The MLB season is in full swing as we start entering the summer months.
This is the time of the season when we see which teams will be contenders for the World Series and which are building for the future.
The MLB trade deadline is unlike any of the other major sports.
In the MLB, star players are traded each year at the deadline.
As teams make their push for the World Series, they try and load up by trading for a star pitcher or bat.
On the other hand, teams that know they will not contend for a World Series trade their star players to build for the future.
Below, we will discuss five candidates to be traded at the MLB trade deadline.
Five Candidates To Be Traded At The MLB Trade Deadline
The trade deadline in baseball is a very exciting time for fans.
Teams that are in contention try to load up and acquire a star player.
Teams out of contention try to build for the future by trading a star player for future potential star prospects.
Here are five possible trade candidates at the deadline.
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr
- Bo Bichette
- Mason Miller
- Alex Bregman
- Paul Goldschmidt
Vladimir Guerrero Jr
The Toronto Blue Jays find themselves in last place in the AL East.
This could make Toronto big sellers at the trade deadline if things don’t turn around.
After a sluggish start to the season, Vlad Jr has turned things around with a .406/.481/.493 line dating back to April 28.
The power has yet to come for him this season, posting a .394 slugging percentage.
The underlying numbers suggest he should have better offensive numbers but the underlying numbers said the same thing last season for Vlad.
Vlad will surely be coveted by teams looking for a bat to help them make a deep playoff push.
A change of scenery might be needed for Vlad as he has not lived up to his potential in Toronto.
At just 25 years old, Vlad is still considered a rising star and if on the right team, he will be a major boost to their offense.
Bo Bichette
Bo Bichette is in the same boat as Vlad.
Toronto is in last place and Bichette will surely be a coveted SS by teams in contention.
Bichette is 26 years old and in the prime of his career, although this has been a down year for him thus far.
He is off to a career-worst start to a season with a .622 OPS, which is nearly 200 points lower than his .812 career mark.
Bichette has never had a season with an OPS below .800 and an average under .290.
This year, his batting average is a poor .226.
Toronto’s offense has been terrible this year and Bichette is putting up the worst numbers of his career.
It may be time for a change of scenery for the star SS.
Bichette is one of the better hitters in the MLB and any team in contention will get much better with Bichette.
If Toronto continues to struggle, Vlad and Bichette may be on the move at the MLB trade deadline.
Mason Miller
It is hard to find a better relief pitcher this year than Oakland Athletics’ Mason Miller.
He is posting some ridiculous numbers.
Miller has a 17.69 K/9, a 0.93 ERA, and a 0.82 xERA, if he is not striking a batter out, he is getting them to hit ground balls at a 48.1% clip.
He has nine saves on the season, which means he recorded a save in nine of Oakland’s 20 wins so far this year.
Miller has been unhittable this year and with the A’s not going anywhere, he will be a highly coveted relief pitcher.
Whether a team in contention will have Miller close or come in as a reliever, they are getting one of the best arms in the league.
Mason Miller will make any team in contention much better as he has been one of, if not the best relief pitcher in the league in 2024.
Alex Bregman
This is somewhat surprising as Bregman has been a huge part of Houston’s success over the years.
It is also surprising to see that Houston would possibly be a seller at the trade deadline.
As of May 22, the Astros are five games back of .500 and are five games back from first in the AL West.
The Astros are talented enough to go on a streak and get back in first in the West, especially with the Rangers and Mariners not pulling away.
Houston has been buyers over the years, even in the offseason, acquiring Justin Verlander.
Bregman is 30 years old and entering the final season of a six-year deal.
This all depends on what the Astros do over the next month or two before the deadline.
If they are back in playoff contention, with the possibility of winning the AL West, it is hard to imagine the Astros trading Bregman.
However, by the time the MLB trade deadline arrives, if the Astros slip further away from the Mariners or Rangers in the AL West and from a wild card spot, Bregman may not be the only player Houston trades.
Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez, and Jose Urquidy all have one year of club control remaining after this season.
Bregman and other Astros players are possible trade candidates at the MLB trade deadline if Houston cannot turn things around.
Paul Goldschmidt
The St. Louis Cardinals are second last in the NL Central.
Goldschmidt is in the final year of his contract with the Cardinals.
This has been an awful year for the veteran slugger.
His batting average is a putrid .209, compared to his career average of .292.
Whether it is the environment or age catching up to Goldy, this has been a terrible season thus far.
A change of scenery is needed for Goldy and he is a name to watch at the MLB trade deadline.
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