Kuzul

As we rapidly approach the All-Star Break, most teams in baseball have a pretty good idea of where they stand compared to the rest of the league.

While no team has technically been eliminated or clinched a playoff spot just yet, there is only so much a season can turn around in the second half, so teams are either looking to the now or to the future with the trade deadline on the horizon.

Although the deadline is still a decent way off, that doesn’t mean the rumor mill isn’t able to fire up now and again and provide us with some tasty little nuggets to consider before July 31 rolls around.

A number of teams interested in Jeff Samardzija

For teams looking for starting pitching at the trade deadline, a top option isn’t going to come cheap and although Cole Hamels and Johnny Cueto are both on underachieving teams and being shopped, it is White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija who could garner the most interest.

Samardzija joined Chicago in the offseason from the Oakland Athletics, and while he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, he is a strong addition to any rotation and could change a team’s fortunes once the postseason rolls around.

There are a number of teams interested in bringing Samardzija on board, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, and he could have a serious impact on the rest of the season if the White Sox do decide to deal him away:

There’s always so much debate on where he fits on a pitching staff. He’s not a No. 1 and he’s not having the best of seasons, yet he’s one of the more discussed and desirable pitchers on the trade market.

Kansas City, Houston, Detroit, and others are in on him.

Scouts are constantly at this games so he may be the first starting pitcher to move ahead of the deadline.

The numbers this year aren’t great, with a 4.33 ERA and a 5-4 record, but Samardzija showed what he was capable of in 2014 with a combined 2.99 ERA with the Cubs and the Athletics.

For the White Sox, who find themselves 9.5 games behind the Royals and look to be already out of the playoff race, offloading Samardzija for some young talent to jump start a rebuild would make sense and looks likely.

Will Venable and Gerardo Parra on the Cubs radar

Although starting pitching is the focus at the trade deadline, and has been a relative strength for the Cubs through the first half of the season, the same cannot be said of their bats.

Ranking 24th in runs scored, the Cubs need offensive help in the worst way possible as they attempt to stay in the race for the playoffs, and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports reports that Gerardo Parra and Will Venable are two players Chicago is interested in:

Two names to watch: Milwaukee’s Gerardo Parra, a two-time Gold Glove winner, and San Diego’s Will Venable, who played for Hoyer during his tenure as general manager of the Padres. Both Parra and Venable are considered excellent clubhouse citizens — a theme of recent Cubs’ acquisitions.

Parra has been linked with a number of teams this season, with ESPN’s Buster Olney reporting the San Francisco Giants are also interested. Although his power numbers aren’t great, the .311 batting average and 26 RBI would be a big boost for the Cubs offensively.

Venable’s numbers haven’t impressed as much as Parra’s this year—the veteran center fielder is only averaging .257 with six home runs and 22 RBI—but his connection to Hoyer could lead to a possible move before the deadline.

New York Yankees not in on top pitchers

This season hasn’t gone exactly how the Yankees wanted for star pitcher CC Sabathia.

With some of his skills already starting to slip in recent seasons, the former Cy Young Award winner has been ghastly through the first half of the season, recording a 5.59 ERA and a 3-8 record.

It remains to be seen what the Yankees do with Sabathia—if they decide to stick with him or drop him to the bullpen—but starting pitching is a definite need for the AL East club when the deadline rolls around.

According to Andrew Marchand of ESPN, though, the Yankees won’t be in the market for the top names like Hamels and Cueto and will look a little deeper into the talent pool:

The Yankees seem unlikely to add a top starter. Unless prices drop significantly, an ace like Cole Hamels or Johnny Cueto is probably too expensive. If the Yankees have an injury or want to replace CC Sabathia in the rotation, Adam Warren or Severino could be called upon.

Even with the struggles of Sabathia, the Yankees find themselves on top of the division and in prime position to make it back to the playoffs, thanks in large part to the resurgence of Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez.

But with the Orioles, Rays and Blue Jays all hot on their tails, adding another quality starting pitcher could give New York the boost it needs to survive one of baseball’s toughest divisions.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

All the talk this time of year is about contenders and pretenders, buyers and sellers, but the reality of the situation is that every team in baseball is always looking for ways to improve. Essentially, everyone is a buyer and a seller—because you’ve got to give up something of value to get what you want.

Another thing that we talk about a lot is value, but that’s probably the most subjective term out there. If we’re being completely honest, a player’s value on the trade market—say someone like Chicago’s Jeff Samardzija—isn’t wholly dictated by his contract status or his statistics, though both play a part.

A player’s value is ultimately dictated by what another team is willing to pay to acquire him, whether it be by way of an in-season trade or as a free agent after the season. Nothing more and nothing less.

Sometimes that’s enough to get a deal done, sometimes it’s not. With that in mind, we bring you this week’s look at potential trade ideas based on the latest the rumor mill has to offer.

It’s important to remember that the teams we’d classify as buyers won’t be the only clubs in the running to acquire a given player’s services, so the packages proposed are not only geared toward being fair to both sides, but also to ensure that the seller takes a buyer’s offer over the competition’s.

Additionally, keep in mind that these proposed deals are only ideas and pure speculation. Unless otherwise noted, there’s no indication that any of them have actually been discussed.

Begin Slideshow

Whether it’s been scribbled down on a scrap of paper that is hiding in the corner of a cluttered desk or has been neatly typed out on a smartphone, each general manager of MLB‘s 30 teams has a trade shopping list at the midseason mark.

Not all deadline to-do lists are created equally, though. For division front-runners like the Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals, the top bullet point is to bring in a front-line starter like Johnny Cueto. But with 26 teams within seven games or less of a playoff spot, tons of clubs don’t fit into the traditional “buyer” or “seller” roles.

As a result, creativity will be necessary between now and July 31. After all, teams will want to cash in on valuable trade chips like pending free agents, but they also won’t want to punt on the season when a sliver of hope remains.

Begin Slideshow

As we approach the season’s halfway point, MLB teams are now aware of what they need in order to contend for a title. Those who want to add pitching will have quite a few options on the open market.

While big names such as Cole Hamels and Johnny Cueto could possibly be on the move as part of blockbuster trades, each player would likely cost a suitor at least a few top prospects. Those who don’t want to mortgage the future would be better off looking at some cheaper options currently on the trading block.

These pitchers likely won’t be the difference in a championship run, but they could be useful additions for reasonable prices, making them much more likely to be dealt in the coming weeks.

Mat Latos, Miami Marlins

Like they have a few times in recent years, the Miami Marlins came into the year with a lot of promise before failing miserably once the games started. With Giancarlo Stanton now out with a broken wrist, the organization could be in a position to once again start up the fire sale.

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports noted a few pitchers have already garnered interest from teams around the league:

Of all the options, though, Mat Latos might be the most intriguing one for squads looking for a starting pitcher. While his 5.49 ERA in 12 starts certainly looks bad, this might be more bad luck than anything else. His FIP of 3.61, per Baseball-Reference.com, is more in line with his career ERA of 3.47.

Considering Latos has posted an ERA between 3.10 and 3.50 in each of the past four seasons, it’s reasonable to expect the veteran to fare much better in the second half of the year.

Meanwhile, Ryan Boyer of NBC Sports noted the velocity has been even better than usual:

Clearly, the 27-year-old pitcher represents a great high-upside bet for a team looking to upgrade its rotation.

Jeff Samardzija, Chicago White Sox

A year ago at this time, Jeff Samardzija was one of the hottest names on the trade block as an All-Star for the Chicago Cubs. He put up good but not great numbers with the Oakland Athletics (5-6 with a 3.14 ERA) after being traded, but this year hasn’t been quite the same for the 30-year-old starter.

After joining the Chicago White Sox this offseason, Samardzija has managed just a 4.56 ERA while giving up 10.2 hits per nine innings. His strikeouts are down, and he is really struggling to get players out.

This has led to some confusion about his value on the trade market, although teams are still interested, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

Teams are tempted but don’t know what to make of him because of his 4.53 ERA and struggles this season. His affordability as a rental and the fact that he’s not a No. 1-caliber starter in the eyes of most scouts but a good second or third guy in a rotation make him worth looking at. But the White Sox likely wouldn’t receive a great return. That’s why the same teams looking at Clay Buchholz are looking at Samardzija — the Royals, Tigers, Twins, Blue Jays, Yankees, Cardinals, Orioles, Angels, and Dodgers.

With the White Sox sitting at just 32-42 on the season, good for last place in the AL Central, trading anyone of value makes sense. Even if the return isn’t as much as they might have hoped going in, it’s better than nothing if he leaves as a free agent this offseason.

If he can regain his old form, however, his next team could end up with a bargain.

Jonathon Niese, New York Mets

The New York Mets aren’t exactly sellers heading into the All-Star break, but they do need to get rid of their excess in starting pitching. With Steven Matz making a successful debut Sunday, the team once again has too many players to fit into its rotation.

More than likely the odd man out will be Jonathon Niese, who at 28 years old doesn’t fit in with the youth movement with Matz (24), Matt Harvey (26), Noah Syndergaard (22) and Jacob deGrom (27). Bartolo Colon qualifies as an exception as a fan favorite who is due to be a free agent after the season.

The good news is there are teams interested in acquiring the left-handed starter, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

While Niese might not provide the excitement of his younger counterparts in Citi Field, he still has a respectable 4.12 ERA on the season and 3.46 mark in June. He also has four quality starts in a row going into Tuesday’s matchup against the Chicago Cubs.

If he can impress in his next start, Chicago might be willing to consider a deal to give the Mets some much-needed offense. New York general manager Sandy Alderson recently explained he is “prepared to overpay” for a hitter, “but there has to be something to overpay for,” per Adam Rubin of ESPN.com.

Niese likely won’t be enough to bring back a top prospect, but he could be a key piece in a bigger deal that helps both teams.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.   

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

At the middle of June, the Mets are currently 36-32 and in first place in the NL East. They certainly look to be contenders this season, but whether they can successfully hold off the Washington Nationals and win the division or take one of the wild-card spots remains to be seen. It will not be easy and the Mets will have to be more consistent, particularly on the road, to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

Most of the Mets’ core is in place right now, but injuries have certainly had an effect up to this point.

David Wright, Daniel Murphy, Jerry Blevins, Rafael Montero, Buddy Carlyle, Vic Black and Erik Goeddel are all currently on the Mets’ disabled list, along with Zack Wheeler and Josh Edgin, who are both missing the entire season after having Tommy John surgery. Bobby Parnell, Dillon Gee and Dilson Herrera have also spent part of the season on the disabled list, while Jenrry Mejia is serving an 80-game suspension.

With all these injuries, plus an inconsistent lineup and bullpen, the Mets should at least look into making some deals by the trade deadline on July 31.

Here are the three biggest issues the Mets must address by the trade deadline.

Begin Slideshow

When examining the Los Angeles Dodgers on the surface, it’s difficult to find anything significantly wrong with the team.

Not only do they rank among the top of the league in runs scored and ERA while having committed the sixth-fewest errors, the Dodgers have also maintained control of the National League West for most of the season.

But no team is perfect and with the trade deadline now just a month and a half away, the Dodgers may want to consider two minor issues.

Crowded Outfield

Heading into the season, the Dodgers’ starting outfield consisted of Yasiel Puig in right field, rookie Joc Pederson in center field and veteran Carl Crawford in left field.

The alignment quickly got shuffled when Puig went down with a hamstring injury in mid-April, and Crawford joined him on the shelf shortly thereafter with an oblique tear.

Veteran Andre Ethier, who had been essentially relegated to bench duties ever since Puig arrived in 2013, stepped in and has put together a nice bounce-back season so far. He is slashing .287/.366/.491, and his eight home runs have already doubled his 2014 total.

Manager Don Mattingly has also been trying to mix in the capable bats of outfielders Scott Van Slyke (currently rehabbing a back injury) and Alex Guerrero. With Puig and Crawford missing most of the first two months, the issue basically resolved itself. 

But Puig recently returned to the lineup, solidifying two of the three outfield spots alongside Pederson, an early front-runner for NL Rookie of the Year. The only position left up for grabs is left field, and there will be an obvious dilemma when Crawford and Van Slyke climb back into the fold to compete for playing time with Ethier and Guerrero.

The dilemma will be four outfielders for one spot. Even in a platoon strategy, that’s still two right-handed hitters (Guerrero/Van Slyke) and two lefties (Crawford/Ethier) competing against each other.

While the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman values depth, even he might realize the impending outfield surplus is probably untenable. 

So the questions then become who to trade and for what.

Starting Rotation Depth

If there’s one area in which Los Angeles could use some future help, it’s the back end of the starting rotation.

The Dodgers lost Hyun-jin Ryu and free-agent addition Brandon McCarthy to season-ending injuries, forcing fellow newcomer Brett Anderson to slide from the No. 5 spot in the rotation to No. 3 behind Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke.

Anderson has been satisfactory, posting a 3.57 ERA in 12 starts. But the southpaw’s lengthy injury history is a constant cause for concern. As Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times points out, Anderson’s 12 June innings are more than all of his June innings combined during the past five years.

The stopgap solutions that Mattingly has thrown into the fire—right-handers Mike Bolsinger and Carlos Frias—have performed admirably considering their lack of experience.

Bolsinger, acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the offseason, had thrown just 52 MLB innings prior to 2015. He began the season in Triple-A but has turned in a 4-1 record with a 2.25 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 12 starts for the Dodgers since his promotion.

Frias entered this season even greener, with only 32 innings of prior MLB experience. But he, too, has held his own, compiling a 4-3 record and 3.86 ERA in eight starts.

Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi understand that Anderson’s next injury could be just around the corner. They also know full well that the surprising Bolsinger/Frias tandem might falter as the workload increases.

It’s why the Dodgers should consider adding a more proven arm to stabilize the back end of the rotation in case the aforementioned scenarios manifest themselves.

Trade Logistics

Los Angeles would probably like to trade away an outfielder in order to clear what will soon become a logjam. That’s easier said than done, however.

Although Ethier has re-established his trade value after two seasons with declining playing time and production, he is still owed $35.5 million through 2017—including a $17.5 million club option in 2018. Crawford and the $41.75 million he is due over the next two seasons will be nearly impossible to move, leaving Van Slyke and Guerrero as the two likeliest players to be flipped for some starting pitching.

Guerrero has become somewhat of a secret weapon for the Dodgers, slashing .282/.312/.615 with 10 home runs in limited action. While his statistics are surely attractive to other teams, the clause in his contract stipulating that he may become a free agent at the end of any season in which he is traded may hold up a potential deal.

Van Slyke possesses the cheapest contract of the bunch and is accustomed to coming off the bench. His career OPS of .805 indicates what kind of hitter the 28-year-old can be with regular playing time. Last year, he led Los Angeles in slugging percentage and OPS.

While pitchers on struggling teams like Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija will likely see their names cast into trade winds because of their contracts, the Dodgers might be interested in less-heralded hurlers come next month.

One realistic target could be Scott Kazmir of the Oakland Athletics, someone with whom the Los Angeles front office is quite familiar. Friedman worked with him in Tampa Bay, and Zaidi—formerly part of Billy Beane’s brain trust in Oakland—was instrumental in bringing him to the Bay Area.

The veteran left-hander has pitched well for the cellar-dwelling A’s, posting a 2.79 ERA in 12 starts. On the flip side, Oakland could use a player like Van Slyke to help bolster a regressing offense that currently ranks 17th in OPS. With the ability to play all three outfield positions, Van Slyke would also become an immediate offensive upgrade over current left fielder Sam Fuld.

Los Angeles will almost certainly need to include a collection of additional pitching prospects like Zach Lee, Ross Stripling or Zach Bird to facilitate this deal.

If Oakland wants Ethier—a player the A’s originally drafted—the Dodgers would need to eat a significant portion of his bloated contract, similar to the $32 million chunk they bit off this past offseason in the Matt Kemp trade.

All stats courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise linked/noted.

Follow @NickOstiller

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the summer fully upon us, trade whispers will begin to turn into shouts and hollers around MLB.

With that being said, rumors are already beginning to circulate regarding the players most likely to be moved at the deadline. 

Every team’s circumstance is different, but teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and the Oakland A’s seem destined to be sellers at the trade deadline. Therefore, assets like Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Scott Kazmir and Ben Zobrist figure to be at the forefront of this summer’s trade discussions. 

But where will they end up? Let’s take a look at some of the latest rumors around the league and see if we can put together some sensible deals for both parties involved. 

Begin Slideshow

With the Oakland Athletics owning the American League’s worst record, they can start going into sell mode as trading season picks up. Utilityman Ben Zobrist is one of their best trade chips and is starting to attract attention around the league.   

Continue for updates. 

Nationals Asking About Zobrist

Friday, June 5

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Washington Nationals have called the Athletics about Zobrist as a potential replacement for Jayson Werth:

Zobrist’s positional versatility would fit well in Washington, which also needs help at shortstop and protection in case players who have had injury problems in the past, such as Anthony Rendon or Ryan Zimmerman, get hurt. 

However, Rosenthal also noted the Nationals aren’t going to be alone if/when the Athletics dive into trade discussions for Zobrist:

Even though he has gotten off to a slow start this season, hitting .222/.304/.383 in 23 games while missing one month with a knee injury, there may not be a more sought-after trade chip this summer because he can play so many positions and is making a reasonable $7.5 million salary. 

Because of Zobrist’s versatility and salary, Oakland general manager Billy Beane can dangle him to the highest bidder without worrying it won’t come. There are going to be a lot of teams buying at the deadline because there are currently 26 clubs either in the playoffs or within 5.5 games of a playoff spot. 

The A’s have had a disastrous 2015 season, made worse by injuries to key players like Zobrist, but Beane should be able to cash in some of those chips before July 31 to help rebuild the system. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Los Angeles Dodgers may sit atop the National League West, but that’s not preventing their front office from exploring trade options. Juan Uribe, who is in the final year of his current deal, was reportedly traded to the Atlanta Braves. 

Continue for updates.   

Uribe Reportedly Dealt to Braves

Tuesday, May 26

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that Uribe had been traded to the Braves:

Rosenthal first reported that negotiations were taking place earlier Tuesday, and noted that a deal had nearly been completed on Monday night. 

Uribe is off to a slow start in 2015. He’s hitting .247/.287/.309 with one home run in 29 games and has battled hamstring injuries despite avoiding the disabled list. 

The 36-year-old veteran has never been the most durable player, having played less than 135 games every year since 2011, but his ability to hit for average with some power and play strong defense at third base has allowed him to carve out a solid 15-year career. 

The Dodgers have Justin Turner already on the roster as a replacement for Uribe, as well as top prospect Corey Seager in Triple-A who could come up at some point this season and play on the left side of the infield. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

From Johnny Cueto to Starlin Castro, there are all sorts of prominent big leaguers who could land on the MLB trade block in the next two months.

Not every team has an ace like Cueto or a promising shortstop like Castro to shop, but every club has at least one player who would be an extremely popular target if he ends up becoming available on the trade front this summer.

In the process of determining each team’s biggest trade chip, the first step was figuring out whether a given club figures to be a seller (a non-contender) or a buyer (a contender). The team’s overall record was the most important factor in that consideration, but whether a team has been trending up or down was also part of the equation.

For the sellers, pending free agents like Cueto dominate the list. Meanwhile, for the buyers, the most popular player to earn the nod is a high-upside prospect.

There are also teams like the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays that all hope to be buyers but could end up having to subtract off the big league roster.

Begin Slideshow