MLB Rumors: Cody Bellinger trade, Luis Robert Jr. dark horse, Orioles match for Crochet

We have officially reached the month of July. That means that the MLB Trade Deadline is less than one month away.

With that in mind, there's a good chance that the MLB landscape as we know it will drastically shift. There will be several key players moved from sellers to contenders, and those moves could be what determines who the next World Series champion is.

FanSided's MLB insider Robert Murray along with his fellow co-host, Adam Weinrib, discuss the latest MLB rumors and answer questions from the audience on the latest episode of the Baseball Insiders podcast.

MLB Rumors: Orioles a clear match for Garrett Crochet

The Baltimore Orioles have established themselves as clear-cut World Series contenders. This was the expectation after they won 101 games last season, and they've doubled down on that, going 53-31 past the halfway point of their season.

As good as the Orioles are, they're not perfect. They might be the favorites to win the AL, but they're a team that would strongly benefit by adding another starting pitcher at this year's deadline. As we all know, Garrett Crochet very well could be the best starter moved.

Murray fully anticipates that the White Sox move on from their southpaw, and he deems the Orioles as a clear fit.

"I think the Orioles make a ton of sense here because quite frankly look at their rotation. They could absolutely use another arm and he'd be controllable. He's young enough too where they can build around him."

The Orioles are in a unique position of having an elite MLB roster and arguably the best farm system in the game. They can trade several of their top prospects, not move Jackson Holliday, and still land an emerging ace in Crochet, who comes with several years of club control and can lead their rotation for years to come.

Crochet is just 25 years old and while he does have an injury history, he has the potential to lead this staff in the coming years if the Orioles were to acquire him. He'd cost a ton, but the Orioles can more than afford it. With Tyler Wells, John Means, and Kyle Bradish out for the year, their sense or urgency might be heightened to make a move like this, too.

MLB Rumors: Luis Robert Jr. dark horse team?

The Chicago White Sox will be at the center of attention when the deadline does finally arrive. They might be 24-62, but they actually have some strong pieces that several teams will be interested in, with Luis Robert Jr. at the top of the list.

Robert, when healthy, is a superstar-caliber player. We saw that last season when he was an All-Star, won a Gold Glove, and took home a Silver Slugger, while receiving some MVP votes as well. Many teams will covet a deal with Robert, but Murray mentions one interesting one in particular. The Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners are a team with the pitching capable of winning a World Series, but their offense will hold them back if they do nothing. Adding at least one big bat has to be a must for Seattle, and Robert would certainly fit that bill. Here's what Murray had to say about that fit:

"You look at the White Sox with Luis Robert Jr., I think that makes plenty of sense and I would fully anticipate the Mariners checking in there."

Robert is young, comes with tons of club control, and is a complete player. He can hit, defend, and run. He's had a rough go of it this season, but perhaps in a new situation going from a team that's 38 games under .500 to the AL West leaders will get Robert to pick up his play.

It'd be pricey, obviously, but the Mariners cannot afford to waste this pitching staff. Jerry Dipoto is going to have to go all in, and without many known sellers, Robert might be the best option out there.

MLB Rumors: Could the Cubs trade Cody Bellinger?

The Chicago Cubs entered the season with postseason expectations. By the end of April, they looked like a playoff team, holding a record of 18-12 and competing directly with the Milwaukee Brewers at the top of the NL Central standings. They've struggled mightily since, unfortunately, and are now 39-46 entering play on Monday.

They still have a little bit of time to turn things around, but assuming things stay the way they are, it's going to be abundantly clear that they're going to have to sell. Selling means dangling some veterans.

The best veteran on this team right now is Cody Bellinger, a player who showed flashes of his MVP self last season and while this year hasn't been quite as strong, he's still an impact bat. Whether the Cubs should trade him or not is something Murray has a clear stance on.

"I think they could end up being in denial that they should trade a guy like Cody Bellinger, but I think they have to be real with themselves. If they end up getting an offer where they end up getting good value in return, then I think they have to either explore it, consider it, or even pull the trigger on it. It's an absolutely damning position for them to be in."

If the Cubs can't get a good return for Bellinger who is making a substantial amount of money in each of the next two seasons, then sure, don't trade him, but if they do have interested teams, they'd be foolish to not even test the market as Murray suggests. This isn't what they expected, but they have to be able to adapt.

This Cubs team is flush with outfielders. Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are locked in for each of the next two seasons. Mike Tauchman has become an important piece for this Cubs team when healthy, and he comes with two years of club control. Pete Crow-Armstrong, their top prospect, is an outfielder. Several of their other top prospects are outfielders.

This means that the Cubs can afford to trade Bellinger, even if it means they take a step back this season, to land a strong package that can help them now and/or in the not-too-distant future. If the Cubs are out of it by July's trade deadline, they must strongly consider dealing Bellinger.