Jacob deGrom and other notable names who could be on the move before the MLB trade deadline

Jay Asser 21:20 27/07/2018
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  • Jacob deGrom is having a stellar season with the Mets.

    Since Manny Machado was shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball has seen a flurry of moves leading up to the trade deadline.

    While Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ, Joakim Soria, Zach Britton and others have already been moved, there’s still plenty of time left between now and July 31 for teams to pull off swaps that could significantly affect the final stretch of the season and the playoff picture.

    Here’s a look at some notable names who’ve been rumoured as potential trade candidates and who could be on new teams come August.

    Jacob deGrom

    The New York Mets have a decision to make on their star right-hander, who has been absolutely dealing this season.

    Despite his 5-5 record, DeGrom has a chance to win the Cy Young thanks to his 1.71 earned run average, 159 strikeouts in 131.1 innings and, according to Baseball-Reference, a wins above replacement mark of 6.0, which leads all National League players (including position players).

    He isn’t just a stud, he’s a cost-controlled stud who the Mets have under contract for two more years after this season.

    The problem, however, is New York currently sit in the basement of the NL East and may not be real contenders for some time. Trading deGrom for a haul of prospects could jump-start a rebuild and replenish the team’s farm system.

    While a team eager to bolster their playoff push – like the Milwaukee Brewers – could throw a bunch of assets New York’s way, the Mets may be better off waiting until the offseason and assessing their options then.

    Chris Archer

    No stranger to trade rumours, the name of the Tampa Bay Rays flamethrower is once again being tossed around.

    The Rays aren’t in contention to reach the postseason and have a history of moving on from stars to net prospects. They’ve hung on to Archer so far, but the time may be right to cut bait.

    At 29, Archer still has prime years ahead of him, but it’s also possible we’ve already seen the best he has to offer. His ERA hasn’t been south of 4.00 since 2015, and while he continues to rack up huge strikeout totals, his trade value may have peaked a few years ago.

    But if the Rays truly dangle Archer on the market, they could still fetch a sizeable return – one that may only worsen as time goes on.

    J.T. Realmuto

    Realmuto

    The Miami Marlins have supposedly attached a hefty price to their catcher, and rightly so. Realmuto is hitting .310 with 13 home runs and will make pennies through 2020, which means he’s exactly the kind of player every team would be salivating for.

    As usual, Miami aren’t going anywhere this season as they sit, along with the Mets, at the bottom of the NL East. Division foes Washington make sense as a destination for Realmuto, but it’s unclear if they want to be serious buyers at the deadline.

    Asdrubal Cabrera, Brian Dozier

    Two second basemen who would be upgrades for several teams struggling for offence at their position, Cabrera and Dozier should garner no shortage of interest.

    Dozier has struggled for much of this year for the Minnesota Twins, hitting just .228, but he’s picked it up in July and remains a useful all-around player.

    Cabrera, meanwhile, is putting together another productive campaign for the Mets, hitting .277 with 18 home runs, and has the chops to move over to third base for a team seeking to utilise his flexibility.

    The Boston Red Sox aren’t in need of much, but help at second base while Dustin Pedroia remains shelved is at the top of the list.

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