MLB All-Star Game: 5 All-Stars who could be traded by the deadline
With the MLB All-Star Game set for tomorrow, several players on the trade block could be having their last big hurrahs with their current teams.
Two of the most significant dates in the Major League Baseball regular season occur within a few weeks of each other: the MLB All-Star Game and non-waiver trade deadline. For some players, those events are inextricably linked.
Since every club is required to have a representative at the Midsummer Classic, you’ll typically find a handful of All-Stars who are the best players on bad teams. Chances are those franchises will be selling in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. And in many cases, their most valuable trade chip will be the player(s) they sent to the All-Star Game.
As a result, the All-Star festivities could be the last chance for some players to represent their current teams on a national stage. By the end of the month, they might be headed to greener pastures, perhaps joining a contender with All-Star teammates they palled around with only weeks earlier.
The 2017 season is no exception. Scanning the AL and NL rosters reveals several All-Stars who might be on the move before the deadline as their teams look to convert them into more long-term assets. Let’s take a look at five All-Star players who could very well have new homes by July 31.
Next: Need some relief?
Pat Neshek, Philadelphia Phillies
Pat Neshek could be the player on this list most certain to be traded. The Phillies acquired the right-handed reliever from the Astros over the offseason, hoping to flip him for prospects at the deadline. They brought in several veterans with the same idea, and while it hasn’t panned out for all of them, it’s worked nearly to perfection with Neshek.
The Phils own the worst record in baseball and any hope of competing in 2017 has long since vanished. Meanwhile, Neshek is having a very good year. The 11-year big league veteran boasts a 1.27 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 7.20 K/BB ratio over 35.1 innings. He’s striking opponents out at a 9.2 K/9 clip, walking only 1.3 BB/9 and has allowed only two homers thus far. Neshek has been one of the few positive stories on the major league club for the Phillies this year, enough to earn him his second All-Star nod.
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Though he’s 36 now, Neshek has remained a reliable bullpen arm and there should be plenty of teams interested in gaining his services over the next few weeks. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe recently reported that the Royals, Red Sox and Yankees have all sent scouts to watch Neshek. Each makes sense as a potential suitor, as do the Nationals, whose bullpen woes are well-known.
Phillies GM Matt Klentak should be able to get a solid return for Neshek, likely better than what he envisioned last winter. With his contract up at season’s end, it would be rather stunning if he’s not moved by July 31.
Next: Over Yonder
Yonder Alonso, Oakland Athletics
The A’s probably didn’t imagine Yonder Alonso turning into one of this season’s biggest potential trade chips, yet here we are. The 30-year-old first baseman is enjoying a breakout campaign in his eighth major league season.
Part of the growing contingent of players aiming to increase their launch angles at the plate, Alonso has given his power output a massive boost. He’s already belted 20 home runs; his previous career high was only nine back in 2012 with the Padres. Overall, Alonso has driven in 43 runs with a .275/.372/.562 slash line at the break.
Naturally, teams wanting a first baseman with some pop should be quite interested in Alonso, who becomes a free agent after the season. The Yankees’ trouble at the position is no secret, as their first basemen have managed a meager .672 OPS. (Only the Angels have somehow been worse with a .607 OPS.)
The Bronx Bombers seem like a good fit, but they and any other team pursuing Alonso will likely pause for a moment and wonder whether he’s a genuine late bloomer or a flash in the pan. There has also been talk about Alonso and Oakland both expressing interest in a contract extension. However, it feels like the A’s will capitalize on his stellar first half and deal him while his value is high.
Next: Hometown farewell?
Marcell Ozuna, Miami Marlins
The Marlins are hosting this week’s All-Star Game, which should provide some temporary distraction from how disappointing their season has been. At 41-46, the Fish are nine games out of the Wild Card and unlikely to catch the surging clubs from the NL West. Ergo, sellers at the deadline.
Miami has several prominent pieces it could move over the next few weeks. Add an uncertain ownership situation and you’ve got a situation in flux. However, it’s a good bet the Marlins will do at least some business before the deadline, and outfielder Marcell Ozuna could be one of the guys on the block.
Starting his second straight Midsummer Classic, Ozuna is no stranger to trade rumors. But now might be the ideal time to trade him after he put together the best half of baseball in his five-year career. Ozuna is slashing .316/.374/.566 with 23 home runs and an MLB-leading 70 RBI. Still just 26 years old and under team control through 2019, he should fetch a significant prospect haul for the Marlins.
Marlins first baseman Justin Bour, an All-Star Final Vote candidate, has also featured in recent trade buzz. While Miami reportedly isn’t going to just give away its players for peanuts, they’ll be a definite team to watch at the deadline. An Ozuna move in particular would make some waves.
Next: Cinderella shortstop
Zack Cozart, Cincinnati Reds
Raise your hand if you predicted back in March that Zack Cozart would win the fan vote to become the NL’s starting shortstop in this year’s All-Star Game. Even Cozart himself likely didn’t see it coming, though he’s certainly deserving. The seven-year veteran owns a robust .316/.394/.547 slash line with nine home runs and 35 RBI, putting him on pace to set new career highs across the board.
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Cozart, who turns 32 next month, also provides sturdy defense at shortstop. He currently sports a 7.6 UZR/150 and has been four defensive runs saved (DRS) above average.
However, the Reds are in no real position to compete in the second half at 39-49 and 11.5 games behind in the Wild Card hunt. As an impending free agent having a career year, Cozart would be a prime trade candidate. Cincinnati could get something useful in return for a player whose value will likely never be higher.
The Reds and Cozart are apparently open to working out an extension, and if that desire is genuine the shortstop may actually stay put. But the rebuilding club will have to at least consider what they could get for Cozart by the end of the month. The Twins could be a possible destination, as shortstop Jorge Polanco is hitting a dismal .224/.273/.323 for them in 70 games.
Next: Sail away
Avisail Garcia, Chicago White Sox
Jose Quintana is still the White Sox’ most buzzworthy trade chip, but a largely uneven first half kept him off the All-Star squad. However, one of his teammates put up some unexpectedly big numbers that earned him a ticket to the Midsummer Classic… and perhaps onto the trade block as well.
For the past few years, Avisail Garcia has been a young player who seemed to never live up to the hype. But this season the outfielder appears to finally be making good on his talent. The 26-year-old is batting .310/.353/.497 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI. He’ll serve as the lone White Sox representative at the All-Star Game as a reserve.
Chicago is very much in rebuild mode, a process they started in earnest last offseason by dealing Chris Sale and Adam Eaton. Other veterans like Quintana and David Robertson seem destined to go as well at some point, and Garcia has played himself into that group of appealing, tradable assets.
Next: MLB All-Star break power rankings
He still has two more seasons of control left, but how confident are the ChiSox that they’ll return to contention before then? Likewise, is Garcia’s first half performance a fluke or a true sign of things to come? The team will need to decide whether they view him as a piece to build with, or a player to cash in on while his value his high.