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MLB The Show 16: The Best Players Who May Move on the Trade Deadline

With over two full months of the season behind us, it's not too early to start thinking about which teams will be selling, and which teams will be buying. Of course, such trades can have an impact on the way we play MLB The Show '16 online, as oftentimes there are a handful of teams most players gravitate towards. So let's take a look at which players are most likely to be sold, and which teams they might end up with, perhaps altering our top choices of teams to choose when playing online.

Yankees

CP Andrew Miller (92 ovr) - Miller's contract could be dispersed elsewhere for the Yankees in 2017 as they reload. Not even a team playing in Yankee Stadium needs two dominant lefty relief pitchers, and they obviously have Aroldis Chapman as well.
Possible Destinations: Baltimore, Toronto, Cleveland, Kansas City, White Sox, Washington, Cubs, St. Louis, San Francisco
Impact on The Show '16: He's probably the most dominant lefty reliever in the game with H/9 and K/9 ratings of 99, a clutch rating of 94, and a break rating of 99.

OF Jacoby Ellsbury (82 ovr) - The Yankees don't need both Ellsbury and Gardner, so moving one would help diversify their lineup.
Possible Destinations: Toronto, Cleveland, Kansas City, Texas, Seattle, Washington, St. Louis
Impact on The Show '16: 90-95 ratings for all speed categories, 84 reaction, and 89 fielding ratings as well. Add to that his ability to get a key hit against right-handed pitching, and he's a guy who can elevate a contender's CF position.

Rays

IF/OF Steven Pearce (81 ovr) - The Rays are a less than average team but don't really need to tear things down; they really just need a fresh season, and to be patient as their division is highly competitive. The best approach they can have is to move some pieces that would sell high right now.
Possible Destinations: Boston, Kansas City, White Sox, Seattle, Miami, St. Louis, San Francisco
Impact on The Show '16: Pearce is a solid all-around contributor on offense with power ratings in the mid 70s and other offensive ratings hovering around the mid to high 60s. He has some defensive versatility, albeit with limited ability, thus he can help add depth to a playoff team's roster.

Twins

CP Glen Perkins (84 ovr) - Left-handed relief pitching is always in demand, and Perkins isn't going to help the Twins any time soon. Perkins should be healthy and pitching with the Twins again this month, and look for him to be dealt as soon as he can demonstrate he's still effective.
Possible Destinations: Baltimore, Toronto, Cleveland, Kansas City, White Sox, Washington, Cubs, St. Louis, San Francisco
Impact on The Show '16: Will likely head to a team who either misses out or passes on Andrew Miller. Perkins has a limited pitch repertoire, but he has strong ratings across the board, most of which range from 71-93.

Astros

OF Carlos Gomez (83 ovr) - Gomez has been awful this year, but Houston will want to get something for him to recoup what they paid Milwaukee at last year's trade deadline. The Astros will look for a team wanting to take a low-risk high-reward deal on a player who will hit free agency at season's end. Even if that doesn't work out, Gomez will be dealt despite his bad 2016 performance.
Possible Destinations: Boston, Cleveland, Kansas City, White Sox, Seattle, San Francisco
Impact on The Show '16: Gomez's clutch rating of 89 and overall speed on the base paths and in CF are sure to help a contender.

SP Doug Fister (83 ovr) - Teams need starting pitching down the stretch, and Fister has a good enough resume and a decent enough 2016 to garner interest from clubs.
Possible Destinations: Baltimore, Detroit or Seattle reunion, Miami, Pittsburgh
Impact on The Show '16: Fister has great control (83) and BB/9 (87), keeps the ball from flying around the yard (64 HR/9, 70 break) and has a similar build to Chris Young -- an imposing addition to a team down the stretch.

CP Luke Gregerson (83 ovr) - Gregerson has always been a reliable arm, and a guy a lot of teams have shown interest in. He is poised to have a better second half, and a better 2017, a year in which he could bring back a compensation pick for whatever team he ends up on.
Possible Destinations: Baltimore, Cleveland, White Sox, Detroit, Texas, Washington, Mets, St. Louis
Impact on The Show '16: Gregerson has solid ratings across the board, most notably 83 H/9, 81/BB9, and a 99 break rating.

RP Pat Neshek (82 ovr) - Neshek is having a very good 2016, and the Astros don’t have much need for a 35-year-old reliever.
Possible Destinations: Baltimore, Cleveland, White Sox, Detroit, Texas, Washington, Mets, Miami, St. Louis
Impact on The Show '16: Neshek could be the most impactful MLB The Show player to be dealt. Imagine a guy with his unique delivery ending up on a contending team; his 64 velocity and 91 break ratings make for a deadly combination, and will make whatever team he lands with a popular choice online.

Angels

CP Huston Street (81 ovr) - Street might be the most likely player to be dealt. He's always been a reliable closer, and there isn't a contending team out there who isn't interested in relief pitching.
Possible Destinations: Baltimore, Cleveland, White Sox, Detroit, Texas, Washington, Mets, St. Louis
Impact on The Show '16: With the majority of his ratings ranging between the mid 70s and a few as high as the 80s -- such as a H/9 of 83 and a break rating of 88 -- Street will become a great late-inning option for a contending team.

Athletics

CP Ryan Madson (84 ovr) - Similar to Huston Street, Madson is a likely candidate to be traded. The big difference with Oakland's brass is they won't settle for a deal unless they feel it can beat the compensation pick they'd receive for holding onto Madson, who's having another great year out of the bullpen. I also don't think Oakland will trade Sean Doolittle as I believe they'll want to use him as a CP to sell later on, increasing his value (the same reason why he wasn't their closer this year -- to keep his arbitration salary reasonable).
Possible Destinations: Baltimore, Cleveland, White Sox, Detroit, Texas, Washington, Mets, Miami, St. Louis
Impact on The Show '16: Solid ratings across the board, most notably his 99 break rating which makes for a nasty change-up.

SP Rich Hill (83 ovr) - There will be suitors for Hill, and his value to Oakland is best served in what they receive in return for him. He might be one of the first dealt now that James Shields was moved to the White Sox.
Possible Destinations: Baltimore, Kansas City, Detroit, Seattle, Miami, Pittsburgh, Dodgers
Impact on The Show '16: Hill has four ratings between 77 and 91 -- Stamina (84), H/9 (77), K/9 (85), and break (91) -- making him a worthwhile addition down the stretch to any contender looking for starting pitching.

Reds

OF Jay Bruce (81 ovr) - Bruce is having a very strong year, and he's a perfect fit for both the Reds and a contender looking for a middle of the order bat. Bruce would bring a nice return for the rebuilding Reds, and his new team would have him for 2017 as well, and could at least receive compensation for him if he did not stay with the new team long-term. Since the Reds likely won't be able to ever move Brandon Phillips (10/5 Rights), Bruce would help the Reds continue down the path of becoming eventual contenders.
Possible Destinations: Cleveland, Kansas City, Seattle, Cubs, St. Louis, San Francisco
Impact on The Show '16: 81 PWR vs R, and a solid defender in RF. Bruce is an underrated player in The Show '16, but look for his rating to increase closer to a Gold Level soon.

OF Billy Hamilton (80 ovr) - The Billy Hamilton experiment hasn't worked, but he still would hold tremendous value for a team in contention that wants to replicate what the Royals were able to do with Terrance Gore and Jarrod Dyson.
Possible Destinations: White Sox, Texas, Mets, Dodgers
Impact on The Show '16: Hamilton is an excellent bunter (99 rating in both) and superb in CF as well with ratings ranging from 83-86 to go along with his 55 arm accuracy. He's also a very popular choice for players online in that he has a 99 rating for all three base running attributes.

Brewers

C Jonathan Lucroy (85 ovr) - Lucroy is far and away the best C available at the trade deadline, and it's very likely he'll be dealt by the Brewers as they stand to gain far more than the compensation pick they'd receive by keeping him. I also don't see the Brewers dealing Braun (no-trade clause), so if they want to get some pieces for next year and beyond, Lucroy is the guy to help them do it. Lucroy is one of those rare catchers who are both strong offensively as well as defensively, and would be an upgrade for the majority of teams in MLB at the C position.
Possible Destinations: Boston, Mets, Cubs, Dodgers
Impact on The Show '16: A patient hitter who can bat just about anywhere in the lineup. Lucroy has CON ratings hovering around 80, and a vision rating a tick higher at 84. He can also play some at 1B, to go along with his 70s and 80s ratings on defense, which could help another NL team with double switching late in a playoff game, for instance.

Diamondbacks

RP Tyler Clippard (81 ovr) - Another dependable reliever with a contract running through the 2017 season. Clippard might not be a piece the Diamondbacks want to continue to build around, and that makes him expendable. It's a buyer's market for right-handed relief pitching, however, so Arizona might stand pat and keep Clippard as well.
Possible Destinations: Baltimore, Cleveland, White Sox, Detroit, Texas, Washington, Mets, St. Louis
Impact on The Show '16: Clippard is one of my personal favorite RP in The Show '16. He has a 98 H/9 rating, 80 K/9 rating, 77 clutch, and 99 break, all ratings which can make for a deadly bullpen option when used appropriately.

Rockies

CL Jake McGee (83 ovr) - There are already a handful of options for lefty bullpen help, but if teams are too stingy to make a deal (Yankees) or perhaps too loyal (Twins), McGee becomes a very dependable option.
Possible Destinations: Baltimore, Toronto, Cleveland, Kansas City, White Sox, Washington, Cubs, St. Louis, San Francisco
Impact on The Show '16: McGee is a nice Show player with a K/9 rating of 85 and a clutch rating of 80. Add to that an 84 in velocity and an 84 break, McGee becomes a very reliable back-end reliever for a team in contention.

OF Carlos Gonzalez (87 ovr) - The timing might be right for the Rockies to finally move Gonzalez who's having a great year for the Rockies. At age 30, Gonzalez will start to see a drop in production, and by a team acquiring Gonzalez this year, they'd have him again for the 2017 season and be eligible to earn compensation for him if he does not re-sign.
Possible Destinations: Cleveland, Kansas City, Seattle, Cubs, St. Louis, San Francisco
Impact on The Show '16: Gonzalez mashes against right-handed pitching (84 CON vs R, 91 PWR vs R), has a clutch rating of 79, and a durability rating of 94. He's a low-risk high-reward type of player, and could be the most sought-after bat during the next six weeks.

SS Jose Reyes (83 ovr) - The Rockies would have to pick up a substantial amount of the salary owed for the 2016 and 2017 season. 2018 is a club option that will undoubtedly be turned down, but I doubt a team takes on Reyes unless they get financial relief to go along with him.
Possible Destinations: White Sox, Washington
Impact on The Show '16: Reyes is a switch hitter with a nice 88 vision rating (tough to strike out, puts the ball in play). He's a solid defender and has some nice speed as well. He'd be a good addition to a handful of contending teams, if the finances make sense.

Padres

SP Tyson Ross (84 ovr) - Ross will likely be dealt as soon as he can demonstrate he's healthy, which should happen just after the All-Star break in San Diego. Ross has been very good the past three seasons, and 2015 was his best yet with 212 Ks and a 3.26 ERA over 196 IP. The Padres should get a nice return for him, and absolutely have to get significantly more than they got for James Shields. The team receiving Ross will get 2017 as another team-control year as well.
Possible Destinations: Baltimore, Kansas City, Detroit, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Dodgers
Impact on The Show '16: Ross has a four-pitch repertoire, including a changeup which will be deadly with his 99 break rating. He has strong ratings across the board, even though his stamina tops out at 77.

SP Andrew Cashner (81 ovr) - The Padres want to deal Cashner, but will there be a taker? Probably, and it will be a team that either passes on or loses out on some of the better options on the market. Cashner is a low risk stop-gap who will be a free agent after the 2016 season.
Possible Destinations: Baltimore, Detroit, Seattle, Miami, Pittsburgh
Impact on The Show '16: Cashner offers a stamina rating of 86 and a nice velocity rating of 83. The rest are average-to-above average ratings making him a decent option to fill out a rotation.

C Derek Norris (80 ovr) - The Padres have other options they want to pursue at C in Austin Hedges and Christian Bethancourt. While they were hoping for a better 2015 from Norris to increase his value, he'll still be dealt to a team hoping he rebounds to his 2013-2014 form, which saw his OPS 50-60 points higher than in 2015, and 150 points higher than it is in 2016.
Possible Destinations: Boston, Detroit, Mets, Cubs
Impact on The Show '16: Norris has an 89 CON vs L rating, a 74 discipline rating, and a 77 clutch rating, but is fairly useless against RHP. He does have a sweet beard though, which should look nice in a new uniform. I wonder if the Show Yankees would make him shave it?!


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