MLB Trade Rumors

For the first time in a number of years, several big names are being discussed in possible MLB waiver deals.

Chase Utley has long been rumored to be on the move, and now a handful of other All-Stars have joined him as the subjects of trade speculation.

Who are the top five waiver trade targets out there?

There are a few major names being dangled in MLB waiver trade deadline rumors.

Chase Utley and Jose Reyes are just a couple of the names drawing interest from teams looking to bolster rosters before September 1 and the push for October.

The MLB waiver wire is an awfully busy place this time of year.

As ESPN's Jayson Stark noted, "every player" in the bigs hits the the wire at some point in August. Of course, it's also an extremely mysterious place, as only a fraction of those major leaguers will make it through unclaimed and subsequently become available for a trade prior to the August 31 deadline.

The New York Yankees have had trouble finding consistency at second base all season.

There have been small sparks of offensive production and defensive flair from both Stephen Drew and Brendan Ryan here and there, but overall, second base has been the biggest flaw in New York's starting lineup this year.

MLB's non-waiver trade deadline came and went on July 31 with plenty of action across the league, but teams are far from done when it comes to attempting to improve for the playoff push.

Organizations are still able to strike deals for the remainder of the season, but the deadline for a traded player being able to take part in the playoffs is Aug. 31. Any player traded between now and the remainder of the 2015 campaign must first pass through waivers.

The trade deadline has passed, but players will still be dealt throughout the month of August due to the waiver system.

Teams who wrongly decided to bet that they would get hot and reach a second wild card spot will now have a second chance to unload some dead weight that won't help them moving forward. This is good news for contenders who are still searching for that one extra piece that can get them over the hump.

One deadline has passed, but lo and behold, August brings about yet another opportunity for trades, just in case your team still has improvements to make.

August 31 brings about the waiver deadline, where teams can make trades for players who pass through revocable waivers.

Some big names are still out there such as Chase Utley, Jose Reyes and James Shields, among others.

It remains to be seen if the activity before this year's MLB trade deadline will contain dramatic shifts of talent around the league. In a season where a lot of teams have remained within sniffing distance of a wild-card berth, there may not be many sellers on the market. 

But the teams in the hunt will still attempt to work out whatever big moves they can. 

New York Mets

There are a lot of teams that consider themselves playoff contenders going into the second half of the MLB season, which could lead to a lot of aggressive moves before the trade deadline.  

For the sellers hoping to unload talent during a lost season, this could be a great opportunity to bring back some top prospects after a bidding war.

After surviving two of the dullest days on the sports calendar, Major League Baseball returns Friday to save sports fans from a dearth of news and excitement, at least stateside.