With less than two whole days left until the trade deadline, there are still plenty of players hoping to go from a rebuilding franchise to a contending team. Many teams are still looking to add pieces to make an October run, while others will look to stock up on promising young players in their respective farm system.
Here are some players who are most likely headed to another team:
Adam Dunn – The best hitter in the market. Dunn is a tremendous power-hitter who has averaged 35 homeruns a season since 2002. GM Mike Rizzo and Dunn had been talking in the offseason about a contract extension but since the season started, Rizzo has yet to make Dunn any kind of offer. Dunn has stated that he would like to stay with the Nats’ but the team believes the return of players in a trade for Dunn will be worth more. As of right now, the biggest suitors for Dunn’s bat seem to be the Chicago White Sox. They are in need of a left-handed bat in their offense that has power. Other teams who are in on Dunn are the Angels, and Yankees, with the former in need of a first baseman.
Ted Lilly – After the Big Three of Oswalt, Lee, and Haren have fallen, Lilly is best pitcher left on the trade market. There’s no secret the Cubs will look to move him since the team is struggling in Lou Piniella’s last season. Ted Lilly’s name has been thrown around in packages as the Cubs will likely throw in Ryan Theriot in any trade involving Lilly. The Dodgers are his strongest suitors since they have missed out on the three biggest pitchers and are in need of a starting pitcher in their rotation.
Corey Hart - The Brewers are in a deep hole because Hart isn’t the only Brewers’ hitter that will hit the open market after this season. Prince Fielder can join Hart as a free agent after this season but Fielder looks like he will be staying in a Brewers’ uniform for years to come. Hart, on the other hand, has received much more attention and can be valuable for any team looking to add firepower to their offense. Hart, an All-Star this year, will command
Jayson Werth – The Phillies have talked to many teams about a trade package involving Werth mainly because he his due a big raise, and with the Phillies’ payroll up around $140 million for the 2011 season after acquiring Oswalt, they won’t have enough to retain the outfielder.
Jorge Cantu - The corner infielder is one of the most sought-after infielders in the trade market. The biggest step in any trade involving Cantu is the remaining salary in his contract. He is set to earn $2M for the rest of the season, but the Marlins have expressed that they are willing to eat up some or most of the contract in any trade. The Rangers and Marlins are close on a deal that will send Cantu to Texas but nothing is set, yet.
Jake Westbrook - Westbrook is making $11 million this season which is putting a hold on many teams who would be willing to trade for the Indians’ pitcher. Often teams will wait until August to claim a pitcher like Westbrook off waivers so teams can avoid taking in the additional salary. The Cardinals and Dodgers are his best suitors but it seems unlikely he will be dealt before the deadline.
Carlos Zambrano – Zambrano, who was suspended by the Cubs’ because of his anger issues, has thrown his last game as a Cubs’ pitcher. Even if he doesn’t get traded, the team will certainly put him on waivers in hopes of ridding the troubled player and his contract. The Cubs have already told many other clubs that they are willing to move the suspended righty.
Chad Billingsley – Billingsley is the long shot to be traded this year. GM Ned Colletti has been adamant on trading the team’s young core. Billingsley, along with Matt Kemp and Russell Martin, is having a down year.
Brett Myers- it’s thought that the Astros wouldn’t want to get rid of Myers, but he can be very appealing to any trade that will also include Lance Berkman. The Astros don’t want to mess with their rotation even more after sending Roy Oswalt to the Phillies, but with the Astros’ GM getting many phone calls about the pitcher, a trade including both Myers and Berkman wouldn’t be surprising.
Other Notes:
The Yankees could look to add a starting pitcher or a long reliever because of the ability of Phil Hughes to pitch in the bullpen. They could add a starting pitcher in the rotation and, in the playoffs, switch Phil Hughes to as a reliever allowing every starting pitcher to pitch a game in a playoff game, if possible. They always have the advantage that they are one of the few teams willing to take on payroll this trade deadline, but only in the right circumstances.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are in rebuilding and almost every player on their roster is trade bait except for Justin Upton. Any of the players the D’Backs receives from trades will most definitely have to be either top prospects or salary dumps.
The Cardinals and Dodgers have shown the strongest interest in pitchers. Ted Lilly, Jake Westbrook, David Aardsma, and Scott Downs are among the most mentioned.
The Chicago White Sox have been rumored to call in on almost every player or position player. They have already traded for the D’Backs Edwin Jackson, and are still thought to be after Brett Myers. Look out for the White Sox to make some serious noise leading up to the trade deadline.
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