5 top prospects who could be dealt before trade deadline
With the July 31 trade deadline approaching, prominent MLB players including Justin Verlander, Yu Darvish, and Sonny Gray could be on the move as ballclubs look to bulk up in an effort to make the postseason and hopefully win a World Series.
While those names are familiar to casual baseball fans, the promising prospects who could be swapped for such reputable players aren't so recognizable, though a few could be future stars.
Here are five of the top prospects who could be traded at the deadline.
Alex Verdugo, OF, Dodgers
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
| MLB ORG RANK | MLB TOP 100 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 28 |
When Verdugo isn't hitting home runs off the heads of his opponents, the 21-year-old is likely reading all of the trade rumors his name's appeared in. The 70-win Dodgers are the best team in baseball, but are expected to be without ace Clayton Kershaw for four-to-six weeks, which could lead to a trade for someone like Darvish of the Texas Rangers. If that's the case, expect Verdugo to be mentioned among the pieces going the other way. The Padres reportedly asked the Dodgers about Verdugo in exchange for reliever Brad Hand, and he was also apparently coveted by the Detroit Tigers, whose talks with L.A. about Verlander have reportedly cooled off.
Estevan Florial, OF, Yankees
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| MLB ORG RANK | MLB TOP 100 |
|---|---|
| 5 | 90 |
Florial is having a stellar season for Single-A Charleston, posting an .867 OPS and 41 RBIs to go along with 16 steals, which might be why the Oakland Athletics reportedly showed interest in him as part of a Gray trade. The 19-year-old Haitian is far from making an appearance in the big leagues, but Oakland's had success in trading for very young prospects. Franklin Barreto (the Athletics' No. 1 prospect), for instance, was acquired as part of a package for Josh Donaldson in 2014.
Lewis Brinson, OF, Brewers
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
| MLB ORG RANK | MLB TOP 100 |
|---|---|
| 1 | 15 |
Brinson's already no stranger to being traded as part of a package for big leaguers. The 23-year-old was one of three players sent to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress at last season's deadline. Brinson didn't have much success in the majors during a 14-game stint in June (.097/.200/.161), but he's reportedly being called up again Wednesday. The powerful outfielder hit .345/.417/.569 at Triple-A.
Jorge Mateo, SS/OF, Yankees
| MLB ORG RANK | MLB TOP 100 |
|---|---|
| 8 | N/A |
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Mateo may not grace MLB Pipeline's Top 100 like he did in 2016 and '17, but he's apparently still being looked at by many clubs interested in making a deal with the Yankees, including the Athletics. The 22-year-old Dominican can play multiple positions in both the infield and outfield, and may have increased his trade value after hitting a scorching .323/.404/.556 at Double-A Trenton following a June promotion.
Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros
| MLB ORG RANK | MLB TOP 100 |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10 |
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Houston wouldn't be pleased about giving up its No. 1 prospect in a trade, but if the club's as interested in adding a Darvish or Gray as reports suggest, Tucker would likely need to be included. The 20-year-old fifth overall selection in the 2015 draft has skyrocketed through the Astros' farm system, and this season, he's hitting for a combined .294/.371/.557 between Single-A Buies Creek and Double-A Corpus Christi.