Trade Deadline: Pirates, Cardinals, and Cubs for sale: Brewers, Reds wish list

We are back from the break, settled is the Home Run Derby and enough of the season has played out, so we know who is who this year. Now the winners are buyers, the losers are sellers and it’s the front office’s time to shine. Let’s check in with the NL Central, who is being sold, and the buyer’s wish lists.

Selling the NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals

From money line contenders to cellar dwellers, it’s a sad story, but this is baseball. The Cardinals have come out early and announced their fire sale already. They have several quality players to let go while the rest of the league is searching their roster for this year’s Harrison Bader.

The Cardinals are not in a full rebuild state and have let the league know Lars Noobaar, Jordan Walker, Nolan Arenado, and Paul Goldschmidt are all off the trade boards and will remain with the team. While they have not mentioned them, it is safe to say that Nolan Gorman, Brendan Donovan, Tommy Edman, and Dylan Carlson will likely not be shopped either.

Now we get to who won’t be on the team come August 1. Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery, Jordan Hicks, and Tyler O’Neill are all known to be on the trade block. Paul DeJong has club options for the next two years at $12.5 million per year and could be a valuable trade asset. The 29-year-old shortstop is hitting .236 with 12 homers and 32 runs this year.

Adam Wainright is the biggest name of the unrestricted free agents for the Cardinals in 2024. At 41 years old and a 7.66 ERA, it’s likely they will allow the two-time 20-game winner and Roberto Clemente Award winner to finish his 18th season with the only club he had ever played for instead of chasing another WS ring.

Chris Stratton is another name that we will see on the trade ticker this month. In his final contract year, he has thrown 49 strikeouts in 46 innings with a 1.06 WHIP. He would be a bullpen upgrade for all buyers looking for help in the mid-to-late innings.

Selling the NL Central: Chicago Cubs

The Cubs front office phone lines will be ringing off the hook leading up to the deadline. With the August 1 deadline quickly approaching and the Cubs eight games out of the division, the rest of the league eagerly anticipates them officially throwing in the towel on the 2023 season.

Players with expiring contracts that will not be a high priority to be resigned and could significantly impact a contender’s playoff run; the Cubs have four of these players. The first is 35-year-old catcher Yan Gomes. He is hitting .262/.302/.714 with eight home runs in 187 at-bats and has two years left on his contract with a club option in 2024.

Next, we have Kyle Hendricks, a valuable back-of-rotation starting pitcher. He is 33 with one club option year on his contract. He has a 3.57 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 10 starts this year.

Cody Bellinger’s name is being thrown around in many trade rumors. The former MVP is hitting his prime at 28 years old and will be looking at a big contract for his father’s former team, the New York Yankees. His .305/.362/893 slash line with 12 homers is just what the Yankees could use right now, so look for them to make a move on him.

Marcus Stroman is the most coveted Cub going into the trade deadline. With $25 million on for 2023 and $21 million on the books for Stroman in 2024, the Cubs will be looking to move him this year to save some cash and stock the farm with future talent. Stroman is 10-6 with a 2.88 ERA and 101 strikeouts on the year. He will pull in a nice haul for the Cubs. If done well, a Cubs/Stroman trade this year could be the one that is talked about for the next decade.

Selling the NL Central: Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates looked like surprise contenders in early May, but their success proved to be a fluke, and they are in fourth place in the NL Central now with a .451 winning percentage. They have some quality pieces they can use to bolster their younger talent.

Vincent Velasquez is 4-4 in eight starts with 37 strikeouts in 37 innings. In the final year of his contract, having one of his best seasons, the Pirates will be fielding calls for Velasquez, and the Marlins could be a great landing spot for him as they try for a Wild Card run.

The veteran pitcher Rich Hill is in his 18th season as a journeyman starting pitcher. In what should be his last year, he could be moved to a team like the Milwaukee Brewers or Arizona Diamondbacks to help them through the final months as they push through the summer to the playoffs.

Andrew McCutchen is slashing .268/.383/.808 and is on pace for his fourth 20/20 season. He would be a great bartering chip a could bring in pieces to build a championship team in Pittsburgh. The Orioles, Braves, and Twins could all use his help or even return to the Giants or Yankees to help them get into the playoff hunt. On a one-year, $5 million contract, the former MVP is a low-risk and inexpensive acquisition.

NL Central buyers: Milwaukee Brewers wish list

The Brewers are tied for first place in the NL Central with the Reds after Friday’s 1-0 win. With two games on Saturday and Sunday to play they could be in sole possession of first place by Monday. They will still need a lot of help to hold it and make a significant playoff run.

They are ranked 26th in the MLB for batting average at .232 and 22nd in runs (385) and home runs (97). On the mound, they are 22nd in home runs given up and 20th in strikeouts. They need three big players to be a serious contender.

Marcus Stroman of the Cubs would be a rental and probably opt out next year. At $25 million, he is very expensive, but the Brewers need to capitalize on this season to start off what could be a dominant decade in Milwaukee with their stockpile of talent coming up.

Stroman has only allowed six homers this year while striking out 101 batters in 118 innings. He is a one-piece solution to the pitching rotation and will win playoff games. A trade involving right-handed pitching prospect Abner Uribe and shortstop Eric Brown, in addition to catcher Victor Caratini, Tyrone Taylor, and Luke Voit, should be a deal-maker.

Next, they will need two players with a high average and adequate power to constantly get runners around the bases. First on the Brewers wish list is Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario.

It is almost a certainty Candelario will be moved within before August 1, but the sooner, the better for Milwaukee. After he was non-tendered by Detroit, he was signed by the Nationals to a $5 million deal. It was a terrific bargain and the switch-hitting infielder has posted a .260/.336/.813 line, 48 RBI, and 13 home runs with solid defensive metrics.

Next on the Brewers wish list is Justin Turner of the Boston Red Sox. Slashing .288/361/.836, 14 home runs and 56 RBI thru Saturday, he is perfect for the Brewers this season. Grabbing a relief pitcher like Brad Hand of the Colorado Rockies or Detroit’s José Cisnero would also be essential. Adding one of them to a combo of Turner, Canelario, and Stroman would solidify this season and not lock them into too much long-term money while allowing Brewers prospects Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Jacob Misiorowski, and Jeferson Queroto to remain on the team. This lets the Brewers build the upcoming powerhouse in Milwaukee.