MLB trade rumors: Top 25 trade assets for deadline

8. Mike Moustakas

The Royals have three players in the top 10 here, but it is still unclear how they will proceed at the deadline. It’s hard to have a bad team with players like Hosmer, Cain, and Mike Moustakas on the roster, but Kansas City has been hurt by bad starting pitching all year. They are also lacking the dominant bullpen that helped them win the World Series in 2015.

Moustakas is having the best year of his career by far. Of the trio of the Royals best players, Moustakas has always had the most upside, but had struggled to put it all together for a full season or stay healthy. He is way ahead of pace to surpass his career high of 22 home runs, and could beat it by the All-Star break. The 2017 season is the breakout year that Moustakas has been waiting for, and he will set new career highs in home runs, RBI, slugging, and OPS. He picked a good time, too, as it is his walk year.

The Red Sox need Mike Moustakas to be their third baseman for the rest of the year. They need it in a bad way. Will the Royals be willing to trade him? That is the biggest question. Kansas City has played themselves back into the playoff race with a red-hot stretch this month. The Royals are still very much alive in the AL Wild Card race, but are probably a few pieces short to make a run at the AL Central title. In the worst-case scenario, the front office holds onto all three pending free agents, but the Royals slump in August and miss the playoffs.