MLB Trade Deadline: 30 players most likely to move
28. Jarrod Dyson, OF, Seattle Mariners
Rajai Davis is sure to receive some trade interest, but a younger, faster and better defensive option would be Jarrod Dyson.
Mariners freewheeling general manager Jerry DiPoto traded for Dyson over the winter to add speed to the Seattle roster. The move has paid off, with the 32-year-old Dyson stealing 20 bases prior to the All-Star break and tracking down fly balls in the outfield at Safeco Field. Dyson has hit .258/.340/.391 with a career high five home runs in 82 games, and is on pace to shatter his previous career high of 120 games played in a season. He also has 13 doubles, three triples, 22 RBI and has scored 48 runs in his first season with the M’s.
Though he’s the ideal centerfielder in DiPoto’s revamped roster, there’s still a good chance Dyson is traded by the July 31 deadline. An eight-year MLB veteran, Dyson is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season. Also, Seattle is 43-47, 17.5 games back in the AL West and four games out of the second Wild Card spot. And, given his speed, defensive ability and postseason experience, there are several teams in a better playoff position that might be willing to strike a deal with DiPoto.
Despite posting the best record in baseball through the first half of the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers could still make a few roster upgrades. Young Joc Pederson has shown flashes of brilliance in L.A., but the Dodgers rank 23rd in the majors in center field fWAR because of below average defense and a combined .234/.325/.440 slash. If DiPoto could add Pederson as part of a larger deal, Dyson would be a perfect fit in Dodger blue.