Need a reliever? Trade market has plenty to offer

Much like a department store during the holiday season, this year’s trade market for relief pitching has a little bit of everything for potential shoppers.

There are controllable youngsters, veterans on expiring contracts and everything in between, offering a variety of bullpen arms for contenders -- or teams looking to get back into contention for one of the 12 tickets to October -- to pursue between now and the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline.

MLB Trade Deadline buzz

Among the teams expected to look for bullpen help are the Dodgers, Pirates, Rangers, Phillies, D-backs, Mets, Brewers and Blue Jays, all of whom rank in the lower half of the Majors in relief ERA.

Putting relief trade targets into 3 Deadline categories

Here’s an early look at some of the relief arms on potential sellers that could be available in the coming weeks.

Daniel Bard, RHP, Rockies
Under club control through 2024

Bard’s resurgence in Colorado has been a great story, and after pitching to a 1.79 ERA in 2022, he’s been even better this season, posting a 1.52 ERA in his first 23 appearances. The Rockies love Bard, but he turns 38 next week and is owed $9.5 million in 2024, which isn’t ideal for a rebuilding club. Given his closing experience -- he had 54 saves in 2021-22 -- and ability to pitch anywhere in the late innings, Bard could fill a number of roles for a contending team.

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Scott Barlow, RHP, Royals
Under club control through 2024

Barlow is earning $5.3 million this season and is arbitration-eligible for one more year before reaching free agency. The 30-year-old has converted 48 of 59 save chances since the start of the 2021 season, including eight of nine in 2023. After posting a 9.45 ERA in his first seven outings this season, Barlow has a 2.25 ERA with an opponent OPS of .528 and 29 strikeouts over his past 19 outings (20 innings) since April 22.

Aroldis Chapman, LHP, Royals
Under club control through 2023

Chapman’s 2.84 ERA is his lowest since 2019, while his 40.9 strikeout percentage is his best since 2018. The 35-year-old ranks in the top 10 percent in the league in average exit velocity, strikeout percentage, hard hit percentage, fastball velocity, whiff percentage and barrel percentage, averaging more than 101 mph with his sinker. Chapman, who signed a one-year, $3.75 million deal with the Royals in January, will be a free agent at the end of the season.

José Cisnero, RHP, Tigers
Under club control through 2023

Cisnero had an outstanding 2022 season, posting a 1.08 ERA in his age-33 campaign. He struggled out of the gate this season (5.14 ERA in his first eight appearances), but he’s pitched to a 1.25 ERA since April 24, a stretch of 23 outings during which hitters have a .496 OPS against him. He’s owed a little more than $1 million for the remainder of the season.

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Carl Edwards Jr., RHP, Nationals
Under club control through 2023

Edwards had a strong start to 2023, posting a 2.18 ERA in his first 22 outings through May 24, though he’s struggled a bit lately, allowing eight earned runs over his past 11 innings and is currently on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. With a fastball that ranks in the top 10 percentile in both velocity and spin rate, Edwards also ranks in the upper echelon in hard hit percentage, barrel percentage and average exit velocity. The 31-year-old is owed about $1.25 million this season and will be a free agent this winter.

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Jason Foley, RHP, Tigers
Under club control through 2027

Unlike some other Detroit relievers on this list, Foley has several years of club control, which will raise his price tag during trade season. Foley has excelled this season, posting a sub-2.00 ERA for much of the year until a blowup against Arizona earlier this month. Foley’s hard sinker has helped him to a ground-ball rate near 60 percent in 2023, while he’s striking out nearly 25 percent of the batters he’s faced. Foley won’t be eligible for arbitration until the end of the 2024 season.

Michael Fulmer, RHP, Cubs
Under club control through 2023

Fulmer signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Cubs last winter, and although his season started out in rocky fashion (7.84 ERA in his first 23 outings), the 30-year-old hasn’t allowed an earned run in 11 appearances dating to May 28. Fulmer, the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year, ranks in the top 10 percent in the league in both average exit velocity and hard hit percentage.

Kendall Graveman, RHP, White Sox
Under club control through 2024

Graveman allowed runs in five of his 12 April outings, but the 32-year-old has given up just two earned runs in 21 appearances since the start of May, posting a 0.86 ERA during that stretch. Pitching in the second year of a three-year, $24 million deal, Graveman is owed a little more than $4 million for the rest of 2023 and another $8 million next year.

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Joe Kelly, RHP, White Sox
Under club control through 2024 (2024 club option)

Kelly was knocked around a few times early in the season, but he has a 3.32 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 19 innings over 20 appearances since April 30. Kelly, who is in the final year of a two-year, $17 million pact, has a club option for 2024. With his fastball averaging about 99 mph this season, Kelly ranks among the top 10 percentile in fastball velocity, chase rate, strikeout percentage and curve spin, making the 35-year-old a strong candidate to be moved.

Alex Lange, RHP, Tigers
Under club control through 2027

Lange has converted 11 of 13 save opportunities this season, posting scoreless outings in 24 of his 31 appearances this year -- his first as a closer. With a strikeout rate of 11.7 per nine innings for a second straight season, Lange -- who, like Foley, won’t even reach arbitration until 2025 -- could fetch a solid return if Detroit decides to move the 27-year-old.

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Julian Merryweather, RHP, Cubs
Under club control through 2026

After giving up five runs in his first outing of the year, Merryweather took almost a month to settle into the 2023 season. Once he did, the 31-year-old became one of the Cubs’ most reliable bullpen arms, allowing two earned runs over his past 22 outings (0.79 ERA) dating to April 29, striking out 35 batters in 22 2/3 innings. Merryweather, who will become arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, ranks in the top 10 percent of the league in strikeout percentage, fastball velocity, barrel percentage and whiff percentage.

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Chasen Shreve, LHP, Tigers
Under club control through 2023

The left-hander had his share of ups and downs over the first two months of the season, but Shreve has settled down lately, posting seven scoreless appearances dating to June 5. The 32-year-old has given up just two hits and one walk during that stretch, striking out 10 batters in 7 1/3 innings. Shreve will earn roughly $700,000 for the rest of 2023.

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Brent Suter, LHP, Rockies
Under club control through 2023

Unlike many of today’s relievers, Suter doesn’t feature much velocity, using his sinker, four-seamer and changeup to keep hitters off-balance despite averaging less than 90 mph with the first two pitches. Whatever he’s doing, it’s working; Suter ranks in the 99th percentile in average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage and the 97th in barrel percentage. The 33-year-old is on a one-year, $3 million deal and will be a free agent after the season.

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