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After all the excitement and deals that went down leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31, it is now time for waiver deadline trades. For a refresher on how August trades work, click here.
Some players have already been moved, namely Justin Bour, Mike Fiers, Adeiny Hechavarria, Fernando Rodney and Shawn Kelley. But, there are some players who will likely get traded over the next 13 days.
1. Sergio Romo, Tampa Bay Rays — The Rays have already made one August trade by sending Hechavarria to the Pirates, so you have to think Romo could be the next one to go, right? After all, relievers are always in demand this time of year and the 35-year-old right-handed is posting solid numbers (3.57 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings in 53 innings pitched). More importantly, he has postseason experience (won three World Series titles with the Giants in 2010, ‘12 and ‘14), so this would be tremendously valuable to a contender. The Rays would ideally like to have him clear waivers first in hopes they can try to get the best piece(s) they can from any club before he bolts for free agency after the season.
2. Jim Johnson, Los Angeles Angels — Like Romo, Johnson would be in demand if he is placed on revocable waivers this month because he is a reliever and has shown he can pitch in big spots. He has posted a 3.91 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 47 appearances. Though the 35-year-old right-hander is coming off a lumbar strain injury, a contender would not have to give up a lot for his services because he is a free agent after the season and he is only playing on a $4.5 million deal this year. More importantly, the Angels have no reason to hold onto him because they are pretty much out of the playoff picture.
3. Matt Harvey, Cincinnati Reds — The man formally known as “The Dark Knight” when with the Mets has slowly turned around his play with the Reds since being dealt to them in May. After posting a 7.00 ERA in eight appearances with New York, the right-hander has gone 5-5 with a 4.61 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 84 innings pitched across 16 starts. Because of this, his name has come up as one of the top names to be dealt. And for the young Reds, it would be wise to trade him to a contender in hopes they can get a prospect to help their rebuild.
4. Francisco Liriano, Detroit Tigers — Liriano’s name is mentioned as a trade candidate for the second straight year. Last year, he was dealt to the Astros from the Blue Jays before the non-waiver deadline. The move paid off for the Astros, as they used him as a reliever during their run to the World Series. Liriano has been a starter for Detroit all season, but a contender could do a copycat move and get him to fill their bullpen. And for a rebuilding Tigers team, they would ideally like to get a prospect in return for his services to help them get better for the future.
5. Jose Iglesias, Detroit Tigers — The Tigers have been trying to get feelers for Iglesias for what seems like a long time now. However, a big problem with Iglesias was that there was no market for him when it came to contenders needing a shortstop. But, after the Pirates made their move for Hechavarria recently, maybe Iglesias will find a new home by September because he has been a better version of Hechavarria this season and is a free agent after this year.
6. Tyler Clippard, Toronto Blue Jays — The Blue Jays made a couple of moves at the non-waiver deadline and wouldn’t mind dealing away a veteran reliever in Clippard in hopes of getting a prospect or two. After all, he is going to make over 60 appearances for the ninth straight season, he is currently sporting a 3.70 ERA and 1.14 WHIP this season and he has versatility as a reliever, as he can be a middle reliever, a setup man or a closer. And for a contender in need, he is a free agent after this year and he is even cheaper than Romo and Johnson.
7. Marco Estrada, Toronto Blue Jays — From this spot down, it gets a little tricky as to whether or not these guys will likely get dealt. For the Blue Jays, Estrada was expected to be shopped at the non-waiver deadline, but a glute injury he sustained at the beginning of July derailed Toronto from trying to deal him. He did come back on July 30, but has mostly been inconsistent in the four starts he has made since returning. While he can show flashes of brilliance, a contender may not want to take a chance on Estrada for only two months worth of service since he is a free agent at the end of the year.
8. Andrew McCutchen, San Francisco Giants — The Giants acquired McCutchen from the Pirates in the offseason hoping he could help the club get back to the playoffs after having a rough 2017 season. The front office doesn’t want to part with him yet, as the team is only six games back in the NL West and 6 1⁄2 games behind the Brewers for the second wild card. But, if they fall behind any more in the next two weeks, they may try to deal him to a contender that could use outfield help.
9. Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays — There is no doubt that Donaldson is one of the best players in the game when he is healthy. Unfortunately, he has only played in 36 games this year and is still on the 60-day disabled list. Donaldson has started baseball activities to prepare for a rehab assignment, but the 32-year-old may not be ready to go until after August. Plus, Donaldson is a free agent after the season and is making $23 million this year, so it may not be worth it to a contender to give up some top-notch prospects and pay him a lot of money for only a couple of months in the lineup.
10. Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers — The future Hall of Famer has pretty much done everything you could think of in his 21-year career. The only exception is that he has not won a World Series. Beltre was involved in a ton of rumors at the non-waiver deadline, but the big key for any deal to get done would be if Beltre waives his full no-trade clause. Beltre has said he would waive it if he could go to a contender as a full-time player. However, he has indicated that he would like to finish his career in Texas. These mixed reports make teams wonder if Beltre is really serious about wanting to move.
Did we miss anybody? Tell us who you think might get moved by the end of the waiver deadline in the comments section.