Which Contenders Should Land Willson Contreras, Whit Merrifield & Josh Bell at the Trade Deadline?

The MLB lockout put a damper on the offseason as it drastically shrunk the window for preseason transactions. On the bright side, it has pushed more prominent names on the hot stove back onto the market for the impending MLB trade deadline on August 2nd. Here we’re going to analyze the hottest names on the market and find a potential suitor for each of them.C Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs

The Cubs’ 30-year-old backstop has bounced back and is amidst a tremendous 2022 season, as he has a .821 OPS with 13 homers and 35 RBI. Contreras is among the top ten percent in max exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and xwOBA among qualified hitters. Those metrics project to even better numbers. He is also excellent defensively, as his pop time is in the top ten percent of big-league catchers.

The two most likely destinations for Contreras are the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees. Not only are these two of the top teams and offenses in the majors, but both of them are leading with minimal production from their catchers. Houston’s duo of Jason Castro and Martin Maldonado are both hitting below.170 this season. The situation is similar for the Yankees, as Jose Trevino (.251) and Kyle Higashioka (.174) have struggled at the plate. Each club has the money, depth, and motivation to pursue Contreras. So it would be shocking to see him moved anywhere else at the deadline.

Merrifield has been a staple at the top of the Royals order for quite some time now. His speed, ability to rack up hits, and defensive versatility make him a precious asset for the Royals. However, we have seen some significant decline from Merrifield at the plate this season. The 33-year-old is hitting just .240 on the year. Although a change of scenery and a chance to contend may help him turn it around. After all, his xBA is .274, which is right around what he hit last season. So suitors have hope that their potential investment will have immediate returns. Merrifield’s contract runs through next season with a team option for 2024, so there is almost no reason for a contender not to take a shot on him (unless you have several games in Toronto), given his track record and price. 

Teams that he could provide a boost to are the White Sox and Brewers. Chicago’s lineup has struggled to have any consistency at the plate. They have also gotten very little from an aging, expendable Josh Harrison. The White Sox could also benefit from Merrifield’s versatility as they have holes in the corner outfield positions. Milwaukee is in a tight race in the NL Central and has gotten next to nothing from their multiple second base options, aside from Mike Brosseau, who only hits lefties. The Brew Crew could also use more speed.

Bell is an impending free agent and has done a great job raising his stock thus far in DC. The switch-hitting first baseman is batting .311 with 13 homers and 50 RBI. He’s flourished in his age-29 season as he’s making consistent hard contact from both sides of the plate and has cut his strikeout rate in half from what it was in 2020.

The best potential landing spot for Bell at the deadline would be the Minnesota Twins. The AL Central Division leaders have played Luis Arraez there while Miguel Sano is on the IL with a torn meniscus. However, Bell is a substantial upgrade from Sano at the dish and in the field. Bell is also a tremendous asset to any team that acquires him, as he can play the corner outfield positions. Given his rising stock and contract situation, he is essentially a lock to be dealt.