With one singular trade deadline -- July 31 -- in Major League Baseball this year, front offices will be feeling added pressure over the next two weeks. Not having the ability to add a veteran or two in August may force teams to make more moves or larger moves than in the past, because they have only one shot to acquire the talent they think they need to make a postseason push.
Larger, multi-player deals mean higher prices. You want Marcus Stroman? Maybe you need a reliever too. What about Stroman and Giles? That's going to cost you. Need a slugger and a closer? You can probably get Jose Abreu and Alex Colome, but at what expense?
The most valuable commodities over the next few weeks are young, controllable players. With free agents wanting more money and owners wanting to pay less, the pre-arbitration player is the best asset to both sell and acquire.
With that in mind, here are some important names that could be on the move come July 31. Please note, proximity to the majors is key for this exercise. There could be a stud Single-A arm moved, but I am looking for the prospect that could be traded and still make an impact for their new team and yours in 2019.
Kyle Tucker, OF, Houston Astros
Tucker might be the ultimate change-of-scenery prospect at this point. The fifth overall pick in 2015 has hit well at almost every stop since turning pro. I say almost every stop because he hit .141 in 28 games with the Astros last season. He has had an up-and-down campaign in 2019, with the most current stretch representing more down than up. He is still a consensus top-20 prospect, if not higher, with an above-average bat and the ability to play all three outfield positions, but probably more suited for right field. The Astros have passed on calling him up a number of times this season and have a full complement of outfielders. He would probably be an immediate starter for any team that would be selling to the Astros.
Deivi Garcia, SP, New York Yankees
Garcia has been a fast riser in 2019. After starting the season with Single-A Tampa, he finds himself starting for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and on the precipice of pitching for someone's major league team. That could very well be the New York Yankees that currently employ his services. Or it could be someone else like the other New York team, which has an impact veteran starter who might entice the Bronx Bombers more than the unproven 20-year-old with size concerns. I actually think Garcia has a better chance of making the show with the Yankees in 2019 than another team that might be more interested in suppressing service time in a presumably already lost season.
Will Smith, C, Los Angeles Dodgers
A little bit like Garcia with the Yankees, Smith is a valuable trade chip to the Dodgers but also represents a potential upgrade at a position of need. Austin Barnes continues to be a fine defensive catcher, but provides nothing at the plate. He has posted a wRC+ of 69. Smith captured the attention of Dodgers fans with an explosive nine-game cameo that featured three home runs, including two walk-offs. He has become an everyday catcher and could be what the Dodgers need. There is not much out there on the open market. That said, if Los Angeles could use Smith to strengthen another position in the short term, they have another potential long-term solution at catcher in Keibert Ruiz. Smith left Wednesday's game after being hit on the wrist. The result of that could potentially be a game-changer in a number of ways.
Nick Gordon, SS, Minnesota Twins
Another fifth-overall selection on this short list, the younger Gordon is poised to become the latest in his family to reach the majors following in the footsteps of his father, Tom, and brother Dee. That said, it looks like the one-time shortstop of the future for the Twins may be making that debut for someone else. Jorge Polanco is an All-Star. Royce Lewis was the first pick in the 2017 draft. There is also "the other Wander," Wander Javier, who received $4 million to sign as a teenager; although he has struggled with heath and production issues. Gordon is closer to the majors than Lewis or Javier, hitting .287/.329/.447 this season for Triple-A Rochester. He lacks over-the-wall power, but still has 29 extra-base hits. Though he has just average speed, he is a savvy runner and can play defense on both sides of the bag at second. Just because he may be the third or fourth shortstop on Minnesota's organizational depth chart does not mean he wouldn't be the first in a number of other orgs.
Insert A Name, SP, Atlanta Braves
Go ahead. Pick out your favorite Braves pitching prospect if your team is selling, or your least favorite if you're a Braves fan looking to acquire another proven piece. Kolby Allard. Kyle Wright. Bryse Wilson. Ian Anderson, if you want to get really crazy. Even with the signing of Dallas Keuchel, the National League East-leading Braves are rumored to be kicking the tires on additional starting pitching as well as other pieces. They have the arms to get pretty much any they want and the flexibility to make a blockbuster deal for a young ace like Stroman all the way to the marginal upgrade for a veteran like Jordan Lyles. In any event, almost all of the Braves' arms have been exposed to the majors with varying degrees of success. Anderson is the exception to this. He is also the one I would hold on to, and I assume the Braves would as well.