Top 15 potential MLB trade candidates

(Audacy) It's a great time to be a seller in MLB.

With the addition of the third wild card in each league, more teams will still be realistically in the playoff hunt late into the summer, potentially prompting them to make additions before the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Beyond the addition of a third wild card, the trade market is particularly thin on star power, which could put the limited teams planning to sell in line to receive lopsided returns for players whom they ultimately part with.

As the deadline nears, here are the 15 best trade candidates.

1. Frankie Montas, Oakland Athletics

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Montas exited his most recent start with shoulder tightness, though A's manager Mark Kotsay later called him day-to-day. Assuming Montas has no further physical setbacks, he's going to be in demand. Montas has a 3.26 ERA and 3.30 FIP across 96 2/3 innings in 2022. He's also has one remaining year of arbitration eligibility, so if you trade for Montas, you would be getting him for at least a season-and-a-half.

2. Luis Castillo, Cincinnati Reds

Justin Casterline/Getty Images

It feels like Castillo has been a trade candidate for much of his career, but this seems likely to be the year that the Reds will actually move him. Castillo has a 3.09 ERA and 3.24 FIP in 11 starts, erasing concerns about a shoulder injury that forced him to miss all of April. Like Montas, Castillo is 29 and can't become a free agent until after the 2023 season.

3. Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates

Denis Poroy/Getty Images

Given how few needle-movers there are at the center field position, Pirates executive Ben Cherington is going to field a lot of calls about Reynolds. The problem is that the Pirates, understandably, are going to want a ton if they're going to move a 27-year-old center fielder who posted a 6.1 fWAR a season ago. But to this point, Reynolds isn't matching that production from a season ago. Slashing .256/.330/.464 with a 1.1 fWAR is nice production, but it's not the borderline superstar level output the Pirates got from Reynolds in 2021. Reynolds recently signed a two-year, $13.5-million deal with the Pirates, but knowing he'll make $6.75 million in 2023 and is still under team control through 2025 could actually make him more coveted. It's just a matter of whether a team believes he's worth giving up a legitimate prospect haul for.

4. Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Mullins is in a pretty similar situation to Reynolds. A year ago, he homered 30 times and posted a 6.0 fWAR, numbers he feels unlikely to match in 2022. Still, Mullins has seven defensive runs saved in center field and a 2.1 fWAR, so there's definitely going to be interest in him. However, the Orioles posted a winning record in June and have Mullins under team control through the 2025 season. We have doubt about whether the Orioles would pull the trigger on a trade of Mullins.

5. Tyler Mahle, Cincinnati Reds

Norm Hall/Getty Images

There may not be a plan in Cincinnati beyond slashing spending, but the Reds may be able to build a top-tier farm system in the process of tearing down their big league roster. Mahle, 27, has a 4.48 ERA in 2022, although his 3.55 FIP and 3.20 expected ERA suggest that he's due for some positive regression. Mahle -- who logged 180 innings in 2021 -- can't become a free agent until after the 2023 season.

6. Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs

Justin Casterline/Getty Images

A free agent-to-be, Contreras is likely headed to the All-Star Game for the third time in his career, and he could be traded by the Cubs shortly thereafter. On one hand, Contreras is a 30-year-old catcher who may just be a rental. And if he's not a rental, he's going to command a hefty contract. On the other hand, he's won a World Series and is one of the few catchers in the league who could legitimately change the trajectory of a team's season.

7. Martín Pérez, Texas Rangers

Reed Hoffmann/Getty Images

In his second go-round with the Rangers, Pérez is pitching at an All-Star-caliber level, as he has a 7-2 record with a 2.34 ERA and 2.86 FIP in 16 starts. There may be an inclination from the Rangers to try to re-sign the 31-year-old Pérez, but his value will never be higher.

8. Josh Bell, Washington Nationals

Scott Taetsch/USA Today Sports

Bell, 29, is unlikely to ever top the 37 home runs he had with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019, but he's putting together the most complete season of his career for the lowly Nationals. He's slashing .315/.398/.508 with a .906 OPS in 2022. Bell is a switch-hitter who grades out well defensively at first base. He's going to be a hot commodity over the next month.

9. Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs

David Kohl/USA Today Sports

A former first-round pick, the 27-year-old Happ is having the finest season of his career in 2022. And while he can't become a free agent until after the 2023 season, the Cubs seem more than one year away from legitimately contending for anything. So more than a year before he can become a free agent may be a good time to trade Happ, who has an .842 OPS.

10. Noah Syndergaard, Los Angeles Angels

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Now a veteran of Tommy John surgery, the 29-year-old Syndergaard doesn't throw quite as hard as he once did. But he still has a tremendous repertoire of pitches and front-line potential. At worst, Syndergaard would be a nice rental for the middle of a team's rotation, as he has matching 3.84 marks in ERA and FIP over 13 starts this season. At best, Syndergaard will rediscover the ace potential that he showed early in his career with the New York Mets, and a team that acquires him will have a chance to re-sign him before he hits free agency.

11. Andrew Benintendi, Kansas City Royals

Raj Mehta/USA Today Sports

The 28-year-old Benintendi perhaps never developed into the star he seemed destined to be when he broke into the big leagues with the Boston Red Sox, but he's still going to draw quite a bit of interest this summer. He has just three home runs in 2022, but he's hitting .313 with a .381 on-base percentage and two defensive runs saved for the Royals.

12. Jesse Winker, Seattle Mariners

Joe Nicholson/USA Today Sports

Winker has gone from playing his home games at Great American Ballpark to T-Mobile Park, and his offensive output has taken a major dip as a result. Still, he's a year removed from slashing .305/.394/.556 for the Reds and is due an affordable $8.25 million in 2023. It wouldn't be hard for a general manager to sell his team on Winker bouncing back at the plate after the All-Star Break.

13. Merril Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks

Ron Chenoy/USA Today Sports

While Zac Gallen is unlikely to be traded, according to reporting from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Kelly could be a starter who the D-Backs are willing to part with. He has a 3.46 ERA and 3.40 FIP over 91 innings in 2022. The 33-year-old Kelly is due just $16 million over the next two seasons, with an affordable $7-million club option for 2025. For any team looking to solidify the back end of its rotation for a few years, Kelly would be a good addition.

14. Garrett Cooper, Miami Marlins

Garrett Cooper is a potential trade candidate.Sam Navarro/USA Today Sports

The 31-year-old Cooper was a late bloomer, but he sure has bloomed. He's slashing .315/.382/.472 in 2022 and can play first base and both corner outfield positions in a pinch. Cooper has one remaining year of arbitration eligibility in 2023.

15. Brandon Drury, Cincinnati Reds

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Buyer beware: Drury is putting up the best offensive numbers of his career in his first season playing his home games at Great American Ballpark. Still, it's hard to ignore an .851 OPS from someone who can play every infield position. Drury, 29, would be a nice rental addition for a contender.

Listen live to 670 The Score via:
Audacy App  |  Online Stream  |  Smart Speaker