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Several star players have already switched teams ahead of MLB‘s trade deadline, but as the Aug. 1 cutoff continues to approach, rumors are still swirling around some pieces who could potentially make a huge impact down the stretch.

While quality starting pitching is difficult to come by, top-notch relievers are still available, and there is no shortage of big bats on the market. The price could be steep in many instances, but contenders have the ability to load up for a deep playoff run.

With trade possibilities coming down to the wire, here is a look at some of the top players on the market and the latest rumors and speculation regarding their status.

Jay Bruce

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce is in the midst of a resurgent season, as he made his first All-Star team since 2012.

Bruce entered play Sunday hitting .265, which is his best batting average since 2010, along with 25 home runs and a National League-leading 80 RBI.

The 29-year-old veteran brings big-time power from the left side of the plate and is the type of player who several playoff contenders could use in the middle of the lineup.

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the New York Mets are among the teams that have been in talks to acquire Bruce, but a deal was “not close” as of Saturday.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network added that a few more teams are in the hunt for Bruce, although the Baltimore Orioles aren’t among them:

Despite Bruce’s production, ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported that the Reds aren’t necessarily looking for top-notch prospects as a return:

That may have something to do with the fact that Bruce can become a free agent following the season. Per Spotrac.com, the Texas native has a $13 million club option for 2017 with a buyout of just $1 million.

Bruce’s up-and-down play in the two years prior to 2016 may give the team that acquires him some pause in terms of exercising the option, but he is an ideal rental based on how he is performing.

The Mets are in need of an offensive boost in particular, and if they don’t make a move for someone of Bruce’s ilk, the reigning National League champions could be on the golf course come October.

Brian McCann

Brian McCann has long been one of Major League Baseball’s best offensive catchers, but with the New York Yankees hovering around .500 and B-Mac suffering through a tough season, he could be on the move.

According to Heyman, the Yanks have spoken to the Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves regarding McCann, but no deal appears imminent.

McCann would be a significant addition for a Texas team that has had question marks behind the plate all season long, while a deal with Atlanta would send the seven-time All-Star back to the team he began his career with.

Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, however, there is a disconnect between what the Yankees and Braves want to get out of the deal:

Atlanta seemingly wants McCann back in the fold at a discounted price without having to give up much, which wouldn’t necessarily make a ton of sense for a Yankees team that doesn’t need to accumulate dead salary.

New York loses some bargaining power in that it boasts strong catching depth with Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez, so teams across the league are well aware that the Yankees would like to create more playing time for them.

McCann isn’t having a great year entering Sunday with a .235 batting average, 15 home runs and 41 RBI, but he hit a career-high 26 home runs last year and has been among the best run-producing catchers in baseball for more than a decade.

The Yankees may not get much in return, but if they can orchestrate a trade that allows them to get out from under the bulk of his remaining contract, it would be a major step in the right direction as it relates to their retooling efforts.

Rich Hill

Oakland Athletics lefty Rich Hill has been among the most dominant starting pitchers in baseball this season when healthy, but injury issues have clouded his status ahead of the trade deadline.

Hill is on the disabled list due to a blister on his pitching hand, but Heyman reported there is still significant interest in him.

Per ESPN’s Jim Bowden, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons confirmed that his team is keeping tabs on Hill as well as every other starter who is available via trade.

Hill is 9-3 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.09 WHIP this season to go along with 90 strikeouts in 76 innings. The 36-year-old boasts a dominant breaking ball, which has made him a valuable commodity after years of toiling in bullpens across the majors.

The Boston native had four great starts for the Boston Red Sox late last season and parlayed it into a rotation spot with the A’s, and he may have a chance to pitch in the playoffs if he gets healthy and a team takes a risk on him.

While giving up anything for a pitcher with blister issues is a gamble, Hill will be a free agent at the end of the season, which means the monetary and term investment would be minimal.

Hill has had ace-type stuff for the majority of the season when healthy, and if his injury allows him to be had for a discounted price, he could prove to be the biggest steal of the deadline.

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Friday saw us take a look at the best that baseball had to offer in July. Now it’s time to focus on the other end of the spectrum—the worst of the worst.

Appearing on July’s All-Dud team doesn’t mean that these players are, like Donny Kerabatsos, out of their element, only that they’ve found themselves in a horrendous funk that can’t end fast enough.

The same rules that apply to our Team of the Month remain in place here. We’ve picked 10 players—one per position, including a designated hitter and starting pitcher—who have put together forgettable performances over the past 31 days.

Who are the players that can’t wait until the calendar flips to August? Let’s take a look.

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The New York Yankees are remaking their bullpen prior to Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline, acquiring right-hander Tyler Clippard from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman first reported the deal. Joel Sherman of the New York Post noted Clippard, under contract through next season, will serve as the seventh-inning setup man for the Yankees, with Adam Warren and a slate of young arms such as Luis Severino, Chad Green and Brian Mitchell bridging the eighth inning to Dellin Betances in the ninth.

The acquisition of Clippard is an interesting one for New York, which is in sell mode for the first time in decades.

The Yankees traded Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs on Monday, and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported Sunday that New York dealt Andrew Miller to the Cleveland Indians.

Clippard has struggled this season in Arizona. He has a 4.30 ERA, which would be his worst mark in a full season, and he’s allowed seven home runs in 37.2 innings.

The 31-year-old is still missing bats with 46 strikeouts, but the key for him to succeed will be keeping the ball in the park. Left-handed hitters have tattooed him for a .534 slugging percentage in 2016, per Baseball-Reference.com.

The Diamondbacks, who are 43-61 and in last place in the National League West, had no reason to keep Clippard. They also perhaps wanted to dump his $6 million-plus yearly salary.

The Yankees are in an awkward position because they are 52-51 but also loaded with aging players—such as Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia—who likely can’t be moved because they are owed too much money.

It’s a credit to New York general manager Brian Cashman that the club reaped solid returns in the deals for Chapman and Miller. Clippard isn’t going to turn the Bronx Bombers’ fortunes around, but he will provide a veteran relief presence.

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After leaving Saturday’s game against the New York Mets early, Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story is out of the lineup Sunday with a jammed left thumb.

Continue for updates.

X-Rays on Story’s Thumb Come Back Negative

Sunday, July 31

Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post was the first to report Story’s absence, and he added that X-rays on the rookie’s thumb were negative.

The 23-year-old Texas native is enjoying a spectacular season, hitting .272 with a National League-leading 27 home runs and 72 RBI.

He is the clear front-runner for the NL Rookie of the Year Award, and along with Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez, Story gives Colorado one of the most potent and powerful lineups in Major League Baseball.

The Rockies are the hottest team in baseball with a record of 9-1 over their past 10 games, and they have gotten themselves within four games of the second and final wild-card spot in the NL.

They trail the San Francisco Giants by eight games for the NL West lead, so their only hope of sneaking into the playoffs requires them to chase down the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.

Doing so without Story over the long haul seems unlikely, but the fact that X-rays on his thumb were negative suggests that a stint on the disabled list may not be necessary.

Colorado has some depth at shortstop in the form of veteran Daniel Descalso and Cristhian Adames, but Story’s absence takes a huge element of power away from the Rockies’ talented lineup.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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While the official MLB non-waiver trade deadline isn’t until Monday, many teams across the league have already made huge moves in hopes of solidifying their playoff standing or establishing themselves as true World Series contenders.

There may still be some significant deals yet to come, but a few teams have separated from the pack in terms of making improvements and setting the stage for a potentially deep run during the postseason.

As the deadline continues to draw closer, here is a rundown of the organizations that are on the rise and the trades that helped move them up the MLB hierarchy.

Boston Red Sox

In terms of sheer volume, the Boston Red Sox have made the biggest splash on the trade market thus far, acquiring four players for their 25-man roster in four separate deals.

Chief among the additions was All-Star starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz from the San Diego Padres. Boston had to give up a top pitching prospect in Anderson Espinoza in order to land him, but Pomeranz is a lefty in the prime of his career at 27 and adds a much needed arm near the top of the rotation.

One potential concern is that he is over 100 innings pitched this season for the first time in his MLB career, but Pomeranz isn’t concerned, according to Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com: “I feel good. I’ve probably thrown more innings than I have in the big leagues at this point, even the last three, I’m still over that mark. But I feel good. My arm feels good. I don’t think about that too much. I just go out there and try to win the ballgame.”

Along with Pomeranz, trading for reliever Brad Ziegler has already paid dividends. With Craig Kimbrel and Koji Uehara on the disabled list, the veteran has moved into the closer role, which is a spot he excelled in during his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Once Boston’s other relievers return from injury, Ziegler can move into the seventh inning, which will make the bullpen even more dangerous.

Both Aaron Hill and Michael Martinez are smaller additions, but they are capable of playing multiple positions, and that flexibility is key in October.

The Red Sox are far from guaranteed to make the playoffs, but they improved their chances with those four trades, and there is no question that they will be a tough out if they manage to sneak their way in.

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have been among the best teams in Major League Baseball all season long due largely to a potent lineup and deep starting rotation, but the bullpen has been an issue at times, especially in terms of lefty relievers.

That problem was addressed in a big way, as the Cubbies acquired southpaw Mike Montgomery from the Seattle Mariners before surrendering a king’s ransom to net dominant closer Aroldis Chapman from the New York Yankees.

Montgomery is a quality add in terms of providing more options late in games, but the big get is undoubtedly the acquisition of Chapman.

Hector Rondon had been struggling as the closer with four blown saves, but the addition of Chapman allows him to become the setup man, which strengthens Chicago’s pen significantly.

Chapman was dealing for the Yanks to the tune of 20 saves, a 2.01 ERA and well over 12 strikeouts per nine innings, and his ability to consistently hit over 100 mph on the radar gun adds a different dimension to the Cubs.

President of baseball operations Theo Epstein gave up a lot for Chapman, including prized shortstop prospect Gleyber Torres, but he believes it is worth it in order to chase a World Series, per Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune: “Given where we are, if not now, when? Given where we are, when those two perspectives clash—the [long] term and the chance to win now, we’re going to err on the side of chance to win now.”

It has been 107 years since the Cubs won the World Series, and this team seemingly represents one of their best chances to do so in more than a century.

They already have a roster stacked with young talent, which makes it far easier to part with prospects, even if Chapman only turns out to be a rental.

Should trading for him lead directly to a championship, the move will ultimately be well worth it regardless of how good Torres becomes.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays were the unquestioned winners of the trade deadline last season, as they acquired big names such as starting pitcher David Price and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. While this year’s splash hasn’t been quite as big, they have still done well to make much-needed improvements.

It started with a swap of struggling relievers, as Toronto sent Drew Storen to the Seattle Mariners for Joaquin Benoit.

While Benoit has had a poor year, Storen has been even worse. Plus, the 39-year-old veteran previously enjoyed three consecutive seasons with an ERA of 2.34 or better. He has also served in essentially every role over the course of his lengthy career, which should make him an asset down the stretch in support of closer Roberto Osuna.

Perhaps even more significant, though, was the addition of outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. from the Padres.

After three awful seasons in a row, Upton has experienced a career renaissance, boasting 16 home runs and 20 stolen bases at the time Toronto traded for him.

He was once considered a five-tool performer during his time with the Tampa Bay Rays, and although he has fallen off in recent years and still struggles to hit for a high average, he has a varied skill set that should fit well in the Jays’ lineup.

With Jose Bautista and Michael Saunders entrenched, Upton figures to split playing time with Kevin Pillar in center field, although he’ll likely have an opportunity to seize the full-time job if he performs well.

Upton adds much-needed outfield depth at the very least, and his combination of speed and power could come in handy as the playoff battle intensifies.

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All eyes were on New York Yankees closer Andrew Miller as the team teetered on the edge of contention ahead of Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline, and the Bronx Bombers pulled the trigger on a deal that shipped the dynamic reliever to the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and ESPN’s Buster Olney weighed in on the deal:

The Miller trade came shortly after Rosenthal announced the Indians traded for All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy from the Milwaukee Brewers. However, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel‘s Tom Haudricourt reported on Sunday that “Lucroy has exercised his no-trade clause and vetoed [the] trade.”

The Yankees signed Miller to a four-year, $36 million deal prior to the 2015 season, and his $9 million annual salary now looks like peanuts following a superb campaign.

Although the Yankees disappointed last year when the Houston Astros bounced them from the postseason in an American League wild-card showdown, Miller finished his first season in pinstripes with 36 saves and a 2.04 ERA.

Miller’s 36 saves ranked third among AL closers, and the 31-year-old’s 2.3 wins above replacement were the second-most among AL relievers with at least 20 saves, per ESPN.com. As a result, Miller captured the 2015 Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award, despite dealing with a forearm strain that forced him to miss a month.

“To be associated with anything with Mariano’s name on it, probably more than I deserve,” Miller said in October, according to NJ Advance Media’s Ryan Hatch. “Nobody has a better reputation, and especially off the field, than him. It’s something I’ll cherish.”

In 44 appearances in 2016, Miller has posted a 1.39 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 77 strikeouts and seven walks.

Trading Miller on a team-friendly deal after shipping fireballer Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs is a bold move, but it represents a chance to bolster the team’s asset stockpile.

It’s also a vote of confidence in rising star Dellin Betances. The 28-year-old earned his third straight All-Star nod in 2016, and he thrived in a setup role before Chapman came aboard this season and shook up the structure of New York’s bullpen.

As the Yankees’ go-to eighth-inning arm in 2015, Betances recorded a 1.50 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP and 131 strikeouts while tying his career high with a 3.7 WAR. So far this season, Betances has posted a 2.50 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP with 89 strikeouts. Betances is also a more cost-effective option since he’s under team control through 2019.

Considering the Yankees’ World Series aspirations for 2016 have morphed into a pipe dream, selling high on Miller is a prudent long-term move.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless noted otherwise. Salary information courtesy of Spotrac.com.

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As Monday’s MLB trade deadline approaches, a frantic hot stove led to some transactions while setting up intense action during the final hours.

The Washington Nationals started the weekend by announcing the acquisition of closer Mark Melancon, who has notched a 1.80 ERA since joining the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013. Days after the Chicago Cubs paid a premium for Aroldis Chapman, Washington snagged an All-Star reliever at a far more reasonable price.

Later in the day, a team 25 games behind in the National League East standings oddly acquired an expensive veteran. Made official late Saturday night, the Atlanta Braves will receive Matt Kemp from the San Diego Padres for Hector Olivera.

Plenty of players—including one attached to another NL East competitor—continue to frequent the rumor mill. With less than 48 hours remaining to strike a deal, let’s take a look at the latest trade chatter.

Jay Bruce

Like Kemp, Jay Bruce is drawing interest for his power bat in spite of poor defense and a career-low 6.8 walk percentage. Yet the Cincinnati Reds slugger has already belted 25 homers with a .559 slugging percentage, and whoever obtains him can exercise a $13 million club option for 2017.

On Friday, ESPN’s Jayson Stark floated the possibility of a three-team deal sending Bruce to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who rank in the bottom 10 of team slugging percentage. While Stark later squashed the three-team blockbuster, he and Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi both kept the door open for Bruce joining the Dodgers:

The market has intensified after the 29-year-old homered in five straight games, increasing the chances of the Reds receiving a satisfactory offer. On Thursday, per the Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Zach Buchanan, general manager Walt Jocketty said he won’t move Bruce just to look busy. 

“If the value isn’t there for a player, it just doesn’t make sense to trade a guy for the purpose of trading him,” Jocketty said. “Financially, we can hold on to him.”

Per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, the New York Mets have also emerged as a serious candidate:

At this time last year, the Mets nearly landed Bruce for starting pitcher Zack Wheeler, who has yet to return from Tommy John surgery. They instead acquired Yoenis Cespedes, who has since hit 39 homers in 149 games, but they don’t have as much minor league depth to leverage this year. Down 7.5 games in the NL East, they’re also likely fighting for a wild-card spot at best.

Further complicating matters, Bruce is an odd fit on a Mets roster already featuring two left-handed corner outfielders (Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson) and no true center fielder. He makes much more sense for a Dodgers outfield ravaged by injuries, and they have plenty of young talent to spare.

One of the most commonly discussed trade candidates isn‘t a lock to leave Cincinnati, but now is the perfect time for the Reds to convert Bruce into a premium prospect or two.

Derek Norris

The Padres, who have already flipped Kemp, Melvin Upton Jr., Fernando Rodney, Drew Pomeranz and Andrew Cashner, now have their sights set on shipping Derek Norris out of San Diego.

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the starting catcher should start packing his bags:

In his second season with the Padres, the 27-year-old is hitting .193/.253/.360 with an atrocious 63 weighted runs created plus (wRC+), which grades an average offensive contributor at 100. As Norris dives deeper into an offensive tailspin, Austin Hedges is annihilating Triple-A pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Norris’ once-double-digit walk rate has mysteriously vanished, and his strikeout rate has soared to an unflattering 29.6 percent. Yet despite his struggles, Norris’ glove makes him a desirable target for the Texas Rangers and other clubs who miss out on Jonathan Lucroy.

The backstop will also spend the next two years in arbitration, a process that typically doesn‘t properly compensate defense, so he’s an intriguing buy-low candidate. Although the Padres have Hedges waiting and backup Christian Bethancourt as another alternative, the Padres shouldn’t give a young, cheap catcher away for cheap.

Sonny Gray

As the Oakland Athletics fight for fourth place in the American League West, they look poised to sell more aggressively than anyone at the deadline. Yet aside from officially shipping speedy outfielder Billy Burns to the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, they have not yet leveraged their trading chips into a fresh start.

Josh Reddick, Danny Valencia, Rich Hill and Ryan Madson remain top names to watch until Monday afternoon. Oakland could still move those veterans, but starter Sonny Gray is “going nowhere,” according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.

A year removed from posting a 2.73 ERA, the 26-year-old righty has nearly doubled that mark at 5.43. While he continues to spawn strikeouts and ground balls at similar levels, he has already matched last year’s 17 home runs allowed in nearly 100 fewer innings. 

His hard-hit rate has fattened from 25.1 to a career-worst 34.1 percent, and he’s missing fewer bats with a subpar 8.0 swinging-strike percentage. This version of Gray is far from a franchise ace, and that’s precisely why Oakland won’t entertain any low-ball offers.

The San Francisco Chronicle‘s Susan Slusser also claimed that there’s no merit to any speculation of a blockbuster leading up to the deadline:

If the Athletics were ever to trade Gray, they should have entertained the thought when his value peaked last year. Behind his stellar ERA lurked a less-outstanding 7.31 strikeouts per nine innings and a 3.45 fielding independent pitching (FIP).

He probably won’t factor prominently in another Cy Young Award race, but Gray remains too valuable of a young, cost-controlled starter to abandon during his first rough patch.

All advanced statistics courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted. Salary information obtained from Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

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Postseason hopefuls have plenty to gain at the 2016 MLB trade deadline.

The Miami Marlins stand as one of the best examples of what a team looking to make the postseason and proceed to make noise can do—the front office recently acquired Andrew Cashner and other assets in a deal with the San Diego Padres, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.

That’s one way to stick in the playoff race, if not catch the Washington Nationals in the National League East.

Had the Marlins not pulled the move, the team would headline a list such as this. With the expectation these teams want to make the postseason and have a willingness to wheel and deal, here’s a look at franchises in need of an upgrade at the deadline.

Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers need some help on the mound.

One of the best teams in baseball well into the month of June, the proverbial wheels have fallen off a tad, and the Rangers now clutch only a five-game advantage over the Houston Astros in the American League West.

The Texas starters aren’t bad, per se, but it doesn’t help that both Colby Lewis and Derek Holland have hit the shelf with injuries. It makes sense, then, the team would have an interest in a player such as Vince Velasquez of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com revealed the Rangers had reached out to the Phillies, though he noted the team also has interest in Jeremy Hellickson. Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com later noted a deal for Velasquez as unlikely:

Velasquez is all of 24 years old and in the middle of his breakout campaign at a 3.32 ERA with 108 strikeouts. Hellickson is 29 years old at 3.70 and 109 strikeouts, not to mention the cheaper of the two given the upside and contract status of Velasquez, who is under team control through 2021, per Spotrac.

Either way, it’s not hard to see where the Rangers have focused near the deadline. A Cole Hamels-led rotation complemented by Yu Darvish and a host of others isn’t a terrible lineup to trot out, but more talent to make a push couldn’t hurt. Texas has the farm system to swing a solid deal if the right trade partner emerges.

Baltimore Orioles

It’s a neck-and-neck race between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East, with the latter clutching a half-game lead. 

The Orioles, though, have to believe one solid move could put the team in the driver’s seat, as well as make some serious noise in the playoffs.

Said solid move likely involves the pitching staff. To be blunt, the Baltimore starters this year have been nothing short of disappointing. Chris Tillman leads the way with a 3.47 ERA, and that’s as good as it gets. Five more players have started 12 or more games this year and come in at an ERA range of 4.18-7.06.

An offense with three players (Chris Davis, Manny Machado, Mark Trumbo) sitting on 22 or more homers and six players with 13 or more has a way of propping up a struggling staff.

Not in the playoffs. It’s likely why Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball revealed the Orioles have an interest in the Seattle Mariners’ Wade Miley: “The Baltimore Orioles are taking a hard look at Seattle Mariners lefty Wade Miley, sources said. Baltimore has been seeking a starter, especially a left-handed one, for weeks, as it tries to hold on in the tough AL is afternoon with a loss at Toronto.”

Miley is 29 with a 4.98 ERA, 82 strikeouts and a 7-8 record—what could represent an obvious boon for the Orioles considering he’d play with plenty of run support.

From the sounds of it, Baltimore seems eager to land a lefty to complement the rotation. It’s the perfect idea, though Miley might be the last chance.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been a major name on the rumors market for a few days now, and it’s not hard to see why—the close battle with the San Francisco Giants in the NL West has taken its toll.

Namely, injuries have ravaged the pitching rotation most of the season. Clayton Kershaw has performed in an elite manner once again with a 1.79 ERA when healthy, but the rest classifies as so-so.

It’s one reason why Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times penned a column about what Andrew Friedman—the team’s president of baseball operations—could look to buy on the trade market, and it’s rather vast:

By Monday’s deadline, Friedman could come back from trade shopping with an outfielder, a relief pitcher, maybe a reliably healthy arm for the starting rotation. But he has said he is focusing on ‘elite-level players,’ and frankly that ought to mean a starting pitcher for whom seven innings is an expectation, not a celebration.

It really speaks to the quality of the roster in place that the team remains in contention despite the needs. Ditto for the team apparently being comfortable with letting go of Yasiel Puig in a deal, according to ESPN’s Jayson Stark.

Per Stark, the Dodgers had dangled Puig in a potential three-way deal featuring other major names:

With the Dodgers apparently disappointed in one of the team’s biggest names at the plate and unsure how well Kershaw will play upon his return, not to mention whether he can carry the entire staff, the team makes sense as buyers.

All the Dodgers have to do is strike a deal. Or two.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.

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There have already been a number of impact trades in Major League Baseball with Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline quickly approaching, but there are still plenty of rumors as teams look to add last-minute additions before the stretch run.

Teams such as the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates are still in the playoff chase, and critical trades could help swing the postseason race in their favor during the final two months of the season. 

With that in mind, here are some of the latest trade rumors before Monday’s deadline.

Wade Miley Could Be the Southpaw for the Baltimore Orioles

Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, citing sources, reported that the “Orioles are taking a hard look at Seattle Mariners lefty Wade Miley.”

Heyman said the Orioles have been searching for another starting pitcher “for weeks” and would prefer a lefty in particular.

Miley hasn’t been spectacular this season with a 4.98 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 19 starts, but he looked like someone who could help a contender on Saturday during Seattle’s victory over the Chicago Cubs. He threw seven innings and allowed a single hit and run on the afternoon and even had a no-hitter through the initial six innings.

Miley doesn’t have overpowering strikeout stuff with 82 punchouts in 112 innings, but he was on top of his game right before the trade deadline on Saturday. That likely only increased the Orioles’ interest in the southpaw.

Baltimore is in the middle of a tight race with the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox in the difficult American League East, and it could use some help in its starting rotation. Despite its position in the playoff pursuit, it ranks a lackluster 28th in all of baseball in starting rotation ERA, per ESPN.com. 

Miley would address an area of need in a crowded division.

Jay Bruce in Queens?

The New York Mets could use some more offense this season, and it may be coming in the form of Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports cited sources who said the Mets were “continuing to talk to” Cincinnati about the left-handed hitter, although he did caution the trade was “not close.” If it happened, Rosenthal said the Mets would use Bruce in right field, Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson in center and Yoenis Cespedes in left.

What’s more, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com cited a source who said the Mets were still “very involved” in the pursuit of Bruce.

According to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, the Mets also looked at Bruce last year before they eventually acquired Cespedes, so this isn’t new interest. Bruce has been red-hot for Cincinnati lately and had six home runs and 14 RBI in his last six games entering Saturday’s contest against the San Diego Padres.

Going into Saturday’s game, Bruce was slashing .268/.319/.566 with 25 home runs and 80 RBI.

The Mets rank a dreadful 29th in all of baseball in total runs scored, and the lack of offense is one reason they are looking up at the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins in the National League East. 

They added Cespedes last season and bolstered the lineup on the way to the World Series. They may look to replicate that same formula with another power-hitting outfielder in Bruce.

Pirates May Not Be Sellers and Are Pursuing a Starter

The Pittsburgh Pirates traded closer Mark Melancon to the Washington Nationals on Saturday, per an announcement from the Nationals, and appeared to potentially be sellers after the move. But they are reportedly still looking to be buyers.

Rosenthal said Pittsburgh was “trying to get a starting pitcher” and had conversations with “numerous” clubs.

While the Melancon trade could have been seen as a seller type of move, Rosenthal’s report suggested the Pirates aren’t full-on sellers. Pittsburgh is still within striking distance of the National League Central (9.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs) and a wild-card spot (three games back), and another starting pitcher would be a major addition.

The Pirates reached the postseason in each of the last three seasons, but they are on the outside looking in largely because of problems with their starting rotation. They currently rank 22nd in the league in starting rotation ERA, per ESPN.com.

There is plenty of ground to make up in the playoff race, and another starter would improve an area of weakness that has held the Pirates back this year.

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After more than half a century of nothing, the city of Cleveland is nearing a realistic chance of getting two championships in less than a year.

The Cavaliers got it done by winning the NBA Finals, and now the Indians mean business with their pursuit of their first World Series title since 1948. They already have a team good enough for the American League‘s top record, and now it’s circling a catcher who can actually do things.

As Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports was first to report Saturday night, the Indians have an agreement in place to acquire two-time All-Star Jonathan Lucroy from the Milwaukee Brewers. It seems the only thing the deal needs to become official is Lucroy’s willingness to waive his no-trade clause.

Although Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports notes Lucroy has “no apparent reason” not to want to switch sides from a 46-56 Brewers team to a 59-42 Indians team, he does have a leverage play to make. He’s earning $4 million this season with a $5.25 million club option for 2017. He may need the Indians to sweeten the deal for him to say yes.

If the Indians do that, they’ll be out some money in addition to some pretty good prospects. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports young catcher Francisco Mejia is in the deal; according to Rosenthal, so are shortstop Yu-Cheng Chang and outfielder Greg Allen.

Chang and Allen both check in among Cleveland’s top 30 prospects at MLB.com. Mejia, meanwhile, looks like a rising star. He landed at No. 70 on Baseball America‘s most recent top 100, and that may underrate him. The 20-year-old is a switch-hitter who’s currently riding a 42-game hit streak that’s pushed his batting average in 77 games at Single-A and High-A to .344.

But on the bright side, here’s a list of prospects the Indians apparently aren’t giving up, complete with their Baseball America rank:

• OF Clint Frazier (21)
• OF Bradley Zimmer (26)
• LHP Brady Aiken (59)
• 1B Bobby Bradley (64)
• LHP Justus Sheffield (69)

The Indians may not be about to rob the Brewers blind, but they’re not going to get looted, either. They would be keeping arguably all their best prospects and getting a guy who can help in return.

Actually, sorry. That should read “can really help.”

The Indians haven’t been hurting for offense this season, entering Saturday ranked sixth in the AL in OPS and fourth in runs. But their offensive attack has come to a screeching stop whenever the catcher is up. They began Saturday getting a .504 OPS from their catchers, the worst in baseball. 

To this end, trading for Lucroy is like a man on a deserted island being rescued by a luxury cruise ship. The 30-year-old is hitting an even .300 with an .844 OPS and 13 home runs, which is in line with what he was doing at the plate the prior three years.

In between the good hitting was a down year in 2015. Lucroy battled injuries and hit just .264 with a .717 OPS in 103 games, leading to some skepticism about whether he could bounce back. But everything looks good now. He’s been healthy all year and has gotten back to driving the ball. His ground-ball-to-fly-ball ratio has fallen from 1.52 to 1.05, and his hard-hit rate is at a career-best 36.7 percent.

Assuming Lucroy carries this performance over to Cleveland, he would do more than just fill the black hole the Tribe’s lineup has at catcher. His right-handed bat would also help balance out a unit that, Mike Napoli aside, is short on quality right-handed hitting.

Of course, Lucroy could also help the Indians on the other side of the ball.

The other quality he’s known for is his ability to frame strikes. Harry Pavlidis of Baseball Prospectus and Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs have highlighted how Lucroy has been slipping away from his reputation in that department, but he hasn’t yet become bad at it. Baseball Prospectus’ metrics put his framing right around average. StatCorner’s put it safely above average.

Cleveland pitchers haven’t been living with terrible framing in 2016, but it could be better. StatCorner’s metrics claim Chris Gimenez has been good, but Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez have not. And overall, the three haven’t stolen many strikes for their pitchers. According to Baseball Savant, only the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A’s have gotten fewer strike calls outside the zone than the Indians have.

If Lucroy were joining another pitching staff, this wouldn’t be something for other AL clubs to fret over. But this pitching staff? Different story.

With former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer leading the way, Cleveland starters are already first in the AL with a 3.68 ERA. Though Cleveland’s bullpen would look better with another shutdown arm to pair with Cody Allen and Dan Otero, it’s hardly a liability. Its 3.58 ERA is fifth in the AL.

All told, it’s hard to think of the Indians’ trading for another player who could have as profound an impact on their title chances as Lucroy.

And make no mistake: those title chances are already very good. The Indians’ AL-best record is backed up by the AL’s highest run differential. If you look at the current World Series odds at Baseball Prospectus, the American League favorites line up like so:

1. Cleveland Indians: 17.9%
2. Toronto Blue Jays: 8.3%
3. Boston Red Sox: 8.1%

Assuming the trade goes through, odds are Cleveland’s already high number will go even higher. Any team that can hit and pitch as well as the Indians can is a good bet to go far in October. If he were indeed to improve both areas, it’ll be an even better bet.

The city of Cleveland should wait on scheduling the parade, of course. At least until Lucroy actually approves the trade and it goes through. But for now, there’s nothing wrong if anyone in Cleveland wants to start trying out the phrase “Title Town.”

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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