With the trade deadline coming down to the wire, the following players are swirling around the MLB rumors mill.
The MLB trade deadline expires at 6 PM E.T., so teams across the league are hammering the phone lines in hopes of improving their team before the final buzzer sounds.
For teams in the postseason picture, it's all about short-term growth. Pitching has been a hot commodity in recent days, with even the most well-rounded contenders eagerly accruing more arms to furnish their bullpens ahead of the stretch run.
For teams outside the postseason picture, it's about maintaining the long view. Some teams are essentially waiving the white flag on postseason contention. The Mariners, for example, have decided to sell on multiple key contributors despite being only 5.0 games out of first place in the AL West.
Here are the key names circulating the MLB rumors mill ahead of tonight's deadline.
MLB Rumors: Several teams interested in Mariners' Teoscar Hernandez
The Mariners have already traded CP Paul Sewald and OF A.J. Pollock, the latter of whom was a prized offseason addition. Teoscar Hernandez fits a similar bill: he's in his first season with Seattle and in the final year of his contract. While his lows have not approached the lows of Pollock, Hernandez has struggled to live up to expectations. He leads the league in strikeouts and is batting .238, a low mark in his career.
Teams in dire need of outfield help should gladly kick the tires on Hernandez, who still provides a lot of pop off the bat. He has 16 homers on the season and he was in the All-Star game a couple years ago. He has always been a low-contact, high-power kind of hitter and there are teams out there in need of his ability to drive in runs.
The Phillies, Blue Jays, and Giants are among "at least a half-dozen" teams interested in Hernandez, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
MLB Rumors: Mets' Tommy Pham expected to be dealt before 6 PM
The Mets continue to sell, sell, sell, with Max Scherzer's move to Texas being the watershed moment of the deadline to date. With contention out of the question for the very expensive Mets roster, a few salary dumps are inevitable. Tommy Pham is in the last year of his contract and teams the league over are pursuing depth in the outfield.
Per Andy Martino of SNY, Pham is expected to get dealt before the deadline expires at 6PM. The Phillies have been the team most directly linked to Pham as a potential platoon option in left field. The veteran righty would present an upgrade over Kyle Schwarber in the field and he's a reliable bat, splitting .268/.348/.472 with 10 home runs in 231 at-bats.
MLB Rumors: Tigers definitely trading LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
The Detroit Tigers are understandably selling ahead of the deadline. 2019 Cy Young finalist Eduardo Rodriguez is "definitely" going to get traded, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. It's a matter of when, not if, as the Tigers play hard-to-get with their prices ahead of the 6PM buzzer.
Of course, the Tigers can't get too stingy here. Sellers have been blessed with a low-supply, high-demand market, but Rodriguez has the ability to opt out of his contract in the offseason. He very well could given his success on the mound this season — 2.95 ERA with 1.030 WHIP and 9.3 K's per nine innings. Teams may want assurances from Rodriguez that he will stick around beyond the 2023 season before committing significant assets toward obtaining the ace.
MLB Rumors: Adam Duvall rumors heating up after lineup absence
Adam Duvall was conspicuously absent from the Red Sox lineup on Monday night, which set off alarm bells around the fanbase. Duvall has been a name of interest in trade rumors for a while, with a potential Braves reunion being the most heavily speculated potential outcome.
While Duvall's current production is far removed from his magical Gold Glove, 113-RBI season in 2021, he would still offer the Braves a significant boost in the outfield as Atlanta suits up for the stretch run. The same can be said for any team, frankly, with Duvall splitting .260/.328/.539 at the plate with nine homers in 45 appearances.
The trade deadline is often about teams wishfully thinking. Maybe Duvall isn't the two-way star of old, maybe he's still battling injury rust, but he's also a proven World Series performer. That kind of credibility goes a long way toward getting contenders interested in your services.
MLB Rumors: Gleyber Torres potentially on market as Yankees crumble
With their season falling apart, the last-place Yankees are potential deadline sellers despite carrying one of the most expensive rosters in baseball. One name to monitor in Gleyber Torres, a rumored favorite of the Seattle Mariners who could draw interest from a number of teams looking for another bat in the infield.
The Yankees can probably fetch a fair price for Torres, who is under team control via arbitration for one more year. It has been four years since his last All-Star appearance but Torres is still a perennial 20-home run hitter with the flexibility to field either side of second base. Don't be shocked if he gets dealt before the deadline passes at 6 PM.
MLB Rumors: Cardinals could finish fire sale with Jack Flaherty trade
The Cardinals traded Jordan Montgomery and Jordan Hicks, signaling a clear willingness to sell off their bullpen for the right price. As a result, Jack Flaherty's name has been a hot topic in the MLB rumors mill. With seemingly every contender in search of one more arm to bolster their starting rotation, the Cardinals can probably field a strong return for the veteran righty.
Flaherty is 7-6 on the mound with a middling 4.43 ERA and 1.550 WHIP. He's not performing up to par with his Cy Young finalist season in 2019, but he remains one of the steadiest arms on the Cardinals' roster. He's in the final year of his contract with a hazy future at best in St. Louis, making him a prime candidate to get dealt before 6 PM passes.
MLB Rumors: Justin Verlander trade picking up steam for Mets
The Mets are fielding trade calls for another three-time Cy Young winner on the heels of the Max Scherzer trade, with the Orioles, Astros, and Dodgers all heavily linked as potential destinations for right-handed ace Justin Verlander. Even the Braves have been floated as a potential landing spot for the 40-year-old who is set to make over $43 million annually this season and next season.
Verlander posted the best ERA of his career last season with the Astros en route to his second World Series title. He has been less successful in year one with the Mets — in large part due to the incompetence of the team around him — but he's still slinging impressive heat for a pitcher his age. Verlander has a respectable 3.15 ERA and 1.145 WHIP and he's averaging 10.5 K's per nine innings. Any team would be glad to hand him a prominent spot in their rotation, it's simply a matter of which teams are willing to pay him the exorbitant amount of money he is owed — not to mention a potential $35 million vested option for the 2025 season, when he will be 42 years old.
