The MLB 2020 Trade Deadline is a little over a month away and the stove will be getting hot soon. This 60 game sprint means there is pressure to get deals done quickly and get going quick. I can’t imagine teams waiting until the last minute when you need wins now, and so a lot of guys will be traded quickly. There are the big names like maybe Francisco Lindor or Matthew Boyd, but those guys aren’t who I’m going to talk about them. These three guys are players who will make an impact and won’t be an exuberant price for a squad looking for an impact player
C.J. Cron 1B/DH Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers have a hidden gem in their lineup that could be a huge trade chip come August. CJ Cron is one of the most underrated 1B in baseball, and the stats show that he’s great.
| 2019 Stats (with ranks among 1B) | xwOBA | xSLG | OAA | wRC+ |
| C.J. Cron | .370 (10th) | .552 (5th) | 2 (12th) | 101 (T-24th) |
With great pop in his bat and a great glove, he’s a great candidate for any team looking for some extra offense. He is a risk with his result metrics like wRC+ being down but his expected metrics show he will progress nicely in 2020. He’s probably one of the best right handed hitters you can get in the MLB 2020 Trade Deadline and I think he’s a great guy to land.
I could see teams like the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, or St. Louis Cardinals trying to land an extra power bat to bolster their lineup. He’s a great pickup to be a 4 or 5 hitter in your lineup while playing premier defense at 1B. C.J. Cron is also only on a 1 year deal and so he’s not going to bog down your payroll if you decide to trade for him.
Kevin Gausman RHP San Francisco Giants
This pick is interesting because I’d only recommend this move to a team who uses Kevin Gausman as a reliever. I couldn’t see why you wouldn’t use him in such a role, as he’s been great out of the bullpen. He’s also a one year rental and I think signing Gausman was to flip him for prospects at the deadline. It’s surprising how solid of a reliever he is, and how he could help a lot of teams.
| Career as a RP | ERA | FIP | xFIP |
| Kevin Gausman | 3.64 | 2.78 | 2.79 |
He’s a very good reliever and a solid spot starter as well, and there are some teams that could use some security in the bullpen.
For Gausman I see teams like the Nationals, White Sox, Phillies, Cubs, Brewers, and Angels all trying to land him as they could really use some bullpen arms.
Corey Dickerson OF/DH Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are rebuilding but they do have a recently signed hitter who can provide good depth at a good cost for any team in need of a bat. Corey Dickerson is left handed and while he doesn’t walk much, he’s still a pretty good hitter. He isn’t much of an expected stat darling as most metrics of that category will tell you that he’s not going to regress a lot, but he’s also not going to go off more than he already does.
| 2019 Stats | xwOBA | xSLG | OAA | wRC+ |
| Corey Dickerson | .337 | .491 | -1 | 127 |
I see Dickerson as a nice bat to have for games against righties as he had a 136 wRC+ against them in 2019. In his career he has a .533 SLG% as well, so he’s a real masher against right handed arms. Unlike the other two on this list though, he’s on a multi-year deal.
He can serve as a bat for a few teams, but these teams are ones that get a lot better with him there. I highlight teams like the Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, and Los Angeles Angels.
These players are all guys who won’t break the market, but statistically could really change the course of a team this season.