MLB Trade Rumors: Five undervalued names that could move

With the trade deadline fast approaching here are some MLB trade rumors involving five players that could very well be on the move.

MLB trade rumors often involve players that are often undervalued can make meaningful impacts in terms of depth and filling in important roles going down the stretch and into the postseason. They can get vital mid-innings outs in important games, start games as a team’s third or fourth starter, or have key at-bats in the tensest of situations.

In this piece, we’ll look at a few MLB trade rumors involving FIVE players that will come as cheap rentals or as players struggling from a rough first half in terms of injuries or performance. A team often takes a gamble in these players, who are often solid, only lacking the big name of a star.

Without deals such as these, a team is unlikely to get very far in pursuit of a championship. Think Nathan Eovaldi of the 2018 Red Sox or Fransisco Liriano to the 2017 Astros. These were varyingly small deals that made a sizeable impact for their respective clubs.

Some teams such as the Astros, Indians, Dodgers, Yankees, and so on will be very interested in improving with some of the names that appear here.

MLB Trade Rumors

Scott Oberg RP, Colorado Rockies

Scott Oberg has excelled at the back end of the Rockies bullpen ever since he was granted such a role in 2018. He has logged approximately 108 innings in that span over which he has maintained a WHIP around the 1-mark and an ERA around 2.

These numbers are obviously exceptional and look even better when analyzing the Coors Field factor. Coors is a breeding ground for hits, which are obviously harmful to one’s WHIP. Therefore, if he is able to maintain such a minuscule WHIP while playing half his games at such a stadium, he should be commended.

Further, his even lower ERA of 1.62 in 2019 clearly states that even when he puts men on base, he is readily able to strand them where they stand.

A scout would identify Oberg as a two-pitch pitcher. He utilizes his four-seam fastball- averaging at 95 mph- and a slider- averaging at 86 mph. The fastball generates a high number of swings and misses and also has some natural sinking action to it. The slider also has much movement to it, forcing many opposing batters to beat the ball into the ground.

This combination allows Oberg to generate a plethora of weak contact, esepcially by way of the ground ball. His rarely-used change-up can be useful at times, but overall he seeks to retire batters using his main options.

Oberg has two years of control left after 2019, thus he will garner some type of return. However, he can provide top-end performance out of the bullpen, while not begging the returns of Felipe Vazquez and Kirby Yates.

Teams that will be interested: Yankees, Dodgers, Braves, Phillies, Brewers

MLB Trade Rumors

Jason Vargas, New York mets

With seemingly the entire league clamoring for Noah Syndergaard and some still inquiring about Zack Wheeler– despite a precipitous drop in interest around him- there is another pitcher remaining. Vargas is not going to blow anyone away or excite any fanbase, however, he is a solid starter and would provide necessary rotational depth to those in search of it.

Jason Vargas uses a change-up as his primary weapon, providing a great degree of contrast to the standard hard-throwing pitchers. He often is able to get opponents to either over-swing or make weak contact because they are too far in front of his pitches.

He typically stays within the eighty range, yet he will dip into the seventies with his slow, looping curveball. 2019 has seen him able to succeed against young teams with aggressive approaches, such as the San Diego Padres or San Fransisco Giants.

Vargas finds himself in trouble when the batters he is facing are more patient and not willing to commit to the off-speed pitchers he offers on the fringes of the strike zone. The Braves have given him some trouble, as he was unable to get out of the first inning in an April start in Atlanta. Besides a few spotty starts here or there, Vargas has been a very productive presence on the mound for the Mets in 2019.

He could easily provide a similar presence and depth to a rotation making a push for a playoff spot or one dealing with injuries in pursuit of a postseason berth.

Destinations: A’s, Brewers, Twins, Rays

MLB Trade Rumors

Trey Mancini, Baltimore Orioles

The slugging outfielder is about to eclipse his previous high watermark of home runs in 2019, as he sits with 24 long balls and in both 2017 and 2018, he finished the season with that exact number. He has plenty of power and plenty of years of control, thus teams should be attracted to him.

Trey Mancini is a right-handed power bat with a much-improved OPS of .873 in 2019, a mark that will be very alluring to potential suitors. He currently does not have the track record to justify a large package, however, has the potential and years of control that will fetch something for the Orioles and not be too much that teams remain shy.

A solid prospect to good prospect should gain a team Mancini’s services, one that would not cost them in the future. The Orioles are smart enough to know they will not be getting a team’s most prized prospects, yet they believe they can get a package that is more meaningful that would be in a rental deal package.

Similarly, Mancini is a position player, a commodity that is inherently less valuable than a pitcher. Therefore, if he is traded now, he might earn the Orioles a solid return, even with his ever-present potential.

Even Marcel Ozuna and Christian Yelich– with favorable contracts- did not net the Marlins an abundant return. The rebuilding Orioles know this and will look to strike early before the asset begins to depreciate. While this is perhaps a morbid look at this process, the best teams do indeed function this way.

Destinations: Indians, Braves, A’s, Rays

MLB Trade Rumors

Mike Minor, Texas Rangers

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The final entry on this list is the left-handed starter for the Texas Rangers. Mike Minor has reclaimed his career in the last few seasons- reviving himself with a stint in the Kansas City Royals bullpen and then regaining a role in the rotation with Texas the last two seasons. He missed significant time with multiple injuries that he experienced while playing for the Dodgers.

Minor has been stellar in 2019, he currently stands at number 2 behind Charlie Morton for the AL lead with an ERA+ of 169. He would obviously be a great addition to any rotation, even enough to start postseason games for the team that acquires him.

He will cost more than the other members of this list, however, it will still be a bargain of trade considering that he will be under contract for 2019, as well. He can help a team pursue a championship for the next two seasons and it will not be as expensive as amove for Robbie Ray, Trevor Bauer, or Noah Syndergaard would probably be.

Minor blends a variety of pitches well. His arsenal consists of a 93 mph fastball, a change-up, slider, and buckling curveball. Overall, he not only generates a high degree of strikeouts, he routinely gets deep into the game.

Destinations: Mets, Yankees, Brewers, Cardinals, Rays