MLB Betting Advice: Trades that Could Impact Bettors

by Trevor Whenham - 6/27/2018

The calendar is about to turn to July. That means that baseball trade season is about to fire up in a big way. July is when top teams spend too much to try to fill their gaps and bad teams give up on their season and hope to build a brighter future. As always, this promises to be a very interesting July, with a good mix of stars and role players available. It should also be an interesting market because, especially in the American League, the playoff teams are clear, but they will all be looking to get as strong as they can for what will be a brutally-tough postseason. Here's a look at eight of the most interesting trade storylines heading into this key month with an eye on what they could mean for bettors:

Manny Machado, SS, Orioles: This is obviously the biggest prize. Machado is a top-flight superstar. And despite playing for a truly awful team, he is having yet another amazing season. He has moved back to shortstop for his long-term interests, but the ability to play the left side of the infield only increases his value. He's a star, he has to be hungry to be out of the mess that is Baltimore right now, and he is going to command a serious price. Whichever team gets him will be significantly better.

Top pitchers: A pitcher who can reliably settle into a starting role and perform well down the stretch is a major asset, and several teams could use one. The Yankees are one of those teams, so the prices are sure to go high here. The two biggest names here are J.A. Happ, who has somewhat surprisingly turned into the legitimate ace of the Blue Jays, and Cole Hamels. They are both older lefties, so they are not likely long-term additions for any team, but the two of them could step into any rotations and fairly reliably do their job.

Mike Moustakas, 3B, Royals: The prime option at the hot corner this year was supposed to be Josh Donaldson of the Jays, but the former MVP has had a disastrous season. Between multiple injuries and lousy play when he has found the field, his value has disappeared - and now he has been hurt again. That leaves Moustakas as the prize here. Moustakas is hitting well this year, he makes less than $6 million, and he only has a small option for next year that isn't likely to be exercised. Production at low risk - and he has World Series experience. He'll command a serious market.

Wilson Ramos, C, Rays: For teams that need a catcher, Ramos is probably the most reasonable option. The Rays are cooked, Ramos has a manageable contract, and he is hitting very well. He is an ideal rental. The only guy who would perhaps be more attractive is J.T. Realmuto of the Marins. He is very cheap - less than $3 million - and he is under team control for two more years. But that control and his youth - he's only 27 - make him someone that even the insanely stupid Marlins should keep around. The price would be very high to grab him, so if a team does manage to secure Realmuto you can be sure that they are serious contenders.

Closers: The market got off to a surprisingly early start when the Nationals grabbed Kelvin Herrera from the Royals. Herrera has been to two World Series, and he is pitching as well as ever this year. It's surprising, then, that the price was reasonably mild - two mid-level prospects and an underwhelming arm. That could keep prices reasonable for other guys who are solid but not quite as good as Herrera. On this list would be guys like Brad Hand of the Padres and Raisel Iglesias of the Reds. A closer can make a big difference to a contending team, so these are guys to watch.

Relievers: Guys who can bridge the gap between the starters and the closers are always valuable, and teams can't have too many. Every team that is out of things likely has at least one serviceable arm that could be had, and teams like the Blue Jays have several. Brad Brach of the Orioles and Joakim Soria of the White Sox are two guys that stand out here. These are the kind of guys who are never the headline moves, but they can have big impacts on their teams.

Filler rotation arms: Not every team can get a Happ or a Hamels or wants to pay the price for them. There is no shortage of lower-level, more-affordable guys who could burn some innings at a reasonable price. Among the long list of potential guys in this group are Craig Stammen and Kirby Yates of the Padres, Nate Jones of the White Sox, Jaime Garcia of the Jays, Mychal Givens of the Orioles, Keone Kela of the Rangers, Shane Greene of the Tigers, and Kyle Barraclough of the Marlins.

Old dudes: I'm just fascinated that these two guys are not only still alive and breathing but could conceivably add something to a contender. I'm talking, of course, of Adrian Beltre and Bartolo Colon. Beltre is 39, and at 45 Colon is one of the very few pro athletes older than me. They are both far from their peaks and probably wouldn't make postseason rosters for most contenders, but as veteran voices at reasonable prices they could be worth a look.

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MLB Betting Advice: Trades that Could Impact Bettors

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