MLB · 1 year ago

Fire Sale! 5 Teams Primed to Be Sellers at the MLB Trade Deadline

Grant White

Host · Writer

St. Louis Cardinals
When the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, they thought they had the players to propel this team forward. Ironically, those are the players holding them back.

Among qualified hitters on the team, Arenado and Goldschmidt rank last in OPS. So far this season, the Cardinals' third baseman is toiling with a .693 OPS, while Goldy is an even worse .662. Nevertheless, they are intriguing pieces that could shine brighter in a supporting role.

With several youngsters flashing their potential, St. Louis is built for the future. The Cardinals can add to those riches by cutting Arenado and Goldschmidt loose before the end of the month.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays may have already signaled their intention for the upcoming trade deadline, moving on from Aaron Civale at the end of last week. But with more top-end pieces and no prospect of competing in the AL East, it might be time for the Rays brass to acquire the next batch of future assets.

Past the halfway point of the season and competing against some of the best teams in the bigs, Tampa sits 13.0 games back of the AL East lead and 5.5 back of a wild card. Worse, the thrifty club is priced at a distant +790 to make the playoffs behind the likes of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals.

Known for making the most with the least, the Rays could look toward a brighter future by trading away Brandon Lowe, Isaac Paredes, or anyone except Randy Arozarena and Shane Baz.
Boston Red Sox
At this point, the Boston Red Sox are only fooling themselves. Boston faces the same dilemma as the Rays. They don't have enough pieces to make a serious run up the standings or compete with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles in the short term. As such, they should look toward the future before the MLB trade deadline.

Boston's gotten by with mediocre pitching and above-average bats, leaving them plenty of assets to sell off. Any of their starters would be a welcome addition to the back end of a contender's rotation, while a few veteran bats could bolster any lineup.

If the Red Sox feel reckless, they could demand whatever price they want for Rafael Devers. There are some teams desperate enough to pay whatever the asking price is.
Miami Marlins
South Beach has never been conducive to a winning team, and that's become more painfully evident this year. The Miami Marlins languish in the NL East basement and should adopt the Oakland Athletics approach over the next few seasons.

Jazz Chisholm has already become a fixture in the MLB rumor mill, but he's far from the only desirable player. Southpaw Jesus Luzardo is currently dealing with a back injury but remains a trade candidate ahead of July 31. Likewise, Jesus Sanchez and Nick Gordon could suit several teams' needs.

Wins are nowhere on the horizon for the Marlins, but they can set their eyes on a more promising future with a productive trade deadline.
New York Mets
It's time to call it. The New York Mets aren't making the playoffs again in 2024. Although they have shown signs of life at various points this season, the Mets have failed to compete consistently. The uncomfortable truth they will eventually uncover is that if they want to win, they must do it correctly.

Sure, it would have been nice if the Mets could have spent to the limit to compete, but they continue to show that approach won't work. New York must develop quality major league talent, creating an entire ensemble of productive players.

The Mets can make the biggest splash by dangling one of their big fish to see what they could get back.
St. Louis Cardinals
When the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, they thought they had the players to propel this team forward. Ironically, those are the players holding them back.

Among qualified hitters on the team, Arenado and Goldschmidt rank last in OPS. So far this season, the Cardinals' third baseman is toiling with a .693 OPS, while Goldy is an even worse .662. Nevertheless, they are intriguing pieces that could shine brighter in a supporting role.

With several youngsters flashing their potential, St. Louis is built for the future. The Cardinals can add to those riches by cutting Arenado and Goldschmidt loose before the end of the month.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays may have already signaled their intention for the upcoming trade deadline, moving on from Aaron Civale at the end of last week. But with more top-end pieces and no prospect of competing in the AL East, it might be time for the Rays brass to acquire the next batch of future assets.

Past the halfway point of the season and competing against some of the best teams in the bigs, Tampa sits 13.0 games back of the AL East lead and 5.5 back of a wild card. Worse, the thrifty club is priced at a distant +790 to make the playoffs behind the likes of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals.

Known for making the most with the least, the Rays could look toward a brighter future by trading away Brandon Lowe, Isaac Paredes, or anyone except Randy Arozarena and Shane Baz.

Fire Sale! 5 Teams Primed to Be Sellers at the MLB Trade Deadline

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