Sometimes, it’s not the blockbuster trade but a seemingly insignificant one that winds up paying the most dividends for a contender down the stretch. 

While the rumor mill is heating up in regards to the biggest names expected to be available as the trade deadline nears, much of the chatter is redundant. There’s only one Cole Hamels, for example, so while there might be a dozen teams that Philadelphia’s ace is linked to, only one is going to get him.

It’s the players whom the rumor mill isn’t paying quite as much attention to that we’ll focus on this week, a group that includes former All-Stars, a future Hall of Fame inductee and some solid but underwhelming veterans.

It’s important to remember that the teams we’d classify as buyers won’t be the only clubs in the running to acquire a given player’s services, so the packages proposed are not only geared toward being fair to both sides, but also to ensure that the seller takes a buyer’s offer over the competition’s.

Additionally, keep in mind that these proposed deals are only ideas and pure speculation. Unless otherwise noted, there’s no indication that any of them have actually been discussed.

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