5 players who should be moved at the MLB trade deadline
Vlad Guerrero Jr., Pete Alonso and Max Scherzer could soon find themselves on new teams
Over the next two weeks, the names of many MLB players will be thrown around as possible trade targets. Some of those players will actually be moved; others will not.
In a few situations, there are players who need to be moved. And those trades should come not only for the sake of the player but, in some cases, for the organization as well.
Here are five players who need to be dealt at the 2024 MLB trade deadline.
Vlad Guerrero Jr., 1B, Toronto Blue Jays
Who would’ve thought that Guerrero would be a candidate to be traded this summer? But here we are.
Things haven’t gone as planned for the Blue Jays, and after years of expectations that they would be one of the best teams in the game, it’s probably time for them to retool and head in a new direction. Guerrero has always been expected to carry a franchise — maybe unfairly so at times, though it didn't stop him from being the runner-up for AL MVP in 2021 — and after a few “fine” seasons, he has shown this season that he can still be a force in the middle of a lineup. While shortstop Bo Bichette in 2024 has not been the player the league saw the past few seasons, Vladdy’s value could provide Toronto with an opportunity to retool for the future.
Enter the Mariners, whose biggest problem the past several seasons has been their inability to hit. Even their star outfielder, Julio Rodríguez, has struggled to produce consistently. A player such as Guerrero could help take pressure off Rodríguez and change the overall dynamic of Seattle’s offense. The added benefit of acquiring the 2021 AL MVP runner-up would be that the team would have another year of club control after this season. If things click in Seattle, maybe Rodríguez and Guerrero could become MLB’s next great duo.
The Blue Jays might not be willing to move Guerrero, but the reality is that what they built hasn’t worked, and it’s time for them to start thinking about a future that doesn’t involve Guerrero or Bichette.
Garrett Crochet, LHP, Chicago White Sox
There’s no doubt that any team that is looking to make the postseason and needs starting pitching has their eyes all over the White Sox ace. Coming off Tommy John surgery, Crochet has had a breakout season in his first year as a starter, and he currently leads MLB in strikeouts. The big left-hander has shown that he can not only lead a rotation but also dominate in the ace role.
The Orioles have built their roster and farm system methodically the past several seasons. After being the best team in the American League last season but getting bounced in the wild-card round after not making any major moves at the deadline, they need to strike while their iron is hot this year. Corbin Burnes has been everything they thought he would be since coming over from the Brewers, but he’ll be a free agent after this season. And given the season-ending injuries to John Means, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells, the O’s are in desperate need of arms.
Crochet would provide the O’s an additional arm at the top of their rotation as they make another pennant push. What’s more, with his two years of club control after 2024, he would give the O’s a great option if Burnes leaves in free agency. One caveat: Crochet has never pitched as many innings in pro ball as he has thrown this year, which will be something any team that acquires him will have to watch as the season goes on.
The White Sox have plenty of leverage here, but the Orioles should be breaking down the doors in their attempts to acquire one of the most valuable assets in baseball.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B/CF, Miami Marlins
Chisholm might be the most polarizing player in baseball. His flare and confidence are unmatched, but they haven’t always translated to production on the field. A big part of that has been his inability to stay healthy throughout his five MLB seasons, but this year, Chisolm has reasserted his value, having already appeared in 93 games.
Chisholm’s best attribute comes with the bat, as he provides a good combination of speed and power. While he was an elite defender at second base in 2021, his defensive prowess and athleticism haven’t translated to center field, where he doesn’t grade out as a good defender.
Elsewhere in the NL, the Reds were expected to be players in the wild-card race this season but haven’t found the magic they had last season. A big part of that step back has come from an inability to sustain offense. But Great American Ballpark is the type of environment in which Chisholm’s smooth, left-handed swing could thrive and provide some thunder. The Bahamian outfielder could be the perfect platoon partner for current Reds center fielder Stuart Fairchild, who crushes lefties, and the smaller ballpark could aid Chisholm’s defense, as he’d have less room to cover than in Miami.
Cincinnati could use a spark and should gamble on Chisholm’s upside. Also, Chisholm and Elly De La Cruz in the same lineup would be the swaggiest duo in baseball, at the very least.
Pete Alonso, 1B, New York Mets
There was a time when Alonso signing an extension to stay in Queens long-term was a possibility, but those days are no more. With a new regime in the front office and Alonso’s time under club control coming to an end, now would seem like the right time for the Polar Bear to be on the move.
Perhaps Alonso’s best quality as a player is his consistency. The past four full seasons (excluding 2020), he has hit at least 37 home runs, played in at least 150 games and recorded an OPS+ over 120. This year, he’s once again on pace to hit those marks.
For the better part of the past decade, the Astros have always gone for it. And the organization's aggressive approach at the trade deadline is one of the reasons they’ve reached the ALCS in seven consecutive seasons, winning two World Series championships. Yet because of that aggressiveness, their farm system is not nearly as stocked as it once was. Still, they might have enough to reel in two months of Alonso’s services.
Granted, the Mets have been a great story so far this season, and they currently hold the third NL wild card, but it’s asking a lot for them to continue to play the way they did prior to the All-Star break.
While the Mets have stated publicly that they would love Alonso to stay in Queens, the reality is that it is up to Alonso and his representation, Scott Boras. At this point, Alonso is most likely to test the free-agent market. If that’s the case, it’d behoove the Mets to make their first baseman available this month, especially considering their other areas of need and a farm system that could use some more high-quality talent and depth.
Max Scherzer, RHP, Texas Rangers
It seems unbelievable that Scherzer could soon be on his fifth team in four seasons, but with the Rangers 7.5 games out of the wild card, that could be the three-time Cy Young winner's reality come July 31. After winning their first World Series in franchise history last season, things have not gone as well for the Rangers this year, and they should probably be sellers at the deadline.
The Brewers, on the other hand, have been the class of the NL Central for the majority of the season and if there’s one area they could stand to bolster their roster, it would be the rotation. Due to several injuries to young starters such as top prospect Robert Gasser, the Brewers have needed lots of depth. Milwaukee already added one arm via trade earlier this month, acquiring right-hander Aaron Civale from the Tampa Bay Rays. Scherzer would bring in another quality arm for a rotation that could use the depth and his postseason experience to support Civale, Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers and Colin Rea.
With Scherzer a free agent at the end of the season and the Mets/Rangers paying his salary this year, acquiring him wouldn’t cost Milwaukee nearly the prospect capital they’d have to give up for other starting pitchers who might be available.