Major League Baseball's trade deadline is just over a week away, leaving teams with a dwindling amount of time to take stock of their situations and make their decisions to buy, sell, or stand pat. CBS Sports has decided to bring in the official arrival of trade season by highlighting the top 20 players who could be dealt.
Below you'll find analysis on each individual and their situation, as well as three potential landing spots. We are legally obligated to include a few caveats, beginning with the note that there more than 20 realistic candidates, and more than three plausible suitors for everyone listed -- do not be the person who complains that their team isn't listed often enough; it's unbecoming and misses the larger point of the piece.
Not every player included here will be traded, of course, but we suspect that they'll come up in conversations. The players are ranked in order of their perceived value and desirability based on the usual factors -- expected production, positional scarcity, remaining team control, and so on. Keep in mind this exercise is more of an art than a science.
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Now, let's get to it.
Ohtani returns for the final iteration of this list in response to the Angels' recent slide and Mike Trout's injury. If you ignore the unique brilliance of Ohtani's talent -- and he's the first player to ever enter the trade deadline cemented as the top available pitcher and hitter -- then the situation is as straightforward as these things get. The Angels appear unlikely to reach the postseason. In turn, they appear highly unlikely to retain Ohtani beyond this winter. If/when owner Arte Moreno accepts that reality, he can choose between compensatory terms: a package of prospects and young players now, or a draft pick later. Potential landing spots: Rangers, Dodgers, Giants
Giolito, another impending free agent, has rebounded from a subpar campaign behind a couple of noticeable alterations to his game. Foremost, he's throwing nearly a half mile per hour faster than he did last season. He's also using his slider more than his changeup for the first time in his career. Giolito's basic formula remains largely the same otherwise: lots of elevated fastballs (and backspin changeups) followed by sliders down and away. As an added bonus, he ranks in the top 15 in the majors in both games started and innings pitched since the beginning of the 2021 season, making him a workhorse in this day and age. Potential landing spots: Dodgers, Astros, Giants
Stroman has the ability to opt out of his contract this winter if he thinks he can do better than the one year and $21 million remaining on his deal. It stands to reason that he's going to take advantage of that opportunity, if only to gain a longer term. Stroman is in the midst of a high-quality season. His extreme ground-ball tendencies have proven to be a good match with the Cubs' infield defense, and that combination has obscured the fact he's walking a career-high percentage of batters. If the Cubs do trade Stroman, we think that he would make the most sense for a team with a sound defense in place. Potential landing spots: Diamondbacks, Astros, Rays
Montgomery, like Giolito, is an impending free agent who earns additional credit for his recent durability. He's leaned on his low-to-mid-90s sinker more this season than in any prior, and it's hard to knock that strategy given his results. Despite that shift, he's generated a lower percentage of ground balls than he did in 2022. Go figure. Montgomery doesn't miss a ton of bats, so we still think he's a better fit for a team with a few smooth operators on the infield. Potential landing spots: Rays, Diamondbacks, Astros
It's to be seen whether or not A.J. Preller will move veterans at the deadline. If the Padres do sell, then Snell is one of the most obvious candidates to go. He has an upcoming date with free agency that limits his long-term value, and his volatile profile has recently trended in the right direction. There are only so many above-average starting pitchers available at the deadline, and few of them can match Snell in terms of bat-missing ability. He has his share of warts -- see the aforementioned bit about his volatile profile -- but teams will take their heaping of salt so long as it comes with an equal share of sugar. Potential landing spots: Dodgers, Rays, Reds
Will the Padres actually trade Hader, an impending free agent? Who knows. We feel obligated to include him anyway. Hader suppresses quality of contact; he misses bats; and he walks just enough batters to keep things interesting. The last reliever to receive a qualifying offer was Raisel Iglesias. Hader will change that if he hangs around San Diego for the rest of the season. Potential landing spots: Diamondbacks, Reds, Phillies
Candelario is on the cusp of recording his third well-above-average offensive season in four tries, as well as setting a new career-high home-run total. That's an effective use of the one-year, make-good contract he signed with the Nationals over the offseason. Candelario's defense has also graded better than usual this season, making him a quality two-way contributor. The third-base market is otherwise barren, so expect him to be a popular target. Potential landing spots: Phillies, Brewers, Twins
Low-probability events happen all the time. How else do you explain DeJong, who had not flirted with league-average offense since 2019, emerging as the market's best available shortstop? And how do you explain that happening while he experiences declines in average exit velocity and walk rate, as well as increases in pop-up percentage and chase rate? It's a resurgence that doesn't make sense on paper. It's also a resurgence that may have peaked with seven good games in April. If you're seeking a new shortstop this summer, there aren't many alternatives to closing your eyes and wishing a little wish. Potential landing spots: Dodgers, Giants, Brewers
Hicks seemed close to punching his ticket to DFAtown as recently as May 5. He had a 7.62 ERA at that point. He's since gone on such a tear that he might be the best reliever moved in the final two weeks. Hicks still throws that 100 mph cannonball sinker. He's introduced a wrinkle to his game this season by refiguring his slider: his current model features less horizontal break in favor of more vertical depth. Clearly that trade-off has paid dividends, seeing as how he's flirted with a 60% whiff rate throughout the season. Hicks' history, recent and otherwise, does give him a riskier feel than some of his peers. For half a season, though, some contender will find it worth taking the plunge. Potential landing spots: Rays, Dodgers, Phillies
Lorenzen began his career in the rotation before spending the next six seasons in the bullpen. He returned to starting games last year, and he recently made his first All-Star Game (albeit in part because the Tigers were strapped for good candidates). Lorenzen doesn't have the flashiest profile, but it's clear he's put in the work to maximize his game. In addition to prioritizing his four-seamer and his slider, he's tinkered their shapes: the heater now features more rise, and the slider has reduced sweep but added depth. Whatever you think of Lorenzen's season to date and his chances of being more than a back-end starter moving forward, you have to respect any player willing to reinvent themselves in their ninth big-league season. Potential landing spots: Reds, Diamondbacks, Phillies
Bellinger is having a weird season. A glance at his slash line would suggest he's back to his MVP form. Look a little closer and it's clear that hasn't been the case, even with a recent tear. Overall, he hasn't been tagging the ball left and right; his average exit velocity is actually a couple ticks below what he posted last year. He is making more contact, to his credit, but his average launch angle is within two degrees of last year, indicating that he hasn't made a wholesale change to his batted-ball distribution. Teams will have to ask themselves how much they trust this version of Bellinger to maintain a high level of production. Their faith will then be tested again this winter, when they have to make a call on his $25 million mutual option. Potential landing spots: Mariners, Brewers, Rangers
The Nationals originally snatched up Finnegan as a minor-league free agent. He's since given them around 200 relief appearances en route to the ninth-inning role. Finnegan does most of his work with an upper-90s fastball that plays up because of a deep release point. We suspect his next employer will ask him to throw his splitter more to generate more whiffs. Potential landing spots: Dodgers, Rays, Phillies
There are plenty of reasons for the Cubs to move Gomes ahead of the deadline. One, he's in the midst of a surprisingly productive year at the plate, a 180 from how he had performed since midseason 2021. Two, the Cubs employ two other competent backstops, in rookie sensation Miguel Amaya and former Gold Glove recipient Tucker Barnhart. Three, there's always a paucity of decent catching options available on the marketplace. The Cubs probably won't strike it rich by landing a great prospect in return for Gomes, but they might get a better return than they would've expected -- especially if the team in question has designs on exercising his $6 million club option for next year. Potential landing spots: Marlins, Yankees, Rays
14. Elias Díaz, C, Rockies
If business is about being in the right place at the right time, then put Díaz on the August cover of Fortune. He made the All-Star Game earlier this month on account of the Rockies needing someone; he won the All-Star Game MVP Award with a timely homer; and now he's on this list because, hey, the world always needs catchers. Díaz's recent sense of timing obscures a generic skill set. He'll pull a home run now and then, and he'll throw out his share of runners and block his share of pitches. Beyond that? He's a below-average hitter and framer nearing his 33rd birthday. There'll be interest on account of the aforementioned catcher shortage, but don't mistake him for more than adequate. Potential landing spots: Rays, Yankees, Padres
Lynn is in the midst of a career-worst season. He's been horrific against left-handed batters. He's owed what remains on his $18.5 million salary, as well as a $1 million buyout on his club option for next year. Why is he here? Because we suspect some team will look at Lynn and say -- to paraphrase Kenneth Patchen -- that there are so many little dyings that it doesn't matter which of them is death … provided the cost is low enough. There's nothing stopping Lynn from becoming a useful starter again if he can rediscover his groove versus lefties. Additionally, there's nothing stopping him from floating into space other than gravity. These things are all relative. Potential landing spots: Rays, Reds, Diamondbacks
Shane Bieber's injury would seem to reduce the likelihood of him getting dealt this summer. The Guardians still have other arms they can move, including Civale, who won't qualify for free agency until after the 2025 season. He's sporting a shiny ERA despite striking out fewer batters, walking more batters, and allowing harder average contact than he did last season. He's also cracked the 100-inning threshold just once so far in his first four seasons. Hm. The pitching market is such that some team might roll the dice. Potential landing spots: Astros, Diamondbacks, Giants
Give the Nationals credit for nabbing Thomas from the Cardinals a few seasons ago in exchange for twilight-stage Jon Lester. That's since proven to be a nifty deal, with Thomas developing into a quality short-side platoon bat. In our estimation, it's time to add another branch to the trade tree. Thomas is nearing his 28th birthday, and his skill set is more valuable to a contender than a rebuilder. Plus, he's in the midst of a banner year, suggesting his value will not get any higher. More than 200 points separate Thomas' career OPS against lefties and righties, so his next employer should prepare to micromanage his plate appearances if they want to maximize his output. Potential landing spots: Mariners, Brewers, Yankees
Grichuk, an impending free agent, is a perfectly fine short-side platoon outfielder who has wholly recovered from the case of groundballitis he suffered through last season. Sometimes, as the Braves proved in 2021, these types end up mattering more in pivotal moments than you'd ever expect. Potential landing spots: Yankees, Brewers, Mariners
The Royals have already traded away Aroldis Chapman in recent weeks, but they still have another interesting late-inning arm to move. Barlow is a season away from free agency, and he certainly offers less value to the Royals than he would to a contender. The rub is that he's having a down year, owed in large part to a bloated walk rate. The Royals may feel like they're selling low if they move him this summer. To that we say: you should've dealt him last summer. Potential landing spots: Phillies, Rangers, Dodgers
Hill is no stranger to being moved at the deadline, having previously changed hands in the summers of 2016 and 2021. His overall marks suggest that he's still a league-average starter, even at the age of 43 and with an average fastball velocity of 88 mph. We've put him a little lower than that sentence suggests because of some recent control woes. Potential landing spots: Diamondbacks, Giants, Dodgers
