5 MLB Players Who Have Emerged as Early Season Trade Candidates
Teams that have fallen out of contention early may start gauging the trade market for their best players
MLB's annual mid-season trading extravaganza is always great fun for fans to follow as they watch which contending teams are getting better for the stretch run and which disappointing clubs are content to try again the following year.
The 2018 season may just be a little over a month old, but already, some players are starting to stand out from the pack as ones who could be on the move.
Listed below are five potential trade candidates, ranked from "has a slight chance to be traded" to "this player could be the most talked about guy during this trading season."
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5. Michael Fulmer – Starting Pitcher, Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are in full rebuild mode, and while they've actually managed to get off to a decent start, they are expected to tumble down the standings further as the year goes on.
Just like the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros before them, the Tigers have a multi-year rebuild to go through, and if they want to speed up that process just a bit, then they may want to consider trading starting pitcher Michael Fulmer.
Given that Fulmer's still young — he's only 25-years-old — and under team control through 2022, there's a chance that he could still be effective by the time the Tigers are ready to seriously contend again.
Still, if the Tigers feel that they could stand to benefit from adding even more top prospects, Fulmer could be the guy they move to achieve that goal.
4. Madison Bumgarner – Starting Pitcher, San Francisco Giants
In a recent article, ESPN's Buster Olney made the case for the San Francisco Giants trading Madison Bumgarner, stating that the southpaw could be "the most coveted trade target in baseball" if he's put on the market and that he could help the franchise acquire those truly elite prospects that they are currently missing.
Of course, Bumgarner has been such a beloved figure for the Giants franchise that they may not mind hanging on to him even if it makes more sense from a value standpoint to trade him now.
How the members of the Giants' front office will handle this matter is going to be fascinating to watch over the coming months.
3. Manny Machado – Shortstop/Third Baseman, Baltimore Orioles
If this is a list that focused on the biggest potential difference-makers who could be moved at the trading deadline, then Manny Machado would get the top spot.
He's already off to a terrific start this year, flashing an improved batting eye and consistently making hard contact when he does swing. Machado hasn't been a Gold Glove-caliber defender at short thus far, but he's still a decent option at that position.
With the Orioles likely going nowhere and Machado set to become a free agent at the end of the year, it would seem that a trade should happen, but that may not be the case.
Machado has expressed a desire to remain with the Baltimore Orioles for the rest of this season, according to a recent report from the Los Angeles Times. Still, Machado did concede that he cannot control what happens later this year, so there's still a chance for a trade to go down.
2. Cole Hamels – Starting Pitcher, Texas Rangers
Every year, there are at least a few teams at the deadline that are looking for starting pitchers, and this year is not expected to be any different in that regard.
With the previously listed Fulmer and Bumgarner not guaranteed to end up on the trading block, the number one target for teams that need a starting pitcher for this trading season could be Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers.
Hamels does have a limited no-trade clause that could make it tougher for certain teams to acquire him, but even that may not do much to weaken the market for a pitcher who is showing that he has rediscovered his ability to pile up the strikeouts.
1. Mike Moustakas – Third Baseman, Kansas City Royals
Power bats may be more plentiful these days, but that doesn't mean that teams will no longer pursue players who can consistently launch long balls.
Power hitters can still make a huge difference in any lineup and that's why the Kansas City Royals' Mike Moustakas is a prime trade candidate.
Moustakas is showing that his 38-home run outburst from last year is no fluke and that should only serve to make him an even more attractive trade target for teams that can benefit from having a lefty slugger in the middle of their lineup.
The Royals may become irrelevant long before the 2018 postseason gets started, but Moustakas could still be slugging for a different team when it's playoff time.
