Five trades I’d like to see before MLB trade deadline, including Alonso and Robert Jr. blockbusters
Five trades I’d like to see before MLB trade deadline, including Alonso and Robert Jr. blockbusters
There are only 43 days left until the MLB trade deadline, so let’s have some fun and look at trade concepts that might make sense for both contending and rebuilding teams. As of today, just five teams are viewed as definite “sellers”: the White Sox, A’s, Angels, Rockies and Marlins. It is likely other teams such as the Mets will join that group between now and the July 30 deadline.
Therefore, let’s look at those six teams and come up with trade scenarios that could work for them as well as some teams that want to “buy.” Feel free to share your thoughts on these trade ideas in the comments or offer your own trade proposals if you’re so inclined. With six weeks remaining until the deadline, let’s bat around some trade ideas.
This would be an industry shocker — a 10-player trade! — that would put the Dodgers in a much better position to run the table in the postseason and would jump-start the White Sox’s rebuild. The Dodgers have a loaded farm system and the major-league roster to win it all now, so why not finish the job with one mammoth blockbuster deal? Luis Robert Jr. improves their defense in center field and adds length to the bottom half of the lineup. Garrett Crochet fits into the top of the rotation behind Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto once the latter returns from the injured list. Michael Kopech gives them another power arm option for the back of their bullpen. Robert is under team control through 2027, Crochet is under control through 2026 and Kopech is under control through 2025.
The White Sox would get a haul of seven solid to good prospects in return, putting them on track for a much faster rebuild. Andy Pages could replace Robert in the outfield immediately. Dalton Rushing would become their future starting catcher. Nick Frasso, Kyle Hurt, Justin Wrobleski and Payton Martin would make their future outlook on the mound much brighter and come with many years of team control. And the final piece of this deal, Emil Morales, 17, would give the White Sox a high-risk, high-reward defensive wiz at shortstop down the road, if he develops as a hitter.
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It appears the Mets won’t be able to extend Pete Alonso’s contract and he will hit free agency in the offseason. Therefore, it makes sense for them to trade him at the deadline for prospects to help build the organization for the future and then try to re-sign him this winter. The Mets want to keep him long term, and by all indications the feeling is mutual. However, Alonso first needs to see how he’s valued on the open market as the Mets view him in the range of the Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson deals, while the Alonso camp feels his value, including what he brings as a leader and star who embraces playing in New York, is worth more. (Freeman signed a six-year, $162 million deal with the Dodgers before the 2022 season; Olson inked an eight-year, $168 million contract with the Braves around the same time.) If the Mets (33-37), currently 1 1/2 games out of wild-card position in the log-jammed National League standings, do decide to trade Alonso, teams such as the Cubs, Brewers, Mariners, Giants and Twins make sense as landing spots as they all could use upgrades in the middle of their lineups and at first base or DH.
In this trade proposal, I have Alonso going to the Twins, who could put him in the middle of their lineup between Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis. Acquiring Polar Bear Pete would give Minnesota (40-32), which currently sits in the American League’s third wild-card spot, a much better shot of overtaking the Guardians and Royals and prevailing in the AL Central. In return, the Mets would get first baseman Alex Kirilloff, who has dealt with wrist and other nagging injuries during his career but still has a sweet swing and upside. Last year he slashed .270/.348/.445 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs over 88 games and 319 plate appearances. This year he’s struggled, hitting .201 with five home runs before a recent demotion to Triple A. However, he’s still only 26 years old. David Festa would be the key component of the trade for New York. The 24-year-old righty has posted a 3.50 ERA over 13 starts this year at Triple A, striking out a staggering 81 batters in 54 innings. The final piece of this deal would be infielder Luke Keaschall, who can play second, shortstop and third. The 21-year-old was drafted in the second round last year and is hitting .335 with eight home runs and 17 stolen bases this season between High A and Double A with an on-base percentage of .447.
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The Mariners need to improve their offense, and Ryan McMahon would fit nicely in their lineup. He is slashing .265/.344/.458 with 12 home runs and 37 RBIs while providing close to average defense at third base. However, he also offers positional flexibility — McMahon can play first, second or third — something the Mariners always value. The 29-year-old has power and the ability to get on base, both needs for Seattle, which ranks 25th in the majors in OPS. The Mariners would control McMahon through 2027 under the six-year, $70 million contract he signed before the 2022 season.
In return, the Rockies would get what they need — a solid starting pitcher who could step right into their rotation — in Emerson Hancock, who despite posting a 4.79 ERA over eight starts allowed two earned runs or fewer in five of his last six major-league appearances. (Hancock, 25, has a 2.17 ERA in five starts this season in Triple A.) Michael Arroyo, a 19-year-old middle infielder with a nice combination of power and speed, is hitting .266/.392/.489 with 11 home runs and eight stolen bases in 57 games with Low-A Modesto.
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The Cardinals seem committed to being buyers, not sellers at the trade deadline and their front office is focused on adding another veteran starter. Erick Fedde fits what they’re looking for as another pitcher to put behind Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, Miles Mikolas and Lance Lynn in the rotation. The 31-year-old signed a two-year, $15 million deal with the White Sox in the offseason after pitching in South Korea last year. He was drafted in the first round by the Nationals in 2014 but hadn’t lived up to expectations until this year, when he’s gone 5-1 with a 3.09 ERA in 15 starts with 83 strikeouts in 87 1/3 innings. The Cardinals are 35-35, which is currently good enough for the NL’s second wild-card spot.
In return, the White Sox would acquire Cooper Hjerpe, a 23-year-old lefty who was recently promoted to Double A after posting a 3.35 ERA in 11 starts for High-A Peoria. A 2022 first-round pick, Hjerpe has 59 strikeouts and 24 walks in 40 1/3 innings overall this season. Gordon Graceffo was the Cardinals’ fifth-round pick in 2021 out of Villanova. He has logged a 4.11 ERA in 13 starts this season for Triple-A Memphis. Graceffo, 24, could go right into Fedde’s spot in the White Sox rotation and finish the rest of his development in the majors. The White Sox would control both pitching prospects for at least six more years while Fedde will be eligible for free agency after next season.
Kyle Bradish is back on the IL with a UCL sprain, and that should make the Orioles pivot from the bullpen to the rotation as their top trade priority. Luis Severino is a perfect fit based on his past experience in the AL East with the Yankees. Severino is having a solid comeback season with the Mets, going 4-2 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.179 WHIP in 13 starts. He will be a free agent after this season and should do well on the open market if he maintains this level.
In return, the Mets would acquire Trace Bright, a fifth-round pick in 2022 out of Auburn who is one of the Orioles’ top pitching prospects. He has a 3.91 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 53 innings this season with Double-A Bowie, but has work to do with his delivery, command and control (1.472 WHIP). In addition, the Mets would get outfielder Jud Fabian, who has slashed .241/.316/.462 with 12 home runs and 29 RBIs in 199 at-bats in Double A. He is expendable because of the plethora of outfield prospects the Orioles rate above him.
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(Top photo of Pete Alonso: Jess Rapfogel / Getty Images)
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Baltimore Orioles,Chicago White Sox,Colorado Rockies,Los Angeles Dodgers,Minnesota Twins,New York Mets,Seattle Mariners,St. Louis Cardinals,MLB,MLB Trade Deadline