MLB Power Rankings of the best trade chips we should expect to get dealt from every below .500 team.
In less than two months, the MLB trade deadline will arrive. Teams over .500 are already dreaming about who they'll add to the roster. The clubs below .500 should start hyping up their best trade chips. Those with an even record better figure it out. This week's MLB Power Rankings will take a look at the latter group of clubs with more losses than wins.
The players on this list are the best trade chips but also the most reasonable ones to get dealt. In some instances a team could have a "better" piece to trade, but the likelihood is much slimmer. In fact, our very first team with the worst top trade chip is a great example of it.
14) MLB Power Rankings: Cincinnati Reds, Kevin Newman
No Alexis Diaz? That's right. The Cincinnati Reds aren't going to trade him. Drew Koch of Blog Red Machine already squelched those trade rumors of the Reds shipping out their next great closer to the New York Mets. Frankly, that's only a thing because of his brother, Edwin Diaz, being a member of their roster.
Instead it's Kevin Newman who appears to be their best trade chip. This organization gutted itself last year with the Luis Castillo deal as the headliner. With Wil Myers playing hurt and not looking so productive, it leaves the Reds with few other reasonable players to expect to be on the move. Newman is having a decent year for the Reds and could be a nice bench piece for a contender. The Reds have more than enough other shortstops for him to eat up anyone's playing time.
13) MLB Power Rankings: Oakland Athletics, Brent Rooker
Brent Rooker is only this low on the list because the Oakland Athletics should probably keep him. Claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Royals back in November, Rooker is no stranger to getting traded. He was sent from the Minnesota Twins to the San Diego Padres in April of 2022 as part of the Taylor Rogers/Chris Paddack swap. The Padres later traded him to the Royals on August 2.
Rooker has turned out to be a productive DH for the Athletics this season posting some good power numbers early. He has declined a bit in recent weeks and may blend more into the mayhem that calls itself the 2023 Athletics as time goes on. Like the Cincinnati Reds, there isn't much for the Athletics to trade. Rooker is one of the few enticing pieces.
12) MLB Power Rankings: Washington Nationals, Carl Edwards Jr.
There's a pattern going. The Washington Nationals made the biggest trade of all last season when Juan Soto went to the San Diego Padres. There isn't much left of significance on their roster. Relief pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. is one of the few teams are likely to call about. He fits the mold of a rental reliever. The trade deadline was built for them to change uniforms and contact their realtors.
Edwards Jr. has been a journeyman for several seasons now. In year two with the Nationals, it's the first time in a while where he has settled in with one ball club. He was solid last year for the club and looks to, yet again, become a name for contenders to kick the tires on the closer we get to the trade deadline.
11) MLB Power Rankings: Kansas City Royals, Aroldis Chapman
The Kansas City Royals probably signed Aroldis Chapman for the sole purpose of trading him this summer. Having looked absolutely cooked as a member of the New York Yankees last year, Chapman has rebounded nicely on a losing ball club in a non-closer role. Despite his history off the field, teams are unlikely to shy away from adding him as a midseason mercenary.
Chapman would be a fit for a variety of ball clubs. Imagine him on the Atlanta Braves coming into the game for the eighth. He's not the missing piece for Atlanta, but something about trading for him and a bunch of other mid-level guys seems reminiscent of how the Braves handled the 2021 trade deadline. Remember how that turned out?
10) MLB Power Rankings: St. Louis Cardinals, Jordan Montgomery
Jordan Montgomery is one of several St. Louis Cardinals pitchers having a disappointing year. Why is he their best trade chip? It's probably because they don't need to dismantle much from their roster. St. Louis needs to take this season on the chin and regroup for next season.
Montgomery is a free agent after the 2023 campaign which makes him an obvious trade candidate. It hasn't been a particularly good year for him, though. He's much less intriguing than he was last summer when the Cardinals acquired him from the New York Yankees for Harrison Bader. What once looked like a win for the Cardinals is now beginning to become for the Yankees. Unless the Cardinals can pull themselves back into contention again, this below .500 ball club needs to sell Montgomery to the highest bidder.
9) MLB Power Rankings: Seattle Mariners, Teoscar Hernandez
The Seattle Mariners have been disappointing this year after finally ending their playoff drought last year. Having fallen behind superior teams in the American League West, they could be headed toward becoming trade deadline sellers. The best and most reasonable player to trade is Teoscar Hernandez. They acquired him in the winter from the Toronto Blue Jays. He hasn't played all that well and is probably going to lead the league in strikeouts.
With a contract about to expire, moving Hernandez this summer is a necessity for the Mariners. He won't bring back the largest of returns, but there is a general manager out there who should view him as a change of scenery guy. In the right situation, Hernandez can recapture what made him a threat in the Toronto lineup.
8) MLB Power Rankings: Colorado Rockies, Randal Grichuk
The Colorado Rockies roster has a bunch of players on expiring contracts they could deal this summer. One standing out a little more than others is outfielder Randal Grichuk. Lefty reliever Brent Suter could be viewed better in the eyes of some. However, it's the lack of quality position players which should have teams far more interested in Grichuk.
Helping to make him more appealing is how well he can hit left-handed pitchers. He's an almost ideal platoon partner but someone capable of starting everyday as well. Hitting well over .300 since coming back from the IL, Grichuk won't be too costly yet he can turn into an ideal role player for any club looking to boost their offense.
7) MLB Power Rankings: San Diego Padres, Josh Hader
We've reached a whole new tier of the MLB Power Rankings with this name. Josh Hader was traded last year from the Milwaukee Brewers to the San Diego Padres. After plenty of regular season hiccups, he became his old self again in the postseason.
Finding the Padres in such an early hole is a big disappointment for their fans. They probably shouldn't take it all apart. Like the St. Louis Cardinals, accept your fate if you can't get it right. Hader is a free agent after this year and a natural major trade chip to shop to teams in need of a major bullpen boost. Frankly, what team couldn't use a hard-throwing lefty with his stuff on their roster? Let the bidding begin. Who has the best prospect to land him? If you're curious about Juan Soto, the Padres should hold onto him.
6) MLB Power Rankings: Detroit Tigers, Eduardo Rodriguez
Before landing on the IL, Eduardo Rodriguez was looking like one of the better trade candidates in baseball. He still is but not quite at the same level as some other players. Health is definitely a concern. Even greater is how long a team could even have him.
Rodriguez's contract includes an opt out from his deal with the Detroit Tigers after this year. If he performs well, he'll definitely use it. If he doesn't pitch well, a team may have to give up too much to acquire a player who will become a rental. Those things can be tricky. Ultimately it probably hurts the Tigers more than it does the team that lands him. Nobody will want to overpay for a possible rental. Worse could be trading for a bust who stays around for a few more years.
5) MLB Power Rankings: Philadelphia Phillies, Aaron Nola
Aaron Nola is having one of those off-years for the Philadelphia Phillies. It's contagious around the roster. Their fight to get back to .500 may be a futile effort. Previously an extension candidate for the Phillies, their poor start to the season now makes Nola one of the better trade chips to shop around.
Trading Nola is a must for the Phillies if they end up as trade deadline sellers. They could always revisit a reunion in the offseason. It's also not a must. The Phillies have the bigger issue of not having enough starting pitching rather than a lack of talent. Nola's numbers this year shouldn't scare off too many ball clubs from giving up something for him. A team like the Los Angeles Dodgers with a stable and strong farm system could make sense.
4) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago Cubs, Marcus Stroman
Marcus Stroman must be planning to opt out of his deal with the Chicago Cubs. There is no other explanation as to why he has pitched so incredibly well for them this year. He's an early Cy Young candidate who has a chance to pad his stats even more before the trade deadline arrives.
Just like Eduardo Rodriguez, the issue here is teams might be tentative trading for a player like Stroman with an opt out after this season. The Cubs would only get the sort of haul they might for a rental. The Cubs, if they were serious about winning in the near future, would have two options. They can either re-work their deal with him and not trade him or look to get at least one near-MLB ready prospect in return. What they can't do is let him leave for nothing.
3) MLB Power Rankings: San Francisco Giants, Alex Cobb
Fresh off of 7.2 shutout innings against the Baltimore Orioles, Alex Cobb is the best trade chip for the San Francisco Giants to offer contenders. However, they are still very much alive in the National League playoff chase. The NL West might not be something they can capture. A wild card berth is a possibility if players like Cobb continue to pitch this well.
What pushes Cobb ahead of a pitcher like Marcus Stroman is the team option for next season. A payday of only $10 million is owed to him. It looks like something the Giants or anyone else willing to trade for him this summer would be wise to add. Anyone's guess as to where he could end up is acceptable. Why not back with the Orioles? They could use an addition to their rotation.
2) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago White Sox, Tim Anderson
There are a couple of really good trade candidates on the Chicago White Sox which is ironic because the team is so bad. Tim Anderson is the best position player in this week's MLB Power Rankings. Even if his year hasn't gone so smoothly, a change of scenery could make a huge difference for the White Sox star.
The most obvious fit for Anderson would be to land with the Los Angeles Dodgers with a big hole at shortstop. A little more of a reach, what about the New York Yankees if Anthony Volpe continues to struggle? Anderson has a club option for next year which is actually a great benefit for any time that might acquire him. It's appealing. Consider it a parachute in case it's an utter disaster.
1) MLB Power Rankings: Cleveland Guardians, Shane Bieber
Shane Bieber has always felt like he was meant to get traded by the Cleveland Guardians. It's just what they do. A freshly-turned 28 and with a year of control beyond this season, Bieber is the kind of pitcher the Guardians should consider unloading now and reaping the rewards as long as clubs are still willing to pay the price.
This year hasn't gone perfectly for Bieber. He's giving up a lot of hits and not striking out many batters. Deeper metrics will surely prove he's a little bit off this year. It's one of the reasons why the Guardians are sitting below .500 in a winnable division. Bieber is still worth scouting for any team who feels they could use another ace. He may not be quite there this season. Put him on a contender and watch him soar.
