One prime trade target for every MLB team

Arizona has been surprisingly competitive this season, just two games out of the wild card. The losses of young starters Luke Weaver and Jon Duplantier leave the team with a need at the end of the rotation, and Vargas can likely be had from the Mets at minimal cost after upsetting the front office with his behavior toward the media. The lefty's 3.66 ERA should help, and the reloading Diamondbacks won't have to use their top prospects to get him.

Atlanta addressed the starting rotation by signing Dallas Keuchel, but the bullpen could still use some work after Anthony Swarzak went on the injured list and A.J. Minter's continues to struggle. Luke Jackson has been good in the closer role, but the Braves have been patchwork late in games at times. Giles has been shaky during his career in the playoffs, but the Blue Jays closer has a 1.20 ERA and 52/8 K/BB in 30 innings this year.

O's GM Mike Elias came over from Houston in the offseason, so he knows the Astros roster well. Baltimore is in a major rebuild and also in a position to take a chance on high upside players. White has struggled this season (.654 OPS), but he produced an .888 OPS in 237 plate appearances last year. Yordan Alvarez could find a home at DH with White out of the way, and the Astros could also potentially promote top outfield prospect Kyle Tucker.

Pomeranz has been inconsistent for the Giants this season, but he started to find himself in June with a 3.33 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 24.1 innings. The lefty's velocity has returned after he struggled to stay healthy last season, and Boston is in need of a fifth starter, especially with Nathan Eovaldi headed to the bullpen when he returns from injury. Boston is quite familiar with Pomeranz, as he pitched for the Sox from 2016-2018.

The Cubs already signed Craig Kimbrel to help fix their bullpen, but their pitching moves might not be over yet. The bullpen has been their Achilles' heel with a 4.29 ERA, and Brad Brach looks like he's pitching himself off the team with a 5.91 ERA and 25 walks in 35 innings. Hudson is doing a nice job as Toronto's setup man this year, with a 2.79 ERA and more than one strikeout per inning, and the pending free agent would fit in nicely at minimal cost.

Major arm injuries have been rampant for the White Sox starters, as the team has lost Michael Kopech and Carlos Rodon to Tommy John surgery recently. The White Sox are still close to being ready for contention but could use an effective innings eater or two behind Lucas Giolito. After missing most of last season with arm trouble, Samardzija has been effective again for the Giants this year with a 4.32 ERA over 91.2 innings. The former Cub is owed nearly $20 million next year, but if the White Sox could get San Francisco to cover much of that cost, Samardzija could deliver innings at a reasonable trade cost.

Cincinnati tried to compete this season, but it looks like it's going to fall short. In the process, the Reds are set to lose Alex Wood and Tanner Roark in free agency this offseason. They need to revamp the rotation a bit if they'd like to compete in 2020, and Keller looks like a nice fit in Cincinnati as one of the league's top groundball pitchers. Predictably, Keller hasn't pitched up to his 2018 rookie standard, and the Royals are much further away from contention than the Reds.

Cleveland's outfield has been a nightmare this year, though that's not a big surprise after losing Michael Brantley in the offseason. Oscar Mercado has filled in nicely, but the team needs more punch, currently ranking 22nd in the league with 104 home runs. Puig has started to turn things around recently after a slow start, now with 19 home runs. The pending free agent would be a welcome addition in the middle of the lineup, with Cleveland still just a half-game back in the wild card.

Colorado lost Adam Ottavino from last year's squad, while closer Wade Davis has struggled and setup man Seung-Hwan Oh has been injured. The result has been a 4.70 bullpen ERA, 20th in MLB. Meanwhile, Watson has been terrific for the Giants for the second straight year, showing elite control and a 2.67 ERA. Pairing with fellow lefty Jake McGee in Colorado would make for a nice duo as the Rockies try to win a wild-card spot again.

The Tigers farm system is loaded with pitching and also has some outfield talent but is seriously lacking in the infield beyond Triple-A prospect Willi Castro. There are plenty of opportunities to improve, but one is Robertson, who lost playing time in Tampa Bay even before he got hurt recently. The infielder showed he could be a regular last year after producing a .382 on-base percentage, and the Tigers could potentially buy low on what could be a regular in 2020.

Unlike last season, the Astros have had some issues in their rotation this year. The fifth starter spot has been in flux, and No. 4 starter Brad Peacock went on the injured list recently. Bumgarner will almost certainly be traded before the July 31 deadline as a pending free agent, and his history of legendary playoff success should make him a hot commodity. The lefty has a 4.02 ERA in 18 starts, but his strikeouts have returned after two injury-plagued seasons. He's a perfect fit as a No. 3 starter behind Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole.

The Royals have gotten nice production out of Whit Merrifield, Jorge Soler and Alex Gordon this year, but they're still lacking much production in center field. The athletic Taylor has been a productive player at times during his career with Washington, but his opportunities to play regularly have been limited. Recently optioned to Triple-A, Taylor isn't helping the Nats but still has one year before free agency to build some value. K.C. is an athletic ballclub that could be a perfect fit for him in 2020.

The Angels have struggled to find innings this year, frequently using the opener and shuttling starters from Triple-A. Due in large part to their hitting stars, the team is still only 4.0 games out in the wild card and would certainly like to make a playoff push as the Angels dedicate the season to fallen teammate Tyler Skaggs. Leake is just a back of the rotation starter, but he's been one of baseball's most consistent innings eaters with at least 30 starts in seven straight seasons. The Angels could be on the hook for $11 million next year, the final season of his contract, but Leake's stability makes him a nice fit in Anaheim.

The Joe Kelly signing this offseason hasn't shored up the bullpen as much as the Dodgers would have liked, so a setup man remains a need. Smith fills two needs, as he's also a dominant lefty with closing experience as insurance for current closer Kenley Jansen. Of course, L.A. also has a catcher and top prospect by the same name currently at Triple-A Oklahoma City, and a Will Smith to Will Smith battery just sounds too good to be true.

Miami is building a nice future rotation at the major league level but is still lacking at some positions in the infield. One of the team's biggest needs is shortstop, where the organization currently lacks a great prospect. Meanwhile, the Pirates have too many shortstops in their system but could use more pitching depth. Tucker was called up earlier this season but didn't look quite ready offensively, and Kevin Newman has emerged for Pittsburgh in the meantime. A shortstop for pitcher prospect swap could be a good fit for both organizations.

The Archer acquisition has been a massive failure for the Pirates, but the right-hander still has good stuff and a chance to salvage his season. Pittsburgh would do well to at least recoup some of the value it gave up for Archer last year (Austin Meadows, Tyler Glasnow), and Milwaukee could use a stable starting pitcher behind Brandon Woodruff and Zach Davies. Milwaukee's starters rank 22nd in MLB with a 4.86 ERA.

Minnesota has done well to patch together bullpen innings without a set closer but has started to slip recently. The Twins rank 12th in MLB with a 4.18 bullpen ERA, while Green has been spectacular as Detroit's closer with a current 1.13 ERA. The ERA metrics say he's unlikely to keep up anything close to that pace, but Greene can still help Minnesota as it ramps up for the playoffs.

This looks like a lost season for the Mets, but the team does have plenty of trade assets. One of their top priorities should be finding another outfielder, as Brandon Nimmo has been hurt for most of the year and Jeff McNeil profiles best on the infield. Fisher has contributed to the Astros this season, but his long-term future is likely elsewhere with Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker showing higher offensive upsides. Fisher still has an .852 OPS at Triple-A and is a two-time 20/20 man in the minors who is deserving of a starting spot somewhere.

Stroman has another full season before he reaches free agency, but the trade rumors involving him have been circulating all year. Toronto would do well to sell high this month if it doesn't plan on re-signing him, and Stroman is a perfect fit as an extreme groundball pitcher and New York native. With former ace Luis Severino suffering another injury setback, the Yankees need a starter.

Vogelbach is the ultimate "Moneyball" fit for the A's, and he could be available, with Seattle in a major rebuild. He's far from a beautiful body but is providing big power and on-base ability for the Mariners this season. Oakland would be forced to move Khris Davis to the outfield to accommodate Vogelbach, but such a move would be worth it if Vogelbach can produce offensively like he has in Seattle this year.

Wheeler is having a disappointing year as he heads toward free agency in the offseason, but he still shows huge upside with more than one strikeout per inning. He finished last year with a 3.31 ERA after multiple years of injury issues and would be an immediate improvement for the Phils, possibly slotting in as their No. 3 starter behind Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta.

The Pirates have done well with groundball pitching projects in the past, and Sanchez certainly fits that description. The right-hander went 15-2 with an AL-best 3.00 ERA in 2016, but he's struggled to find health or control since then. Sanchez leads the AL with 52 walks this year, along with his horrific 6.31 ERA in 18 starts, but he's still provoking a 50 percent groundball rate and isn't a free agent until after next season. He desperately needs a change of scenery, and Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage could be a perfect fit for Sanchez's profile.

The Padres have arguably the best farm system in baseball and are loaded with young talent at the major league level. Their biggest strength could be outfield depth, with Franmil Reyes and Hunter Renfroe among the league leaders in home runs, while Manuel Margot, Wil Myers, Franchy Cordero and Josh Naylor give them further talented depth. San Diego is in a place to trade one of those outfielders for another position, while Cleveland desperately needs an outfielder and has pitching depth. Plesac has been impressive this year with a 3.61 ERA in seven starts and could fit in nicely in San Diego.

The Giants outfield has been a merry-go-round this year, with the team struggling to find viable fits. San Francisco already traded for Kevin Pillar, showing GM Farhan Zaidi's preference for defense. Inciarte has been one of the top defensive center fielders in the game over the last several seasons but will be without a starting job in Atlanta when he returns from a back injury after Austin Riley's emergence. The Braves could fetch pitching help from San Francisco in return for Inciarte.

Shaw is having a nightmarish season and was recently demoted to Triple-A. However, Shaw has hit 30 home runs in back-to-back seasons and could be a nice trade chip for Milwaukee as it tries to make another playoff run. Seattle bought low on Brewers outfielder Domingo Santana in the offseason and could have an opportunity to do the same with Shaw.

With Carlos Martinez locked in the bullpen and disappointing first halves from Miles Mikolas and Jack Flaherty, the Cardinals need rotation help. Lyles has been a surprise contributor for the Pirates in the first half with a 3.71 ERA in 13 starts, and he's also reasonably priced at just $2 million this season. The Pirates should be able to net a decent prospect in return for the pending free agent.

Tampa Bay has made a living buying low in trades, and that's what it would be doing with Castellanos given his mediocre first half. The right fielder has only nine home runs in 79 games after hitting a total of 49 homers over the last two years. A former third baseman, he would also give the Rays potential versatility while adding to their outfield depth. The Tigers would be smart to get something for Castellanos with his free agency imminent.

The Rangers have made due with a shaky back of the rotation. They've resorted to using Jesse Chavez as their fifth starter, and while he's performed well thus far, the team would probably prefer him in the bullpen. Roark is having a bounce-back year in Cincinnati after two mediocre seasons, with a 3.51 ERA and averaging one strikeout per inning in 17 starts. Texas could add the pending free agent from Cincinnati for its surprising wild-card run.

Toronto is currently in the business of adding prospects as it rebuilds. Its young hitting talent is impressive, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio already arriving this year. Aside from top pitching prospect Nate Pearson, the Jays are lacking top-end pitching talent in the minors. Garcia has emerged as the Yankees best pitching prospect this year with a 3.01 ERA and tremendous 14.9 K/9 in 68.2 innings between High-A and Double-A, and he would be a nice piece of a potential package to acquire Marcus Stroman.

Washington remains in playoff contention, just 1.5 games back in the NL wild-card race despite what has been an embarrassing bullpen performance this year. The Nationals rank dead last in MLB with a 6.28 bullpen ERA and desperately need some reinforcements. Kennedy has pitched well as the Royals closer this season with a 3.27 ERA and 40/6 K/BB in 33 innings and could also eat some innings as a converted starter. While it's not preferable, the Nats can also afford to take on some of Kennedy's $16.5 million salary for next season.