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Adding additional wild card teams was something Rob Manfred chose to do in part with the hopes that competition would be enhanced. The trade deadline falls on August 1st, 2023, and as teams barrel towards that date, they’ll need to figure out what side of the fence they stand on.
Rocco Baldelli’s Minnesota Twins should be buyers, and below you can find each assumed selling team with what they may have to offer.
Detroit Tigers - Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Lorenzen, Matthew Boyd, Jose Cisnero
There’s not a lot to like despite the Tigers being a team slightly outperforming expectations. They aren’t moving on from young stars like Riley Greene or Tarik Skubal, and Spencer Torkelson isn’t being pieced out for nothing. A.J. Hinch doesn’t have a ton of productive veterans on his roster, and it seems that the trio of Rodriguez, Lorenzen, and Boyd could be the most likely. The former could command a good haul having pitched very well this season. He does have an opt-out after the year, and that could impact what the return is. Neither Lorenzen or Boyd have been very good, but could entice someone looking for a cheap piece to acquire and give them a shot with new scenery. Will Vest is a nice relief arm, but he’s under team control through 2027 and paying up for a reliever with a short track record doesn’t seem ideal. Cisnero could be an intriguing late inning arm for Detroit to move.
Chicago White Sox - Yasmani Grandal, Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson, Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly, Kendall Graveman, Liam Hendriks, Keynan Middleton, Reynaldo Lopez
Just how much the White Sox want to blow this thing up with Pedro Grifol having similar results to Tony La Russa remains to be seen. Grandal and Moncada are probably two of the easiest veteran bats to move, and while Anderson is someone they need to deal, his value has never been lower. The pitching side, however, presents plenty of options. Cease still is under team control and would command a haul, but that could help to spark a rebuild. Both Giolito and Lynn should be relatively straightforward coming to the end of their deals, and the former still is a reliable starter. Chicago paid handsomely for their bullpen and getting relief there could be big. Kelly has been fine, and although Graveman’s secondary numbers are scary, he has been a high-leverage pitcher for a while. Moving Hendriks this season, and considering he’s currently on the IL, may be tough but they could get some value before he walks at the end of the year. With Chicago being open for business, basically anyone in their pen could be had, so we see Middleton and Lopez show up here.
Cleveland Guardians - Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale
I struggle to believe the Guardians would sell as they lead the AL Central at the All-Star Break. Maybe they fall off by the end of the month, but it continues to look as though the division is a two-team race. Still, Bieber represents an interesting piece given the depth that the Guardians have. Terry Francona could see an influx of other talent in exchange for Bieber, and the rotation wouldn't necessarily miss a beat without him. Civale's inclusion is somewhat similar to Bieber. His numbers are better than he has actually pitched, but cashing in on him because of it isn't a bad idea. How the front office handles this will be fascinating.
Kansas City Royals - Scott Barlow, Amir Garrett
This is one of the worst teams in baseball for a reason, and they just don’t have much talent. The youth is still looking to catch on, and they aren’t trading Bobby Witt Jr. anyways. The Royals signed Aroldis Chapman for the sole reason of flipping him, and they accomplished that by sending him to the Texas Rangers. Scott Barlow or Amir Garrett could have value to competing clubs. The former has better underlying numbers than his ERA would suggest, and the latter is dealing with the exact opposite.
Seattle Mariners - Eugenio Suarez, Teoscar Hernandez, Mike Ford, Paul Sewald, Justin Topa
It’s not a guarantee that the Mariners sell, but they’re very clearly behind both the Rangers and Astros. Julio Rodriguez is staying put, and so too should Luis Castillo, but there are some options here. Suarez has seen the power production dip significantly, but he’s still been a valuable player and hits right-handed. Hernandez isn’t the 2021 version of himself, but he too is a right-handed power bat and can play the outfield. For has seen success in brief action during his first season with Seattle, so maybe they attempt to cash in there. Sewald is the gem of the bullpen there, and he isn’t a free agent until after next season. Topa has more team control, but much less of a track record.
Los Angeles Angels - Shohei Ohtani, Brandon Drury, Hunter Renfroe, Gio Urshela, Chris Devenski, Matt Moore
What the Angels should and will do couldn’t likely be further apart, but sitting on Ohtani as they miss the playoffs without Mike Trout only to benefit from a Qualifying Offer would be ugly. He’d command a ridiculous trade return, and it may be the only chance an organization unwilling to pay him $600 million gets a chance to roster him. Both Drury and Renfroe have been decent in their first season with the Angels. The former is on the books in 2024 while the latter is a free agent. Urshela came over from Minnesota and has been a consistent contact hitter with no power. Devenski isn’t the same arm he was during his early Astros days, but the stuff is usable. Los Angeles paid Moore almost $8 million this offseason, and although the results aren’t quite what he did for the Rangers in 2022, he’d still be a big boost to a bullpen.
Oakland Athletics - Jace Peterson, Ramon Laureano, Brent Rooker, Paul Blackburn
Similar to the Royals, there just is so little to like here. It’s a no-brainer for the Athletics to cash in on Rooker, but he’s cooled mightily since the hot start. Laureano has been dangled as a name they’d move for some time now, and it’s hard to imagine that stance has changed. Peterson is on a paltry two-year deal and is more a utility option than anything else, but Oakland is always in the business of clearing money. It’s too bad Trevor May, Sam Moll, and Austin Pruitt haven’t presented more reasons for a team to covet their services as relief help. Blackburn doesn't represent an exciting piece, but he's a solid veteran option that comes with team control.
New York Mets - Tommy Pham, Mark Canha, Max Scherzer, David Robertson, Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino
The Mets being in this position is not something Steve Cohen wanted to see by any stretch. Unfortunately the money spent hasn’t translated to wins, and they already moved Eduardo Escobar to the Angels. Pham and Canha are having fine seasons and both represent a veteran presence that could be moved. I’m not sure they want to deal Scherzer, even with his opt-out after 2023, but he would command plenty even with the decreased numbers. Relief options are available in New York, and to what extent a team may be intrigued should come in across the board.
Washington Nationals - Jeimer Candelario, Ildemaro Vargas, Patrick Corbin, Carl Edwards Jr., Kyle Finnegan
The Nationals aren’t a very good team, and they’re relatively young, so the options they have to offer pieces aren’t aplenty. Candelario is a career utility type that is seeing somewhat of a power breakout, while Vargas remains a guy who can play all over the diamond operating at replacement level. You could do better than Corbin for a starting arm, but you could do worse as well. Both Edardwars Jr. and Finnegan have been fine out of the pen, but neither has inspiring secondary numbers or strikeout totals.
Chicago Cubs - Cody Bellinger, Yan Gomes, Mike Tauchman, Patrick Wisdom, Marcus Stroman, Drew Smyly, Mark Leiter Jr., Michael Fulmer
Taking a chance on Bellinger, the Cubs paid up for one year of his services and they should look to cash in. He could be flipped somewhere during his resurgence, and Chicago will get nice pieces back in return. They haven’t come to a long-term agreement with Stroman, and that makes it more than likely he is on the move. Gomes and Tauchman are veterans that are performing just fine and could be backup options for a competitor, while Wisdom has shown more than he has in 2023. Leiter Jr. is one of the few relief options Chicago could look to part with, and while Smyly shouldn’t take much to acquire, he could probably be had as well. A reunion with Fulmer could be in the cards as he did pitch for the Twins last year. The numbers aren't as good, but the familiarity is there.
Pittsburgh Pirates - Andrew McCutchen, Connor Joe, Carlos Santana, David Bednar, Rich Hill
For a while it looked as though David Shelton’s squad was going to compete but they have since come back to earth. McCutchen going home was a fun story this offseason, and he’s been great, but moving him to a competitor is something they need to do. He can re-sign and retire a Pirate down the line. Both Joe and Sanatana are veterans that are holding their own. Neither has been spectacular, but they could have value to a team looking for a slight bump. The Pirates didn’t trade Bednar last year, and doing so this year seems unlikely as well. However, he’s one of the better relief arms in baseball and under team control. If they don’t view him in the same development window as their next wave, he’d net them a nice return. Hill isn’t pitching great this season, and he’s at the end of his career, but he’d make a nice fifth arm for a team.
St. Louis Cardinals - Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Paul DeJong, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery, Steven Matz, Jordan Hicks
One of the most shocking teams to be sellers in that they were supposed to compete, the Cardinals have plenty of top tier talent to move. Both of their superstar talents on offense could be pieced out, and Goldschmidt would entire plenty of teams. Arenado is younger with more years left on his contract, but it would depend on how they view his career intersecting with their next wave. DeJong has been cast aside previously and is having a fine season, it could be time for St. Louis to flip him for something. It makes sense that Flaherty would be moved as an impending free agent, and he has pitched better of late. Montgomery is also a free agent in 2024, and while Matz was just recently signed to a four-year deal, it hasn’t worked and they could look to get out from the contract. It's been an up and down career for Hicks, but he's a free agent next year and striking out everyone. That type of flamethrower in the bullpen will entice someone.
San Diego Padres - Blake Snell, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Josh Hader, Tim Hill
Another big spender this offseason, it makes more sense for the Padres to deal pitching than hitting. Maybe they don’t sign Juan Soto to an extension, but they should run it back with him next year. Their other bats are either young, or have recently been extended. Snell, Wacha, Lugo, and Hader will all be free agents this offseason, and flipping a couple of them could help to restock the farm system. Snell would be the biggest get and has looked good this year, but Lugo is right there, and Hader remains one of the game’s best closers. Hill has a shiny ERA but doesn’t have much room for error and the underlying numbers are ugly.
Colorado Rockies - Randal Grichuk, Brent Suter, Brad Hand, Daniel Bard, C.J. Cron
Rarely having a straightforward plan, it’s hard to guess what the Rockies may be up to. Grichuk is a veteran in the final year of his deal, and while he’s been fine, his power has been non-existent despite playing in elevation. Suter is having a nice year during his first in Colorado, and while Hand’s ERA is not good, some of his secondary numbers suggest he could be fine elsewhere. Bard is not pitching near as well as he did a season ago, but it seems certain he’ll be moved and an acquiring organization could look to get him back trending in that direction. Cron is in the final year of his deal, and while he's having a down year, sending him anywhere makes sense for Colorado.
There will always be more names than those listed here, but this is a good outline of what team’s should be sellers at the deadline and some of what they’ll have to offer. For a Twins team needing more than a couple of pieces, they should be expected to be plenty active.
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- mikelink45 and Hashim
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