Trade Deadline Inbox: Who are the buyers and sellers?

We’re less than six weeks away from the July 30 Trade Deadline, which got me thinking: What are fans talking about on the trade front?

What better way to find out than my first Trade Deadline Inbox of 2024? These questions were sent to me on X (@Feinsand), though in some cases, I wish I had more concrete answers.

That’s what happens when the standings are as muddled as they currently are, with only a handful of teams far enough away from a postseason spot to begin thinking about 2025.

The rest? We know some of the presumptive buyers such as the Yankees, Orioles, Mariners, Phillies, Brewers and Dodgers, while the White Sox, Angels, Athletics, Marlins and Rockies figure to be sellers. The others?

🤷‍♂️

Nearly a dozen teams were within striking distance despite records hovering at or below .500, so it’s going to take some time for the buyers and sellers to declare themselves -- assuming they even do by the Deadline.

(Some questions have been edited for length and clarity.)

• 13 top trade candidates and their potential fits

Who will the Royals target to upgrade center field?
-- @85Royal

I’m not sure this question needs to be limited to center, as the entire Royals outfield has struggled at the plate this season. Kansas City’s OPS from its outfielders ranks 29th in the league, ahead of only the last-place White Sox.

Among the outfielders that might become available are Oakland’s Brent Rooker, Tommy Pham of the White Sox, and the Angels’ trio of Taylor Ward, Jo Adell and Kevin Pillar. More will surely surface the closer we get to July 30 as teams will presumably have some more separation in the standings a month from now.

Is there a chance that the Mets add someone with years of control like Garrett Crochet or Luis Robert?
-- @Yosafe

How likely is it that Crochet or Robert get moved?
-- @RockNSportsGREG

Let’s address the second part first. There’s certainly a chance the White Sox could hit the reset button entirely and trade either or both of those players, though given their contract situations -- Crochet is earning $800,000 this season and is arbitration-eligible for two more years, while Robert is signed for $12.5 million this year and $15 million in 2025 with a pair of club options in 2026-27 -- it’s going to take a lot for teams to pry them away from Chicago.

The Mets don’t feel like the team that’s going to do that. They worked hard last summer to restock their farm system with talent, so it’s tough to see them putting together the type of package it will take to land Crochet or Robert, especially when you consider some of the contenders that have deep farm systems. (Yes, Baltimore, I’m looking at you.)

If the Mets opt to sell, they could add controllable talent by dealing rental players such as Pete Alonso, J.D. Martinez, Luis Severino, etc., but even if they find themselves in the thick of the playoff race and decide to buy, I don’t see them making a huge move to add Crochet or Robert.

It’s obvious the Brewers are in need of starting pitching help. Who are likely targets for the leaders of the NLC?
-- @cyfreddyszn

Adding payroll can be an issue for the Brewers, which must be taken into account when thinking about potential acquisitions.

Among the pitchers I could see Milwaukee pursuing are Erick Fedde of the White Sox and Cal Quantrill of the Rockies, though the number of available starters will surely rise once we move into mid-to-late July. If they can offer up a package that would cause the Angels to pay down some salary, Tyler Anderson would also be a nice get for the Crew.

Outside of Jesús Luzardo and Tanner Scott, what other Marlins players are likely to be traded?
-- @maddohx

Scott is a near-lock to be dealt, and while Luzardo is drawing interest from contenders, it’s not a sure thing he gets traded. The lefty starter is arbitration-eligible for two more years prior to free agency, so if the Marlins don’t like the offers they’re getting, they can hold on to Luzardo and try to trade him in the offseason or even next summer.

• Luzardo scratched from Saturday's start due to ongoing back issue

As for other Marlins who should find themselves in new uniforms by July 31, the list is headed by Josh Bell, who appears headed for his third consecutive Deadline deal (he was traded from the Nationals to the Padres in 2022, then sent from the Guardians to the Marlins last summer). Bell is earning $16.5 million this season and will be a free agent, so the Marlins will likely move him for whatever they can get.

Tim Anderson is on a one-year, $5 million deal, though he’s having a terrible season and isn’t likely to draw much interest.

Perhaps the most intriguing trade candidate to watch is Jazz Chisholm Jr., who has been productive this season while playing nearly every day. Chisholm is on pace to set a career high in home runs (he hit 19 last year), and with two years of arbitration eligibility remaining, the Marlins could test the waters and see what type of return he would bring back. It’s no lock by any means that he’ll be moved, but don’t be surprised to hear his name pop up in rumors during the next month.

Will the Nationals sell key players like Lane Thomas and Kyle Finnegan? Or stay competitive and try to aim for a Wild Card spot?
-- @sekai_yakyu_828

What and when will be the tipping of the scales for the Mets on whether they will sell or buy?
-- @VehicleRanks

What do the Red Sox do at the Deadline, and if they buy, what do they get?
-- @paulyc1117

I bunched these three questions together for one simple reason: We have no idea what any of these teams will do six weeks from now. All three of these teams are in the thick of the Wild Card race, and if that’s still the case in late July, we may very well see them become buyers.

Of course, if things go south for any (or all) of them, then it would be easy to see them sell, thrusting players such as Thomas, Finnegan, Alonso, Severino, Martinez, Harrison Bader, Kenley Jansen, Tyler O’Neill, Chris Martin and Nick Pivetta on to the market. Only time will tell when it comes to the dozen or so fringe teams that aren’t clear-cut buyers or sellers just yet.