Major League Baseball teams have only a few days to finish their summer shopping, as this year’s trade deadline passes at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 2. After this point, teams will not be able to execute deals until the end of the season. .
The deadline usually passes on July 31, but Commissioner Rob Manfred has gained the ability to appoint him any day between July 28 and August 3 as part of a new collective bargaining agreement between the MLB and the MLB Players Association. This, in short, is the reason for the August 2 deadline, a few days later than usual.
No matter when the deadline expires, you may be wondering what the most important events are headed for in the final days of the trading season. CBS Sports has you covered below, with information and answers to eight frequently asked questions.
1. Who are the top buyers and sellers?
Dane Berry recently rated each of the 30 teams as buyers, sellers, or anything in between. While taking berry seriously has always been a risk, we’ve chosen to take it. Here’s a look at who’s rated as buyers or sellers (note that teams are listed in alphabetical order based on their city name):
- Buyers: braveAnd the white socksAnd the guardiansAnd the AstrosAnd the DodgersAnd the bruerAnd the twinsAnd the metsAnd the YankeesAnd the PhyllisAnd the basicsAnd the PadresAnd the giantsAnd the sailorsAnd the raysAnd the NoticeAnd the blue jays
- sellers: DiamondbacksAnd the CubsAnd the redsAnd the tigersAnd the RoyalsAnd the AngelsAnd the MarlinsAnd the AthleticsAnd the piratesAnd the Citizens
Any team not listed above was considered something in between, meaning they could buy or sell, or could stand idly by, depending on how negotiations developed.
2. What are the notable moves that have taken place so far?
Deadline’s biggest deal to date saw the Mariners take over the Reds’ right-hand man Luis Castillo in exchange for four prospects, including players Noelfi Marti and Edwin Arroyo. (You can read our in-depth analysis of that analysis here.)
Most of the other big dominoes haven’t faltered yet, which means the next level of big deals outside of Castillo include outside players heading to the MLS East: Andrew Benintende Link with the Yankees and David Peralta Join the radiology. Hey, we said there are a lot of select names that can be moved sooner rather than later.
3. Will Soto be transferred?
The biggest of those notable names will be national team player Juan Soto, who became available earlier this month after turning down a $440 million 15-year extension offer.
Soto is 23 years old and under team control for two more seasons after this one, making him one of the most coveted trade targets in league history. CBS Sports has identified the Cardinals as the best-fit team to land based on their mix of prospects and young players in the big league.as well as their financial prospects and history of their front office making similar deals.
Citizens seem excited to move Soto ahead of the deadline, as the franchise is expected to be purchased by the new owners this off-season. It seems unlikely that future owners will want their first big move on the franchise’s face.
If and when a Soto trade does happen, it’s worth noting that executives with other teams fully expect veteran left-handed Patrick Corbin to be To be involved as a financial heavyweight.
4. What about Otani?
Angels are reported to have listened to performances on another young star in the two-way phenomenon Shohei Ohtani, but the trade seems much less likely than in the case of Soto.
Otani is under team control for an additional season, but the situation is more complicated. Industry types who spoke to CBS Sports have noted owner Arte Moreno appears less inclined to give the green light to the deal, and presumably the Angels will hold on to Otani and try again in 2023.
It would be reasonable to say that if Ohtani is traded, this will likely come in the off-season – or perhaps the next deadline.
5. Who are the other best players out there?
Here are the top five available players based on Our ratings that are not already traded or mentioned in this piece:
- No. 3 Frankie Montas, RHP, Athletics
- No. 4 Brian Reynolds, The Pirate
- No. 5 Shawn Murphy, C, athletics
- No. 6 Wilson Contreras, C, Cubs
- No. 7 Ian Hap, OF, Cubs
We’ll note that Reynolds is unlikely to go and that athletics may also decide to hold on to Murphy until winter. The other three – Montas, Contreras and Hub – appear to have a better than 50/50 lead in the move by Tuesday night.
6. Will the Yankees move to Gallo?
The name you’ll find far lower in our rankings is Joey Gallo, a Yankees player who has struggled since being acquired on the last deadline. Gallo is an imminent free agent who has become a homeless man on the New York list.
Naturally, the combination fueled speculation that Gallo might be on his way out, with Padres and Rangers, among others, emerging as potential destinations.
Gallo is one of Deadline’s most interesting players worth watching, if only because of the possibility that he’ll regain his old form by moving away from New York.
7. Can the Astros handle from the deep?
It’s not often that you see favorite players in the division trading away from the big league roster, but the rumor mill has weight deals from the Astros that would send a novice bowler and possibly a defensive player.
The Astros currently have a six pitcher tournament featuring the likes of Jake Odorizzi and José Urquidy. On the outside side of things, the Astros reportedly got calls on Jose Siri, who’s out of the timeshare hub.
The Astros have expressed interest in hunting and Nationals number one baseman Josh Bell, but it’s unclear if the aforementioned players will be involved in those deals.
8. Can the Braves conjure the magic of the 2021 deadline?
We conclude by noting that the Braves, the world champions, set themselves up to win the title last July when they acquired Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario, Jock Pederson and Adam Duvall in undisclosed deals.
Will the brave be able to perform similar miracles over the next few days?
The Braves are supposed to be in the market for another racket, likely a right-handed one. Likewise, you can count on them to log into the promotion market, both starters and painkillers, as is customary for contenders.
We’ll find out if the Braves will be able to position themselves better for iteration soon or not.
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