MLB starting pitchers who will be trade deadline candidates

There are just 10 days of shopping left before the traditional MLB trade deadline, and if you have a starting pitcher on your roster, bring in some extra prospects.

Here are three available starting pitchers that contenders are coveting as the July 30 deadline approaches.

Left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

As a bona fide ace under team control through 2026, the 27-year-old will be expensive for many top prospects, but for a World Series contender, that’s the price you’re willing to pay to put your team over the top this season.

The Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers, who entered the 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 a deep prospect pool with which to acquire the first All-Star.

At the 2022 trade deadline, the San Diego Padres acquire All-Star Juan Sotowho still had more than two years of team control, from the Washington Nationals. It cost San Diego four of its top prospects — shortstop C.J. Abrams, outfielders James Wood (Washington’s current No. 1 prospect) and Robert Hassell III (No. 9) and left-handed starter MacKenzie Gore — and didn’t lead to a World Series title, but there are risks and rewards involved in every trade.

Skubal, who entered the second half of the season with a 17-6 record with a 2.57 ERA, 242 strikeouts and 35 walks in 34 starts over the past 1/2 seasons, certainly appears worth the risk.

Garrett Hook, left-handed, White Sox

Crochet is under team control through 2026 and will be a costly acquisition in terms of prospects traded in return. But signs indicate the White Sox will part ways with the 25-year-old, a first-time All-Star, along with other trade chips as they continue their quest to climb out of baseball’s basement.

What might worry potential suitors is that Crochet’s innings total (107 1/3) this season already eclipses the 73 innings he pitched from 2020-23 (he missed the 2022 season after Tommy John surgery). But he was dominant after a rough April, posting a 1.61 ERA in 72 2/3 innings and a career-high 150 strikeouts and just 23 walks at the All-Star break.

Count it Dodgers among World Series contenders interested in acquiring left-handerAccording to an ESPN report Saturday: Crochet “is considered to be at the top of the (Los Angeles) Dodgers’ roster, whether he’s a starter or reliever the rest of the way.

“He could be, at a minimum, a key member of the Dodgers’ bullpen for multiple innings, but the White Sox will nonetheless demand a return on investment based on his value as a starter.”

Tyler Anderson, left-handed pitcher, Los Angeles Angels

Unlike the two lefties mentioned above, Anderson is older (34) and under contract through 2025, the final year of a three-year, $39 million deal. However, given his age and contract, a contender could acquire him without losing their top prospects.

His two All-Star selections in the last three seasons prove he’s not even close to hitting the wall despite being in his 30s. The 2011 first-round pick won his second trip to the Midsummer Classic this year for a subpar Angels team, posting a 2.97 ERA and an 8-8 record in 19 first-half starts.
This is the type of value that teams covet when looking for reliable teams that have a proven track record and continue to thrive.

Could Anderson reunite with the Dodgers, with whom he earned his first All-Star nomination in 2022 (15-5, 2.55 ERA)? Maybe if they don’t bring in Skubal or Crochet, but the prized veteran will certainly have his share of suitors willing to accept his 2025 salary, including the Cardinals, Red Sox, Guardians and Brewers.