With MLB’s All-Star break in the rearview mirror and the Aug. 3 trade deadline fast approaching, we are firmly in the window where the rumor mill will be pumping out hypothetical trade ideas 24/7. Complicating matters is the jumbled mess that is the current playoff picture—entering play Tuesday, 22 of 30 teams were within five games of a playoff spot, meaning it’s more difficult than ever to differentiate the buyers from the sellers.
For example, when we first did this exercise last month, Tarik Skubal was the No. 1 trade candidate on our list. Now, he barely cracks the top five as star-caliber players with more years of control have come onto the market and are more likely to generate a bigger return—if Skubal is traded at all by the resurgent Tigers.
