Baseball Insiders: Willson Contreras trade destinations, surprise sellers and more

Willson Contreras was a topic of conversation this Tuesday’s episode of the Baseball Insiders. Will the Cubs find a suitor for their longtime catcher?

Due to technical difficulties, the Baseball Insiders was not live on Tuesday. But never fear, baseball fans, FanSided‘s Mark Carman and Robert Murray were able to scrap the live stream for the day and still provide the listeners with top-notch behind-the-scenes news and notes from your favorite baseball teams.

Bert took to Twitter to answer some fan questions, and obviously with the trade deadline just three weeks away, rumors and speculation were at the top of the agenda on Tuesday’s show.

Where will Willson Contreras end up?

Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras still very likely to be traded before the deadline. After offloading Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, and Kris Bryant last summer, look for the Cubbies to wave goodbye to Contreras before Aug. 2.

So who might be interested, you ask? A number of teams could be in on the All-Star, but some clubs that Murray rattled off were the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Rays.

A lot of folks felt as though Willson Contreras and the San Francisco Giants seemed like a natural fit, but given their current win-loss record, we may not see the Giants throw their hat into the ring for Contreras.

Will Giants starter Carlos Rodon be traded at the deadline?

Carlos Rodon can become free agent after this season if he hits an innings-requirement. The left-hander is likely to eclipse that number of innings shortly after the All-Star break, and with the prospects of losing Rodon this offseason, perhaps the San Francisco Giants will be looking to deal the southpaw to the highest bidder.

The Giants are falling out of contention in both the NL West and the NL Wild Card, and it may be prudent for San Francisco to restock the farm system with some talented prospects rather than lose Rodon for nothing.

How is the starting pitching market shaping up?

Frankie Montas and Noah Syndergaard could be the two biggest names moved at the deadline. If Montas returns to the Oakland A’s rotation and proves that his shoulder injury is behind him, it’s very likely that the right-hander is traded.

Syndergaard, who is only under contract through this season, could also be on the move. Los Angeles now trails both the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers for second place in the AL West. There’s also a logjam for the final Wild Card spot in the American League.

A trio of underrated starting pitchers who could be on the move in a couple of weeks are Zach Davies, Jose Quintana, and Chad Kuhl. Davies might be a longshot, but our baseball insider Robert Murray expects both Davies and Kuhl to be moved prior to the deadline.

Baseball Insiders quick notes:

• The Baltimore Orioles, who have won eight straight games, could be both buyers and sellers at the trade deadline. Look for Trey Mancini to stay put, but perhaps the O’s deal Jordan Lyles to a contender.
• Josh Bell, Nelson Cruz, Noah Syndergaard, and Frankie Montas might be the biggest names to traded before Aug. 2.
• Look for the San Diego Padres to target a veteran reliever to boost Bob Melvin’s bullpen.
• It’s very unlikely that the Milwaukee Brewers will actually move on from closer Josh Hader this summer. There’s a chance that something materializes during the offseason, but don’t look for anything to happen before the trade deadline.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers will be in the market for a bat and a starting pitcher. LA has been linked to Luis Castillo, but the Dodgers may be unwilling to part with some of their highly-touted prospects.

That’s it for our Tuesday addition of the Baseball Insiders. Tune in next time when Carm and Bert will give us some more behind-the-scenes information. Until next time.