The deadline is usually July 31, but commissioner Rob Manfred was given the option to set it any day between July 28 and August 3 as part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLB and the MLB Players Association. So, in short, the deadline is August 2nd, a few days later than normal. Regardless of when the deadline passes, you may be wondering what the top stories are in the final days of the trade season. CBS Sports has you covered below, with information and answers to eight frequently asked questions.
1. Who are the top buyers and sellers?
Dayn Perry recently categorized each of the 30 groups as buyers, sellers or something in between. While taking Perry seriously is always a risk, we have chosen to take it. Here’s a look at who he categorized as buyers or sellers (note that the groups are listed alphabetically by their city name):
Buyers: Braves, White Sox, Guardians, Astros, Dodgers, Brewers, Twins, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals, Padres, Giants, Mariners, Rays, Rangers, Blue Jays. Sellers: Diamondbacks, Cubs, Reds, Tigers, Royals, Angels, Marlins, Athletics, Pirates, Nationals.
Any team not listed above was considered to be something in between, meaning they could buy or sell or deal, depending on how the negotiations went.
2. What notable moves have been made so far?
The biggest trade of the deadline to date saw the Mariners acquire right-hander Luis Castillo from the Reds in exchange for four prospects, including Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo. (You can read our in-depth analysis of it here.) Most of the other big dominoes have yet to fall, meaning the next tier of big trades outside of Castillo includes outfielders headed to the American League East: Andrew Benintendi to the Yankees and David Peralta to the Rays. Hey, we said there are plenty of other marquee names that could be moved sooner rather than later.
3. Will Soto move?
The biggest of those names would be Nationals shortstop Juan Soto, who became available earlier this month after turning down a 15-year, $440 million extension offer. Soto is a 23-year-old on a Hall-of-Fame track who is under team control for two more seasons beyond this one, making him one of the most sought-after trade targets in league history. CBS Sports identified the Cardinals as the best team to land him based on their mix of big-league prospects and young players, as well as their financial outlook and front office history of making similar trades. The Nationals appear to be motivated to move Soto before the deadline, as the franchise is expected to be bought by new owners this offseason. It seems unlikely that the incoming owners would want their first big move to be trading away the face of the franchise. If and when a Soto trade happens, it’s worth noting that executives with other teams fully expect veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin to step in as financial ballast.
4. What about Ohtani?
The Angels have reportedly heard offers for another young superstar in two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, but a trade seems far less likely than it did in Soto’s case. Ohtani is under team control for one more season, but the situation is more complicated. Industry insiders who spoke to CBS Sports noted that owner Arte Moreno seems less inclined to greenlight a deal and that the Angels will likely keep Ohtani and once again try to win in 2023. It would be reasonable to state that if Ohtani is going to be traded, then it will likely come this offseason — or, perhaps, at the next deadline.
5. Who are the other top players out there?
Here are the top five available players based on our rankings who have not already been traded or are not mentioned in this piece:
No. 3 Frankie Montas, RHP, Athletics No. 4 Bryan Reynolds, OF, Pirates No. 5 Sean Murphy, C, Track and Field No. 6 Willson Contreras, C, Cubs No. 7 Ian Happ, OF, Cubs
We’ll note that Reynolds seems unlikely to leave, and that the A’s could also decide to keep Murphy through the winter. The other three — Montas, Contreras and Happ — appear to have a better than 50/50 chance of impressing on Tuesday night.
6. Will the Yankees move Gallo?
One name you’ll find much lower in our rankings is Joey Gallo, the Yankees shortstop who has struggled since being acquired in a trade at the deadline. Gallo is an impending free agent and increasingly a man without a home on New York’s roster. Of course, that combination has fueled speculation that Gallo could be on his way, with the Padres and Rangers, among others, standing out as possible destinations. Gallo is one of the more intriguing players at the deadline to watch, if only because of the possibility that he could recapture his old form with a move away from New York.
7. Can the Astros deal from deep?
It’s not often you see a clear division favorite trade players from the big league roster, but rumors had the Astros weighing deals that would send a starting pitcher and possibly an outfielder. The Astros currently have a six-pitch rotation that includes Jake Odorizzi and José Urquidy. On the bullpen side of things, the Astros have reportedly received calls for shortstop Jose Siri, who has opted out of the center’s timeshare. The Astros have expressed interest in catchers and Nationals first baseman Josh Bell, but it’s unclear if the aforementioned players will be involved in those deals.
8. Can the Braves conjure up 2021 magic?
We’ll conclude by noting that the Braves, the defending World Series champions, were positioned to win the trophy last July when they acquired Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario, Joc Pederson and Adam Duvall in trade deals. Will the Braves be able to pull off similar miracles in the coming days? The Braves will likely be in the market for another bat, likely of the right-handed variety. Likewise, you can count on them checking in on the pitching market, both for starters and relievers, as is customary for prospects. We’ll find out if the Braves can better position themselves for a repeat soon enough.
