Kuzul

Some big chips have already fallen with Major League Baseball’s trade deadline just days away, but several more high-profile players could be on the move. There are no guarantees as teams seem to change course at the drop of a hat around deadline time, but there are plenty of solid players to be had via trade.

The next few days will be huge in determining how active teams are at the deadline as they will have to decide whether they want to push for a playoff spot or sell their assets. Since qualifying for the postseason is obviously the main priority for every team, expect organizations that are close to go for the gusto.

Here is the latest pre-deadline chatter surrounding Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Michael Young and more as the MLB‘s trading frenzy continues.

Justin Morneau

Morneau is nowhere near the form that allowed him to win the AL MVP Award back in 2006, but he is a steady producer who could be a big help to a contending team. The Twins are obviously going nowhere fast, and with the 32-year-old Canadian set to become a free agent during the offseason, they would be wise to get what they can for him. According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Pittsburgh Pirates are a team that could very well bring in Morneau in hopes of generating an offensive spark.

The Bucs are unquestionably the feel-good story of the season as they are in ideal position to make a run to the playoffs, but there is some question about whether or not they are built to win once they get there. Aside from Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh isn’t exactly stacked with top-flight hitters. Although Morneau isn’t exactly elite anymore in his own right, he has led the way for playoff teams in the past, and he would provide a much-needed lefty bat in the middle of the Pirates’ order.

Morneau’s numbers this season certainly aren’t eye-popping as he is hitting .269 with seven homers and 52 RBI, but he doesn’t exactly have much protection in the Twins’ order. Potentially staggered in with McCutchen and Alvarez in the Pirates’ lineup, he would be a far more dangerous threat. The Pirates generally don’t like to take on a lot of salary, so Morneau would be a logical fit as he can help them this year and come off the books next year.

Michael Young

After 13 productive seasons with Texas Rangers, Michael Young was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies this season. While Young isn’t the same player who made seven All-Star Games and had 200 or more hits in a season on six occasions, he is still quite productive and valuable. No team understands that more than the Rangers, which could be why there is some internal interest in bringing Young back into the fold, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

While Heyman maintains that the Rangers’ top priority is a right-handed hitting outfielder, a Young return remains possible. Young obviously wouldn’t play much third base in Texas with Adrian Beltre on the team, but his versatility could come in handy. Mitch Moreland’s play has dropped off a bit over at first base, so Young could play some games there. Also, with Lance Berkman possibly out for the rest of the season, Young could DH fairly regularly. There is a great deal of familiarity, and there is no question that it would be a great fit.

Even though Young isn’t having a monster year at .278 with seven home runs and 31 RBI, there is little doubt that a return to Texas would energize him. Also, he wouldn’t have much offensive burden on his shoulders with guys like Beltre, Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz carrying the load. Young shouldn’t be too pricey since his contract expires at the end of the year, which means that the Rangers should be in the running as the deadline inches closer.

Luke Gregerson

Almost every team in the league seems to be looking for bullpen help right now, so the San Diego Padres are in a great position. This season has been a difficult one for the Padres, but there is little doubt that the strength of their team resides in the pen. According to Heyman, the player who appears to be garnering the most interest is set-up man Luke Gregerson.

Gregerson has been among the best late-inning arms in the game for the past few seasons, so it should come as no surprise that teams are lining up to get him. Gregerson‘s stats this year aren’t quite as impressive as they were last year, but he has gotten a bit unlucky. His 1.04 WHIP is actually his best since 2010, but his ERA this year is 2.98, whereas it was 2.39 last season.  Even so, Gregerson would be a huge help to pretty much any team. He is a true set-up man, and there are a number of squads that would benefit from adding a player of Gregerson‘s ilk.

The first one that comes to mind is the Detroit Tigers. It can be argued that the Tigers have the best lineup and starting pitching combination in baseball, but their bullpen leaves much to be desire. Joaquin Benoit has done a nice job as closer since taking over, but he doesn’t have a ton of support. Gregerson would immediately be Detroit’s primary right-handed set-up man with Drew Smyly handling things from the left side. Regardless of where he ends up, Gregerson will have an impact on the playoff race, provided that San Diego deals him.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Of the names we’re hearing that are very likely available on the trade market, there’s not much to get excited about. At least not in terms of a player who can make an impact down the stretch as Marco Scutaro did with the San Francisco Giants in 2012. 

But there are several second basemen on non-contending teams, or teams on the cusp of being a non-contender, who could be difference-makers if acquired. Whether their team pulls the trigger on a trade has a lot to do with the offer on the table.

Considering how thin the market is and with a handful of teams, including the Oakland A’s, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, looking for middle infield upgrades, it wouldn’t surprise me to see at least one of the top five names on this list go in a pre-deadline deal. 

Here is a list of the top 10 potentially available middle infielders.

Begin Slideshow

Now that Matt Garza has traded in his deep-dish Chicago pizza for Texas barbecue, perhaps the biggest remaining question before the 2013 MLB trade deadline will be whether a certain hurler on the South Side will do the same.

Of course, I speak of Chicago White Sox righty Jake Peavy, who has taken the aluminum-encrusted Best Pitcher Available championship belt. The White Sox haven’t exactly come out and put a “for sale” sign on Peavy’s lawn or anything, but the tea leaves read in the big, blocked letters you would normally find in a children’s book.

From the moment Garza got sent to the Rangers, the interest in Peavy piqued through the roof. Want to find a team linked to the South Sider? Good luck finding one that isn’t.

The Cubs were able to drive up the price on Garza for a bevy of solid prospects, including the diamond of the deal in right-hander C.J. Edwards. And if power-hitting corner infielder Mike Olt pans out, the Cubbies could have walked away with a damn good haul for a team nosediving its way to Astrodome.

While the White Sox will have a tough time finding that level of return for Peavy—which is weird, considering the two are about equals—Chicago could see a bidding war in the coming days. MLB.com’s Matthew Leach reported earlier Friday that at least 10 teams had scouts in Chicago for Peavy’s start Thursday against the Detroit Tigers.

Pitching against arguably the game’s most fearsome lineup, Peavy handled himself well. He out-dueled Justin Verlander to get the win, going seven strong innings and striking out nine while spraying 11 hits and four earned runs. It wasn’t a dominant performance by any stretch. He needed 118 pitches to work his way though seven innings and gave up three home runs, two of which he was lucky were solo shots.

That said, Peavy walked away relatively unscathed against Miguel Cabrera and Co., a feat far more impressive than his three home runs against is concerning.

In other words, don’t expect any teams to go walking away from the bargaining table over the next week. Especially with the market in a seeming state of inertia at the moment.

“There are no players anymore,” a team executive told ESPN’s Jayson Stark about the quiet trade market. “I mean that. There’s a real shortage of players.”

In the desert-like conditions of this year’s deadline, Peavy is the RC Cola machine. He’s the best player on the market, a difference-maker who could help bolster the rotation of a contending team. He’ll also come cheaper than Garza, both in terms of prospects and overall cost. Garza is due to hit the free-agent market this winter, and is ineligible for a qualifying offer because he was traded. Peavy is under contract for $14.5 million next season and has an option for $15 million the next.

When trading prospects for Peavy, you’re getting at least 1.4 seasons. When trading them for Garza, the Rangers risked losing the righty this winter. Holding Peavy’s rights undoubtedly helped spark much of the interest, as an innumerable amount of related rumors have come over the hot stoves in recent weeks.

MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reported earlier this week that the Boston Red Sox have discussed a package centered around third baseman Will Middlebrooks. It’s not known whether Boston is pushing Middlebrooks, 24, as a centerpiece or if Chicago is claiming that that’s the cost of doing business. But considering that Middlebrooks was once the golden child within the Red Sox organization, it should be an indicator that the cost of business will be high.

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman has noted Boston, the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals are seen as the co-favorites of sorts. The Atlanta Braves linger as another darkhorse, with Tim Hudson’s ankle injury leaving question marks in an otherwise excellent rotation. 

And that’s just a little sampling. We’ve seen multiple instances of teams swooping in from nowhere at the last minute to land elite talent, and Peavy might be the latest example.

None of that answers the major question: Is Peavy worth the fuss?

For teams with an actual shot of World Series glory, the answer is certainly yes. Peavy looks fully recovered from his rib injury earlier in the season, returning to the mound after the All-Star break with just about the same velocity as he had prior. While he’s given up six earned runs over 13 innings in those outings, they’ve come against Atlanta and Detroit—two of the very best teams in baseball. Metrically, he was a little below-average in both outings, but any team would be more than happy to have either outing in September and October with Peavy as their second or third starter.

The season as a whole has been an up-and-down affair. Eight of his starts have been considered quality starts, meaning he gave up three or fewer earned runs while going at least six innings. That’s the good. Peavy has also given up six runs on three separate occasions, one of which came against the lowly Cubs.

From an advanced perspective, Peavy’s 2013 is better in line with his frustrating 2011 campaign than any other season in Chicago. His 4.10 FIP would be the second-highest of his career, and he’s also on pace to set a career-low groundball rate—a concern considering that trait has been trending downward each of the past four seasons. And should the campaign end today, Peavy would finish with the highest home run rate of his career.

That’s the bad. His inconsistencies are understandably concerning, which is probably why he’ll fetch a lower haul than Garza. But that’s also exactly why a contender can pounce while they still can.

These numbers are completely out of whack from what we’ve seen from Peavy over the course of his career, leaving some regression to the mean meat still on the bone. His home run rate should especially stabilize over a larger sample, and there’s a reason Peavy has only two career seasons with a FIP over 4.00.

As his ratios stable, his standard stats should do the same. Take a home run here or there away, and you’re looking at a pitcher with a mid-three ERA, solid WHIP and strikeout rate. He’s a damn good pitcher, and he’ll continue being one as he gets more comfortable after his DL stint. 

The question is where he’ll be doing so. Boston and St. Louis, thanks to their penchant for making similar splashes, probably seem like the most natural fits. Atlanta would be interesting, but the Braves need to focus on getting bullpen help before anything else; they’ll be solid in the rotation with or without Peavy.

But the real interesting possibility here remains Oakland. The Athletics, plucky as ever in the Bay Area with their under-appreciated talent and genius general manager, are three games ahead of Texas in the AL West. The Rangers already made their big splash in Garza, and are probably expecting a run of passivity from their biggest divisional rival.

But what if Billy Beane actually went for it? The A’s have the prospects to get a deal done yesterday. They have the infrastructure in place and at least a chance of making a run deep into October. Add Peavy to the mix, and they might just have a shot of keeping the World Series title back in the Bay Area. 

Whether it’s Oakland, Boston or any other team left on the market, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Peavy might have been the secondary target, but he could be the one who decides the race.  

All advanced stats via FanGraphs.

Follow Tyler Conway on Twitter:

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the MLB trade deadline less than a week away, Cardinal fans are wondering what magic general manager John Mozeliak has up his sleeve.

The last two seasons, Mozeliak has pulled the trigger on moves that directly impacted the Cardinals stretch run to the postseason. 

With the Cardinals in the market for another starter and possibly a utility player, it’ll be interesting to see who will land in St. Louis at the deadline.

Here is a little fact or fiction regarding the current St. Louis Cardinal trade rumors.

Begin Slideshow

The July 31 MLB trade deadline is just over a week away, and the Cincinnati Reds are not likely to make any drastic moves despite some intriguing names being linked to the team.

Cincinnati is in great position to return to the postseason, so there aren’t many areas that need to be addressed. 

The Reds are in an unusual position. They are likely to get starting left fielder Ryan Ludwick back shortly after the deadline, so that addition will take care of one need. 

Shortstop is one area fans want addressed, but third base has had similar struggles. Both Zack Cozart and Todd Frazier are in the middle of their sophomore seasons, so there is still room for them to grow.

The bullpen has turned it up lately, and Sean Marshall and Jonathan Broxton will hopefully return from injuries soon. 

Injuries have impacted potential targets like reliever Jesse Crain of the Chicago White Sox.

Cincinnati has the ability to be patient at the deadline and not make any huge moves. Let’s check out what players have been linked to the Reds and whether the Reds are really going to be active in pursuing those players.

Michael Young, IF, Philadelphia Phillies

2013 stats: .286/.347/.417, 7 HR, 18 2B, 3 3B, 31 RBI, 53 K/32 BB

The biggest name linked to the Reds has been Philadelphia’s Michael Young. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported that the Reds are interested in the veteran.

Cincinnati has struggled on offense at shortstop and at third base. Young can play anywhere in the infield, so he could play either if the Reds brought him in. He’d likely get more time at shortstop, but he could play some third base as well.

Another area the team needs help in is the second spot in the lineup. The team is No. 22 in the league with a .242 average out of the 2-hole. Upgrading that spot could put this team over the top.

Young has gotten the majority of his at-bats in his career batting second and has a .308 average with a .357 OBP, courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. A tandem of Shin-Soo Choo and Young at the top of the order would be a nice mix of average and power in front of Joey Votto.

Young has a Gold Glove to his name, and he went to two World Series with the Texas Rangers. Experience can only help a team that is hoping for a deep playoff run.

Cozart and Frazier have had disappointing seasons, so the Reds are exploring other options. Unfortunately for the team, other teams need Young more and have more to offer.

George A. King III of the New York Post reported that both the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees are interested in the infielder. The Red Sox are looking to maintain a playoff spot, and the Yankees may make a move out of desperation to try to get into the playoffs. Injuries have forced New York to play without three of its four starting infielders for the majority of the season.

Young would be a great addition to Cincinnati’s roster. The 36-year-old is in the final year of his contract, so it would be another deal to try to win this season. However, the Reds aren’t as desperate as other contenders and can’t give the Phillies the best package.

Fact or Fiction: Fiction

Glen Perkins, CP, Minnesota Twins

2013 stats: 37 G, 1-0, 1.72 ERA, 23 saves, 36.2 IP, 49 K/7 BB

This rumor is easy to turn down for a few reasons. ESPN.com‘s (Insider access required) Jim Bowden reported that the Reds are one of a few teams that have inquired about Glen Perkins, but the Twins have turned away every team. 

The Twins have rejected every interested team, but the Reds don’t have much of a need for the closer. The team already has three closers under contract, so adding another one would be unnecessary.

Cincinnati’s bullpen struggled early in the season, especially when Marshall and Broxton went down with injuries, but the relievers have been great as of late. Four relievers have yet to allow a run in July, and no reliever has allowed more than two runs all month.

Aroldis Chapman and Alfredo Simon are the only relievers who have allowed more than one run this month. Perkins has yet to allow a run this month.

Manny Parra‘s resurgence has helped the Reds. He is arguably the hottest reliever the team has, which is important as he is the only southpaw in the bullpen outside of Chapman. Had Parra continued to struggle, the Reds may have made an aggressive run at a left-handed reliever like Perkins at the deadline.

Minnesota isn’t interested in trading its closer. The Twins have a pitcher who can throw strikes and keep the opponents off the scoreboard. Cincinnati is getting good pitching from its relievers, so don’t expect a high-profile acquisition like Perkins.

Fact or fiction: Fiction

Conclusion

The Reds don’t have a lot of money available for a high-profile player. They don’t have the prospects to bring back a star, so any move made is likely to be minor.

A rental player could be in the team’s plans, but there aren’t many options that would be realistic. 

Cincinnati’s bullpen has pulled it together recently, so the team doesn’t need to make a drastic move for bullpen help. 

While fans don’t want to wait for injured players to return, the Reds are poised to get several key players back in August. The bullpen will get Marshall and Broxton back, and Johnny Cueto should return to the rotation. On offense, Ludwick is ready for a rehab assignment and will rejoin the team barring any setbacks.

Getting an ace, two setup men and a power-hitting—who is also right-handed—left fielder back from the disabled list will act as trades. 

The Reds are currently on an 11-game West Coast trip, so they will know how aggressive they must be when the trip wraps up.

Already in great position for the playoffs, the Reds don’t need a big move. A passive approach will pay off for the team as October approaches.

*All stats are courtesy of MLB.com, unless otherwise noted, entering play on 7/23/2013. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn can permanently extinguish the last vestiges of belief that Kenny Williams is still the arbiter of South Side fortunes over the next seven days.

Not only is the White Sox’s 25-man roster awash with veteran talent, but Hahn has second- and third-year players under team control for some time that he could move if the return is high enough.

A couple of well-timed, prospect-driven trades would go a long way for Hahn and the White Sox.

Creativity will be the buzz word, and the conversations are dense.

Addison Reed, Jesse Crain, Alex Rios, Alexei Ramirez and Jake Peavy are just a few of the players rumored to be on the verge of leaving the White Sox. Most likely, though, not everyone who is being discussed will be dealt.

This slideshow will play fact or fiction with the speculated landing points for some of the more frequently mentioned White Sox players who will be listed in alphabetical order.

Matt Lindstrom, while widely expected to be traded, is not included because rumors of his departure have largely been unspecific.

Begin Slideshow

In reality, it only takes one team to overvalue, and, thus, overpay for a player on the trade market. But there’s always a group of players that’s viewed as having a certain value based on certain numbers, reputation and trade-market depth.  

For those reasons, certain players will be overrated, and some team will be taking a risk by acquiring them, even at fair market value.  

Unless the price somehow goes way down in the next 12 days, here are five overrated players whom your team should avoid acquiring before the trade deadline.

Begin Slideshow

Last season, the Boston Red Sox had a fire sale, jettisoning Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto for James Loney and other considerations.

That fire sale cleared up the space to sign Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli, and now the Sox are tops in the AL East.  But they still have a couple weak spots, and the AL East race is shaping up to be quite tight, which is why I think they should be the recipients of a fire sale this campaign.

Obviously, when you hear “fire sale” right now, your mind should automatically flash to the Great Chicago Fire Sales that have been mentioned over the past two weeks.  But those aren’t the fire sales Boston wants to buy, for a number of reasons.

For one, neither the Cubs nor the White Sox can offer the Red Sox exactly what they want.  The Cubs appear to be dealing piecemeal, with FoxSports.com and others reporting within the last few hours that ace Matt Garza is going to Texas.  And with the White Sox already dealing Matt Thornton to Boston, further, larger deals seem unlikely. 

No, the team I see as fire-selling to the BoSox are the Milwaukee Brewers.  A disappointing showing in the first half will be followed by a wretched second half and a not-that-great 2014 since Ryan Braun will likely serve a lengthy PED suspension that sidelines him for parts of this and next season. Milwaukee has been pegged as sellers by most analysts and are one of the few sellers who can fulfill all of Boston’s needs.

Let’s review what Boston needs.  For starters, they need an upgrade at the hot corner: Will Middlebrooks (.192 BA, .617 OPS, -0.4 WAR) has been disappointing this season.  With Jose Iglesias sliding back to shortstop and Pedro Ciriaco being designated for assignment, the Red Sox have been operating an unfortunate platoon of Brock Holt and Brandon Snyder.

The other two things it’d be nice for Boston to have are another starter and closer.  Boston is near the bottom of the league in relief ERA (4.10) and 20th in the majors in starter’s WHIP (1.32).  Neither are particularly encouraging signs with ace Clay Buchholz on a prolonged DL stint and Jon Lester posting a disappointing 5.23 ERA in the last 30 days.

Boston’s bullpen took major hits with Joel Hanharan’s injury and the continuing ineffectiveness of Andrew Bailey and Daniel Bard, and they have no closer at present.

Milwaukee can fulfill those needs with Aramis Ramirez, Yovani Gallardo and Francisco Rodriguez.  MLB DailyDish has all three of them on the block, and those three players have been mentioned as being on the block individually in sources ranging from Jon Morosi of FoxSports.com to Dave Radcliffe of YahooSports. 

Though Rodriguez is a free agent at the end of the season, Ramirez and Gallardo will be owed $32 million if they are bought out after 2014 and $54 million if they’re held on to until the end of the 2015 campaign.  The three players’ contracts combine to $25 million this season alone.  If the Brewers want to shed salaries, shedding these players (or the underwhelming John Axford) is a wonderful way to start.

What would the Sox have to give up to get Ramirez and Gallardo in their uniforms, besides lots and lots of cash?  Well, I think it begins with Middlebrooks. 

Add to that reserve outfielder/first baseman Mike Carp.  Carp has a triple slash of .303/.369/.606, but with Victorino, Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Nava, David Ortiz and Napoli all healthy, there really isn’t a place for him on the Sox roster.  

The last piece I see is sending two or three prospects the Brewers’ way. One of them will probably have to be Anthony Ranaudo, who’s 8-2 with a 2.67 ERA for AA Portland.

Bottom line: The Boston Red Sox have a good thing going, whereas the Milwaukee Brewers will probably be cellar-dwellers for the foreseeable future.  The two teams need to make a deal.      

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With every passing hour, we draw closer to the non-waiver trade deadline, putting added pressure on general managers around baseball to figure out whether their teams are going to be buying or selling over the next few weeks.

That passing of time corresponds with the rumor mill speeding up as well, with speculation and tidbits coming faster and more furious than at any point thus far during the regular season—and it’s very likely it will reach ludicrous speed before too long.

But what are we to make of all the speculation and innuendo?

Let’s see if we can’t make some sense of it all by playing one of America’s favorite games: Fact or Fiction.

Begin Slideshow

There are several teams on the cusp of falling out of playoff contention, which is always fun as it opens up the potential for even more trade rumors.

Seven teams—the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox—are currently more than 10 games back of a playoff spot, a very tough spot from which to bounce back. More could join them soon in the land of non-contenders. 

Teams like the Blue Jays (43-45, lost nine of last 14), Giants (40-48, lost 12 of their last 14), Padres (40-50, 10 consecutive losses), Rockies (43-47, lost 14 of their last 20) and Royals (42-44, lost 34 of their last 59) will need to make a decision of whether they are buyers or sellers in the next few weeks. If they play any worse than they have lately, veteran players from those teams could be shopped to contenders before the trade deadline.

Here are seven of the more interesting names that could be part of your daily Hot Stove news in the near future.

Begin Slideshow