If you thought that 4:00PM EST on July 31st marked the end of MLB trade madness, think again.
Now more than ever, playoff contenders look to August to find cost-effective upgrades on the diamond. While the rules are relatively complicated (you can find ESPN Jayson Stark's breakdown of the process at this link), the likelihood remains that impact players could still be switching teams for a full month after the MLB trade deadline we all know and love.
Who could be on their way to a new team before August 31st? Here’s our take, with The 5 MLB Players Most Likely To Be Traded In August:
5. Chris Carter - Houston Astros
http://youtu.be/tEGNmgcwhKM
Chris Carter kills baseballs dead.
Despite hitting just .211 and striking out a ghastly 112 times this season (still an improvement pace-wise from his MLB-worst 212 Ks last season), Carter provides the right-handed pop that several contenders are desperately looking for in this era of the pitcher.
The 27-year-old slugger has 21 home runs in just 317 at-bats in 2014, placing him fifth in the majors with a rate of 15.1 AB/HR. This all-or-nothing approach could be heck on wheels if he's slotted into the middle of the lineup (see: Houston's troubles), but he has the raw power to thrive as a platoon option anywhere from six to eight in a contender's lineup.
4. John Danks - Chicago White Sox
The market for starting pitchers with top trade value was picked clean before the deadline, with rumor-darling Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies likely to remain in the City of Brotherly Love thanks to the four years of team control left on his deal (at a hefty $90 million price tag).
Scanning the second and third tiers, Chicago White Sox pitcher John Danks stands out for two reasons. Firstly he's a relatively reliable lefty experiencing a bit of a downturn in 2014 (4.50 ERA, 1.462 WHIP, under 2 K/BB ratio). He comes at a cost (two years, $28.5 million) from a financial commitment standpoint, but could be landed on the cheap from a White Sox team seemingly wide-open to taking his salary off the books.
Secondly? The New York Yankees. Moves for Brandon McCarthy and Chris Capuano aside, the Yankees are still looking for another piece for a rotation that has been besieged by injury this campaign. His contract won't scare off the Yankees, and the fact that they will likely avoid having to give up a top prospect to acquire him makes the 29-year-old southpaw an intriguing fit in the Bronx.
3. Antonio Bastardo - Philadelphia Phillies
Effective left-handed reliever alert!
While Bastardo's peripherals (4.14 ERA, 90 ERA +, 1.226 WHIP) wouldn't garner him nearly as much attention if he was a righty, the fact that the 28-year-old's Bastardo is on pace for his fourth season of 10 K/9 in five years and has the magic lefty charm going on will make him an intriguing trade chip during the dog days of August.
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro (whether he admits to it or not) is under a ton of pressure to get a deal or three done in the next month, and a heavily-coveted reliever with plus stuff and under $1 million due to him on an expiring contract could be the first domino to fall.
2. Alex Rios - Texas Rangers
http://youtu.be/5u2_ZGCzFrI
While most players get antsy in July about trade speculation, Rangers outfielder Alex Rios probably waits till August to start scouring Twitter for his next potential playing destination.
The 33-year-old outfielder was acquired on a straight waiver claim by the Chicago White Sox from the Toronto Blue Jays in August of 2009. After four years on the Southside, Rios was dealt to the Texas Rangers in 2013 in another August transaction.
The third time may be the charm as the free-falling Rangers could very well pick up a nice bounty off a veteran hitter posting a .304 batting average with an AL-leading eight triples. It might be tough for him to clear waivers, especially since his $13.5 million club option for 2015 comes with a paltry $1 million buyout.
If he can, however, expect a litany of teams to be in on the proven veteran.
1. Marlon Byrd - Philadelphia Phillies
http://youtu.be/HxveMrM7eaA
A man who can break his bat...without hitting anything?!?
Other than his superhuman arm strength, the 36-year-old Phillies outfielder is experiencing a late-career power renaissance (20 home runs in 420 at-bats) while posting a solid .271/.319/.476 line.
He strikes out a ton, though, whiffing in just barely under 30% of his at-bats. He also comes with a somewhat undesirable contract that will likely guarantee him two years at $8 million each heading through his 38th birthday.
However, Byrd is a right-handed power bat who has proven to be a consistent commodity over his 13-year career. Add in the fact that GM Ruben Amaro will likely be in car salesman mode during the dog days of August, and you'd be safe to expect that the veteran slugger will be joining a pennant race before the season hits its stretch run.
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