MLB Trade Rumors: teams that have the prospects to land a big name

A lot of talk this trade season is about which teams have a need for what player on the block. With the non-waiver deadline now less than a week away, I am going to approach this in a different way.

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Here are the teams that are in contention, that have prospects to spare. You will not see the stacked farm systems of the Chicago Cubs or Minnesota Twins on here because they aren’t in contention.

These teams all have the prospects to land someone who can help them win now:

Mariners: They can offer up pitchers James Paxton and Tijuan Walker, both of whom are highly regarded. They also have MLB-ready infielders Chris Taylor, Nick Franklin, and D.J. Peterson whom are all blocked at the major league level. And lets not forget about outfielder Gabriel Guerrero. He has the pedigree. The Mariners will likely target a pitcher such as David Price or Cole Hamels, but how many prospects are they willing to give?

Pirates: Even will all of the big name outfielders now patrolling in Pittsburgh, they still have Josh Bell and Austin Meadows who are now blocked by all the talent in front of them. They may also be willing to deal away either Jameson Taillon or Tyler Glasnow, but not both. Which likely puts them out of the running for Price’s services, but could land them Hamels.

Cardinals: No team in baseball has more major league ready talent than the Cardinals. They could move Allen Craig, Matt Adams, Oscar Taveras or Kolten Wong – all of whom are in the majors – in a deal to land Price. To sweeten the deal, they could also add recently banished Shelby Miller to the fold. And those are just the names that are currently on the big league roster. Don’t forget about Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty, both of whom don’t have a path to the majors. If anyone can land Price, it’s the Cardinals.

Dodgers: They have a slew of outfielders, and the one drawing the most attention is Joc Pederson. He would already be in the majors for just about any other team. If they acquire a pitcher, they could move Julio Urias, Zach Lee, or Chris Anderson in the deal. They likely won’t trade Corey Seager, so I think Price is out for them, but they are very much in it for Hamels.

Royals: Dayton Moore has made some waves as the GM of the Royals with the James Shields deal, and their farm system is stacked enough to make another if they so choose. Pitchers Kyle Zimmer, Miguel Almonte, and Sean Manaea could be offered, along with SS Raul Adalberto Mondesi and third baseman Hunter Dozier. Heck, they could even try to move incumbent 3B Mike Moustakas instead. The AL Central is winnable for the Royals if they want to make a push for their first postseason berth since 1985.

Who do you think is on the move?

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