What’s Next: Trade Deadline Edition (Oswalt, Dunn, Fielder, and More)

With the non-waiver trade deadline looming just three days away, it’s time to take a comprehensive look around the latest rumblings and whispers around the major leagues. As we learned from the Cliff Lee situation, where he was all but traded to the Yankees before that deal fell apart, these things are all subject to change at a moments notice, but here’s what’s going on now.

The Big Fish

If he wasn’t before, now that Lee and Dan Haren are off the market, Roy Oswalt is unquestionably the number one arm available at this year’s deadline. The problem is that it doesn’t look like a sure bet he’ll be going anywhere. The Phillies and Dodgers are known to lust after the Astros’ ace, but Oswalt have a full no-trade clause that he’ll only waive for a club with something close to a guarantee of post-season play. Oswalt also has a $16 million option for 2012 that he wants picked up in exchange for his approval of any deal, so he’s done his best to limit his own market. This doesn’t seem like a sound strategy for a guy that asked his team to trade him back in May.

Nevertheless, the Rangers and Cardinals are still very much in the mix for Oswalt’s services, but Texas is in the midst of an ownership change and the Cards already have the problem of figuring out how to pay both Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols beyond this year, so the money doesn’t seem to be there for either club. My guess is that Oswalt will eventually be dealt, but I doubt it happens before the 4 pm deadline. Perhaps a waiver deal can be reached in August, but Oswalt may have to wait until this winter to find a new home.

So very much more after the jump!

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Adam Dunn wants to stay in Washington, but the Nats are balking at his 4-year, $60 million asking price in extension talks. It looks like GM Mike Rizzo will move his slugging 1B/OF, but a deal probably won’t happen until minutes before the deadline. Dunn fits best in an American League lineup where his defensive limitations can be hidden as the DH, but that hasn’t stopped speculation that the Giants could be interested in adding his bat. The White Sox are said to be his most serious suitor, but the Tigers, Yankees, and Rangers have maintained contact as well (so says MLBTR).

It would appear that Chicago will be the landing spot for the left handed thumper, but there has been talk that a trade would be centered around Carlos Quentin. Chicago needs all the bats they can get as they try to hold off Minnesota in the Central race and Quentin has been much better recently than he was early in the year. That said, you have to give something to get something and there’s not much in the way of high-end talent in the Sox system, so it might take a Quentin to get Dunn. There is word that in lieu of a Quentin-based package, the Nats are asking for Chicago’s top two prospects in exchange for Dunn. The deal would start with Daniel Hudson and also include another top prospect.

For the Milwaukee Brewers, the dilemma of whether or not to trade Prince Fielder seems to be a lose-lose proposition. Fielder has a year of arbitration left and he won’t reach free agency until after the 2011 season, so Milwaukee certainly does not need to trade him. On the other hand, it’s virtually a lock that Fielder will seek employment elsewhere given the opportunity and GM Doug Melvin won’t like the idea of getting nothing but draft pick compensation for him should Fielder walk away.

There is a vast market for Fielder’s services and he hasn’t limited the interest in any way, even going so far as to say that he would open to DH-ing for an AL club for the rest of the season, just so long as he could get back to first base next year. MLB.com’s Adam McCalvey has an in-depth look at the options the Brewers are considering and mentions the White Sox as the most aggressive so far in trade talks. Chicago would seem to be the logical choice, just as they are for Dunn, as either slugger could DH in 2010 and possibly move to first next year, after incumbent first baseman Paul Konerko‘s contract expires.

As with the Dunn trade we discussed above, however, the Sox would have to part ways with major-league-ready talent to land Fielder, and that is something difficult to stomach. Milwaukee is known to have asked for Gordon Beckham in a package for Fielder and would also be interested in RHP Daniel Hudson. Chicago has said they absolutely will not include Beckham in any deal and Hudson is currently in the rotation, so a trade for Fielder may create more holes than the one he would fill.

Useful Pieces

Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly remains the top southpaw on the market and everyone who’s anyone in the media is swearing that he’ll be traded to someone, sometime soon. The list of suitors isn’t a short one, but the Mets, Twins, and Tigers are known to have had serious interest in acquiring Lilly.

The Tigers certainly could use a left handed starter as their rotation has been without one for most of the season. Detroit starters have posted a 4.45 ERA in 12 games since the all-star break, but that number is hurt significantly by two bad outings from Jeremy Bonderman and one disaster from the since-demoted Andy Oliver. The quartet of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Armando Galarraga, and Rick Porcello have pitched to a 3.15 ERA in their nine combined starts since the break. The Tigers have much more pressing needs on a team that has nine rookies occupying spots on the active roster.

The Twins seem to be a better fit for Lilly as he would be a serious upgrade over the likes of Nick Blackburn or Kevin Slowey, neither of whom have been good this year. The Twins have a solid front of the rotation with Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano and Scott Baker is a serviceable number four, so adding Lilly would make the Twins a prohibitive favorite in the division and put their pitching staff on par with the vaunted rotation of the White Sox.

The Rangers have already put a good deal of distance between themselves and the Angels and they’ve been the most aggressive club so far in adding Lee and Bengie Molina already, but word is that Texas is not yet content with their roster. The Rangers are looking for a right handed bat to complement 1B Chris Davis (or to take over for him), and are rumored to be in on both Jorge Cantu of Florida (Jon Heyman says the Fish want a big-time prospect from Texas in such a trade) and the Cubs’ Derrek Lee.

Colorado has been after Cantu for sometime as well and reports (via MLBTR) have them stepping up their bid for the versatile infielder. The Rockies have also been trying to acquire Dan Uggla form the Marlins, but talks seemed to have cooled on that front. The Giants have apparently moved into front-runner status in the pursuit of Cantu, so says Ken Rosenthal. He would provide an upgrade to the infield depth and see some time at first base.

Baltimore’s Ty Wigginton and Boston’s Mike Lowell have also both been linked to the Rangers, but they seem more likely to land elsewhere. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the Red Sox keep Lowell at this point, they’d practically have to give him away to move him. Wigginton could be in play for the Tigers as he could fill in at second base until Carlos Guillen returns from injury and then at third until Brandon Inge comes back a couple of weeks later. Considering all the injuries besetting the Tigers right now, a player with the ability to play as many positions as Wigginton would be the best possible solution to keep the Tigers fading playoff hopes alive.

The Braves have optioned out CF Nate McLouth and will be turning their attention to finding an outfielder at the deadline. Kansas City has one to offer in Scott Podsednik, who could also be in the mix for the Giants and Padres. Scotty Pods isn’t a great defender, but is having a fine season at the plate for the Royals. Oakland’s Coco Crisp would also be a fit here. Atlanta may look to upgrade left field instead of center (having Melky Cabrera allows them to do so) and look for someone with a bit more pop in their bat. Cleveland’s Austin Kearns would be a fit if that’s the case.

Along with Podsednik, the Giants have maintained strong interest in his Kansas City teammate, Jose Guillen. San Francisco has been searching for outfield help for a while now, but injuries to potential targets David DeJesus and now Corey Hart have forced them to explore alternatives. The Royals are willing to eat some salary to move Guillen, so getting a deal made shouldn’t be a problem here. San Francisco is also exploring options in the form of Dunn and Josh Willingham, though it appears the Nats will be reluctant to deal their left fielder.

Toronto has the market’s most coveted reliever at this point in left hander Scott Downs. The Yankees and RedSox are both hot and heavy after the 34-year-old and the Jays are asking a king’s ransom in return for their southpaw. Word is the Jays have asked New York for Joba Chamberlain and asked Boston for a package that would include Casey Kelly or Jose Iglesias. That price is steep for two months of Downs, but the intra-division status of all three clubs generally leads to a higher asking price.

That’s just a few of the seemingly hundreds of names that will fill you twitter feed over the next three days. As usual, the Call to the Pen staff will keep you updates and provide analysis of every major trade that happens.