With the news of the Rays acquiring shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria from the Marlins, it’s time to start looking at some of the players who could find themselves in a new uniform at some point this season. Most would likely be moved closer to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline but as some teams continue to fall out of the playoff race, they could be inclined to make moves earlier and avoid being forced to settle for less than their asking price. Depending on the landing spots for some of these players, their fantasy value could see a nice increase during the second half. There are likely a number of others out there who could find themselves on-the-block, but we won’t know for sure until teams really start to tip their hand as sellers rather than buyers.

Catchers

Welington Castillo, BAL – The Orioles haven’t declared themselves as seller yet, but they are gradually falling out of contention in the AL East. Castillo’s current deal has a $7M player-option, but that probably isn’t enough to scare potential suitors in need of some veteran help behind the dish. There are some injury concerns, but he continues to hit fairly well and still has some good pop left in his bat.

Alex Avila, DET – His injury history is well-documented, but the 30-year old has handled himself extremely well here in his second tour with the Tigers. He’s currently batting .325 with 10 home runs and 27 RBI and is on a very affordable one-year, $2M deal. Teams looking to rent a veteran catcher will likely come calling soon.

First Basemen

Eric Hosmer, KC – He’s on a one-year, $12.25M contract and the Royals don’t want to risk losing him at the end of the season for nothing. They probably won’t look to make a move until closer to the deadline as they are still in contention in the AL Central, but as soon as they see the right opportunity, they’ll look to move the three-time Gold Glove winner. They can always try to re-sign him in the offseason if they really want him back.

Yonder Alonso, OAK – His newfound power stroke is certainly making him a much more attractive option to teams looking to add power in the form of a left-handed bat. If this new approach at the plate continues to produce over the next month, the A’s should have plenty of offers, particularly from AL teams who could slot him at DH in addition to getting some first base work out of him.

Lucas Duda, NYM – He’s another left-handed power bat who could find his way to an American League team looking to beef up their 1B or DH spot. He’s on a one-year, $7.5M deal which is certainly reasonable, but he’s more likely a rental for anyone who finds themselves interested.

Second Basemen

Ian Kinsler, DET – He’s got a partial no-trade clause which eliminates 10 teams of his choosing, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t waive it either if the right team came calling. There isn’t a huge market for second baseman right now, but given his current deal, any team that trades for him would also have him locked in for 2018 at a fairly reasonable $10M.

Jed Lowrie, OAK – He’s got versatility around the infield and has a contract that expires at the end of the season. The A’s are looking for a way to open things up for some of their youngsters in the second half, so look for them to be somewhat aggressive once they fold up their tents for the season.

Yangervis Solarte, SD – This might be a longshot as the Padres signed him to a two-year extension in January 2017 and he is currently on the DL with an oblique issue. Still, his versatility could make him a coveted target, though fantasy owners may want him to stay in San Diego as a move elsewhere could push him into a potential utility role.

Third Basemen

Mike Moustakas, KC – He’s in the final year of his two-year, $14.3M deal and just like with Hosmer, the Royals don’t want to be stuck losing him for nothing. His 19 home runs have made him significantly more appealing to potential suitors and most people continue to point towards the Yankees who have a declining Chase Headley manning the hot corner. If he continues to hit well, though, a number of other teams are expected to get involved.

Todd Frazier, CHW – He’s been a trade candidate since the season began and everyone expects the White Sox to start selling off parts sooner than later. Frazier has certainly helped increase his stock with a resurgent June, but there are so many holes in his game right now that the White Sox may have to wait until closer to the deadline in order to maximize their return.

Shortstops

Zack Cozart, CIN – He’s increased his trade stock in a major way this season as he is still slashing .320/.404/.562 with a .242 ISO here at the end of June. He’s also a rock-solid defender and a free agent at the end of the year, so he could either prove to be a solid rental or, for some teams, a potential longer-term option if an extension is negotiated. Of course, given the potential of a career offensive output, he may just want to test the market on his own.

Asdrubal Cabrera, NYM – When he was asked to move off shortstop, Cabrera immediately requested a trade. Of course, that’s likely just an excuse as the veteran would much rather go to a contender than stay with a rebuilding Mets club unlikely to make a playoff run this year. While there might not be a huge market for shortstops right now, there’s no question that, for the right team, he could move to second or third base anyway.

Outfielders

J.D. Martinez, DET – He’s likely to be the most-coveted outfielder on the trade market once the Tigers declare themselves sellers on the year. Despite opening the season on the DL, Martinez is now slashing .294/.380/.622 with 12 home runs over just 166 plate appearances, but the Tigers are looking to get younger moving forward. His deal ends at the end of the season and he will likely provide the best return in a deal, so look for the Tigers to aggressively shop him once they feel their chances of a resurgence this season are over.

Lorenzo Cain, KC – Yet another veteran player whose contract is up at the end of the season and would bring back a pretty solid return. The 31-year old remains a strong power/speed threat despite a lengthy injury history and the Royals are going to looking to turn their roster over and get younger. Plenty of contending teams will be looking for outfield help, especially one who can handle the real estate in center field.

Marcell Ozuna, MIA – This is a bit of a longshot here as the Marlins still have another two years of control over Ozuna who is just 26-years old and in the middle of a breakout campaign. However, we all know the Marlins have no problem dealing off a variety of players and since Ozuna’s arbitration clock started earlier than they would have liked, they might prefer to bring in a slew of prospects in return rather than be forced into paying a steep price for him when they sit down at the arbitration table in the offseason.

Matt Kemp, ATL – This would only happen if the Braves were looking to dump salary as Kemp is still owed $21.5M through 2019 and could find someone willing to take on a significant part of his contract. Of course, given the fact that they took him off San Diego’s hand during the Padres’ salary dump and have gotten some sweet production out of him this year -- .320-12-35 – they may not really care about shedding the salary.

Jay Bruce, NYM – He’s pretty pricey and it’s doubtful the Mets will eat any of the salary, especially considering he’s in the final year of his contract and would be just a rental for most teams. Still, he’s a lefty power bat with 20 home runs right now, so should any contenders suffer injuries to their outfield, Bruce might prove to be a proper replacement in the short-run.

Andrew McCutchen, PIT – While the Pirates said they weren’t shopping McCutchen anymore during the offseason, they’ve re-visited the discussion once again as the 30-year old is absolutely raking here in the month of June. We’re talking a .380 average with six homers and 20 RBI which includes a massive reduction in his strikeout rate. He’s growing more and more attractive as the season progresses, but the Pirates could get even more aggressive if they’re concerned of a drop-off prior to the deadline.

Seth Smith, BAL – Who doesn’t want a lefty-swinging, 20-homer role-player? Smith won’t require a major investment for any team looking to acquire some outfield depth, so if the Orioles end up as sellers on the market, he could draw significant interest.

Starting Pitchers

Jose Quintana, CHW – He’s the White Sox No. 1 trade chip, despite his continued struggles here in the first half. No one has really been able to pinpoint exactly what’s wrong with him, so perhaps the fact that he knows he’s being aggressively shopped is wearing on him. The hope is that he goes to an NL team with a pitcher-friendly park, but really…anything away from the South Side of Chicago should be an improvement.

Chris Archer, TB – The Rays aren’t exactly shopping him as he is still under control through 2021 at $30.25M after this season, but should they fall out of contention, they will certainly listen to offers. The asking price is going to be crazy steep, but considering how many teams are in need of rotation help, someone could make Tampa an offer they can’t refuse.

Sonny Gray, OAK – The A’s were actually thinking about dealing him last year, but his horrendous 2016 campaign killed any of his potential trade value. He’s hit a few bumps in the road this season, but has also performed quite well at times and has jacked up his strikeout rate significantly. His FIP and xFIP indicate he’s pitching better than his 4.45 ERA, so expect the A’s to kick the tires on a few deals and see what they can get.

Gerrit Cole, PIT – It depends on how much the Pirates believe in him as a potential front-line starter. He’s under team control through 2019 which makes him an attractive option, but the Pirates asking price is likely to be pretty high. Look for his name to surface in the trade rumors closer to the deadline as the Buccos look to re-tool for next year and beyond.

Alex Cobb, TB – He’s had his troubles this year and is still in need of honing his changeup, but Cobb is a free agent at the end of the season and the Rays will likely move him just so they don’t lose him for nothing. Neither the 4.05 ERA nor the 1.39 are particularly attractive, but someone looking for back-end rotation help could make the Rays a decent enough offer to land him sooner than later.

Jason Vargas, KC – Nothing like a mediocre pitcher having a career year during the final season of his contract. As the Royals start to fall out of contention and start unloading their potential free agents, Vargas is likely to garner plenty of attention on the trade market. This has all the earmarks of being the pitcher-equivalent to when Adrian Beltre tricked the Mariners into paying through the nose, but that won’t matter to fantasy owners just looking to reap the benefits for this fantasy season only.

Relief Pitchers

David Robertson, CHW – One of the most-likely closers to be trade this season, Robertson has been shopped around by the White Sox for some time. The Nationals almost picked him up in the Adam Eaton trade but the asking price was way too high according to sources. Still, the team is expected to dump him in their highly-anticipated fire sale and the market for closers remains pretty strong given the struggles of so many. He’s not exactly lights-out, but should be able to solidify the bullpen for a number of contenders. Of course, there’s always the risk that someone grabs him to be a set-up man, but he probably stands the best chance of retaining closer status of all the relievers who should be available.

Kelvin Herrera, KC – He’s another reliever the Nationals were looking at to serve as their closer, but considering he’s excelled predominately as a set-up man, a change in teams could spell the end of his saves work. The Royals aren’t in a huge rush to deal him though as he is under team control through 2018, but if the deal is right and the rebuild is in full motion, a healthy return could convince them to ship him out.

A.J. Ramos, MIA – He’s also under team control through 2018 and has 72 saves over the last two seasons, but given the struggles this season and the excessive walk rate, the Marlins could look to move him and get a little younger. He’s probably not an ideal target considering the price tag is expected to be fairly high, but there are plenty of teams in need of bullpen help.

Addison Reed, NYM – With the absence of Jeurys Familia, Reed has proven more than capable of working the ninth inning for any potential trade partners. His strikeout rate is solid and while he’s had a bit of a problem with the long ball, his 2.82 ERA and 1.15 WHIP make him a fairly attractive option. From a fantasy standpoint, though, he is a strong candidate to return to a set-up role rather than stay in the ninth.

Brandon Kintzler, MIN – He’s been a fantastic asset for the Twins and if they stay in contention this year, the club could just opt to keep him. Of course, that puts them at a significant risk to lose him for nothing as he’s a free agent at the end of the year. There’s not much in the way of strikeouts, but his ground ball tendencies make for an attractive option for any contending teams in need of late-inning bullpen help.

Justin Wilson, DET – He’s done a great job for the Tigers since taking over as their closer and he’s got a steadily climbing strikeout and swinging-strike rate. He’s also making just $2.7M this season and has another year of arbitration control which makes him even more attractive to potential trade partners. Should the Tigers look to start up a fire sale, he could fetch them a decent pair of prospects in return.

Brad Brach, BAL – He’s done an outstanding job serving as the Orioles closer in the absence of Zach Britton and if the team decides they don’t want to trade any of their core players, they could get a decent return for Brach given the always generous market for relievers. It’s not a priority for the team, but if they want to try and build up their farm system, they wouldn’t be upsetting the balance of their team by dealing him.

Tony Watson, PIT – He’s lost significant value since he lost the closer’s job, but there’s always a market for left-handed relievers. If he can right the ship over the next month, his $3.45M deal, which expires at the end of the year, makes him a decent rental for most teams.

Pat Neshek, PHI – The 36-year old right-hander has been lights-out again, posting a 0.59 ERA and 0.78 WHIP, and reports out of Philly say there are a number of teams with offers on the table for him. Despite serving as the current closer for the Phillies, he’ll likely stay a set-up man for any team that trades for his services.

Brad Hand, SD – A trade would actually kill Hand’s fantasy value as he is next in line for saves in San Diego (Brandon Maurer has been terrible) and would almost certainly serve as a set-up man for almost any other team looking to shore-up their bullpen. If you’re in a league that scores holds, then it doesn’t matter where he lands as he’ll certainly rack up more than his fair share while supplementing your fantasy teams strikeouts total.

Ryan Madson, OAK – The A’s will eventually start selling off their most-valued commodities and with the 36-year old right-hander’s current 4.67 K/BB and 2.45 ERA, he is going to land them at least one good prospect in return. It’s doubtful he closes anywhere else, though he could find himself in-line for saves should his new team suffer a rash of injuries.

Sean Doolittle, OAK – Again, a lefty reliever on the trade market is sure to land a decent return and with Doolittle’s experience closing as well, he could prove to be a valuable commodity for a number of teams in need of bullpen help. It’s doubtful he closes, but if you need holds, the southpaw should continue to rack them up for any potential new teams.