Could the last few hours before the MLB trade deadline be a frenzy? Deals have been limited in July, but there are a handful of teams sure to be sellers and even more that could make the decision to sell in the days leading up to the deadline.
Some teams have known for months that they were going to sell off pieces at the deadline. The White Sox and Marlins, for example, have been resigned to their fate as non-contenders since April. Marlins president Peter Bendix even admitted after trading Luis Arraez in May that his team wasn't likely to make the postseason.
Other teams tried to hang onto hope but may find it's in their best interests to move trade chips rather than try and push for an unlikely postseason spot. The Blue Jays, Tigers, and Cubs might be in that category, while others, such as the Rangers and Mets, appear to have new life after recent surges and could stand pat or even add.
Plenty of pending free agents on non-contenders are likely trade candidates, but how far will some teams go? Could controllable pieces like Tarik Skubal and Mason Miller be on the move?
Here's a look at 12 prime trade candidates ahead of Tuesday's MLB deadline.
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MLB players most likely to be traded by 2024 deadline
Jack Flaherty, SP, Tigers
The Tigers gave Jack Flaherty a cheap one-year deal in the winter in hopes he could help shore up their rotation after the loss of Eduardo Rodriguez. Despite postseason contention looking unlikely, he's been everything Detroit could have hoped.
Flaherty has a 3.13 ERA through 17 starts, with an impressive 3.15 FIP and 0.96 WHIP to match. The former Cardinals first-rounder is averaging 11.4 strikeouts per nine, the highest rate of his career, and his walk rate has plummeted after a rough 2023.
Given he's a rental who can bring back multiple assets, all that could keep the Tigers from trading Flaherty is a win streak that convinces the front office to make a run at the postseason.
Best team fits: Brewers, Dodgers, Phillies
Garrett Crochet, SP, White Sox
Garrett Crochet isn't a rental, which might give the White Sox some pause about dealing him now. It probably shouldn't. The former first-rounder's value has never been higher, and there's no guarantee it will stay that way, given his lengthy injury history.
Crochet isn't a free agent until after the 2026 season, but the White Sox don't look anywhere close to contending in the next two seasons. Crochet has a 3.07 ERA and stellar 2.29 FIP through 21 starts this season, averaging an MLB-leading 12.7 strikeouts per nine.
Even with the injury history, Crochet's ridiculous swing-and-miss ability and controllability through 2026 would get the White Sox a haul and bolster their rebuilding efforts.
Best team fits: Orioles, Braves, Dodgers
Yusei Kikuchi, SP, Blue Jays
With the Blue Jays falling out of contention, Yusei Kikuchi feels near-certain to be traded. The 33-year-old is a free agent after the season and has the underlying numbers to bring back some value for Toronto.
Kikuchi has rebounded after an ugly 2022 season, posting a 3.86 ERA over 32 starts in 2023. His 4.54 ERA this season doesn't stand out, but a 3.57 FIP and strikeout rate north of 10 batters per nine will interest pitching-needy contenders.
Best team fits: Twins, Astros, Cardinals
Erick Fedde, SP, White Sox
Erick Fedde has been a nice find for the White Sox, as the former Nationals first-rounder rebuilt his value overseas and has proven that he's a major-leaguer this season with a 2.98 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through 20 starts.
Fedde isn't going to miss many bats, but he's at minimum a steadying rotation presence who is under team control through 2025. The White Sox could wait until the winter to deal him, but they can get more value for him right now.
Best team fits: Cardinals, Brewers, Astros
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Tanner Scott, CL, Marlins
It would be a stunner if the Marlins didn't trade closer Tanner Scott, who has been one of the best relievers in baseball since about the midway point of last season. Scott, a free agent at the end of the year, has a 1.24 ERA and 17 saves for the lowly Marlins in 2024. His 3.23 FIP indicates that some regression is likely, but he had a 2.17 FIP, sub-1.00 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts per nine innings last season.
Scott's overall success isn't a fluke, and there are enough teams seeking late-inning relievers that the Marlins should get some nice value for him.
Best team fits: Phillies, Mets, Diamondbacks
Luis Robert Jr., OF, White Sox
Robert is under team control through 2025, but again, the White Sox will be nowhere near contention next season. It's likely only a matter of time until Robert is traded. While the answer could still be in the winter, reports indicate Chicago is very much listening on the 26-year-old.
Robert was an All-Star in 2023, batting .264 with 38 home runs and an .857 OPS. His 2024 season has been disappointing overall, but he's batting .272 with an .819 OPS over his past 21 games and seems to be heating up after an early-season hip injury.
Best team fits: Mariners, Dodgers, Yankees
Chris Bassitt, SP, Blue Jays
Chris Bassitt won't be a free agent until after next season, but the Blue Jays don't have many valuable rental pieces to sell and might be better served giving the 35-year-old a fresh start.
Bassitt has been serviceable this season, with a 3.71 ERA and 3.84 FIP over 20 starts. His 1.42 FIP is concerning, but Bassitt is about as durable as they come — his only major injury over the past six seasons was a line drive off his head — and could give a contender a rotation option for 2025, as well.
Best team fits: Brewers, Astros, Cardinals
Jameson Taillon, SP, Cubs
Cubs GM Jed Hoyer made it clear this trade deadline will be geared toward 2025 and beyond, which translates to, "we're selling." Taillon is under contract through 2026, but that controllability is what might get Chicago some real value in return.
Taillon was a mess early in his first season as a Cub, but he pitched well down the stretch in 2023 and has carried that momentum into 2024 with a 2.96 ERA and 1.15 WHIP through 17 starts. Any team that trades for Taillon likely isn't getting a sub-3.00 ERA pitcher, but they would get a reliable veteran starter for the stretch run and beyond.
Best fits: Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Astros
Blake Snell, SP, Giants
Few starters have been better than Blake Snell in July, as the two-time Cy Young Award winner appears to have finally settled in after signing with the Giants late in the offseason.
Snell has a 0.75 ERA over four starts since coming off the IL, and he impressed with 15 strikeouts in just six innings against the Rockies on Saturday. Snell is limiting hits and missing bats, which has teams interested in a deadline deal.
The biggest obstacle might be the Giants' recent surge, which has been led by Snell and breakout bat Tyler Fitzgerald. Now only 3.5 games back of a wild card spot, would San Francisco still be willing to sell?
Best team fits: Dodgers, Yankees, Mets
Mason Miller, CL, Athletics
The sad state of the Athletics led many to start speculating about a Mason Miller trade as soon as the closer started throwing 103 mph in April. Is a deal really on the table before the deadline?
Miller's trade situation became more complicated after the 25-year-old fractured his fifth metacarpal (pinkie finger) on his left, non-throwing hand by putting his hand down awkwardly on a training room table a week before the deadline. Oakland placed him on the 15-day injured list but the minor ailment shouldn't deter teams from pursuing the flamethrowing reliever.
However, It wouldn't be surprising to see Oakland hang onto Miller at least through the end of the season considering he has a whopping five years of team control beyond 2024. The difference between trading a closer with 5.5 years of control versus five years of control is negligible.
There's no doubt, though, that the A's will be listening. If a team comes and blows them away with an offer for the closer that blows hitters away, something could go down.
Best team fits: Yankees, Phillies, Orioles
MORE: The case for trading Mason Miller
Tarik Skubal. SP, Tigers
Tarik Skubal is the odds-on favorite for the AL Cy Young Award, validating every preseason prediction that he would turn last season's strong finish into an All-Star season. The 27-year-old has a 2.34 ERA and 0.92 WHIP through 20 starts, striking out 146 batters.
The Tigers would likely need to be overwhelmed with an offer to trade Skubal. He's under contract through 2026, and Detroit doesn't see itself as being too far away from postseason contention.
The argument in favor of Skubal would be that his injury history is a concern and his value has never been higher. That's true, but trading a potential face of the franchise after years of irrelevance typically isn't great business. If one team can make that stunning offer that changes Detroit's mind, it might be the Orioles.
Best team fits: Orioles, Dodgers, Braves
Brent Rooker, OF, Athletics
Brent Rooker isn't a free agent until after the 2027 season, but the A's will at the very least listen to any interest in some of their core pieces. With a lack of hitting available at the deadline, Rooker could get them a haul.
The 29-year-old doesn't offer defensive value, but that doesn't matter much when you're carrying a .948 OPS. Rooker has been red hot for the last month and is now hitting .291 with 23 home runs and a 169 OPS+ on the year, after breaking out with 30 home runs last season.
The A's won't feel any pressure to trade Rooker, but a deal can't be ruled out knowing how they operate.
Best team fits: Braves, Phillies, Royals
