Below is a team by team snippet of where each team stands. I address them in current order of the standings. Remember the draft is in one week—don’t expect block buster trades until after that. The trade deadline is 4PM ET, Friday, July 30.
Chicago White Sox—Injuries the Madrigal, Jimenez and Robert have not derailed them. The phenomenon that was Yermin Mercedes appears done. Thus, they might be in the market for a DH. However, Jimenez and Robert might be back before season’s end. I don’t see this team collapsing at the end no like they did last year. I’m pencilling them in as division champion right now.
Cleveland Baseball Team—Like the Rays, injuries to pitchers have made pitching a need if they are going to contend for the playoffs. They always need outfielders, seeing as it’s a need they have not addressed adequately for three years now. Naylor going down with an ankle fracture that required surgery did not help. They just got Franmil Reyes back from injury, but Jose Ramirez is day to day with a hamstring injury. Those can end up nagging for a while, so it bears watching. If he ends up out for an extended period, the most interesting thing about their season might be what they end up naming themselves.
Detroit Tigers—They aren’t ready to contend, probably next year as well as this year. I thus do expect them to be sellers, but do not expect any kind of fire sale. Jonathan Schoop seems to live in the trade rumor mill. Boyd and Grossman might find new homes too.
Kansas City Royals—Some looked at this team’s young pitching staff’s potential and saw a sleeper contender. Instead that staff is taking its lumps. The team appears set to ride with that and chalk it up to learning under fire. They would probably love to trade Jorge Soler and Hunter Dozier, but both have played their value into oblivion. Carlos Santana and Danny Duffy could be moved, and both moves would make Royals fans unhappy.
Minnesota Twins—They get my vote for most disappointing team. They’ve had multiple health issues. They also have the following players who will all be free agents at the end of the season: Nelson Cruz, Andrelton Simmons, Michael Pineda, JA Happ, and Hansel Robles. The Twins will have to make some hard decisions, like giving up on a season in which they thought they could repeat as division champs. Every one of those players could bring back value in trades. Also, Jose Berrios’ name has shown up in trade rumors as the most desirable pitcher not named Scherzer that might become available. Sorry, happytwinsfan. As a Rays fan, I’d like to place an order for Cruz and Berrios, please. (I can dream, can’t I?)
Fan Interference 
Hey, but the Tigers are a lot more fun to watch than anticipated this season. Miggy is sure to hit the big milestones and we’ve gotten so unexpected bonuses (read: Baddoo). I would love for them to keep Schoop and Grossman. Our other 1B options didn’t work out great and the outfield could still use Grossman’s experience. Paper is happy with whatever outcome that keeps Goodrum off the field regularly. I like him, but yeah, the rookies are really significant improvements. We’re finally starting to shed some of the guys who weighed us down (Greiner, Jones) — but I’m still hoping for final cuts for Buck Farmer and Joe Jimenez. We’d be better by subtraction then.
I’m starting to feel like we can end the season with a respectable .500 average. Woo!
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You can have Cruz for a pitching prospect. We’ll just re sign him after the season. But you can’t have Berrios because that would mean giving up on next year.
Or how about this: you can have Cruz for bag of baseballs but you have to take Sano too.
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I’d send a prospect rather than take Sano.
I agree trading Berrios would be dumb (a team that needs pitching trading one of their few good pitchers is a pretty good definition of insanity), but the rumors have cropped up.
I was speaking with a Twins fan friend of mine today. He was unhappy with my suggestion of trading Cruz to the Rays—until I told him the Twins could get him back as a free agent in the offseason. The Rays don’t do bidding wars.
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