With conclusion of the first half of the season, some teams are looking to add and some are looking to subtract. With the MLB trade deadline at exactly two weeks away, players are getting ready to move all around the country to help out their new teams.

With that, here are the top 20 trade candidates for this year’s trade deadline. This list will be in no particular order and just the general best 20 options who are likely to be made available at this year’s MLB trade deadline.

1. Garret Crochet (SP) – White Sox

Starting off with the most intriguing candidate in recent memory, Crochet has pitched more innings this season than his previous three years combined, due to this being his first season as a starter. After missing the 2022 season with a torn UCL, Crochet tossed a measly 12 2/3 innings in 2023 where he had a sky high 9.24 BB/9.

After this performance, the White Sox slotted him in the rotation, where he has flourished to the tune of a 3.02 ERA in 107 1/3 innings pitched.

The White Sox will be asking for a hefty price for their ace (as they should), and while there may be questions regarding his workload for the remainder of the season, he is undoubtedly a future ace.

He is making $800,000 this year and is under team control until 2026.

2. Jack Flaherty (SP) – Tigers

Flaherty will be the best rental in this year’s MLB trade deadline as he signed a one year deal with Detroit this past offseason. In 95 innings, he has a 3.13 ERA which doesn’t do justice to his performance so far. He has a minuscule 0.98 WHIP and an astounding 33.2 K% to a 4.3 BB%. Flaherty would likely command a top 100 prospect as he has returned to his ace level form he once possessed in St. Louis.

He is making $14 million this year and is a free agent at the end of the season.

3. Jesse Winker (OF/DH) – Nationals

After many successful seasons in Cincinnati, Winker saw his production hit rock bottom in 2022 with Seattle and in 2023 with Milwaukee. In his 2024 season however, he has turned things around as he’s slashing .260/.374/.432 for an .806 OPS and 11 home runs. He would likely be a DH as his defense would be a detriment to any outfield but his experienced bat will bring some extra production to a contender.

He is making $1.5 million this year and is a free agent at the end of the season.

4. Michael Kopech (RP/SP) – White Sox

Kopech is struggling this year with a 5.13 ERA as the White Sox’s closer. A deeper look however, can show that he is the perfect “buy low” option for this year’s MLB trade deadline for many teams looking for a bullpen piece or back end of the rotation arm.

From 2021 to 2022, Kopech put up a 3.53 ERA in 188 2/3 innings with a 26.7 K%, living up to his prospect pedigree. In those seasons, Kopech split time between the rotation and the bullpen, making him a flexible option for teams in need. He would be an interesting candidate for this year’s MLB trade deadline, especially for teams with a knack for “fixing” pitchers with great stuff but pedestrian results.

He is making $3 million this year and is under team control until 2025.

5. Cal Quantrill (SP) – Rockies

The Rockies made the trade for Quantrill in last years offseason after he came off a disappointing year in Cleveland. Across 102 1/3 innings this year, Quantrill has a decent 4.13 ERA, especially when half of his starts occur at the boombox that is Coors Field. While his K% isn’t special (at just 18%), he generates ground balls well (at 46.8%). He has a good track record across 673 career innings pitched with a 3.88 ERA and would likely be rotational depth.

He is making $6.55 million this year and will be under team control until 2025.

6. Brent Rooker (OF/DH) – Athletics

Rooker has been put through the blender early on in his career, starting in Minnesota and making stops at San Diego and Kansas City. It is safe to say that he has now found a home (temporarily) in Oakland as he has slashed .291/.369/.573 for a .942 OPS and a 169 OPS +. His two flaws are his poor defense and high strike out rate of 32.6 K%, making DH a better suited position for him.

He is making $750,000 and is under team control until 2027.

7. Jalen Beeks (RP) – Rockies

The Rockies reliever is struggling in his first season in the Mile High City after he parted ways with Tampa Bay. In his last season of arbitration, Beeks has struggled to a 4.89 ERA in 46 innings out of the bullpen. His 3.82 xERA (Expected ERA) however, indicates that his ERA may be inflated due to Coors Field. While his 18.6 K% is a personal low, he produces ground balls at a decent clip at 43.8%. He was one of Tampa Bay’s best relievers in 2020 and 2022 where he had a 3.26 and 2.80 ERA respectively and the 31 year-old reliever has plenty left in the tank as he has the ability to go multiple innings out of the bullpen.

He is making $1.675 million this year and is a free agent after the season.

8. Gleyber Torres (2B) – Yankees

The Yankees infielder will likely never return to his 38 home run form he reached back in 2019 but he has since transitioned to a very solid second-basemen. In his sixth and final season of arbitration, Torres has struggled to a .654 OPS, well below his career average of .774. With New York going through another slide after a successful start of the season, they are likely parting ways with their once coveted young prospect.

Torres is seemingly a player who’s emotions reflects on his performance and a change of scenery away from the spotlights/pressure of New York City can benefit him, helping him return to the .800 OPS mark he reached in 2023 or the .761 mark in 2022. A mid to high 700 OPS second-basemen with average defense is nothing to scoff at and can provide plenty of value to a lineup.

He is making $14.2 million this year and is a free agent at the end of the season.

9. Luis Robert Jr. (OF) – White Sox

Quite possibly the biggest name on the market this year, the 26 year-old has found his groove at the plate after missing two months of the 2024 season with a hip flexor strain. In 43 games this year, Robert has 11 home runs paired with 11 stolen bases and a .804 OPS. He is coming off a season where he slugged 38 home runs with an .857 OPS and elite outfield defense.

He would most likely garner a huge package in return, as an MVP caliber player with three and a half years of control is difficult to come by. The only concern regarding Robert is his injury history as since debuting in 2020, he has totaled just over two full seasons of workload.

He is making $12.5 million this year and is under team control until 2027.

10. Danny Jansen (C) – Blue Jays

The 29 year-old is the best catcher in this year’s MLB trade deadline. While the Blue Jays in the middle of a disastrous season, standing at an insurmountable 9.5 games out of Wild Card contention, Jansen is working on yet another solid season on both sides of the ball. Despite his batted ball profile being underwhelming (26th percentile in both Average Exit Velocity and Hard-Hit%), he has the ability to put up a competitive at-bat as he is 96th percentile in Chase%, 77th percentile in Whiff%, 73th percentile in K%, and 85th percentile in BB%.

Jansen’s 11 blocks above average (98th percentile) is his best defensive trait and if he can return somewhere closer to his 2022 and 2023 offensive outputs of an .855 and .786 OPS respectively, he would be one of the most valuable catchers in the league.

He is making $5.2 million this year and is a free agent at the end of the season.

11. Tommy Pham (OF) – White Sox

Yet another member of the White Sox appear on the list as the 36 year-old has fulfilled the exact role Chicago envisioned when inking him to a one-year deal. Pham was signed by the White Sox in hopes that he would perform his way into being a trade candidate at this year’s MLB trade deadline. His .707 OPS this year is a far cry from his .786 clip from the season prior but his bat still holds value for teams like the Cincinnati Reds who’s entire outfield’s OPS is under .700.

Pham’s batted ball profile and statcast numbers are still strong, indicating that a change of scenery away from the worst team in baseball could benefit the experienced veteran. His .283 xBA (expected batting average) is much higher than his actual .263 AVG, yet another sign that his numbers are due for positive regression, closer to his .781 career OPS.

His 129 wCR+ against left-handers shows that Pham would at worst be a solid lefty platoon option for a team looking for outfield/offensive depth.

He is making a little north of $2.5 million and is a free agent at the end of the season.

12. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (OF/2B) – Marlins

Just a year removed from a playoff appearance, the 2024 Marlins have been an absolute train wreck and are likely headed towards another rebuild. With the MLB trade deadline coming up, Chisholm has become a hot topic as he is a solid power-speed threat with 20-20 potential but is hitting at exactly league average this year with a 100 OPS+. His loud personality has overshadowed his actual on-field performance so far in his young career but he does come with versatility as he has both second-base and center-field experience in the big leagues.

His injury history and strike out habits are the two negatives that stand out most. He has played over 100 games in season just once in his career, and combined with his career 28.2 K%, the brand of Chisholm may appear better than his actual production.

With all negativity aside, if he is able to capture his 2022 All-Star form where he had an .860 OPS with good second-base defense, teams are looking at a superstar level infielder with plenty of upside.

He is making $2.625 million this year and is under team control until 2026.

13. Erick Fedde (SP) – White Sox

Fedde is another intriguing story out of the South Side this year. He has reinvented his career after winning MVP in the KBO in 2023 and returning to the US on a two-year, $15 million deal with the White Sox. He has been excellent in the 111 1/3 innings pitched this year as he holds a 2.99 ERA after being a 5 ERA pitcher with the Nationals from 2017 to 2022. He has shown that this stretch has not been a fluke as his statcast metrics all support the success.

While Chicago can certainly keep him around, Fedde is already 31 years-old, an age that doesn’t line up to Chicago’s new rebuild.

He is making $7.5 million both this and next year and will be a free agent at the end of the 2025 season.

14. Kevin Pillar (OF) – Angels

At 35 years-old, Pillar has had a resurgence and he’s gotten the opportunity to be the Angels’ every day center-fielder after Mike Trout‘s injury. In 45 games this year, he is hitting to a career high OPS of .822 and seven home runs. While his defense is not at the elite level it once was, his -1 OAA in center-field would likely improve once he’s slotted at the corner outfield positions. It would be an easy decision for the Angels to move the 10 year veteran at this year’s MLB trade deadline as he would be able to bring in a few young pieces to the struggling roster.

He is making $811,776 this year and is planning on retiring after the end of the season.

15. Bo Bichette (SS) – Blue Jays

Bichette has picked the worst possible time to have the absolute worst season of his career. With trade talks already circulating him, he has put up an abysmal .596 OPS and playing his usual lackluster defense. We have seen recent examples of players seemingly forget how to hit such as Tim Anderson and Javier Baez‘s regression, but with them, there were always warning signs within their game. Bichette’s monumental struggles however, have come with no warning signs as just last year, his statcast metrics were excellent. He was hitting the ball hard consistently with many metrics in the 85th percentile or above and has seemingly fallen off a cliff this year, making poor contact all around with no sign of getting out of this half season long slump.

He has however improved his defense as he is currently at 0 OAA compared to the -3 mark from last year. The current state of the Blue Jays could be a reason for his poor play as he as his fellow teammates have all been circulating the trade block. For whichever team decides to take a flier on him, hopes are he can return to a consistent 800s OPS guy paired with his new and improved defense. There are just a handful of games before the trade deadline for him to improve his numbers a bit before he is inevitably shipped off.

He is making $11 million this year and is under team control until 2025.

16. Carlos Estevez (CP/RP) – Angels

The Angels decided to not move him at last season’s MLB trade deadline amidst their final run with Ohtani but will look to do so in this year. He has been lights out this year as he’s put up a 2.61 ERA in 31 innings, racking up 17 saves in the process. He has an excellent 27.2 K% and an even better 3.5 BB%. Trading for relievers without a strong track record is risky due to how volatile the position can be but his 2.55 xERA is a sign that his performance is sustainable.

He is making $6.75 million this year and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

17. Tanner Scott (RP) – Marlins

The hard throwing lefty Tanner Scott has been dominating to the tune of a 1.34 ERA in his walk year, shutting down innings for the soon to be rebuilding Marlins. Scott’s statcast metrics are perhaps the most impressive out of all MLB relievers. .189 xBA (97th percentile), 82.8 Average Exit Velocity (100th percentile), 29% Hard-Hit (98th percentile), and 32.8% Whiff (92nd percentile) are among the ones that stand out the most. A hard throwing lefty (96.7 Avg Fastball Velo) who misses bats and limits hard contact is an arm that can be used in every contending bullpen.

His only issue is the brutal 1st percentile 15.3 BB%, which puts him at the bottom of the league in that aspect. Hopes are that he can find his way back to the career best 7.9 BB% that he set just last season. It isn’t a matter of if, but when and where the Marlins will ship him away at this year’s MLB trade deadline.

He is making $5.7 million this year and is a free agent at the end of the season.

18. Dylan Floro (RP) – Nationals

After a disappointing stint between Miami and Minnesota in 2023 where Floro accumulated a 4.76 ERA, he has turned things around in the nations capital. In 47 innings with the Nationals this year, he has managed a 2.11 ERA and a phenomenal 191 ERA+. He would be a 33 year-old rental reliever, meaning the asking price wouldn’t be much, but every contender could use an experienced reliever.

He is making $2.25 million this year and he will be a free agent at the end of the season.

19. Gio Urshela (3B/INF) – Tigers

Urshela is a shell of his former power hitting self with the Yankees but he has reinvented his play style after his departure from New York. He makes contact at a very high rate as he has a Whiff% at just 17.5%, good for 88th percentile and strikes out just 14.9% of the time, placing him in the 89th percentile.

Urshela is also a plus defensively, a trait that he has brought with him at every stop in the majors, as he currently has 2 OAA at third base. He has the ability to play all around the infield, making him a solid bench piece for a contender.

He is making $1.5 million this year and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

20. Carson Kelly (C) – Tigers

The 30 year-old catcher is having a fairly decent year at the plate so far, especially when considering the defense he brings. After a disappointing 2022 and 2023 season at the plate, Kelly has bounced back with a .736 OPS and 7 home runs in 55 games in Detroit. His defense is his main strength as his 6 Blocks Above Avg and 4 Caught Stealing Above Avg puts him in the 94th and 96th percentile respectively. Catching depth is one of the most sought after additions during every trade deadline and Kelly would be a solid bench option.

He is making $3.5 million this year and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

The Red Sox Shouldn’t Trade Top Prospects Amid Success

Expectations

There will obviously be many more players who will be moved at the deadline and some players listed above will remain with their current teams. The idea of the list was to capture some of the players who are most likely headed somewhere else to finish out the remainder of the season. With so many teams pushing for a playoff spot, the 2024 MLB trade deadline gearing up to be an interesting one with a mixture of high profile stars and serviceable major leaguers.

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