MLB trade deadline dominos for 10 biggest names on market - ESPN

Trade season is about to heat up — and it promises to be an interesting one, with so many teams still in the thick of playoff races.

With the uncertainty shrouding this year's July 30 deadline, we thought it would be fun to look at how the dominoes might fall as the top names are taken off the market. For this exercise, we'll use ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan's trade deadline preview to focus on the top 10 players who he's hearing might be dealt — a list that won't include Tarik Skubal (too expensive/too good for the Detroit Tigers to trade), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette (the Toronto Blue Jays will keep them for a run in 2025) or Pete Alonso (the New York Mets are still in the hunt).

We'll begin with a starting pitcher who has come out of nowhere to be one of the best in the game in 2024 — and one of the most likely candidates to be traded.

The reliever-to-starter conversion rarely works, but the White Sox — with nothing to lose this season — struck gold in turning Crochet into a starting pitcher and now have a power lefty who is one of the best pitchers in the game. Crochet leads the majors in strikeout rate and ranks in the top five in strikeout-to-walk ratio, lowest OPS allowed and FIP (fielding independent pitching). He's making just $800,000 and is controlled through 2026, making him enormously valuable. The only hitch is that he has already thrown more innings this season than in his entire major league career. Recognizing that, the White Sox gave him two abbreviated starts before the All-Star break and then 10 days between starts coming out of the break.

While there will be concerns about fatigue setting in, Crochet has the chance to be the difference-maker of this deadline, a harder-throwing and more