Freddy Peralta, Luis Arraez, and others most likely to be moved at the MLB Trade Deadline — Yahoo Sports

RESOLVING THE LEDGER

The MLB Trade Deadline is officially one week away. We already have one impact trade under our belts, and rumors are swirling around plenty of players across the league, so we asked the Rotoworld Baseball staff to vote on which players they felt were most likely to be moved at the deadline and what it might do to their rest of season value.

Player Most Likely to be Traded at the MLB Trade Deadline

Luis Arraez - 2B, San Francisco Giants (9 votes)

Nine staff members voted for this article, and every single one picked Arraez to be shipped off at the deadline. The reasons are pretty obvious. For starters, the Giants are not a contender, and Arraez is signed to a one-year, $12 million deal. He remains one of the best contact hitters in baseball and is slashing .327/.363/.451 on the season with four home runs, 50 runs scored, 40 RBI, and eight steals. What's more, he has taken his defense to a whole other level this season, not just becoming a competent fielder, but posting an Outs Above Average at second base of 11. That's one of the better marks in the league. Now, he does have a -1 Defensive Runs Saved, so not all metrics indicate he is a great fielder, but he's certainly a far better one than he's ever been. He's unlikely to bring back a major return for the Giants since he will be a two-month rental, but perhaps they could get an intriguing starting pitching prospect back. Arraez's fantasy value would then get a decent boost if he's able to land in a better lineup or better hitting environment. - Eric Samulski

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: Rays, Dodgers, Yankees

Robbie Ray - SP, San Francisco Giants (7 votes)

Robbie Ray is one of the easiest trade candidates to envision this deadline, an expiring contract on a team that has underperformed internal expectations all season. While the 34-year-old's 3.16 ERA is his lowest since his Cy Young-winning season in 2021, the peripherals paint a different picture, led by a 4.81 xFIP. That stems from a K-BB% that has fallen well below his usual standard. Looking at his pitch mix, Ray has leaned on the sinker more this season. It gets fewer whiffs, but it might be aiding his ERA outperformance by inducing weak contact. His home/away splits are the bigger worry for the deadline, as he owns a 2.22 ERA at Oracle compared to a 4.35 mark on the road. The sinker story is interesting, but fewer strikeouts are a net negative in fantasy, and losing a spacious home park will only put more pressure on a declining whiff rate. - Brendan Tuma

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: White Sox, Brewers, Astros, Phillies

Freddy Peralta - SP, New York Mets (7 votes)

There's no question that Peralta has been one of the most disappointing players in the league this season. The Mets traded two well-regarded prospects for his services and expected him to be the front - line pitcher they've sought over the last few years. Instead, his 4.99 ERA is the second-highest among all qualified pitchers. Things don't look better under the hood either. His 22.1% strikeout rate is the worst mark of his career by a wide margin, his fastball doesn't have the same life, his stuff is down across the board, and his slider and curveball shapes have blended together far too often. Yet, don't be surprised if he still has a robust trade market. His very inexpensive $8 million salary this season will be attractive to practically every team, and his long track record of success means he can't continue to be this bad, right? When splitting out for his last handful of starts, his fastball has regained some vertical action, and he's done a much better job at creating distinct shapes between his sweeper and curveball. We've seen him have long bouts of inconsistency in the past before righting the ship, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him do so again once he's with a contender. - James Schiano

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: Dodgers, Brewers, Astros, Phillies

Luke Weaver - RP, New York Mets (5 votes)

There's a chance that Weaver is the best relief pitcher on the trade market. He's in a three-year run of success since converting to the bullpen full time and currently has a career-low 1.93 ERA that came with a 24-appearance scoreless streak between May, June, and July. He allows very little hard contact, strikes plenty of batters out, and doesn't walk many either. Also, the dominance of his changeup makes him excellent against left-handed batters. While he's run into some problems against righties over the last few years, the Mets have helped him adjust his cutter to give it reliable glove-side movement again. It's helped take some pressure off his changeup against them, and he doesn't have a flaw in his profile. There's a chance that some smaller-market teams are slightly scared off by his $12.5 million salary next season, but that's a fair price for a reliever of his caliber. There are a handful of bullpen-needy teams that could go after Weaver to be their closer too, which would do wonders for his fantasy value. - James Schiano

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: Pirates, Cubs, White Sox

Tarik Skubal - SP, Detroit Tigers (4 votes)

Only four of the nine staff members voted for Skubal to be traded, which seems to be reflective of the general odds around the league. The truth is that the Tigers absolutely should trade Skubal. They're 3.5 games out of the Wild Card, but even if they snuck into the playoffs, this is not a World Series contender. Given their arbitration battles with Skubal and their offseason free agent agreement with Framber Valdez, it also seems highly unlikely that Skubal will re-sign with the Tigers in the offseason. Letting arguably the best starting pitcher in baseball leave your team and getting nothing in return would be catastrophic for Detroit. Still, all indications are that the Tigers are not yet ready to "sell" at the deadline. Perhaps a poor week against the Orioles and Athletics...

Freddy Peralta, Luis Arraez, and others most likely to be moved at the MLB Trade Deadline — Yahoo Sports | AIPROPX