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Teams will normally assess where they are in the standings much closer to the trade deadline on July 31st before deciding if they will be “buyers” or “sellers”. Yet, here we are in June and there are a handful of teams that have to feel like they are heading in the wrong direction and it’s getting close to “do or die” time. 

Back in April, I made some arguments for why teams should consider making trades earlier in the season, if possible, with the few extra wins in the standings potentially being the difference between going to the playoffs or going home for the winter. 

In these June trade ideas, the goal is for a team to avoid dropping out of contention and into “seller” mode by the end of July or, in some cases, to just make a trade a month earlier to try and win a few extra games. The challenge is finding a non-contending team—Astros, Brewers, Cubs, Marlins, Mets are included in this group—that has an impact player that they’re willing to trade now. 

Here are three potential trades that should be made now.

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A lot of the names have remained the same. Scott Feldman, Matt Garza, Lucas Harrell, Ricky Nolasco and Bud Norris have been identified as trade candidates since the start of the season. Why? Because they’re pretty good starting pitchers on pretty bad teams. 

While those five remain strong candidates to be dealt by the July 31st deadline, there are sure to be some starters who will become trade targets because they are pitching better than expected and/or because their team’s aren’t in the playoff race.

Here are five of those pitchers who are likely to join Norris and co. on the trade block.  

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig has only been in the majors for one day, so it makes sense that the first response to my question on Twitter/Facebook, “Who does Puig most remind you of?”, was Moonlight Graham, who played in one major league game for the New York Giants in 1905 and was later portrayed in the movie Field of Dreams.

It’s clear, though, that an athlete with Puig‘s size, speed and strength combination reminds baseball fans of only a few players who compare in some way or another. Many baseball experts hate comps for several reasons, including unnecessary expectations on young players. But baseball fans love comps, especially because it can take us back to another era.

Even better if it takes us back to our childhood.

Starting with the amazing game-ending throw in his big league debut that everyone seems to be talking about, it’s only fair to bring up some of the most strong-armed right fielders of all time. And since he’s wearing the same uniform, the Raul Mondesi comp would be a fair start.

1. Raul Mondesi

Mondesi, who had an .815 OPS and two 30-30 seasons (30-plus homers and 30-plus stolen bases) in 1,525 career games, was probably best known for having a cannon of an arm in right field. In fact, he has a tattoo of a cannon on his right arm, and that arm even has a nickname, “El Canon,” which means “the cannon.”

Roberto Clemente and Ichiro Suzuki also come to mind when thinking of players who could make that kind of strong and accurate throw from the warning track. 

2. Bo Jackson

The name we’ve heard most associated with the 22-year-old Puig is Bo Jackson (6’1″, 227 lbs), maybe one of the greatest athletes of all time.

It’s an unfair comp for any baseball player, but this comp is mostly based on his football player-like physique. While Jackson was also a powerful NFL running back with elite speed, Puig looks more like a linebacker. But the kind of linebacker who can go sideline-to-sideline in a flash and put a serious hurting on a ball-carrier. Sort of like Ray Lewis (6’1″, 245 lbs) or Patrick Willis (6’1″, 240 lbs). 

3. Vladimir Guerrero

Puig is taller, though, at 6’3″, the same height as another comp suggested by multiple readers. Not only was Vladimir Guerrero a freak of nature with his speed and power combination—he had eight seasons with 30-plus homers and 77 stolen bases from 2001-2002—but he also had the plus arm in right field and was considered an undisciplined free-swinger when he broke into the majors in his early 20s.

He was also one of the rare hitters who proved that it didn’t matter. He could do damage on pitches outside of the strike zone as some think Puig can also do.

During his prime, Guerrero still walked a lot (84 walks in 2002), but that was mostly because pitchers weren’t giving him anything close to the plate once he built up a reputation for being able to hit almost any pitch hard. He also never struck out more than 88 times in any of his 16 big league seasons, which included nine All-Star selections and an AL MVP award in 2004.

4. Yoenis Cespedes

The active player that Puig has been compared to the most is fellow Cuban Yoenis Cespedes, who broke into the majors at 26 years of age in 2012 with 23 homers and 16 stolen bases while hitting in the middle of an A’s lineup that scored the most runs in the majors over the second half of the season.

Cespedes also looks like a football player in a baseball uniform, although he’s five inches shorter than Puig at 5’10”. Like Cespedes, he received the unfair Bo Jackson comps coming into his rookie season, but he lived up to a lot of hype by coming in second in AL Rookie of the Year voting and 10th in AL MVP voting.

Other notable mentions on Twitter were Carlos Beltran (.857 OPS, 306 stolen bases in 16 seasons), Joe Carter (396 HR, 231 stolen bases in 16 seasons) and Sammy Sosa (.878 OPS, 234 stolen bases in 18 seasons). If Puig, who went 2-for-4 in his MLB debut, can come anywhere close to what those guys accomplished in their careers, he’ll be remembered for more than just his potential.

What hitting coach Mark McGwire first observed about Puig back in spring training was his intelligence and ability to make adjustments, according to this article by Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

If he’s going to become a star, it’s that ability to make adjustments that will allow him to reach the potential we’ve been hearing so much about since he signed his seven-year, $42 million big league contract last June.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

We’re still probably about six to eight weeks away from when the majority of in-season trades will go down. Aside from a few useful players who may have become expendable for some reason or another—the Atlanta Braves traded Juan Francisco to the Brewers on Monday after he was “DFA’d” a few days ago—don’t expect much trade activity in the month of June. 

There were two notable deals last June. The first happened on June 24 with Kevin Youkilis moving from the Boston Red Sox to the Chicago White Sox for utility man Brent Lillibridge and pitcher Zach Stewart.

At the time, Youkilis had just returned from a three-week stint on the disabled list and had been struggling at the plate earlier in the season. His replacement, rookie Will Middlebrooks, had burst onto the scene and was sporting a .949 OPS with nine homers and 34 RBIs in less than two months in the majors.

It turned out to be a great deal for Chicago, where Youkilis gave the team plenty of production with a .771 OPS and 15 homers in 80 games. Lillibridge was 2-for-16 in his short Red Sox career. Stewart, now back in the White Sox organization, allowed 14 earned runs in 5.2 innings over two starts. 

The second trade happened on June 27 when the Baltimore Orioles added veteran Jim Thome for two minor leaguers, catcher Gabriel Lino and pitcher Kyle Simon. While he didn’t make a huge impact on the field, mostly because of a neck injury that sidelined him for nearly two months, Thome did post a .744 OPS with three homers in 28 games and also had 15 postseason plate appearances.

I don’t know if we’ll have any impact trades in June, but there will be plenty of rumors and speculation. Here’s all of the latest.

No. 1 Player On Trade Market?

When Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe recently asked 12 executives, scouts and players who would be the top player on the trade market, the consensus pick was Philadelphia Phillies starter Cliff Lee.

The fact that Lee was the choice, even though the Phillies are still only 7.5 games out in the NL East, gives you an idea of what people around the league think of their chances to stay in the playoff race.

The 34-year-old lefty also expects to be dealt, according to this article by Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports. Lee can block trades to 20 teams, including the Orioles, Texas Rangers, Red Sox and New York Yankees. The Cardinals have been confirmed to not be on the no-trade list.

As for whether Lee would accept a deal, he seems open to the possibility (via Morosi).

I can’t sit here and come up with the what-ifs. If (a trade scenario) presents itself, I’ll have to look at the situation and figure it out. Right now, I’m a Phillie and I want to do everything I can to help this team win.

Don’t expect the Orioles to have interest, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. They are on Lee’s no-trade list, but he is way out of their price range anyway. Second-tier options such Josh Johnson or Jason Vargas could make more sense. 

The O’s are 32-25 and have played well overall, but they’ve already used 11 starting pitchers and have had quality starts in just 44 percent of their 57 games. 

Some other “game-changers” who could be shopped for top prospects, according to one American League general manager (via Cafardo), are Jake Peavy and Alex Rios of the White Sox, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion of the Toronto Blue Jays and Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins.

Cafardo also thinks the Phillies would shop closer Jonathan Papelbon if they start selling off major pieces like Lee because they wouldn’t need a top closer in a rebuilding situation 

Peavy (pictured), who has a guaranteed $14.5 million salary for 2014 and a possible $15 million player option in 2015, could be the top starter available if the Sox decided to sell.

In this article by Chuck Garfien of CSN Chicago, the 32-year-old Peavy says he’d love to finish his career in Chicago, but is also open to the possibility of being traded to a contender that has a shot at a World Series.

After several injury-plagued seasons, the former NL Cy Young winner has a 3.43 ERA, 2.0 BB/9 and 8.2 K/9 in 42 starts since the start of the 2012 season. The White Sox are only 6.5 games out in the AL Central, but are 24-31 after seven consecutive losses. 

Brewers Players Could Be Popular Trade Targets

One team that might not be that far away from throwing in the towel and going into “seller” mode is the last-place Milwaukee Brewers. At 21-35 and 16.5 games out in the NL Central, they could look to shop free-agent-to-be Corey Hart when he comes of the disabled list in a few weeks as well as lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez. 

General manager Doug Melvin states in this article by Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he’d be searching for players who could help two to three years down the road. So if he’s looking that far ahead, he could be willing to trade ace Yovani Gallardo, who is only signed through 2014 with a $13 million club option in 2015.

The problem is that he’s not pitching anything like an ace in 2013. He has a 5.05 ERA with a 1.493 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched)—both would be career highs—and his 7.4 K/9 would be the lowest of his career, which had been pretty darn good coming into the season (3.63 ERA, 3.5 BB/9, 9.2 K/9 from 2007-2012).

Gallardo is only 27 years old, however, and the $11.85 million contract he’s guaranteed ($11.25 million in 2014 salary plus $600,000 buyout for 2015) for the remainder of his deal would be a bargain if he can bounce back. If the Brewers are willing to sell a bit low considering his current struggles, there could be several teams interested.

Another Milwuakee player certain to draw interest is veteran third baseman Aramis Ramirez (pictured), who told Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports that he is aware of this. The soon-to-be 35-year-old is having another terrific season (.877 OPS) despite battling knee issues that cost him a few weeks on the disabled list and several days off since returning.

Guaranteed $20 million through 2014—$16 million in 2014 salary plus a $4 million buyout if his $14 million mutual option isn’t exercised in 2015—Ramirez would seem like a risky acquisition considering his high salary, knee trouble and age.

A contending team desperate for some right-handed power in the middle of the lineup and a corner infielder or designated hitter could be willing to give up a prospect or two—just don’t expect an elite player in return. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The competition to be the second-best free agent behind Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano this upcoming offseason is two months in, and there are no clear-cut answers as of yet. Injuries to Matt Garza and Josh Johnson and Tim Lincecum’s continued decline from his former dominant self have the starting pitching market full of question marks. 

Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals would’ve easily been the top starting pitcher had he not agreed to a five-year, $97.5 million contract extension in early April. And as crazy as it sounds, Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez might’ve been in line to receive the next highest contract for a position player behind Cano. The 27-year-old, who agreed to a three-year, $24 million contract extension before the season, is on pace for a 30-30 season (30 HR, 30 SB). 

Here’s a look at five soon-to-be free agents whose stock has risen the most and five whose stock has dropped the most. 

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Teams in need of a shortstop in 2014—the A’s, Cardinals, Mariners, Pirates, Tigers, Twins and Yankees are my early picks—will have slim pickings on the free-agent market next offseason with Stephen Drew and Jhonny Peralta the best of the bunch.

Limited options in free agency was likely the reason that Peralta, who turns 31 Tuesday, had his $6 million club option picked up by Detroit after a 2012 season in which he posted a subpar .689 OPS. Now, the lack of options for the aforementioned teams will help Peralta out again. But it’s mostly his performance (.892 OPS through 45 games) that could net him the biggest contract of his career. 

Peralta isn’t spectacular at shortstop, but he continues to be a steady and reliable defender (his 4.21 range factor is third in the AL; his .985 fielding percentage is second in the AL). After reporting to camp 20 pounds lighter, teams could have less concern about his ability to stay at the position for the next few years and would very likely be willing to shell out a three-year deal in the $27-$42 million range.

He will have earned $16.75 million over the past three seasons once his current contract expires, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him double that. Here are six others who are maximizing their market value with strong seasons.  

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After an offseason in which they traded away several of their top prospects —catcher Travis d’Arnaud, center fielder Jake Marisnick and pitchers Justin Nicolino and Noah Syndergaard— in an effort to upgrade their 25-man roster for 2013, the Blue Jays aren’t going to give up on the season anytime soon despite a rough start. 

At 20-28 and dead last in the AL East, the Blue Jays are already 9.5 games behind the 1st place Yankees and 7.5 games out of a playoff spot. They’ve won 10 of 17, however, and shortstop Jose Reyes (15-for-38, 5 SB in 10 games before injury) could return from an ankle injury in late June. A lineup with Reyes in front of Jose Bautista (11 HR, 27 RBI) and Edwin Encarnacion (13 HR, 38 RBI) could be the spark that pushes the team back into contention. 

And if not? Well, that opens up a whole new set of fun and exciting trade possibilities we can discuss if the Jays go into “sell” mode. Not that I’d expect them to do what the Marlins did and get rid of every offseason acquisition, not to mention one of their longtime stars (Hanley Ramirez), because the team played poorly. But they have some serious trade chips on this team with none bigger than Bautista. 

The 32 year-old, who signed a five-year, $64 million contract extension (2011-2015, plus 2016 club option) before the 2011 season, has been one of the top sluggers in the game since his 54-homer season back in 2010. He’s posted a .989 OPS over his last 442 games so we’re well beyond the point of thinking that his breakout season at 29 years of age was a fluke. 

Two-and-a-half seasons of Bautista for roughly $35 million (plus a $14 million option for 2016) is a bargain in regards to dollars but acquiring him would cost a ton of young talent in return. Here are four teams that could have interest and what it would likely cost those teams to acquire Bautista. 

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While it’s way too late to buy low on a player that’s already broken out in the first half of the season —Diamondbacks starting pitcher Pat Corbin and Brewers shortstop Jean Segura would be the best examples—plenty more could break out between now and the end of the season. 

If you’re looking for this season’s version of Chris Carter, who had just 17 first-half at-bats in 2012 before hitting 13 homers and knocking in 34 runs after the All-Star break for the Oakland A’s, or Kris Medlen, who didn’t join the Braves rotation until July 31 and then might’ve been the best pitcher in baseball the rest of the way (9-0, 0.97 ERA, 83.2 IP, 57 H, 10 BB, 84 K in 12 starts), consider these eight breakout candidates. 

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In Major League Baseball, how a free agent-to-be finishes the season is much more important than how he starts. The player’s agent can chalk it up to a mechanical adjustment or a player getting back to full health or just finally “figuring it out” to explain why things didn’t click until the second half.

In any case, agents will try to sell interested teams on the player that ended the season on a roll as opposed to the player who struggled early on. The other way around would be a much tougher sell. 

So while a consistent performance throughout the season would certainly help boost value and make that player less of a risk in the eyes of a team who will be investing millions of dollars, any struggling free agents-to-be still have time to turn things around as long as they’re still playing regularly.

Here are eight of those players.

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It’s not too early for a team to have buyer’s remorse after spending good money on a free agent who has yet to produce. I’m looking at you, Josh Hamilton, Melky Cabrera, B.J. Upton and Jeff Keppinger.

But how about those players who signed elsewhere and are having big years? Their new team is certainly happy. The team that let them walk as a free agent or was just outbid? Not so much.

Here are six free-agent signees from the past offseason that are making their past employers regret not bringing them back. 

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