Over the next two weeks, many MLB players will be mentioned as trade targets, some of which will end up moving, and some of which will not.
In some situations, need Some players will move on, and those trades should be made not just for the players but also, in some cases, for the organization.
Here are five players who need to be traded before the 2024 MLB trade deadline.
Who would have thought Guerrero would be a trade candidate this summer? But here it is.
Things aren’t going according to plan for the Blue Jays. For years, the Blue Jays have been expected to be one of the best teams in the league, but it’s time to rebuild and move in a new direction. Guerrero has always been expected to carry the franchise on his shoulders. That may have been an unfair expectation at times, but he was definitely the runner-up for the 2021 AL MVP. After a few “good” seasons, he showed this season that he can still be a force in the middle of the lineup. 2024 shortstop Bo Bichette is not the player the league has seen the past few seasons, but Brady’s value could give Toronto an opportunity to rebuild for the future.
The Mariners come in, but their biggest issue over the past few seasons has been their lack of hitting. Even star outfielder Julio Rodriguez has struggled to produce consistently. A player like Guerrero could help take the pressure off Rodriguez and change the overall dynamics of Seattle’s offense. The added benefit of acquiring the 2021 AL MVP runner-up is that the team will have control of the club for another year after this season. If things go well in Seattle, Rodriguez and Guerrero could be MLB’s next great duo.
The Blue Jays may not be looking to move Guerrero, but the reality is that what they’ve built isn’t working, and it’s time for them to start thinking about a future that doesn’t involve Guerrero or Bichette.
Any team hoping to make the postseason and in need of a starting pitcher will no doubt be keeping an eye on the White Sox’s ace pitcher. Since returning from Tommy John surgery, Crochette has made a breakthrough in his first season as a starter and currently leads MLB in strikeouts. The big left-hander has proven he can not only lead a starting pitching staff, but also take on the role of ace.
The Orioles have been systematically building their depth and farm system over the past few seasons. They were the best team in the American League last season, but a lack of significant moves at the deadline led to them being eliminated in the Wild Card Round, so this year they need to strike while the iron is hot. Corbin Barnes has performed as expected since being acquired from the Brewers, but he will be a free agent at the end of this season. With John Means, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells all suffering season-ending injuries, the Orioles are in desperate need of pitching.
Crochette would add another pitcher to the top of the Orioles’ starting rotation and help them get back into the championship hunt, and he’s under contract with the team for two more years beyond 2024, making him a great option for the Orioles if Barnes leaves in free agency. However, Crochette hasn’t pitched as many innings in professional baseball as he has this year, so any team that acquires him will need to keep an eye on that as the season progresses.
The White Sox have plenty of leverage here, but the Orioles should do everything in their power to acquire one of the most valuable assets in baseball.
Chisholm may be the most polarizing player in baseball. His talent and confidence are unmatched, but that hasn’t always translated into on-field success. A big part of that is his inability to stay healthy through his five MLB seasons, but Chisholm has proven his worth again this year in 93 games already.
Chisholm’s best asset is his combination of speed and power. He was a good defender as a second baseman in 2021, but his defensive ability and athleticism haven’t translated to center field, and he isn’t considered a good defender there.
The rest of the National League expected the Reds to compete for the wild card this season, but they have not been able to play as well as they did last season. The main reason for their setback is their inability to sustain their offense. However, Great American Ball Park is an environment where Chisholm’s smooth left-handed swing can function well and he can deliver powerful hits. The Bahamas-born outfielder could be a perfect platoon partner for current Reds center fielder Stuart Fairchild, who dominates lefties, and the smaller ballpark will give Chisholm an advantage defensively, with less space to cover than in Miami.
Cincinnati needs a boost and should bet on Chisholm’s future, and having Chisholm and Ellie de la Cruz in the same lineup would at the very least be one of the coolest duos in baseball.
There was a time when Alonso could have signed a contract extension and stayed in Queens long term, but that is no longer the case. With a new structure in the front office and Alonso’s time under the club’s control coming to an end, now seems like the right time for a Polar Bear to move on.
Perhaps the best thing about Alonso as a player is his consistency: In each of the past four seasons (excluding 2020), he has hit at least 37 homers, played in at least 150 games and posted an OPS+ above 120. He’s on pace to achieve those marks again this year.
For much of the past decade, the Astros have been on the offensive, and the team’s aggressive approach at the trade deadline is part of the reason they’ve reached seven straight ALCS and won two World Series. But that aggressiveness means their farm system isn’t as robust as it once was. Still, that might be enough to pry off two months of Alonso’s services.
Sure, the Mets have had a great run so far this season and currently hold the third wild card spot in the National League, but it would be asking a lot of them to continue playing the way they did before the All-Star break.
The Mets have made it clear they would prefer Alonso stay in Queens, but that’s really up to Alonso and his agent, Scott Boras. At this point, it seems more likely Alonso will test the free-agent market. If so, the Mets would be better off dealing the first baseman this month, given their other needs and a farm system that needs more quality talent and depth.
It seems incredible that Scherzer would be joining his fifth team in four seasons, but with the Rangers sitting 7.5 games out of the wild card, it could become a reality for the three-time Cy Young Award winner on July 31. The Rangers won their first World Series in franchise history last season, but things haven’t been going so well this year and they could be sold at the deadline.
Meanwhile, the Brewers have been a top-tier contender in the National League Central for much of this season, and if there’s any room to strengthen the roster, it’s in the starting rotation. With a string of injuries to young starters, including promising prospect Robert Gasser, the Brewers have needed a lot of depth. Milwaukee already acquired right-hander Aaron Civale in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this month. Scherzer will get another quality pitcher who can provide depth and postseason experience to support Civale, Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers and Collin Rea.
Scherzer will be a free agent after this season, and with the Mets/Rangers paying his salary this year, what Milwaukee would pay to acquire him would be roughly the same as the prospect capital they would have to give up for other available starting pitchers.
