After watching Mike Trout and the American League take the 2014 All-Star title on Tuesday night, MLB fans patiently await baseball’s July 31st trade deadline to see if their club splurges. What kind of MLB trade rumors are filling up the mill this year?
Every year we see big names moved at the deadline. Who will it be in 2014? Let’s take a look at a few possibilities.
Halos Targeting Street
Trailing the rival Oakland Athletics by 1.5 games in the AL West entering the second half of things, the Los Angeles Angels are reportedly targeting San Diego Padres’ closer Huston Street, according to ESPN’s Jim Bowden. Street, a nine-year vet, ranks 7th in all of baseball with 24 saves and a minuscule 1.09 ERA.
Playing alongside guys like Albert Pujols and Mike Trout is just one of the benefits of a move to L.A. for Street, who’s been hurling for a Padres team that’s 41-54 this season.
It’s not clear what current closer Joe Smith’s role would be should Street join the Angels, although I suspect he’d likely be used in the bullpen as a set up man for the closer Street. The way he’s pitching this season, Street is exactly the type of player the Angels need to oust Oakland in the West.
Castro Leaving Chicago?
Is it really possible that the Chicago Cubs would deal arguably the most important piece of their franchise? In short, no. Or at least that’s according to David Lennon of Newsday, who tweeted that Starlin Castro isn’t likely to be moved from Chicago.
He could, on the other hand, be moved from shortstop to third base in favor of Javier Baez, who has caught the attention of a lot of scouts in the Cubs’ organization and all throughout baseball. The 24-year-old Castro leads Chi-town in hits, batting average and RBIs this season but sees his Cubs looking up at the rest of the field in the NL Central. I don’t see Castro going anywhere, but the fact that this has been discussed is a little unnerving for Cubs fans.
Hamels Moving to the AL?
Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe made waves when he tweeted that the Boston Red Sox could be a potential landing spot for Philadelphia Phillies’ ace Cole Hamels. Despite having four years left on his deal in Philly, Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi tweets that Boston is one of the locations where Hamels can be traded.
Hamels would certainly bolster a Red Sox rotation that already includes Jon Lester, Jake Peavy and Clay Buchholz, but there are also reports out there that the New York Yankees could get in on the mix. Having watched stud Masahiro Tanaka go down with a torn ligament in his pitching elbow, the Bombers are in desperate need of a reliable starter, especially with CC Sabathia also on the shelf.
Regardless of the destination, Hamels potentially bouncing the Phillies is big news that could shake up the MLB landscape. Stay tuned the next two weeks to see how this all plays out.