Baseball Trade Talk Starts To Heat Up As August 1 Deadline Draws Closer

Ever since Major League Baseball moved the trade deadline from June 15 to July 31, the urgency to make early trades has subsided. But this year could be different – especially since 12 of the 30 clubs can qualify for post-season play.

Although June trades are rare, they’re not impossible.

On June 15, 1964, for example, the St. Louis Cardinals acquired future Hall of Famer Lou Brock from the Chicago Cubs in a multi-player swap that also sent top starting pitcher Ernie Broglio the other way. Pitching needs may dictate the direction this year’s market takes too.

Contending teams – or those that think they can become contenders with a clever mid-season move or two – are already circling like vultures over those that already out of the six divisional races.

The also-rans, anxious to pare payroll, can expect to be busy.

Consider the Kansas City Royals. A small-market team, the Royals are listening to offers for relievers Aroldis Chapman and Scott Barlow, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Veteran starter Zack Greinke can be had too, although his age (39), salary ($8.5 million), and no-trade clause will make any deal difficult. But he’d probably love to go to a contender.

A better bet to move is the 35-year-old Chapman, a left-handed fireballer whose $3.5 million salary is just about at the major-league average.

The seven-time All-Star, who has started well this season, could fetch a couple of prospects, especially if traded now so that the acquiring club has him for three months rather than two. Barlow, earning $5.3 million, also has closer experience.

Another likely trader, the Oakland Athletics, is en route to a historically awful season. The A’s are involved in a potential franchise transfer to Las Vegas but have a habit of dealing veterans for prospects. Their payroll of $56,895,000 (per Cot’s Contracts) is the lowest in the majors.

At the opposite extreme, the New York Mets rank first in payroll ($377 million) but near the bottom in the National League East standings. The oldest team in the majors after the signing of 40-year-old starter Justin Verlander, the Mets entered this weekend with a six-game losing streak, enough to put them 8½ games behind the front-running Atlanta Braves.

The Mets carry a record $377 million payroll, nearly $100 million more than any other club, but have received little return on investment. The patience of billionaire owner Steve Cohen may be running out, placing manager Buck Showalter, general manager Billy Eppler, and most of the 25-man roster in jeopardy.

The team misses lights-out closer Edwin Diaz, injured while celebrating a Team Puerto Rico win during the World Baseball Classic in March. If the Atlanta series serves as an accurate barometer, the Mets need better starting and relief pitching, a power-hitter to pair with Pete Alonso, and better defense at multiple positions.

Last year’s National League champions, the Philadelphia Phillies, have also fallen upon hard times, hovering around the .500 level or slightly below. Bryce Harper is back but restricted from playing the field, while fellow slugger Rhys Hoskins, who tore his ACL during spring training, is lost for the season.

The Phils hope to find reliable pitching after top starters Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, both of whom have been erratic so far, and would love to acquire a bat to place between Harper and Kyle Schwarber in their batting order.

Without Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, the St. Louis Cardinals lost two icons and never recovered. Last in the weak NL Central as the weekend opened, the Cards are expected to be busy traders, though management insists they will be buyers rather than sellers.

Another erstwhile contender, the Boston Red Sox, has dropped into the cellar of the tough American League East. With four world championships since 2004, the Sox have a tradition of excellence often fortified by mid-season swaps. They also have the money to take on salaries other clubs are reluctant to carry.

Unlike the Cardinals and Red Sox, both of whom expect second-half revivals, several clubs don’t have much reason for hope.

The Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies of the National League, for example, may consider mid-season fire sales, while the again-disappointing Detroit Tigers could do likewise in the lackluster AL Central.

With teams from the East and West feasting on clubs caught in the third division, the American League Central did not have a single team above the .500 mark as the weekend opened. That means even the top clubs – the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians – could be scouring the trade market for help.

The Chicago White Sox, on the other hand, could soon be hoisting a white flag to pair with their pale hose. Pitchers Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn, and maybe even catcher Yasmini Grandal, could bring the young blood the Sox need.

Complex contracts containing no-trade clauses complicate trade talks, especially if those pacts are also long in years and dollars. But general managers know that players sometimes need little more than a change of scenery to revive their careers – and could be willing to move one bad contract for another.

One executive sure to be active is Seattle’s Jerry DiPoto, the 2023 version of Frank (Trader) Lane. With the Mariners failing to realize their pre-season promise as contenders, DiPoto could make multiple moves well before the Aug. 1 deadline. He won’t be the only one.