Kuzul

Let me begin by assuring you all I am not totally crazy. Partially crazy, perhaps, but not totally. But what I am about to suggest may actually be a reasonable and logical step for the New York Mets to take in order to hep get them to (and keep them in) relevancy once again in the National League.

Cutting right to the chase, general manager Sandy Alderson should have his eyes set on Chicago Cubs‘ All-Star shortstop Starlin Castro. To get him, the Mets should not be afraid to trade away a young starter (just one of either Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard or Rafael Montero).

Just looking at the Mets’ 2014 first half, the team has actually been getting very good starting pitching. Their 3.50 collective ERA is better than the league average, and they are allowing fewer than four runs per game. All of this has been without their ace Matt Harvey, who was lost for the season following Tommy John Surgery. 

The rotation has been spearheaded by Jon Niese, who is currently on the disabled list. Niese, though he struggled through most of spring training with injuries, currently sports a 2.96 ERA—which is good for 12th in the league—and 74 strikeouts through 103 innings pitched in 2014. He hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a start since September 7 of last season.

The Mets have also benefited from a very impressive Major League debut of Jacob deGrom. The 26-year-old right-hander made his brilliant debut on May 15 against the Yankees when he spun seven innings of one-run ball, striking out six. Although his record sits at a lackluster 3-5, that is by no means a reflection of how he has pitched—his 3.18 ERA is. And he has seemingly gotten better as the season has rolled along, striking out 27 batters over his last three starts, including 11 Braves during a seven-inning shutout on July 8. 

And while Dillon Gee has missed a major chunk of the season, the Mets have gotten solid work from veterans Bartolo Colon and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Colon, who was signed as a free agent to a two-year, $20 million contract over the winter, has been somewhat inconsistent but still features a decent 3.66 ERA to go along with 89 strikeouts over 121 innings. Colon himself has been subject of a few trade rumors recently. 

Matsuzaka, meanwhile, has been a nice fill-in for Gee. After starting the season in the bullpen for the Mets, Dice-K has made nine starts, including eight of his last nine appearances. For the year, the veteran has a 3.55 ERA and has looked better over his last five starts than his numbers would suggest.

Gee himself has been a solid contributor when healthy, flashing a 2.56 ERA through nine starts. After missing much of May and all of June, Gee was activated off of the disabled list and started on July 9, going seven strong innings against the Braves. In fact, Gee has pitched fewer than six innings just once this season—5.2 innings on April 5—and has allowed one or fewer earned runs four times.

Then there is Wheeler, who has been the poster boy for inconsistency so far in 2014. The 24-year-old owns a 5-8 record with a 3.90 ERA. He’s shown signs of brilliance, as evidenced by his three-hit shutout of the Marlins on June 19. He closed out the first half in dominant form, allowing one earned run in each of his last three starts.

But he’s also looked ugly at times, giving up five earned runs each in two consecutive starts in mid-May, while permitting four earned runs in four starts this season. He also had a forgettable start against the A’s (right after his shutout of the Marlins) in which he gave up six earned in just two innings.

At just 24 years of age, Wheeler has the talent and the ability to blossom into a legitimate stud pitcher. The same can be said for Syndergaard and Montero. But with the quality pitching the Mets have in place, including Harvey, could they expend one of these young hurlers to address a much-maligned hole in their lineup, such as shortstop?

After all, Montero made his debut earlier this season and was unimpressive at best (0-2, 5.40 ERA in four starts). And the latest reports indicate Syndergaard may not make his debut until next season, as he as struggled this season in Triple-A (5.74 ERA and 11.3 H/9 allowed in 84 innings pitched). 

Meanwhile, the Mets have received virtually nothing out of the shortstop position this year, with Ruben Tejada hitting a meager .237 in 2014. And while some light-hitting shortstops are known to be wizards with the glove (see Everth Cabrera), Tejada is a decent defender, at best. 

That brings us to Castro, who believe it or not only turned 24 in March. After a disappointing 2013 season, Castro is enjoying a resurgent 2014 campaign, hitting .276 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI for the last-place Cubs. He was selected to his third career All-Star game and is under team control and owed $43 million through 2019 (plus a $16 million team option for 2020). 

The Mets have a couple of shortstop prospects down on the farm in Amed Rosario and Gavin Cecchini. But neither of them are close to the cusp of reaching the big leagues, and even when they do, they still might not be the impact player Castro has been for the Cubs. Even still, it may not be too late to move one of them to the outfield, which is another weak area for the Mets. 

Now, of course, the Cubs have made no indications they will be trading Castro. And in fact, Jon Morosi of FoxSports tweets the Cubs have no intentions of moving him before the July 31 trade deadline, despite the presence of top prospect Javier Baez and the recent acquisition of Addison Russell from the A’s for Jeff Samardzija. They also have Arismendy Alcantara up with the big club right now, and he has impressed early on his career. 

Regardless of the Cubs’ willingness to field offers for Castro, the time for the Mets to make a bold move is now. They need to show their fans they are listening and are willing to make the hard choices to field a winning club. And the window to trade one or some of their young arms for an impact bat is closing the longer the club waits. And just to prove I’m not totally insane, John Harper of the New York Daily News seems to concur with this suggestion. 

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As MLB teams head out of the All-Star break, the trade deadline will serve as the make-or-break point for plenty of clubs on the fringes of playoff contention.  The two weeks before the July 31 deadline should bring lots of intrigue and action as teams vacillate between buying and selling on a seemingly daily basis.

Because of the surprises in the standings throughout the league, plenty of teams that harbored postseason or even World Series aspirations at the beginning of the year could turn into sellers shortly.  While it’s unclear how much talent will actually move this month, the available players are enough to create more excitement than baseball fans have seen in years.

For those looking for the most recent scoops on the biggest names, check out the latest rumors surrounding players who could potentially shift the pennant race this summer.

Contenders for Price?

David Price will move out of Tampa eventually.  But with the Rays’ recent surge, the postseason is no longer a total improbability in the mediocre AL East, even as Tampa sits 9.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles.

The fact that Price is still under team control in 2015 could allow the Rays to wait until the offseason to deal the former Cy Young Award winner.  As ESPN’s Jim Bowden reports, Tampa would command a haul superior to what the Cubs received for Jeff Samardzija (subscription required):

The impression teams are getting is that if the Rays manage to get back in the playoff chase, they will hang on to Price, and if they don’t, they will trade him only if they get a better package than what the Chicago Cubs got for Jeff Samardzija, which eliminates a number of possible suitors. 

The Rays would be looking for an elite prospect and a top prospect in exchange for Price, and there are only a few organizations that have that type of package to offer, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Cubs and Minnesota Twins, and the latter two teams aren’t really a fit for Price. (Both the Cubs and Twins have been adding prospects, not trading them.) 

It’s not unreasonable for the Rays to set their expectations high, as Price is a superior pitcher to Samardzija.  Even though the latter has experienced a breakout year, Price has produced more wins above replacement (3.0 to 2.4).

Still, it will be difficult for any team to match what the Cubs received for Samardzija in Addison Russell.  A package for Price would require a premium major league-ready prospect, such as the Dodgers’ Joc Pederson or St. Louis’ Carlos Martinez.  Even so, Price might not be willing to accept a trade unless it sends him to his preferred geographic location:

Ultimately, though Fangraphs gives the Rays just a 5.8 percent chance of reaching the postseason, they also give them the best projected record from now until the end of the season.  At the moment, Tampa seems likelier to hang onto the slim chance of surging into October rather than shutting down their window of contention.

Papelbon Going West?

Philadelphia Phillies’ general manger Ruben Amaro Jr. held onto delusions of contending headed into the season.  With his last-place Phillies at 42-53 and 10 games out of first place, however, it appears a fire sale is closer than ever to becoming reality.

One prime candidate to go would be closer Jonathan Papelbon.  The 33-year-old Papelbon does not have tremendous trade value because of his age and onerous contract.  However, at least one plugged-in reporter believes that the Los Angeles Dodgers could seek out Papelbon’s services:

It’s a bit unclear why the Dodgers would want to add Papelbon.  After a rough start, closer Kenley Jansen has rebounded to post nine consecutive scoreless appearances.  Moreover, his .391 BABIP and 1.87 FIP suggests some poor luck that will eventually correct itself and bring his 3.49 ERA down.

Nonetheless, Papelbon could be interested in joining the NL West leaders.  According to The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Matt Gelb, Papelbon recently hinted at frustration over the team’s losing and a willingness to accept a trade to a contender:

Some guys want to stay on a losing team? That’s mind-boggling to me. I think that’s a no-brainer.

You know, I came here for a reason…and I say that because I’m with a group of guys in the bullpen that can do very special things in the future. I’ve been waiting for that, you know what I mean? It’s fun to be a part of that, it really is. We are there finally with our bullpen. So that aspect of it would kind of [stink] to leave. But at the same time, winning is the cure-all of cure-alls.

Papelbon has had his best season for the Phillies, posting a 1.21 ERA thus far.  However, there are numerous alarms that regression is imminent—an 85.7 percent strand rate well above his career average, an overall increase in walks and decrease in strikeouts, a .232 BABIP that is 45 points below his career average and the fact that he has yet to allow a home run even in the bandbox of Citizens Bank Park. 

Still, someone is bound to take the leap based on Papelbon’s experience and reputation as a big-time playoff performer after his time in Boston.  The Dodgers don’t have a clear need, but they could at least absorb his salary without so much as blinking.

Bullpen Help for Angels?

The Los Angeles Angels have surged to the second-best record in baseball and are just 1.5 games behind the Oakland Athletics for the AL West lead.  With the A’s having made their big splash already, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that the Angels could be readying an answer:

Street has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise grisly season for the San Diego Padres, whose historically impotent offense has the team floundering at 41-54.  Though his sterling 1.09 ERA has been aided by a .195 BABIP, he has also increased his strikeouts, reduced his walks and induced worse contact.  A slight correction is likely coming, but Street is not turning into a pumpkin this summer.

For his part, Street appears tired of floundering on poor teams.  The 30-year-old has not pitched on a playoff team since the 2009 Colorado Rockies, and according to the Los Angeles Times‘ Bill Shaiken, Street would welcome the opportunity to play in Anaheim:

‘I would love it,’ he said.

Street cited the chance to ‘play with guys like Albert Pujols and Mike Trout’ as well as to play for Manager Mike Scioscia. Street broke into the major leagues with the Oakland Athletics from 2005-08, when the Angels won the American League West three times in four years.

The Halos have had bullpen issues for much of the season, a bullpen that ranks 27th in WAR.  Even with Joe Smith’s recent emergence to stabilize the closer position, Los Angeles ranks just 18th in bullpen WAR over the last 30 days.  The trio of Street, Smith and Kevin Jepsen would secure the final three innings for the Angels, turning arguably their greatest weakness into a strength.

The fickle year-to-year performance of relievers makes it harder to construct lockdown bullpens at the beginning of the season, but the trade-off is that acquiring help during the season is easier.  Acquiring Street and perhaps upgrading the back of the starting rotation would leave the Angels among the small handful of favorites for the World Series.

*All stats via Fangraphs.com.

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With the NBA and NHL free-agency periods slowing down considerably, sports fans with a hunger for transactions need a new source of entertainment.

Enter the MLB trade deadline. 

With the All-Star break behind us, the trade market should start to really heat up. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the most recent rumors.

The San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Angels Might Be Making a Deal

But which player will be involved?

While many Angels fans might be clamoring for Ian Kennedy, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that is unlikely to happen:

Kennedy would certainly be a nice addition to the starting rotation. The Padres hurler is currently 7-9 with a 3.47 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP and 133 strikeouts in 124.1 innings pitched. 

But Huston Street remains the more likely target. And for what it’s worth, he would love the chance to join the Angels, as he told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times:

In the hours before the All-Star game, Huston Street dressed in the uniform of the San Diego Padres. The Angels are trying to put a halo on him, soon, and Street would be thrilled to join them.

“I would love it,” he said.

Street cited the chance to “play with guys like Albert Pujols and Mike Trout” as well as to play for Manager Mike Scioscia. Street broke into the major leagues with the Oakland Athletics from 2005-08, when the Angels won the American League West three times in four years.

“I was probably too young to realize how good he was at the time,” Street said of Scioscia. “That’s one of the best managers, maybe, of all time. If I went there, I’d have a real chance to win.”

And the Angels, who need a closer, would likely love to add him to the roster. Street has been excellent for the Padres this year, with 24 saves, a 1.09 ERA and a 0.76 WHIP. And with the Angels 1.5 games back of the Oakland Athletics, they certainly should bolster the bullpen.

Will Jonathan Papelbon Be on the Move?

According to Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com, a trade taking the closer to the Los Angeles Dodgers could be in the works:

One of the snafus in any deal involving Papelbon could be the small matter of his $13 million salary next year or the $13 million vesting option he takes into 2016.

Sure, Papelbon has been good this year—he has 22 saves, a 1.21 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP with two blown saves—but if Papelbon indeed gets moved, the Phillies might have to eat some of his salary.

It remains to be seen if they’ll be willing to do so.

Seattle Mariners Combing the Market

The Mariners are right in the thick of the playoff hunt, and they are also right in the thick of the potential trade market, as they’ve reportedly been sniffing around some of the top players who could be made available.

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports has more:

David Price seems to be the subject of trade talks quite regularly. He’s one of the American League’s better pitchers, so it’s hardly surprising the Tampa Bay Rays have held out on moving him to this point.

One would guess the team would need to be blown away with an offer and feel it is completely out of the running to reach the postseason. 

Ben Zobrist is an interesting target for the Mariners, however. The versatile player isn’t having one of his better offensive seasons, hitting .266 with six home runs and 24 RBI, though he’s starting to heat up. A May trip to the disabled list didn’t help. 

But if Marlon Byrd doesn’t happen—and given the big contract the Phillies signed him to this offseason, it might not—Zobrist is a very intriguing target for the Mariners.

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While Major League Baseball’s All-Stars take the field on Tuesday night to celebrate the game, there are a lot of players anxiously waiting to find out where they will be after the July 31 trade deadline.

This is the time of year where fans and players are in perfect sync, pulling their hair out and biting their nails trying to determine if the latest rumor being floated out there is true or just due diligence by the team.

As we know from past years, most of what we see over the next two weeks will be a lot of smoke with little fire. That said, there’s a lot more smoke rising that needs to be talked about. Here are the hottest rumors floating around the MLB world.

Bartolo Colon Available for the Taking

Even though the New York Mets have had to dip into their pool of starting pitchers this season, general manager Sandy Alderson isn’t above making a bold move for a pitching-needy team if the price is right.

According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, Colon has been put on the trade market ahead of the July 31 deadline.

The New York Mets have made right-hander Bartolo Colon available as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline nears, industry sources told ESPNNewYork.com.

[…]

Although general manager Sandy Alderson has suggested a surplus of arms can quickly be depleted through injury, the Mets do have an excess at the position.

Given the premium price that teams place on pitching, Colon makes a nice low-risk alternative if the Mets don’t overvalue him. The right-hander is three months into a two-year, $20 million contract, which is very reasonable for a starter who has been roughly league average in 2014.

Whether it’s to a division leader or a borderline playoff contender, Colon does represent a solid fallback plan for teams this summer. His success will be tied to the park and defense behind him, because the stuff doesn’t miss bats (127 hits allowed and 89 strikeouts in 121.2 innings), so an NL team or AL team in a big park would be the best options.

Chase Headley Maybe, Possibly Traded This Time Around

The San Diego Padres missed their window to maximize Chase Headley‘s trade value following the 2012 season, when the third baseman finished fifth in NL MVP voting, because they convinced themselves that outlier season was real and everything that had come before was a mirage.

Two years later, Headley‘s OPS has dropped 229 points since that breakout season. That’s hardly what he was hoping for in a contract year, nor does it give the Padres much leverage in trade discussions.

Those trade discussions are happening, according to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, with one of the surprise teams in the first half:

Headley doesn’t exactly fill Toronto’s need for a hitter with Edwin Encarnacion on the disabled list. What good does a player with a .646 OPS do? In case you thought Headley‘s numbers were skewed down by Petco Park, his OPS is lower on the road (.643) than at home (.649) in 2014.

The Padres have to do something with Headley this time around, unless they assume that this disastrous season will lower his value so much that they can afford an extension now.

The Blue Jays can use help at third base, especially with Brett Lawrie also on the disabled list, but if they want to make a serious playoff run, any move has to be impactful. Headley doesn’t fit that bill anymore.

Huston, We Have a Problem…

Speaking of the Padres, their most likely trade chip this summer seems like Huston Street. According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the 30-year-old is on the market with the Los Angeles Angels keeping a close eye on him:

The Angels are among the teams looking at Padres star closer Huston Street, who still seems likely to be traded even after upper management expressed a desire to bring him back to San Diego next year.

We know the demand for relievers is high this time of year, and interested teams don’t have to give up impact prospects for relievers.

Of course, we are talking about San Diego. This is a franchise that continued to put a high price on Heath Bell’s head seemingly every year from 2007-11, so who knows what’s going to happen with Street.

The Bell situation did happen under a different regime—led by Kevin Towers from 2007-09, who is now doing a bang-up job in Arizona—but the Padres don’t have a general manager at the moment after firing Josh Byrnes on June 22.

Street’s been fantastic for the Padres this season with a 1.09 ERA, 0.758 WHIP, 18 hits allowed, 34 strikeouts and seven walks in 33 innings pitched. However, he doesn’t come cheaply at $7 million this season and, if an acquiring team doesn’t just want a rental, a $7 million team option for 2015.

The Angels need to address their bullpen this summer, ranking 20th in strikeout-to-walk ratio and 24th in relievers ERA this season. They have the motivation to make a move, currently sporting the second-best record in baseball, but finances and what they might give up are unclear.

After all, the Angels have been able to put together a 57-37 record thus far even with those bullpen struggles. How vital is it to add an expensive arm to that group?

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter.

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It has become redundant to say, but the Oakland A’s made the biggest assault on a possible 2014 World Series title when they added Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to their already-dominant pitching staff on the Fourth of July.

With the trade deadline just over two weeks away, it may be easy to assume that the A’s will now stay quiet and not make any more splashy moves. The team is already saturated with talent and without their two top prospects, Addison Russell and Billy McKinney, as trade bait.

But here is a scary thought if you are the rest of Major League Baseball: Not only did the A’s land two of the most coveted free-agent pitchers and become immediate World Series favorites, but now with a surplus of young, talented arms, they are primed to be buyers at the trade deadline to address their limitations at second base.

It was not headline news, but when the A’s acquired Samardzija and Hammel from the Cubs, Tommy Milone was demoted to Triple-A. Also, recovered from a broken hand, Drew Pomeranz was activated from the disabled list Sunday and then promptly sent down as well. There simply is not room in the rotation.

With wins in his last six decisions and a 3.55 ERA that was on the decline before being sent down, Milone would not be in the minor leagues for many other ballclubs. Pomeranz sports a 2.91 ERA over 55.2 innings pitched this season. He, too, deserves to be in the big leagues. Furthermore, A.J. Griffin (3.60 career ERA in two seasons with Oakland) and Jarrod Parker (a former ninth overall pick and the owner of a 3.73 ERA in two years with the A’s) will both return from Tommy John surgery next year.

Thus, thanks to the Samardzija-Hammel acquisition, the A’s now have a surplus of young, talented starting pitching. With four pitchers (Milone, Pomeranz, Griffin and Parker) all without jobs, or five pitchers (now including Jesse Chavez, who was formerly a relief pitcher) vying for one spot in the starting rotation, the A’s are clearly an attractive target to many teams.

Yet while the A’s may have the pieces to make another deal at the trade deadline, it is obvious that they do not have many glaring issues.

The three-headed monster of Dan Otero, Luke Gregerson and Sean Doolittle has erased any semblance of a concern in the bullpen. Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss, Yoenis Cespedes and Coco Crisp are everyday staples at their respective positions. And the first base and catcher positions have turned into the three-way platoon of Derek Norris (.294 BA), Stephen Vogt (.358 BA) and John Jaso (.274 BA). Do not ask how it is working, but it clearly is.

Middle infield for the A’s, however, has been a different story.

Granted, Jew Lowrie has done an admirable job at shortstop. In 90 games (82 starts), he has posted a .234 batting average and driven in 34 runs.

Second base is where the bulk of the worry lies, and it has only escalated since utility man Alberto Callaspo was placed on the disabled list after straining his right hamstring, as John Hickey of the San Jose Mercury News reports. 

Switch-hitting Nick Punto (160 at-bats) and left-handed-hitting Eric Sogard (156 at-bats) currently share time at second base and have struggled immensely. The two have combined for a total of one home run, a .202 batting average, a .259 slugging percentage and 16 RBI while manning second base—all position lows for the A’s. Their .273 on-base percentage and meager 25 walks (also both position lows) presumably make for an irate Billy Beane.

The A’s continue to be heavily dependent on Lowrie to carry the weight of the middle infield. An injury to the seven-year shortstop would be catastrophic, as a Punto-Sogard middle infield would be about as offensively inept as they come.

There are a number of potential solutions for the A’s and their middle infield concerns.

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley and New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy are both subject to being shipped elsewhere in the coming weeks. The two are the best-hitting second basemen on the market, but the chances the A’s acquire either is slim, given the fact that Utley does not want to leave Philadelphia in the first place (as Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News reports), and the Mets are asking for a hefty amount of minor league offensive talent in return for Murphy.

Luis Valbuena of the Chicago Cubs has also drawn interest from the A’s, but the Cubs are reluctant to deal him, as Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal states. However, with prospect Arismendy Alcantara making a case for himself as their everyday second baseman (9-for-23 with a home run, five RBI and a stolen base in his first five big league games), Valbuena may be on his way out.

Perhaps the best fit and most realistic acquisition for the A’s is Tampa Bay Rays do-everything-man Ben Zobrist. Slashing .266/.401/.754 with a .352 on-base percentage and five multihit games in his last nine contests, Zobrist would provide a noticeable and immediate boost offensively. His ability to play second base, shortstop and either corner outfield position makes him an even more intriguing option for the A’s.

Karl Buscheck, the A’s Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, views Zobrist being traded to the A’s as an ideal situation for both teams, as the Rays are likely to be looking for young pitching at the deadline. Tommy Milone, Drew Pomeranz, Jarrod Parker or A.J. Griffin would all be at their disposal.

Combine this perfect match that addresses the needs of both teams with the parting words of general manager Beane in an interview with Jim Bowden of ESPN (h/t MLB Trade Rumors) and it is clear the A’s will not be complacent with their league-leading 59-36 record:

Well, you know, there’s a lot of time left, Jim. Whether you have needs or not, you have to take advantage of the environment. This is a time that everybody comes to the table. And whether you’re actively pursuing something specific, you want to be a part of the conversation. I don’t want to say we’re done. The short answer is: I hope we’re active still.

Follow Jacob Garcia on Twitter @Jake_M_Garcia or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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Most of Major League Baseball’s best players were on hand as Yoenis Cespedes won the 2014 Home Run Derby, but team executives likely spent the night working the phones and trying to work whatever deals they’re pursuing before the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

David Price is the biggest name on the market this year, and there remains a strong chance that the Tampa Bay Rays deal him by the end of the month.

Along with that potential trade are other smaller, but no less inconsequential, moves that could help teams bracing for postseason runs.

Chase Headley

Teams looking to add offense before the trade deadline don’t have too many options. As a result, you’re seeing guys like Chase Headley at the top of some teams’ shopping lists. According to CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman, “four or five” teams are registering early interest in the San Diego Padres star.

One of the biggest roadblocks for potential suitors is Headley‘s performance. He’s hitting .226 this year with seven home runs and 29 RBI.

As Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times pointed out, though, it’s as if Headley knows he’s on the trade block and is reacting accordingly:

In 12 July games, the third baseman boasts a slash line of .327/.327/.462 with one homer and six RBI.

Headley is a free agent at the end of the year, so time is running out if the Padres want to unload the veteran and still get something in return.

Bartolo Colon

It’s 2014, and Bartolo Colon may be an in-demand trade target for MLB teams. That’s insane, right?

The 41-year-old is having a solid season, posting an 8-8 record with an ERA of 3.99 and a FIP of 3.66. Those numbers aren’t as good as what he was doing with the Oakland Athletics last season but still impressive nonetheless.

The New York Mets aren’t going anywhere, and with another year left on Colon’s deal, they’d be smart to see if they can get anything for him before the trade deadline.

According to ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin, the Mets aren’t desperate for a deal, but they’re willing to listen:

The New York Mets have made right-hander Bartolo Colon available as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline nears, industry sources told ESPNNewYork.com.

[…]

The Mets are not yet believed to be engaged in serious talks about Colon, and it is not a foregone conclusion that he will be dealt, but a major league source predicted dialogue would increase in the next week. An August trade remains possible, too, via a team making a waiver claim.

Colon would be a good back-end starter for some team competing for the playoffs. Neither the cost nor the risk would be very high.

Huston Street

Heyman also reported on another Padre who could be on the move: Huston Street. The veteran closer is garnering interest from a few different teams:

Street looks like the most desirable closing candidate on the market and the ninth inning has been the Angels’ one question during a strong first half. They’ve also scouted Jonathan Papelbon of the Phillies, but his salary is much higher, his contract is longer and it includes a dicey vesting option for a third year. Street is desirable not only because he has pitched brilliantly this year, but he also because he makes just $7 million this year and has a team friendly $7 million club option for next year.

The Pirates are said to be among other teams to check in on Street, with the Orioles and Giants mentioned in a speculative sense as possibilities. Both those teams seem more focused on starting pitchers, however. The Tigers have not indiucated an interest in acquiring a new closer and seem content with veteran Joe Nathan at the moment.

The 30-year-old isn’t operating under any pretense that he’ll be back in San Diego for next season, as per ESPN’s Jim Bowden and MLB.com’s Jane Lee:

Street is having a great season, recording 24 saves with an ERA of 1.09 and a FIP of 2.90. You’re not going to find a better closer in this year’s trade market. And with that $7 million option for 2015, he’ll come at a relatively cheap price next year.

Some team will likely meet San Diego’s asking price and grab Street before the deadline.

Advanced stats via Fangraphs unless otherwise noted. 

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It makes for a strange rumor mill when the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox have a ton in common.

Both franchises are floundering around near the bottom of their respective divisions and are very much sellers at this point with the trade deadline approaching at the end of July.

But the dawn of the annual Midsummer Classic equates to funny season, so this is to be expected. There are also contenders on the market looking to add that proverbial missing piece or simply on the hunt to replace an injured star so that they can, at the very least, tread water after the break.

With so many nuggets of info being tossed around at once, let’s take a moment to set things straight by breaking down three of the hottest new items.

Little Interest in Daniel Murphy?

With the Mets bumbling around at 43-50 and in fourth place in the NL East, the franchise is an obvious seller with the faint hopes of bringing on assets to build for the future.

There is just one problem with this strategy—the Mets have just one star player, and there has been little in the way of interest in his services, as explained by Mike Puma of The New York Post:

To be completely fair to 29-year-old Daniel Murphy, who is on his way to the All-Star Game, it has been quite a strong season despite the rest of the team around him wasting away. Given his pace at the moment, he’ll be able to finish with numbers greater than or in the neighborhood of his stats from last few seasons:

Apparently, this is not enough to garner serious interest on the market nor is the fact Murphy is so productive at the plate that he is near the league lead in hits overall.

Trade rumors are something that have chased Murphy all season, so the fact that the meeting with general manager Sandy Alderson to reveal his All-Star selection had him holding his breath should be no surprise, as captured by Mike Vorkunov of NJ.com:

“It was great. He was surprised,” Alderson said today after a military appreciation event at the VA St. Albans Community Living Center in Queens. “I think when he came in he thought he might have been traded.”

With the way things sound at the moment, he’s not going anywhere. That can change as the deadline nears, so keep an ear to the ground.

Cardinals Have Options without Yadier Molina

With the race to the top of the NL Central becoming only more heated as the season progresses, the St. Louis Cardinals can ill afford to lose a key cog in the machine.

Well, that has happened thanks to a thumb injury to Yadier Molina, which might cost him the rest of the season, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Forget Molina’s contributions at the plate—his real weight in gold is worth much more behind it, as ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick details:

As the Elias Sports Bureau notes, the Cardinals have a staff ERA of 3.53 with Molina and 3.81 without him over the past five seasons. They’ve erased 40.9 percent of opposing base stealers during that time frame, compared to 31.9 percent with all their non-Molina catchers.

“It’s the equivalent of losing Adam Wainwright,” said an American League scout. “Yadi is one guy in the lineup, but this affects 12 guys on the pitching staff. Tony Cruz is a great backup and I guarantee you he’s learned a ton from Yadi just by osmosis. But there’s no way he can replace Yadi offensively, and Yadi is by far the best defensive catcher in all of baseball. It’s going to be a challenge.”

Who is one person in the MLB who is arguably as good at the plate and might just be available?

His brother, of course.

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Tampa Bay is willing to listen to offers for Jose Molina:

A few things. Jose has a .189/.225/.196 slash line at the moment with three RBI. He’s also 39 years old and due $2.75 million next season, per Spotrac.

But he also happens to be renowned around the league for his ability to frame pitches, and as Grantland’s Ben Lindbergh breaks down, it makes quite the difference: 

Fast found that Molina, the best receiver, was worth 35 runs above average per 120 games, and Doumit, the worst, was worth 26 runs below average…Molina has saved his teams 111 runs — or, using the standard 10-runs-to-a-win conversion, about 11 wins — because of framing from 2008 to 2013.

Can the Cardinals, at this stage of the game with a deep playoff push potentially in the cards, put a price tag on production like that? Sure, Jose is a career backup, but the Cardinals can rotate him with Tony Cruz and at the very least give themselves a fighting chance without Yadier.

The question is, how much will it cost?

Red Sox Update Selling Block

In a perfect world, the Red Sox would find a trade partner for Stephen Drew as they rebuild and prepare for next season.

But in that perfect world, Boston would not be in this situation to begin with. 

Drew has just 12 hits, five RBI and two home runs in 89 at-bats to go with a .135/.198/.258 slash line since re-signing with the team in May. Now, the Red Sox would like to move on, but Drew will have to up his play in the batter’s box first, per Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe:

Drew recently explained his troubles to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald:

There’s no regrets,” Drew said. It’s something that, we’ve got to look at that (free agent compensation) rule that kind of hurt some players and myself. It’s difficult to come up here and these guys have three months on you until the season’s over all the time. Not making excuses. It’s just, I’ve had great at-bats and some sucky ones. It’s definitely frustrating not hitting like I know I’m capable of.

As Lauber notes, a trade might just be what Drew needs to rehab his image before hitting the open market this offseason. Helping a team to the playoffs does much in the way of stock rehabilitation.

On the flip side, the Red Sox would love to get something, if anything, out of him before the season concludes. That includes at the plate and on the market, although those things must come hand in hand at this point.

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The home stretch is always the most difficult.

In this instance, that refers to the complex machine that is the MLB trade rumor mill as the deadline looms at the end of July. It can also refer to the fact that the Midsummer Classic is upon us, meaning franchises are more willing to wheel and deal for the postseason push after the break.

And in a few rare instances, it refers to what will be a frantic few weeks for franchises that just suffered a major loss and will need to compensate for maneuvers.

For fans, though? It’s party time, as the endless possibilities can breathe new life into any team, both in the short and long term. With rumors flying every which way, here is a look at some of the most notable recent updates.

Cardinals on the Hunt for Molina Replacement?

At 50-43 and in second place in an intense race in the NL Central Division, the St. Louis Cardinals had little wiggle room for an injury to take away one of their elite players.

Alas, catcher Yadier Molina will miss perhaps the rest of the season after suffering a thumb injury, as explained by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

A major loss at home plate, Molina was also finally turning things around in the batter’s box, going 11-for-31 in his last 10 games. Tony Cruz, who has appeared in 22 games this season and is batting .241 with eight RBI, will take over as the starter.

ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick provided some insight as to what the loss means:

As the Elias Sports Bureau notes, the Cardinals have a staff ERA of 3.53 with Molina and 3.81 without him over the past five seasons. They’ve erased 40.9 percent of opposing base stealers during that time frame, compared to 31.9 percent with all their non-Molina catchers.

“It’s the equivalent of losing Adam Wainwright,” said an American League scout. “Yadi is one guy in the lineup, but this affects 12 guys on the pitching staff. Tony Cruz is a great backup and I guarantee you he’s learned a ton from Yadi just by osmosis. But there’s no way he can replace Yadi offensively, and Yadi is by far the best defensive catcher in all of baseball. It’s going to be a challenge.”

Goold notes that, in an effort to better guarantee the position is secure going into a postseason push, general manager John Mozeliak and the front office will have “their eyes toward the market for available catchers.”

Keep a close eye on the Cardinals, as Cruz’s success will likely have a major impact on whether or not the franchise elects to make a move. The team was in a similar spot a season ago, and the demons of that situation—teams trying to steal great prospects knowing the deadline was very close—will certainly play a factor in a potential move.

Joakim Soria

A 30-year-old arm with 16 saves and a 2.76 ERA is, of course, a hot item on the market any year with the deadline on approach. 

Oh, and don’t forget that said arm has fanned 40 batters and issued just four free passes.

This is where the Texas Rangers are with Joakim Soria at this point. He has managed to rise above what is a rather deep staff, and not only that, he touts a very favorable contract that pays him $5 million this year, with a team option next year for $7 million, per Spotrac.

Other teams obviously covet a contract like Soria‘s, especially those looking for a rental. Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi says there are at least three teams on the prowl for his services:

From Soria‘s perspective, the best place to go if he is moved would be Los Angeles, as that gives him the best chance to remain a closer. But it’s hard to imagine the Rangers, hanging out in fifth place in the AL West, would want to help out a division rival currently fighting with the Oakland A’s for first place.

For his part, Soria is just focused on continuing to do his job well, as captured by Evan Grant of the Dallas News:

I can’t control it. And if I can’t control it, I shouldn’t worry about it. If I don’t worry about it, it won’t be a distraction. It’s part of baseball. Rumors start and that’s it. I’m glad to be here. I’m glad to have a second chance to be a Major Leaguer. How can I be frustrated over anything when I’ve been given a second chance.

Soria is but one rung on the free-agency ladder that includes names such as Jonathan Papelbon, so a deal will have to blow the Rangers away to come to fruition. That certainly does not mean it won’t happen, though.

Marlon Byrd

At 36 years old and in possession of a rejuvenated bat and a two-year contract worth $8 million per year through 2016, per Spotrac, Marlon Byrd is living the good life with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Of course, that won’t stop teams from coming after Byrd, whose numbers continue to rise and show no signs of stopping at this juncture:

According to Crasnick, the Seattle Mariners, stuck in third place in the AL West, have shown a serious interest:

One problem: Byrd has a no-trade clause that covers four teams.

The Mariners are one of them.

Per Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, the teams are the Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays, although he does not view the clause as “ironclad.”

“I don’t want to get traded,” he said Thursday in Milwaukee. “I signed a two-year deal here for a reason. The thought process was to retire as a Phillie. At the same time, this is a business and I know how it works. If trading me makes the organization better, I have to go with it.”

If a team like Seattle tries hard enough, there is an outside chance some traction can be gained. But Byrd is in rare form for his age and is quite content, so expect this saga to drag out right up to the deadline.

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Once the MLB All-Star Game and break comes and goes, well, you can bet the trade market is going to heat up more than the New York City blacktop on a July afternoon. If anything, the deal that sent Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the Oakland Athletics was an indication of a big summer of wheeling and dealing to come. 

And yes, the whispers are already starting. Below, you’ll find three juicy rumors to whet your appetite until the main course arrives.

Will Middlebrooks, Boston Red Sox

Will Middlebrooks just can’t seem to put it all together. Before going down with a broken finger, the 25-year-old was hitting .197 with two home runs and nine RBI in 21 games this season. There’s potential for far more, of course, but he hasn’t lived up to expectations just yet.

Still, there’s been buzz around the third baseman, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports:

The Red Sox have been receiving decent trade interest in recent days in third baseman Will Middlebrooks, who’s on injury rehab following his slow start in Boston. But while he looks like a logical trade candidate who may benefit from a change of scenery, Red Sox people are said to seem quite reluctant to deal Middlebrooks.

There could be two reasons for this. The first one is fairly obvious. Middlebrooks, only 25, has big power and it isn’t easy to come by power bats in baseball these days.

The other possible reason involves a bit more supposition. Middlebrooks, if he can show something in the second half, could be seen as a possible piece in case Boston tries to make a run at Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton.

At some point, somebody is going to rescue Stanton from the Miami Marlins, so if the Red Sox indeed harbor secret hopes of being the team to do so, keeping hold of Middlebrooks as a potential trade chip in that deal makes perfect sense. 

Or maybe they just aren’t ready to let him go. Or maybe they’re trying to inflate his value by projecting a reluctance to move him. Or maybe…

…We’ll just have to wait to see what happens, because who knows what they’re actually thinking?

David Price, Tampa Bay Rays

Once again, David Price finds himself as the subject of trade rumors. And once again, it appears the Tampa Bay Rays could end up holding on to him for one reason or another.

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports has more:

And Buster Olney of ESPN says the team is playing the waiting game as it decides whether or not it can make a run at the postseason this year:

At 41-50 and 8.5 games back of the first-place Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, the Rays don’t exactly seem likely to reach the postseason at this juncture. Then again, the Rays have a way of becoming very hard to beat in August and September every year. And don’t look now, but they did just go 9-2 on a road trip and are 17-8 in their last 25.

Price himself thinks the Rays have figured it out, as he told Mike Bauman of MLB.com:

Obviously, we expected to play better baseball at the beginning of the year. We expected to play up to this caliber. This is the type of baseball we expected to play. I don’t know if anybody expected us to hit it the way we are now. We base ourselves off pitching and defense, and we’ve definitely improved in both of those aspects. We’ll take whatever our hitters give us.

In many ways, the Price situation is a no-lose situation for the Rays. If they think they can get back in the race, they’ll be keeping a player who is currently 8-7 with a 3.48 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 159 strikeouts. If they deal him, they’re going to add some very nice chips in the farm system, the bread and butter of the team’s organizational structure. 

At the moment, it looks like the Rays’ recent play and the fact that they may not get the huge package they would want in exchange for Price means he’s likely to remain in Tampa Bay—just like every other time his name has popped up in rumors. 

Jake Peavy, Boston Red Sox

Things have not gone well for Jake Peavy this year. The Boston Red Sox hurler is 1-7 with a 4.64 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 84 strikeouts in 110.2 innings pitched. Those numbers aren’t exactly screaming “come trade for me” to other teams, but according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, the Sox might have some suitors anyway:

According to a major league source, a few teams in the NL would have interest in Peavy if the Sox would provide some salary relief for the prorated portion of the $16 million he’s owed this season. Peavy can be a free agent after the season. “No team is going to give up a lot for him, but if the Red Sox want to move him to make room for a youngster like [Rubby] De La Rosa, they could do that,” said the source. It seems the Red Sox will hold on to Peavy, who pitched better in his last outing in front of a lot of scouts.

If the Sox are going to hold on to Peavy, it’s likely at least in part because they would be selling him for 20 cents on the dollar at this point. The hope will be that after recording four quality starts in his last five appearances, he’s turning a corner. 

Other teams might be convinced of that as well, but it sounds like they’ll still want a discount in any deal with Peavy. That leaves the Red Sox negotiating from a place of weakness, so Peavy remains likely to stick around in Beantown. 

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The 2014 MLB non-waiver trade deadline is scheduled for Thursday, July 31, but the buzz surrounding rumored deals has gone up exponentially with the blockbuster trade involving Jeff Samardzija and the Oakland Athletics.

With stars like Chase Headley, Joaquin Benoit and Dayan Viciedo reportedly on the market, the trades that have been rumored could drastically shift the landscape of Major League Baseball moving forward.

Here are the latest MLB trade rumors circulating around the league right now.

Toronto Kicking the Tires on Chase Headley?

One of the most intriguing players on the trade block is San Diego Padres third baseman Chase Headley. At 30 years old, there is still plenty of life left in the veteran.

While Headley’s offensive numbers this year have dropped—his .217 batting average, six home runs and 25 RBI are awful, but the lackluster lineup around him has pitchers avoiding his power at all costs—he is still a force in the field and a viable every-day starter at the hot corner.

According to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, San Diego and the Toronto Blue Jays have already started the trade conversations:

In a report from Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the New York Yankees could also be interested in Headley via trade as the deadline approaches:

Headley has admittedly struggled during the 2014 season, but a change of scenery may be exactly what he needs. Being stuck in the aimless culture of the Padres will hurt a player’s confidence and moving to a club fighting for a postseason spot like Toronto would be ideal.

The Blue Jays have the assets to make the deal work, and the addition of a stellar third baseman like Headley could put the team over the edge in the AL East.

Detroit Interested in Bringing Back Joaquin Benoit?

After spending three seasons with the Detroit Tigers, relief pitcher Joaquin Benoit joined the San Diego Padres this offseason. He has racked up an impressive 1.23 ERA, 41 strikeouts and a 0.68 WHIP thus far in 2014.

As San Diego continues to fall out of contention, Benoit will continue to draw serious interest.

In a separate report from Morosi, Detroit appears to be one of the franchises most interested in reacquiring Benoit to bolster the back end of the bullpen:

Whether it was the closer role or the setup role, Benoit filled any need the Tigers had during his time with the team. While he was inconsistent during his stretch in Detroit, he has shown his vast skills during his time with the Padres.

There is no doubt that trading for Benoit could be a bust if he doesn’t regain his elite form with the Tigers, but his talent and mental strength would help alleviate the pressure on the current cast of characters in Detroit’s bullpen.

Boston and Others Looking to Acquire Dayan Viciedo?

After defecting from Cuba, outfielder Dayan Viciedo signed with the Chicago White Sox and was greeted with serious fanfare. Unfortunately for the player and the team, he has not lived up to the lofty expectations.

Now may be the perfect opportunity for the Boston Red Sox or one of the other teams reportedly interested in trading for Viciedo to buy low on the prospect. At only 25 years old, there is still ample room for the player to grow.

According to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com, there are at least two teams in addition to Boston that are developing deals in order to acquire the Cuban star via trade:

Other teams have already approached the White Sox about him, including the contending Mariners and Giants, according to one major league source. The Mariners, the source said, would consider trading 23-year-old right-hander Brandon Maurer as part of a two-player package for him, so it’s reasonable to expect that the Red Sox would have to be willing to part with one of their young arms (Brandon Workman, Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster) to acquire him.

There was serious hope for Viciedo after he blasted 25 home runs in 2012, but he regressed in each of the last two seasons, culminating in a lackluster .250 batting average, 10 home runs and 31 RBI thus far in 2014.

The risk associated with Viciedo is very real, but a team like Boston has the support system needed to help the still-developing prospect reach his full potential.

*Stats via MLB.com.

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