General managers in both leagues might have gotten a few days out of the office, but that hasn't kept them from texting, emailing or calling to talk trades during the All-Star break. And the trade buzz has indeed begun to pick up.
Braves pitcher Julio Teheran, Yankees reliever Andrew Miller and Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez are all considered to be on the trade block, but a few MLB execs told me they think their respective teams will hang on to their valuable assets, at least until this offseason. Hearing that, I set out to identify which players are most likely to be traded before this year's deadline. Here are six names that regularly came up:
1. Rich Hill, LHP
Oakland Athletics
2016 stats: 9-3, 2.25 ERA, 1.09 WHIP
Many league execs feel that Hill is the best starting pitcher available. He looked good late in 2015 for the Red Sox, and the A's believed in it enough to sign him to a one-year, $6 million guaranteed deal, which now looks like one of the best signings of the 2015-16 offseason. Oakland is now in position to turn a little more than two months of Hill into two good players or prospects. The Red Sox, Marlins, Tigers, Cubs, Royals and Rangers have all inquired about him, and A's execs Billy Beane and David Forst won't be afraid to stretch the trade discussion to the deadline unless a team wants to overpay to acquire Hill between now and then.
2. Aroldis Chapman, LHP
New York Yankees
2016 stats: 17 saves, 0.95 WHIP