The MLB trade deadline of August 1st is rapidly approaching and the MLB trade rumors are starting to heat up. With the All-Star break out of the way, teams in the postseason race are focused on improving their rosters before the non-waiver deadline. The sellers, meanwhile, are hoping to find prospects to jumpstart their rebuild. Here are all the latest rumors and news from the MLB hot stove.
Yankees trading Beltran to Giants?
Outfielder Carlos Beltran is expected to be perhaps the first Yankees player that gets dealt leading up to the deadline, and the San Francisco Giants have emerged as the frontrunner to land him, according to NJ.com's Randy Miller:
Getting Carlos Beltran from the Mets for Zack Wheeler in July 2011 didn't work out. Beltran hit .323 in 44 games following the trade, but the Giants missed the playoffs.
Five years later, the Giants just might roll the dice again on Beltran, this time by swinging a trade with the Yankees, their opponent this weekend at Yankee Stadium.
According to ESPN's Buster Olney, "The uncertainty about (injured Giants right fielder) Hunter Pence has nudged the Giants into re-examining the market for outfielders."
If the Yankees opt to be sellers, which definitely remains a strong possibility, Beltran and Jay Bruce of Cincinnati figure to be two of the top outfielders on the market with Colorado All-Star Carlos Gonzalez possibly available too at a very high cost.
Beltran is batting .300 with 20 home runs and 60 RBIs.
Cubs, Giants, Nationals interested in Chapman, Miller
The Yankees are also trying to deal Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller before the deadline, and the Cubs, Giants and Nationals are all interested in acquiring either player, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick:
#SFGiants also scouting #Brewers Will Smith and Jeremy Jeffress. Lingering on Miller-Chapman, but might be outgunned by #Cubs, #Nationals.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) July 20, 2016
The Cubs and Yankees have been engaged in talks throughout various points of the past month, but they haven't fully developed. New York is insistent that slugger Kyle Schwarber be included in a deal, but the Cubs are adamant in their desire to keep him.
Chapman has a 2.22 ERA with 19 saves in 29 appearances this season, while Miller has a 1.31 ERA with seven saves and 70 strikeouts this season.
Red Sox not done, targeting pitching
Boston has already been plenty busy on the trade market, most notably acquiring All-Star pitcher Drew Pomeranz from the Padres. However, according to ESPN's Jim Bowden, they are still staying aggressive and are targeting more pitching:
The Red Sox have been the most aggressive traders so far, landing starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz, reliever Brad Ziegler and infielder Aaron Hill in three separate trades. And, according to sources, they’re not done. The Red Sox continue to work the phones on both another starter and reliever, and with a farm system as deep as theirs, I would expect them to make at least one more trade between now and the deadline. They have the position players to go all the way this year, but the pitching staff ultimately will determine their destiny.
The Red Sox are among the teams that have shown interest in Oakland's Rich Hill, but they'll probably talk to all of the big names that might be available, including Tampa Bay's Chris Archer.
Kansas City interested in Markakis
The Royals have remained relative quiet on the trade front this year, but they have shown interest in acquiring Braves outfielder Nick Markakis, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman:
The Royals are among the teams that have shown some interest in right fielder Nick Markakis, whose future in Atlanta is clouded by the fact that the Braves could enter 2017 with two other left-handed hitting outfielders (Ender Inciarte and Mallex Smith) who have limited power potential.
Given that Markakis has slugged just .366 this season, the Braves would almost certainly have to eat a portion of the $22 million he is owed through 2018 in order to trade him.
Markakis is batting .260 with five home runs and 47 RBIs in 94 games this season.
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