Major League Baseball's Aug. 3 trade deadline is still weeks away, and the standings remain a jumbled mess. Even so, certain contenders and likely sellers are already making plans for that important date on the MLB calendar. That means trade rumors continue to trickle in, especially now that July has arrived. Wednesday is no exception, and you can find the latest dose of trade talk just below.
Surging Marlins may keep Sandy Alcantara off market
The Marlins, at six games above .500 and with a positive run differential, are right now mere percentage points out of playoff position in the National League. As well, they're fresh off a month of June in which they went a sparkling 20-6 and outscored the opposition by 53 runs. That leap up the standings by Miami has implications for the deadline. Specifically, the Marlins, thanks to their current status as contenders, likely won't be buyers at any notable sale, but they may resist the urge to sell, ESPN reports. That's a middle ground that won't exactly improve their odds in a somewhat crowded NL wild-card field, but it does mean – most significantly – that ace and former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, among others, may not be available leading up to the deadline. That's significant, especially considering the "sell" side of the market may be pretty light this time around thanks to the muddled wild-card standings in each league.
Cardinals will listen to offers on Dustin May
The Cardinals are very much in contention despite entering the season in the midst of a rebuild. As is the case with the Marlins above, any kind of aggressive buy leading up to the deadline is probably out of the question. In fact, the Cardinals may be sellers of note even if they remain within hailing distance of playoff position. Right-handed starter Dustin May, who's enjoying a nice renaissance season in St. Louis in terms of underlying performance, velocity and stuff, and health and durability. Signed to a modest one-year guarantee and pegged as a possible trade candidate from the jump, May figures to be of interest in the weeks to come. Speaking of which, here's this report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
"By the end of this month, the Cardinals will entertain trade offers for the right-hander, who is on a one-year deal with a $20 million mutual option. Whether they trade him will depend on where the team is in the standings and the offers they receive, and both of those elements will hinge on his performance."
May turns 29 in early September, and he'll be a "rental" barring the unlikely event that both ends of that mutual option are picked up for 2027.
