Notable MLB starting pitcher trade deadline candidates

With only 10 days remaining until the traditional MLB trade deadline, if you have a starting pitcher on your list, consider bringing in an additional prospect.

With the July 30 deadline approaching, here are three starting pitchers the championship contenders will want.

Left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

Acquiring the 27-year-old, a bona fide ace who is under team control through 2026, would require the addition of a number of top prospects, but it’s a price a World Series contender is willing to pay to help lead the team to victory this season.

The Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers, who entered this season with the No. 1 and No. 8 farm systems, respectively, according to MLBPipeline.com, are short on starting pitchers due to injuries and have deep pools of prospects who could land their first All-Star.

At the 2022 trade deadline, San Diego Padres acquire All-Star Juan SotoThe San Diego team traded Jason Barnes from the Washington Nationals, who still had control of the team for more than two years. San Diego lost four top prospects in the deal: shortstop C.J. Abrams, outfielders James Wood (Washington’s current No. 1 prospect) and Robert Hassell III (currently No. 9), and left-handed starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore. It didn’t lead to a World Series championship, but trades come with risks and rewards.

Coming into the second half of the past 18 months with a 17-6 record, 2.57 ERA, 242 strikeouts and 35 walks in 34 starts, Skubal certainly seems worth the risk.

Left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochette, White Sox

Crochette is under team control through 2026 and would be a big acquisition in terms of trade prospects, but there are indications the White Sox could part ways with the 25-year-old first-time All-Star along with other trade players as they look to move out of the bottom of the league.

One concern for potential suitors is that Crochette has already pitched more innings this season (107 1/3) than he did in the 73 innings he pitched from 2020-2023 (since missing the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery). But he’s been dominant since a tough April, posting a 1.61 ERA in 72 2/3 innings at the All-Star break with a major league-leading 150 strikeouts and just 23 walks.

count The Dodgers are a World Series contender and have expressed interest in acquiring the left-handed pitcher.According to a report from ESPN on Saturday, Crochette “is considered to be at the top of the (Los Angeles) Dodgers’ list for a spot in either the starting or relief role for the remainder of the season.”

“He could at least be a valuable, multi-inning member of the Dodgers’ relief corps, but the White Sox will still want to be compensated based on his value as a starter.”

Left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels

Unlike the two lefties mentioned above, Anderson is older (34) and is under contract through 2025, the final year of a three-year, $39 million deal. But given his age and the contract he’s on, a championship-contending team could acquire him without losing a top prospect.

His two All-Star selections over the past three seasons prove he’s not hitting a wall even in his mid-30s. Qualified for the Midsummer Classic for the second time this year The Angels were a below-average team with a 2.97 ERA and an 8-8 record in their first 19 games of the season.
That’s the type of value teams covet when searching for an experienced pitcher who can continue to perform and be trusted.

Could Anderson reunite with the Dodgers (15-5, 2.55 ERA) where he was selected as his first All-Star in 2022? It’s a possibility if they don’t acquire Skubal or Crochet, but the prized veteran certainly has suitors willing to take on his 2025 salary, including the Cardinals, Red Sox, Guardians or Brewers.