A Way too Early Trade Season Primer: Teams that suck and will most definitely will be sellers (and the Rockies)

You may say it’s too early for deadline season, but I say it’s NEVER too early to hypothesis trade candidates. I looked at what all the last place teams may have to offer this deadline season, sans the AL East, as I think the Orioles are in a bit of a different bucket than the other basement dwellers in the league but very well could move firmly into the seller’s category come mid-June. These aren’t necessarily guys that I think the Mariners need to go after, but some could be interesting targets for the Mariners this deadline season. There isn’t a whole lot of impact in this list but there are some guys that can do a job on a contender.

Chicago White Sox:

The White Sox have the 2nd worse record in Major League Baseball and have been in sell mode since last season. Unfortunately for buying teams, the White Sox are well picked dry for buyable assets. The Crown Jewel of the White Sox sell off was supposed to be Luis Robert Jr. but, his value has been plummeting and with a high salary and a pair of options unlikely to be picked up at this point. The Soto-esq package they once desired is even more of a pipe dream than it was when they said it. They don’t have a lot to deal but they do have some players that could play a role for a contending team down the stretch.

Rentals:

Michael A. Taylor- Has been awful with the bat since his slight breakout with the 2023 Twins, he offers plus OF defense and baserunning that would fit nicely on a lot of playoff teams as a 4/5th OF option.

Austin Slater OF- Currently Injured, estimated to return come June, offers an above average short side platoon option for the OF.

Mike Tauchman OF- To start his rehab assignment this weekend, offers an above average long side platoon option for the OF.

Club controlled beyond this season:

Luis Robert Jr. CF- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJHUbtR0yI8

I don’t know what to do with Luis, he can be good, but he also can be shit. For the right price a contender might bite because the upside is immense, but I have my doubts that the White Sox will offer him up for the right price.

Josh Rojas 3B- We all know Josh Rojas, he still has a year of club control past this season. If he can replicate the good parts of his 2024 season, he is a valuable player, if he can’t he is a solid bench piece at best.

Matt Thaiss C- Claimed off waives from the Angels by the Cubs then traded to the White Sox this offseason, Thaiss has been one of the few bright spots on the White Sox team, he historically does not chase, walks a ton and has been a passable defender behind the plate. He has 2 years of club control left after this season, so he doesn’t need to be moved but with Edgar Quero already performing well at the MLB level and Kyle Teel waiting in the wings in AAA the white sox have young catching options they’d probably want to see play that offers them an easy opportunity to get solid ROI on Thiass this trade season.

Brandon Eisert LHRP- Claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays this offseason, he is looking to be a reliever that the White Sox can cash in on, he only has 21 innings to his name at the MLB level, he is under performing compared to his xStats has 2 options remaining and 5+ years of club control left. I think he is a name to monitor. He may not quite be a high leverage guy yet, but he looks like he might be working his way into those opportunities. He will need to show more over a sustained period of time but it wouldn’t shock me if the White Sox could get a solid haul from him in the next year if things continue to trend in the right direction for him.

Miami Marlins:

The Marlins have sold off pretty much everything of interest and have not a single rental piece of note unless you are interested in Cal Quantrill, I guess. They have a few pieces that could be moved at the deadline, especially if they play better but at this point the Marlins don’t have much to sell.

Club Controlled Beyond this season:

Sandy Alcantara RHSP- He has been awful still has 2 years of club control beyond this season (though 2027 is an option year). Other than Fastball Velo and GB % everything on his statcast page is bad, if he can’t turn it around I think it throws a pretty big wrench into the Marlins plan to trade him.

Jesús Sánchez OF- He has been awful this year, strikes out too much but his statcast page had a lot of red last season, he can still play good OF defense and has 2 years of club control past this season. If he can turn it around I think the Marlins will try to flip him but if he doesn’t he is likely to be a non-tender candidate this offseason.

Anthony Bender RHRP- Has been a solid reliever his whole career, he is a super 2 guy who is arb 3 next season so he may be a little pricey next season for what he is but he seems like a guy the Marlins could get a good return on and would be willing to move this deadline.

Pittsburg Pirates:

The Pirates have been a major disappointment this season, already firing their manager. They have a lot of upcoming FA (8), so they have plenty to sell off, though some players like Andrew McCutchen (and a lesser extend Adam Frazier) are fan favorites that I have my doubts will be moved this deadline by the Pirates. They also have some players locked into longer term deals that I’d venture to guess they’d be willing to move but are unlikely to be able to since the contracts that they are underwater on (Reynolds and Hayes). T

Rentals:

Andrew Heany LHSP- Shaping up to being one of, if not the best rental starters on the Market if he keeps up his performance, will make him a pretty sought after commodity with the possibility of limited SP options on the market this deadline season.

Isaiha Kiner Falefa SS- Will provide competent defense around the diamond but below average offense. Falefa is a solid bench piece that can provide flexibility to a playoff contending roster.

Tommy Pham OF- Has been pretty bad this year, but is always a guy on the move at the deadline.

Tim Mayza, Caleb Ferguson, Ryan Borucki LHRP- Does your team need a cromulent left-handed reliever? The Pirates have you covered. Any one of these guys can be had for the low price of *insert prospect you don’t care about*

Club Control Beyond this year:

David Bednar RHRP- He has been bad for over a year now, but he has the track record of being one of the best closers in the game and has been underperforming his xStats a bit this year and still generating a ton of whiff. He is Pittsburgh’s own, but if he can turn things around, I think the Pirates can get a pretty good return for him and he very well may be out of their price rage in his arb 3 year that it might be worth selling now if they can.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Disneyland, USA.

It may come to a shock to you but the Angels suck, again. They will be in selling mode and have plenty of expiring deals they are likely to move.

Rentals:

Tyler Anderson LHSP- Anderson will be up there with Heaney as the best Starting Pitcher on the trade market this offseason. After his 2023 season I thought the Angels did their magic and ruined another pitcher but he bounced back and ahs been solid the last year plus.

Kenley Jansen RHRP- Jansen one of the beset Closers of his generation, has had a rough go of it as an Angel. At the end of the day, he is a proven high leverage arm that will probably have multiple teams interested in his services at the deadline.

Luis Rengifo 2B- Rengifo has been awful this season and at this point may be on his way to DFA city. Probably should have sold high on him last deadline Perry.

Yoán Moncada 3B- He has been good in the small sample he has been healthy this season. I don’t anticipate that will continue but hey, maybe the Angels can get another pitching prospect they can ruin for him at the deadline.

Kyle Hendricks RHSP- He’s been better than I anticipated but he is still well past his prime. If you are in a bind and need someone to eat innings come deadline time, I suppose you could do worse.

Club Control Beyond this year:

Jorge Soler/Travis d’Arnaud- Will somehow end up back with the Braves because someone got hurt.

Taylor Ward OF- He’s been bad this year, still provides solid corner OF defense but this is a guy the Angels probably should of sold at last deadline

Reid Detmers LHP- For the love of God will some team that is competent in pitching develop rescue this man.

Colorado Rockies:

The Rockies exist in something beyond even the astral plane, no one knows what they will do or why they would do it. They both have nothing to trade away and things they should trade away but won’t. Anyone who says they know what the Rockies will be doing this deadline is a heretic and should not be trusted.