This week, we ranked the best starting pitchers who could be traded before the MLB trade deadline. This added to our extensive board list of players most likely to be traded between now and August 2 that is set to alter MLB odds.
Now it’s time to rank the best-position players who are still available and determine which team they would be best on.
Sources say that the best matches are teams that have shown interest in a particular player or make sense as possible trade partners.
Trey Mancini, OF/DH, Orioles
Age: 30
Mancini is the most popular player on the Orioles, and no amount of money will make their fans happy. Sources say that after this season, he will turn down his part of a mutual option for 2023 and become a free agent.
Since they did not extend his contract, the Orioles have no choice but to trade him before the deadline. Mancini is best at first base but can also play corner outfield and designated hitter (DH). In his career, Mancini has hit.272 with 28 home runs and 81 RBIs for every 162 games.
He beat cancer and is one of the most respected players the Orioles have had in recent years. It will be interesting to find out where he goes.
Don’t miss to read: Filling the hole left by Calvin Ridley
Anthony Santander, OF, Orioles
Age: 27
Santander is under the Orioles’ control until 2024, but I’ve heard they would trade him for a good package of prospects. He hit 20 home runs in 2019, 11 in the shortened season of 2020, 18 in 2021, and 13 in his first 232 at-bats this year.
This season, his most significant change has been that he can now go for walks. He has 29, which is the most he has ever had and should make him more valuable in trades.
Willson Contreras, C, Cubs
Age: 30
The Cubs haven’t been able to sign Contreras to a long-term deal, and he will be a free agent at the end of the season. Their best bet is to trade him before the deadline and try to re-sign him in the offseason.
Contreras, who can sometimes play catcher, DH, first base, and left field, will be interesting to several teams in the hunt. So far, this is the best offensive season of his career. He is seventh in the National League in OPS and seventh in on-base percentage (.383) (.883).
Even though the two-time All-Star will be a rental, the Cubs should get a lot of promising players in return.
Josh Bell, 1B/DH, Nationals
Age: 29
Bell can hit with both hands, making him more valuable to trade for teams with many right-handed players. Last season, he cut. Last year, he hit 261/.347/.476 with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs, and this year he is on track to match or beat those numbers.
Bell is well-liked in the clubhouse and brings good energy to the park. He is better defensively at first base now and can play there full-time, be the designated hitter (DH), or do both. After this season, Bell will be a free agent, but a strong team will benefit a lot from his potent bat.
Bryan Reynolds, CF, Pirates
Age: 27
Reynolds started the season slowly, hitting.194 in April and.224 in May. Since the start of June, though, he’s been on fire, hitting.370/.407/.603 with four home runs and ten RBIs. At 27, he is just starting his best years, and he won’t be able to leave the team until after the 2025 season.
This makes him more valuable as a trade piece. The Pirates would rather keep Reynolds, but he is the most wanted outfielder on the market, so they are open to offers. Someone must think about trading the 2021 All-Star to beat them ultimately.
Andrew Benintendi, LF, Royals
Age: 27
Benintendi won the American League Gold Glove for left fielders last year and is expected to compete for it again this year. He is in the 65th percentile of all outfielders in terms of Outs Above Average.
This week, his batting average dropped below.300, but he’s still getting on base at 36% of the time. He knows his best role is to make traffic at the front of the line-up and stop runs with his leather.
Benintendi will be a free agent at the end of the season, and if the Royals can’t sign him back, they should trade him before the deadline.
