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The MLB trade deadline is creeping closer and closer, and the moves of this past weekend indicate that we could see even more action before July 31 than in previous years.

The Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics got things started on the Fourth of July, as Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel went over to the A’s in exchange for top prospect Addison Russell and other minor leaguers.

The New York Yankees also sought pitching help, but with the two aforementioned arms off the market, they had to settle for Brandon McCarthy. They sent Vidal Nuno back to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange.

What other players will be dealt before the deadline? Deadline acquisitions can alter the landscape of the league, and you can be sure that contending teams are looking to upgrade. Below are the latest rumors on names that could be on the move.

David Price

Now that Samardzija is off the market, David Price is the most coveted arm available. The left-hander has been dominant of late, and that won’t help other teams get him on the cheap.

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports wrote about one potential suitor: “The Rays are willing to deal Price within the American League East, and the Blue Jays could make a credible offer by putting forward two of their top three prospects: Aaron Sanchez, Daniel Norris and Dalton Pompey.”

The fact that the Rays are willing to deal within the division is interesting. It’s rare that teams will move big players to a division rival, and especially one in the thick of a playoff race.

This could feasibly open the door for any of the AL East teams to make a move for Price. They all need pitching, and he’s the best arm out there.

That said, Morosi notes that it won’t be easy to get Price:

After general manager Andrew Friedman saw the haul Chicago got for Samardzija and Hammel, he would be wise to wait it out for a top prospect or two.

The Blue Jays can offer that, but do the other AL East teams have the trade chips? Probably not.

Chase Headley

It seems like the Yankees have been linked to Chase Headley for years now, but they finally have a legitimate need for his services. Just take a look at the to-date production from Yangervis Solarte (who has been sent down) and Kelly Johnson at the hot corner:

To be fair, Headley hasn’t been much better. He’s slashing just .219/.297/.332 with six homers and 25 RBI. It was only two seasons ago that he led the NL with 115 RBI, however, so the Yankees could probably grab him cheap and hope he rights the ship.

That appears to be the plan, as Morosi reports that the Yankees are really interested:

Headley would be the perfect rental for a team that is still in the playoff hunt despite multiple injuries to its pitching staff and hole after hole in the lineup.

Jacoby Ellsbury is really the only big-name position player they signed this offseason that is doing well. Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann have struggled mightily, and it shows in the inconsistencies of this lineup.

Adding Headley might not help right away, but as the weather warms up, we could see a rejuvenated hitter. Still just 30, Headley should have more than a few good swings left in him.

Dayan Viciedo

Teams in need of cheap power might call the Chicago White Sox in hopes that they’ll move Dayan Viciedo, reports ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes:

But Viciedo just turned 25 in March, is being paid just $2.8 million this season, and would remain under a club’s control through the 2017 season. Despite his underachieving performance this season, his right-handed power might be an ideal fit in Fenway Park. 

Other teams have already approached the White Sox about him, including the contending Mariners and Giants, according to one major league source.

Viciedo has actually been remarkably consistent over the past three seasons, as you can see below:

He hits for good power and gives you an OPS around .730. It’s not great, but the fact that he can drive in runs at the bottom of the lineup makes him a valuable commodity.

The Red Sox could definitely use his bat, but I think the Seattle Mariners are the best fit. This team is surprisingly good. To take the next step, they need some more power. Viciedo is affordable, and he can be plugged into a corner outfield spot or designated hitter right away.

All he has to do is hit the ball far. There won’t be any pressure on him to do anything else. What you see is what you get with him, and that’s just fine for a team like Seattle.

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With less than four weeks remaining until the MLB July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, the action around the league is starting to pick up.

First, the Chicago Cubs sent starting pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the Oakland A’s for a package that included Addison Russell, Billy McKinney and Dan Straily. Then, relief pitcher Joe Thatcher and outfielder Tony Campana were acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks by the Los Angeles Angels for minor league pitcher Joey Krehbiel and outfielder Zach Borenstein.

In other words, the stakes in the American League West were raised. But what about the other players rumored to be available?

Here are four MLB trade scenarios based on actual need and published rumors from the week ending Sunday, July 6. 

As a standard note, the following proposals are nothing more than postulation. The point here is to build a trade based on someone else’s written or spoken word.

They are balanced deals that are fair for each team, though, and take into consideration each franchise’s strengths and weaknesses. 

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It’s an annual rite of passage for every single MLB season—July rolls around and the contenders and pretenders start to talk shop.

After all, those who see a chance at the World Series will typically give up young talent for established veterans, and the struggling clubs are more than happy to look toward the future with prospects. The trade between the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics that involved Jeff Samardzija was a perfect prototype for that exact situation.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the latest rumors as the trade deadline gradually approaches.

Chicago White Sox

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports filled fans in on some of the latest Chicago White Sox rumors:

The White Sox have struggled to stay near .500 all season, and they were on the wrong side of that line Monday.

The argument could be made that they are still in the American League Central race because they are less than nine games back, but given their inconsistency and the fact that the Detroit Tigers are in first place without a vintage season from ace Justin Verlander, it’s probably safe to say Chicago won’t be playing in October.

That’s why it makes some sense that Chicago is shopping Gordon Beckham. He isn’t that young anymore at 27, and he’s not exactly tearing up the league offensively at .244 with seven home runs and 24 RBI. If it can get anything in return in terms of young talent, Chicago has to jump on that.

It’s also smart for the White Sox to hang onto Jose Quintana.

He is only 25 years old and has a bright future ahead of him. He is pitching well this season and just shut out the Seattle Mariners in 7.2 innings in his last start. What’s more, young left-handed pitching is just so valuable in the league that even teams who are not in the race would be wise to hold onto it because it could help in future playoff pushes.

Aaron Hill and James Russell

The MLB Network’s Peter Gammons provided the latest on Aaron Hill and James Russell:

This is a classic case of sellers looking to ship off veteran talent at the deadline. The Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks aren’t going anywhere this year as bottom-dwellers in their respective divisions and have an eye toward the future.

Hill is struggling a bit at the plate this year with an average south of .240 and six home runs. Perhaps a change of scenery could pay dividends for the career .271 hitter, who has always provided solid defense.

As for Russell, the southpaw seems to be the next domino in the Cubs’ fire sale.

They are clearly building for the future and loading up on prospects, and Russell could give a contender some much-needed help as a lefty specialist near the backend of the bullpen. Cubs team president Theo Epstein discussed the number of young prospects he has in the system because of moves that involved players like Russell, via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago-Sun Times: 

We’re not smart enough to know how all the pieces fit together, but it’s easy to be excited about a lot of the different permutations. I think we have a chance to have really good homegrown solutions at a lot of positions.

Of course, if teams want to talk to us about trades at some point, we have a nice inventory to discuss.

If Russell could net the Cubs some more prospects, Epstein and company will not hesitate to move him.

Chase Headley 

Morosi noted that a trade could be in the works between the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres:

The Blue Jays likely see a golden opportunity to seize a division title this year because the typically dominant Yankees and Red Sox are struggling, but the Edwin Encarnacion injury is major setback. They could really use another bat in the lineup while he is on the disabled list.

Chase Headley has underperformed this season at the dish with a .229 average, six home runs and 27 RBI, but he would give Toronto a short-term fill-in who has a history of producing.

Headley is not that far removed from 2012, when he was one of the best hitters in all of baseball and slugged 31 home runs and drove in 115 RBI as a force in the middle of the Padres lineup. 

If Toronto could get even half of that while Encarnacion is out, it could make a charge at the Baltimore Orioles.

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The MLB trade deadline is July 31, but that doesn’t mean general managers will sit on their hands and wait until the last second to make a deal.

There is plenty of baseball to be won in July as teams battle for supremacy in their respective divisions, and the earlier a team jumps on the players it wants, the better.

The Oakland Athletics took this ethos to heart. They picked up two high-caliber starters in Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel in a deal with the Chicago Cubs. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal first reported the news:

This means some other teams have to make moves to keep pace, right?

Let’s take a look at the latest buzz surrounding some of the more interesting trade pieces out on the market.

Mets Willing to Hear Offers for Bartolo Colon

Bartolo Colon has enjoyed a bit of a late-career resurgence over the past couple of seasons. He’s boasts a 3.88 ERA this season with 76 strikeouts in 106.2 innings pitched for the lowly New York Mets.

It’s a wonderful output from a 41-year-old veteran, but the Mets could still be interested in shopping him before the trade deadline. According to the club’s sources for the New York Post‘s Mike Puma, the Mets will listen to offers for Colon. Puma went on to give some background on the Mets’ line of thinking, per his sources:

Though Colon is owed $11 million for next season, the view within the industry is that contract won’t prohibit the Mets from making a deal with a contender in need of rotation help. An AL executive called Colon’s contract “relatively friendly.”

But sources indicated general manager Sandy Alderson has no pressure to deal Colon, and the Mets could wait past the July 31 non-waiver deadline in attempting to maximize their return.

Colon would be an ideal rental for a big-market team looking to make a playoff push. The New York Yankees are in need of pitching help, as manager Joe Girardi believes CC Sabathia could be done for the remainder of the season.

“I think that’s probably fair to say,” said Girardi, via The Star Ledger‘s Dave Hutchinson.

If Mets general manager Sandy Alderson holds on to Colon into August, he could unload his contract for a team dealing with an injury bug before the postseason.

Dayan Viciedo Drawing Interest

According to ESPN’s Gordon Edes, the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants have approached the Chicago White Sox about acquiring outfielder Dayan Viciedo.

Viciedo is a Cuban slugger who can play both in both right and left field. He’s not especially quick nor is he a standout on defense. His most tantalizing trait is his power, although this aspect of his game has dwindled in recent years.

At just 25 years old, his best years could still be ahead of him as a hitter, provided he finds the right situation to regain his 2012 form. The Mariners would give him the best opportunity because of their desperate need for a right-handed hitter.

Edes notes, per his sources, that the Mariners are considering trading right-handed pitcher Brandon Maurer in a potential deal.

Seattle does not have a single right-handed outfielder on the current 25-man roster, severely handicapping manager Lloyd McClendon’s lineup choices against lefties. Catcher Mike Zunino leads the team with home runs off lefties with three, as per MLB.com. If Viciedo can regain some of his mojo, this would be an excellent situation for both parties.

Blue Jays Looking for Infielders

The Toronto Blue Jays are currently neck-and-neck with the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East, no thanks to the production from the hot corner. ESPN’s Jim Bowden reports, rather pessimistically, that the team is scouting two third baseman and a second baseman in an attempt to improve production in the infield:

Brett Lawrie and Juan Francisco have been rather disappointing at the hot corner this season for the Blue Jays. Both players are batting below .250 and have combined for just 25 home runs and 70 RBI on the season.

Lawrie is currently on the DL with a finger injury, leaving the light-hitting Francisco to hold down the fort until reinforcements arrive.

Of the three players Bowden mentioned, Martin Prado fits the team’s needs the best. He’s batting .268 with three home runs and 34 RBI and can also provide cover at shortstop. However, Aaron Hill may be more attainable at 32 years old. He’s batting .248 on the season and notched 42 RBI and would provide cover at second base since Maicer Izturis is likely done for the year. 

The Arizona Diamondbacks could be willing to sell either Prado or Hill considering they are 36-52 and entrenched in the NL West cellar.

If the Blue Jays don’t pull the trigger on any one of the three guys, Bowden’s report is at least an indication they will continue to push for greater success this season.

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Boston’s World Series title defense hasn’t gone quite as anyone anticipated, as the Red Sox have been outscored by the opposition and sit with a losing record on the outskirts of the playoff picture in the American League.

But the club remains within striking distance of a postseason berth, and between the talent level of the active roster and a deep minor league system with quality prospects at nearly every level is a team you simply cannot count out of contention at the beginning of July.

That said, the Red Sox could be buyers or sellers as the trade deadline draws near.

General manager Ben Cherington could look to fill some of the holes on the roster with an eye toward making a run at a wide-open AL East, or he could look to sell off some of his veteran pieces (starter Jake Peavy, for example) and retool on the fly with an eye toward reclaiming the division in 2015.

Whatever the Red Sox wind up doing, you can be sure the rumor mill will be spinning furiously as reports come out about the goings-on in Beantown.

Keep it here for the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the Red Sox along with analysis and everything else that comes with it.

While the post date will always show as July 1, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as Boston tries to figure out exactly what it is.

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The rebuilding process in Chicago that general manager Rick Hahn began in earnest last year has already begun to pay dividends.

Newcomers Jose Abreu and Adam Eaton look like long-term fixtures in the team’s lineup, while the team’s top draft pick this year, North Carolina State left-hander Carlos Rodon, could be a regular in the team’s rotation as early as next season, as Hahn recently told CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes.

But the current edition of the club has a handful of veteran pieces, both at the plate and on the mound, that could be of interest to contending clubs, some of which could bring back a significant package of talent to U.S. Cellular Field.

How’s a White Sox fan supposed to keep up with all the rumors surrounding the team as the trade deadline nears?

Keep it here for the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the White Sox, along with analysis and everything else that comes with it. While the post date will always show up as July 1, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as the White Sox look toward a possible playoff run in 2015.

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Are the Cleveland Indians contenders or pretenders?

It’s an impossible question to answer, with the club hanging around the outskirts of the playoff race despite having a losing record and a negative run differential, which makes the Indians one of the more intriguing teams to follow as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline draws near.

They could become buyers, looking to bolster a roster that has more than a few flaws, or they could look to sell, moving pending free agents for something rather than let them walk away after the season with nothing to show for it.

Keep it here for the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the Indians, along with analysis and everything else that comes with it. While the post date will always show as July 1, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as the Tribe looks to either bolster the roster for the stretch run or position themselves for future success.

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Few teams in baseball have enjoyed the kind of recent success that the Detroit Tigers have.

Winners of three consecutive American League Central crowns, the Tigers have a legitimate chance to make it four in a row in 2014.

But a World Series title has remained elusive, and the pressure is on general manager Dave Dombrowski to figure out how to best position his club to claim baseball’s biggest prize.

While Justin Verlander’s struggles have been concerning, Detroit’s bullpen remains the team’s biggest weakness, as has been the case for a number of years. Will Dombrowski look to add a few hard-throwing arms to the mix before the trade deadline arrives? 

Keep it here for the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the Tigers, along with analysis and everything else that comes with it. While the post date will always show as July 1, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as the Tigers try and fend off the hard-charging Kansas City Royals in the AL Central.

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Things haven’t been nearly as bad in Houston as many expected they would be, with the Astros looking very much like a team that has finally taken a big step back towards respectability after years of being the laughingstock of the game.

General manager Jeff Luhnow has done a remarkable job in recent years of unloading his veterans for younger, less-expensive talent, and the current roster doesn’t have much in the way of valuable trade chips to peddle at the trade deadline.

That doesn’t mean that things will be quiet surrounding the club all month long, however.

Keep it here for the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the Astros, along with analysis and everything else that comes with it. While the post date will always show as July 1, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as the Astros look to add pieces for a future playoff run.

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Kansas City’s stay atop the American League Central standings last month may have been fleeting, but it was a sign that the Royals may finally be ready to break a nearly 30-year absence from postseason baseball.

With a strong starting rotation and an excellent bullpen, the Royals are perhaps the only real competition Detroit will face for the division this season. But if they hope not to squander their opportunity, general manager Dayton Moore is going to have to address some weak spots on the major league roster.

As trade chatter surrounding the team picks up, keep it here for the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the Royals as well as analysis and everything else that comes with it.

While the post date on this tracker will always show as July 1, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as the Royals look to improve their chances to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1985.

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