Here are five players that could still be moved in the August waiver trade market.
The MLB trade deadline came and went on Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean teams are done dealing.
Clubs can still move players until Aug. 31 through trade waivers. If a player on the 40-man roster is traded, however, he must first clear waivers. That makes the most likely trade targets veterans with big contracts that other teams won’t want to take on.
Impactful August trades are rare, but the past few seasons saw some examples of how teams can still improve after the trade deadline. Most notably, the Houston Astros traded for Justin Verlander with just a few minutes to spare before the Aug. 31 deadline last season. In 2012, the Boston Red Sox sent Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 25.
Trades in August carry the risk that the player might be picked up on waivers, but teams do have the option of taking back a player that was claimed.
These five players stayed put on the trade deadline, but could still be traded in August.
Josh Donaldson
3B, Toronto Blue Jays
Josh Donaldson, the 2015 AL MVP, likely would have already been traded if not for a calf injury that has kept him out since May 28. He is batting just .234 this season, but hit 33 home runs last year. He has $7.7 million remaining on his deal and becomes a free agent after the season, making him an unlikely waiver pickup. If Donaldson returns to the lineup before the end of August, he becomes a big trade target for contending teams.
The Blue Jays reportedly tried to trade the third baseman to St. Louis this offseason, and the Cardinals remain the top potential landing spot for Donaldson. Matt Carpenter is a star for the Cardinals, but he can play anywhere on the field and could be moved away from third to make room for Donaldson.