The Top Five Pitchers Who Could Be Moved at the 2018 Trading Deadline
Players who have yet to throw a pitch this year are among those who could be traded at the deadline
The 2018 MLB season is now nearly two months old, and slowly but surely, the top teams and the cellar dwellers are beginning to separate themselves from the pack.
Sometime soon, the teams with World Series aspirations are also going to look to fortify their rosters.
Pitchers will once again be in demand, and in a league where more teams are surprisingly competitive, those who choose to trade players may be able to extract huge returns.
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Listed below are just five of the top pitchers who could be moved during this trading season.
1. Zach Britton, Baltimore Orioles
From 2014 to 2016, the Baltimore Orioles' Zach Britton was one of the top closers in the game.
Britton was so good in 2016 that he managed to draw both Cy Young and MVP votes despite pitching only 67 innings.
Injuries limited his effectiveness in 2017, and a ruptured Achilles has prevented him from throwing a single pitch this season. Even so, with the Orioles in the midst of a dismal season, Britton's likely to end up on the trading block and if he can even show that he is around 80 to 90 percent back, teams will be queuing up to make offers for him.
2. Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
Similar to Britton, an injury has kept the San Francisco Giants' Madison Bumgarner from pitching this season, but that alone will not be enough to dissuade pitching-needy teams from being interested in potentially acquiring him.
Bumgarner is widely regarded as the best postseason pitcher in the Majors today, and it's hard to think of any contender who won't improve from adding him to the roster.
The Giants themselves may be hoping Bumgarner will be pitching in the postseason for them, but even if they fall out of the playoff race, they could be big winners this season if they obtain a terrific return for the big southpaw.
3. Michael Fulmer, Detroit Tigers
Due in large part to the Cleveland Indians playing below expectations thus far this season, the Detroit Tigers are still somehow involved in a playoff race.
There's always a chance that the Tigers could remain within striking distance of the AL Central crown all season, but the far more likely scenario is that the Indians will start playing better soon.
This is still a rebuilding year for the Tigers, and if they want to speed that process up, they can place Michael Fulmer on the trading block and ask for a huge return on a starting pitcher who is still young, under team control for several years, and who has a track record of success in the big leagues.
4. Cole Hamels, Texas Rangers
The 34-year-old Hamels is the oldest player on this list, but he's still not showing any signs of significant decline yet. If anything, Hamels seems to have found new ways to get hitters out this season.
Hamels' situation is complicated a bit by the presence of his limited no-trade clause, but there are still teams out there that he cannot block deals to that may go after him at the deadline.
5. Kelvin Herrera, Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals' Kelvin Herrera hasn't just improved his pitching this season; he's currently on track to post the best season of his career.
Herrera is simply not allowing that many hitters to get on base against him this season, and even when they do somehow reach safely, he's done a terrific job of preventing runs to cross home plate.
Herrera's numbers suggest that he's due to regress, but even if that happens, he may still have a career year.
The Royals are going nowhere this season, so they may be focused on trying to get the most out of a deal for Herrera at the trading deadline.
