Inside the Clubhouse: What I heard at MLB All-Star Game about Paul Skenes, Dodgers, A's, and more

It’s July 19, eleven days before the trade deadline, and there are only five clear sellers on the trade market: the Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, and Los Angeles Angels.

After that, what teams on the fringe do is anyone’s guess. The next four-to-seven days will go a long way toward how other teams proceed at the trade deadline. But with the draft now wrapped up, team executives are able to dedicate their sole attention toward the trade market – and should lead to increased trade discussions over the coming days.

Here’s what I’m hearing around the league from the All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas and major-league sources.

Corbin Burnes

Despite the Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles playing a three-game series before the All-Star break, star right-hander Corbin Burnes was not able to meet with his former manager Craig Counsell.

But Burnes told FanSided: “I didn’t get a chance to talk to him because I threw the middle game and both teams had show-and-goes the last day. … I shot him a text afterwards to let him know that I missed him and to keep doing well.

“Couns is obviously a guy I was pretty close with. I talked to him a lot throughout this offseason. He’s someone I’ll always be in contact with because he’s someone who gave me a chance. I became pretty close with him over the years.”

Burnes, 29, has established himself as one of the premier starting pitchers in baseball and is a free agent at the end of the 2024 season. In 19 starts with the Orioles, he’s posted a 2.43 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 118.2 innings. In his seven-year career, he’s posted a 3.14 ERA and 980 strikeouts in 828 innings.

Paul Skenes

Before the All-Star Game, New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge was asked about Paul Skenes – and when the last time was he was so intrigued to face a young pitcher.

“It’s tough to say,” Judge said. “You could go all the way back to another Pittsburgh first rounder in Gerritt Cole. I remember facing him and UCLA in regionals as a freshman. They had (Trevor) Bauer and Cole and it was a pretty special 1-2 punch.”

Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman indicated to reporters that the team will focus atop the trade market, adding: “What appears to be a marginal upgrade is not something we’re going to spend a lot of time on.”

Among the players the Dodgers have been linked to include Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet. The 25-year-old has posted a 3.02 ERA in 20 starts this season and is earning only $800,000. There are questions among scouts about how many innings he has left in his arm the remainder of the season – he’s thrown 107.1 innings this season; 73 innings combined from 2020-2023 – and whether those innings will come as a starting pitcher or as a reliever. But he’s signed through 2026, which means any acquiring team would get two full seasons of Crochet as a starting pitcher, and should ultimately net the White Sox a huge return.

Other starting pitchers on the trade market include Jack Flaherty and Yusei Kikuchi. There have been rumors about Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, but there remains skepticism from rival executives that Detroit will move the star left-hander. 

Oakland Athletics

The feeling among rival executives is that the Oakland A’s are unlikely to trade star closer Mason Miller. The 25-year-old flame thrower has posted a 2.27 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 39.2 innings this season and is under contract for the next five seasons.