MLB Trade Rumors: 4 Pitchers Who Should Be on the Market

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(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

Two months into the regular season, the boys start to separate from the men. Here are some MLB Trade Rumors that should start to pique your interest.

As we conclude the second month of the season, teams will start to reevaluate their standing within their divisions. As a result, MLB trade rumors will begin to emerge as sellers work to substitute veterans with prospects or expiring contracts in an effort to rebuild for the future.

Some deals have already taken place, like the Toronto Blue Jays trading Kevin Pillar to the San Francisco Giants. The same Blue Jays have also been the subject of rumors speculating that the team would be willing to trade veterans Marcus Stroman, Justin Smoak, and Aaron Sanchez.

Even the New York Yankees have been the subject of early season trades when they acquired Cameron Maybin from the Cleveland Indians for cash considerations.

As the season rolls on, the rumors will only intensify and as the contenders start to separate from the pretenders. It will be interesting to see which players end up where and what impact they’ll have on their new homes.

With that being said, let’s take a look at which pitchers we should start to see on the market.

MLB Trade Rumors: Trevor Bauer

Before the 2019 MLB season even started, there were rumors and rumblings of Cleveland Indians starter Trevor Bauer being the subject of trade rumors. Now, if the Cleveland Indians continue to fall in the standings, the rumors may reintensify again.

Bauer is set to become a free agent after the 2020 season and as he continues to improve his price will only continue to increase. Since 2014, Bauer’s fWAR has increased with every season.

Last season, he had his best season yet, leading the league in FIP and placing 6th in the AL Cy Young Award voting. He was, according to fWAR, the third best pitcher in the AL behind Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole.

Potential Trade Target

Prior to the start to the season, the San Diego Padres expressed interested in Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber. As we now know, no trade was ever executed.

However, with the Padres exhibiting vast improvements this season with the emergence of Chris Paddack and the signing of free agent Manny Machado. In the AL West, the Pads are currently sitting behind the hot Los Angeles Dodgers. They’re only 0.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the second Wild Card.

(Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /

MLB Trade Rumors: Matthew Boyd

After a disappointing start to his career, Detroit Tigers starter Matthew Boyd has finally arrived. This season, Boyd is posting career highs across the board, featuring a stellar 2.92 FIP and 1.01 WHIP.

Compared to all MLB pitchers, Boyd has the second best fWAR in baseball, leading all American League pitchers. His FIP ranks him 5th best in the AL.

Luckily for the lowly Tigers, who maintain possession of 4th place in the AL Central and the 2nd worst run differential in baseball, Boyd should soon become the subject of trade rumors which could potentially boost the potential for a quick rebuild.

Potential Trade Target

With the Milwaukee Brewers still within striking distance in the NL Central and barely holding on to the lead for the Wild Card, Boyd might be an enticing option to bolster their rotation. In joining the Brewers rotation, Boyd would immediately be catapulted to the top of the rotation, potentially returning the Brewers to the Championship Series for a second straight season.

MLB Trade Rumors: Max Scherzer

Since joining the Washington Nationals in 2015 Max Scherzer has been the best pitcher in baseball, hands down. In that time, he’s ranked top 5 in MLB in IP, ERA, and FIP. He leads all of baseball in fWAR.

With the demise of the Nationals, who are 10 games under .500 and have the 4th worst run differential in the National League, several teams will be looking to acquire the services of several Nats players, including Scherzer.

Now, acquiring Scherzer will be costly for whichever team takes the bait as he is owed over $42M for each of the next two seasons. As for the Nats, they’re not going to want to just pass up on the best starting pitcher in baseball for nothing. Instead, they’re going to require top prospects in return too.

Potential Trade Targets

With the New York Yankees looking to avoid missing the World Series for the first decade in a century, it’s likely that they will be in the mix. Especially considering that they have the funds and the depth to pull a deal off.

This, however, will likely catapult the Yanks past the luxury tax threshold which team owner Hal Steinbrenner has in the past expressed reluctance over.

MLB Trade Rumors: Madison Bumgarner

More from Call to the Pen

Madison Bumgarner (aka MadBum) established himself as one of the greatest postseason performers of all time when he just about single-handedly led the San Francisco Giants to the World Series in 2014. That World Series, MadBum tossed 21-innings in three games posting a 0.43 ERA and 0.476 WHIP.

Since then, GIants have experienced quite a downfall, finishing two out of the last four seasons below .500. They haven’t made the postseason since 2016. That season, the Giants were eliminated by the Chicago Cubs in four games.

Potential Trade Targets

Given MadBum’s pedigree in big games and this particular team’s ability to reinvent veteran pitchers, the Houston Astros might be the perfect target for a guy like Bumgarner. This season, even though his numbers don’t quite reflect it, MadBum’s velocity is up to the highest level since 2015.

He has also included a slider go with his changeup and curveball, making him one of the most deceptive pitchers in the game. A combination of Cole, Verlander, and Bumgarner would most certainly make the Astros the team to beat in MLB.

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Which #MLB pitcher would you most be interested in if they were to hit the market?
— Manuel Gómez (@MannyGo3) May 26, 2019

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