that being said, the Chicago White Sox know they can get a haul for him if they ask the right teams considering just how good he is defensively and on the basepaths. The power and speed combination are great, and there are plenty of contenders who would love to add his bat to their lineup.
2.) Garrett Crochet
Something that has thrown a wrench into the Chicago White Sox’s plans of dealing him has been his demand to get an extension if he pitches in the postseason. For teams like the Baltimore Orioles, who may not have the financial flexibility to do such a thing, that could be a problem, but for a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers, it might allow him to fall into their laps. He has a 3.07 ERA and leads all starters in fWAR (4.1)
1.) Tarik Skubal
It’s not likely that he gets moved, but Tarik Skubal is one of the best pitchers in the game if not the best pitcher. Skubal has a 2.35 ERA and 30% strikeout rate, which makes him the frontrunner for the AL Cy Young Award. If the Tigers choose to move him it will take a hall similar to what we saw moved for Juan Soto, so perhaps a team like the Orioles can put together the package needed to make a trade that could change the pennant race.