The MLB trade deadline is not for another couple months, but teams are already scouting players and names like Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Aroldis Chapman, Kyle Lohse and Scott Kazmir have come up in connection with the Baltimore Orioles, NY Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals as trade targets.
Hamels has been at the forefront of trade rumors since last season and this past offseason and he is the most likely player to move at the deadline. The Phillies are in a hard rebuild and with four years left on his deal, Hamels is wasting away in Philadelphia. The Red Sox have long been considered the favorites for Hamels, but the NY Post reports that the Baltimore Orioles are also in the mix and that they have scouted Hamels in recent weeks. The Reds have been in the middle of a tough season and they are expected to be sellers with names like Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Aroldis Chapman and potentially Todd Frazier set to be available.
The Brewers are another team dealing with a tough year and that could put a player like Kyle Lohse or Jimmy Nelson in the sights for another team. Kazmir is with the Athletics and along with Ben Zobrist and Tyler Clippard he could be a name that moves. Billy Beane started the sale this offseason with Josh Donaldson and tings could continue as the deadline gets closer. According to Jayson Stark with ESPN, one scouts said that the team likely will move Kazmir and Clippard first while allowing Zobrist to get his value back up after dealing with an injury.
The Yankees have remained in the mix for a playoff spot and have been in first place for most of the season in the AL and that could make them buyers at the deadline. The team had a solid draft with some high picks and that could give Brian Cashman the depth he needs to give up some other prospects to get deals done. The Yankees have been mentioned in connection with Cole Hamels, but according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, the Yankees and the Tigers looked at Cueto in his last start against the Cubs.
The New York Post reports that the Yankees are looking at Cueto as well as Mike Leake as potential trade deadline options, as Cincy is likely going to listen to offers this year. Both would be considered rental players since they are headed into free agency, but that could be a fit for the Yanks. With that in mind, the Reds can't ask for too much since both players could be leaving once traded, but the Yankees could try and use that to their advantage to keep some of their top prospects if they pull off a deal.
Cueto is the better of the two platters and if Cashman doesn't want to give up too much, the Yankees could go after Leake. The team needs more starting pitching even with Ivan Nova coming back and Leake comes in with a 3-4 record and a 4.35 ERA in 13 games this season. MLB.com's Tigers beat reporter Jason Beck also reports that the Reds were scouting Tigers minor league players recently.
