Collegiate Times

With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline of baseball nearly upon us, speculation abounds about potential trades.

The current rumors all feature a few particular players, chief among them Carlos Beltran.

The 34 year-old New York Mets right fielder has been connected to many possible trades in the past several days, however, no team seems to be in the lead.

The Mets have been in talks with teams such as the Atlanta Braves, the Philadelphia Phillies, the San Francisco Giants, and the Texas Rangers; however, none of the teams have been willing to trade their players and pick up Beltran’s high salary.

The Mets state that they are not concerned with money as much as getting the best player in return for Beltran, though with what they are paying the right fielder, the money is certain to be a factor.

Beltran’s agent Scott Boras told ESPN.com that Beltran will accept or block trades based on his chance of winning a title with the new team. This was shown when Beltran turned down the Cleveland Indians, who offered to pay his salary and offer a good player to the Mets.

Currently, the two teams to watch in this trade are the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants. Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman states that the Rangers may put forward the best trade offer, while the Giants are a “possible favorite” for Beltran.

B.J. Upton, center fielder for the Tampa Bay Rays, has also been linked to several teams. The Braves, the Cincinnati Reds, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Pittsburgh Pirates have all been involved in potentially obtaining the player, according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman.

The Giants have indicated strong interest in Upton. The Washington Nationals have also been linked to Upton, but have turned down the Rays’ request for pitchers Ross Detwiler and Brad Peacock in return. Another team interested in the outfielder is the Indians. 

No frontrunner has emerged in this deal either.

It is probable that the fate of outfielders such as Upton will not be seen until a top player like Beltran has been traded. Many teams that are interested in Beltran are also in talks with other outfielders, but are likely holding back on other names in the hope of getting a good trade with Beltran.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that once Beltran has been permanently linked with a team, other outfielders will see trade deals come in for them.

While the Rangers want Beltran, they also have their eyes on Heath Bell. 

The closing pitcher for the San Diego Padres has seen interest from the Cardinals, the Reds, the Rangers, and the Phillies, but rumors favor the Rangers and Phillies, both of which have players that would best suit the Padres. In particular, rumors have circulated that the Padres want Phillies pitcher Brody Colvin for Bell.

Another Padres relief pitcher, Mike Adams, has been connected to the Braves, Reds, and Cardinals, among others.        

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Hiroki Kuroda, the top starting pitcher in the trade talks, has seen interest from teams such as the Indians, the Tigers and the Reds. However, the sought-after pitcher has a full no-trade clause in his contract, thus giving him great control over where he goes.

Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman has stated that while the Tigers have made efforts to acquire Kuroda, a source says that he would not want to move to Detroit. Even if the Dodgers manage to find a good deal with a team such as the Indians, Kuroda would still have to accept, thus raising the possibility of high incentives being offered to the pitcher.

The non-waiver trade deadline will end on Sunday, July 31 at 4 p.m., and will likely see many of these players finding new homes.

A version of this article appeared in the Jul 28 issue of the Collegiate Times.