Record Number Of MLB All-Stars May Move Before Trade Deadline

Making the All-Star team does not necessarily protect players from trades. In 2021, a record 10 players who made the team for the Denver game were traded before the deadline two weeks later.

If rumors can be believed, that record is in jeopardy.

With the deadline pushed back to August 2, teams have a few extra days to jockey for position – especially with playoffs expanded from 10 to 12 teams – or to jettison high-priced veterans in exchange for rookies with potential.

Since all 30 teams must be represented at the game, even players from teams buried in the standings are All-Stars. But they may be changing addresses shortly after the season resumes.

Among the All-Stars from non-contenders, closers Joe Mantiply of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Jorge Lopez of the Baltimore Orioles have both posted earned run averages below 2.00 – good enough to attract attention from contenders who need to bolster their bullpens but not good enough to salvage the seasons of their sagging teams.

Two other relievers, Paul Blackburn of the Oakland A’s and David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates, are also on the market – especially with a myriad of contenders willing to part with prospects in a win-now swap scenario.

Starting pitchers in demand range from Cincinnati ace Luis Castillo to Martin Perez, who finally became an All-Star in his 11th major-league campaign.

Perez, an innings eater, has prospered in his second sojourn with the Texas Rangers but the team hasn’t returned to contention despite a winter of spending on the free-agent market (infielders Marcus Semien and Corey Seager were among those signed to long-term, megabucks deals).

Castillo, reportedly coveted by both the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, missed the first month with an injury, making his first start on May 9. But he’s pitched well when given the ball by the struggling Reds. The 2019 All-Star, who makes $7,350,000 on a one-year contract, is eligible for free agency after next season.

Another All-Star in demand is Andrew Benintendi, the spray-hitting outfielder of the Kansas City Royals.

A left-handed batter who began his career with the Boston Red Sox, he offers contact rather than power (three homers over the first two months) but his ability to hit .300 makes him a solid top-of-the-order candidate for any contending club.

It’s also possible that Joc Pederson, now with San Francisco, will be moving in mid-season for the second year in a row. Sent from the Chicago Cubs to the Atlanta Braves before last year’s deadline, Pederson is a power-hitter who hits left-handed – a commodity that makes him attractive to the Braves again. He’s also on a reasonable one-year contract that pays him $6 million, less than the $10 million deal he had a year ago.

Pederson, voted into the July 19 game by the fans, is an All-Star for the first time since 2015.

The lone All-Star from the Colorado Rockies, first baseman C.J. Cron, reached 20 homers during the first half, attracting the attention of contenders from both leagues.

The Detroit Tigers, bitterly disappointed that they didn’t return to contention in the American League Central, are said to be fielding offers for hard-throwing closer Gregory Soto, the lone lefty reliever on the 2022 American League All-Star roster. The Bengals won’t move him without an overwhelming offer but have potential replacements in Michael Fullmer, Andrew Chafin, and Joe Jimenez.

It would also take a huge haul for the Boston Red Sox to consider unloading All-Star infielders Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers but both could free agents soon if they wriggle free of their current contracts. Devers, a left-handed slugger, is the American League’s starting third baseman, while Bogaerts is the back-up shortstop behind Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox.

Bogaerts, who has an opt-out clause in his six-year, $120 million contract, couldn’t agree on an extension. Devers has a one-year, $11,200,000 contract that allowed him to escape arbitration but has another year of arbitration eligibitity left before he’s eligible for free agency.

There’s also trade talk surrounding several players on the National League roster. The Washington Nationals, buried in the basement of the NL East, have been trying to sign Juan Soto, their 23-year-old left-fielder, but he’s rejected their nine-figure overtures so far. Soto, the 2020 National League batting champ, can become a free agent after the 2024 campaign.

Fellow All-Star Trea Turner led the league in hits, stolen bases, total bases, and batting last year, which he split between Washington and Los Angeles. But both he and All-Star understudy Dansby Swanson of the Braves are in the walk year of their contracts and destined to head another free-agent class of standout shortstops – unless they sign extensions.

Veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud, Swanson’s teammate in Atlanta, is also completing his contract but there hasn’t been any buzz about a potential mid-season swap from the Braves, seeking their fifth NL East title in a row.

On the other hand, backup William Contreras has played so well that he’s an All-Star too – and ready for more regular playing time. Both Cubs on the NL All-Star roster, catcher Willson Contreras and jack-of-all-trades Ian Happ, are likely to leave via trade if Chicago can land promising prospects in return.

Happ avoided arbitration by negotiating a $6.85 million deal for 2022 in May but can’t test free agency for another year. Contreras also avoided arbitration, settling for a one-year, $9.625 million deal. But that may be too rich for a team trying to stay out of the cellar.

Like Contreras, Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove is an All-Star who can seek new suitors after this season. Although he’s a San Diego native and the author of the team’s only no-hitter he rejected an eight-year offer that would have paid him more than $11 million per season. The 29-year-old right-hander currently earns $8.625 million.

The biggest mystery on the NL All-Star team is Nolan Arenado. The smooth-fielding third baseman of the St. Louis Cardinals got a $25,000 bonus for making the All-Star team but the big question is whether he will opt out of his eight-year, $260 million contract. He had that chance last year too but opted to stay put.

With the Cards in contention for both the NL Central crown and a wild-card playoff spot, trading Arenado is extremely unlikely.

The 10 All-Stars traded between the All-Star Game and trade deadline last year were Joey Gallo, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Gibson, Adam Frazier, Eduardo Escobar, Kyle Schwarber, Max Scherzer, Craig Kimbrel, Kris Bryant, and Trea Turner.