MLB Rumors: Blue Jays surprise asset, Astros adamant, Mets deadline plans

The MLB trade deadline is over a month away, and teams will have to decide whether or not they should go all-in to make the playoffs. Some will choose to trade some of their prospects in exchange for top-tier players that can help them make a run for the World Series. For teams that are well out of playoff position, they could trade some of their better players in exchange for top prospects to help bolster their farm system.

With over a month away until the July 30 deadline, FanSided's The Baseball Insiders Podcast released their latest episode, with FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray revealing what he's hearing leading up to the huge day.

Here is the latest rumor roundup based on the latest episode of the podcast.

MLB Rumors: Mets trade deadline plans

The New York Mets are one of, if not the hottest team in baseball right now. They've won eight of their last ten games and have won or split each of their last seven series to get to within two games of the .500 mark and just one game of the third NL Wild Card spot.

The Mets suddenly jumping back into the thick of the postseason race has many MLB fans speculating as to what they'll do at the deadline. This Mets team looked like clear sellers at the beginning of June, but FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray discussed what they might do on the Baseball Insiders podcast.

"There's obviously a strong argument for them to buy," said Murray. "Their recent surge has been really impressive and puts them back in the playoff conversation. With that being said, there's such a shortage of different starting pitchers on the market where they can really try to take advantage of that. I think a guy like Sean Manaea, who's an analytics darling, could end up getting them something nice in return. Harrison Bader on an expiring contract, they could get something nice for him."

This Mets team doesn't have the best rotation in the world, but it does have a ton of depth. For example, guys like Christian Scott and Jose Butto who'd start for most other teams aren't even in the majors right now. With that in mind, the Mets can buy to fill other needs while getting strong value for a starting pitcher like Sean Manaea in what Murray describes as a market bereft of starting pitching.

Murray goes on to say that this can't really be decided right now. The Mets have done well to get back into the race, but if the Grimace magic wears off and they go on another losing skid who knows what they'll do? It's on them to continue to play well. If they do, they very well might buy, or do some buying and selling.

MLB Rumors: Astros adamant about trade deadline direction

As hot as the Mets are right now, the Houston Astros might be hotter. They've won five in a row including a series sweep over the red-hot Orioles to get to within just two games of the .500 mark. That's as close as they've been since losing their first two games of the year. Yeah, it's been a long time coming.

The Astros are now just six games behind the first-place Mariners in the AL West and are four games back of the third Wild Card spot. There's more work to be done there, but they're right in the thick of the postseason race now, which is not where some MLB fans thought they'd be after their miserable start to the season.

No matter how badly things got, general manager Dana Brown never wavered with his deadline plans for this Astros team. Thanks to how well they're playing right now, their plans feel more solidified than ever according to FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray.

"Even when it looked like they were dead in the water, they weren't even ten games back in the division. We got to see what Dana Brown and people with the Astros were saying. They were fully intending on buying at the deadline and low and behold, now they're slowly getting right back in this thing. It seems even more convincing now that they're going to be in position to buy," said Murray. "You can never really rule out the Astros. They're a team that kind of never goes away despite what many people are hoping for."

The Astros are simply inevitable. The American League had a chance to bury them when they got off to their slow start, but failed to do so. They're now suffering the consequences of that. This Astros team still has a long way to go and a lot to overcome, but they've put themselves in position to buy. That was always their plan to begin with, and this latest hot stretch only confirms it. Watch out.

MLB Rumors: Kevin Gausman a surprising trade asset for Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays have lost six games in a row to fall to 35-42 on the year. They're 15.5 games back of the first-place Yankees in the AL East and are 6.5 games out of the Wild Card. Their season isn't fully over yet, but it sure is trending that way.

Barring a miracle run over the next month or so, this Blue Jays team will be sellers at the trade deadline. While Murray still doesn't believe that they'll trade players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette, he does throw out a very interesting name who might be available.

"If they end up moving a player who is signed for multiple years, I think a guy like Kevin Gausman could make a lot of sense," said Murray. "If you look at the market right now, Jesus Luzardo is off the market, at least at this point. There're a lot of questions about the quality of starting pitchers that are going to be available. Gausman I think could be a really valuable asset for them. He's got a lot of money tied to his contract. If they do end up moving him, they would be able to put that in other parts of the roster."

Murray made sure to note that this is just his opinion and isn't necessarily what's going to happen, but it makes a lot of sense. Gausman has had a bit of a down year this season, but has been one of the best pitchers in the AL since signing a five-year deal with the Blue Jays ahead of the 2022 season. Even with his down year, he'd net the Blue Jays a ton in return considering how good of a pitcher he is, and the Jays can always reinvest that money to help them win in 2025 and beyond.

Toronto trading players on expiring deals like Yusei Kikuchi and Yimi Garcia feels like a given, but if they were to explore dealing someone with more control not named Guerrero or Bichette, they'd be hardpressed to find a more valuable asset than Gausman. Teams would presumably be lining up to acquire him if given the chance.