MLB Trade Rumors: 5 trade bait names to keep an eye on

It’s still early, but already the list of potential veterans who could be commodities at the deadline is growing.

We’re still pretty removed from the trade deadline in July, but teams are starting to fall out of the race as the season marches deeper into the summer. By the time we reach the end of July more than half the league will likely see the writing on the wall, creating a seller’s market for the other clubs trying to get to the finish line.

All of that means now is the time to start monitoring the trade market and see which teams could chum the water with its best players. Not everyone who is rumored to be part of a deal gets moved, but it’s never a bad time to try and read the tea leaves to see whose name might surface as one that could help another potentially win a World Series.

When Mike Moustakas was on the free agent market, there was a surprising lack of interest in him. He seemed to be in line for a giant contract since corner infielders were somewhat of a commodity, but that deal never came. Now he’s operating on one-year “prove it” deal — one that is very attractive to a team looking to potentially rent him.

Early indications are the Atlanta Braves are a landing spot for him, which makes sense since they’re suddenly in a position to contend. There will be more interest as the deadline approaches, but it’s a safe bet to assume the market that was quiet for Moustakas in the offseason will get louder the deeper into the summer we march.

A question here would be what the Royals might want in return. The team is in no position to do anything but rebuild over the next few years, which means a package of prospects would be a place to start. That’s not a bad return for investing less than $7 million in a guy no one seemingly wanted to pay when it might have been a better bargain.