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.
That complicates things to some degree, but veterans with big contracts can often be had under such circumstances since most teams aren't necessarily willing to commit significant amounts of money.
As teams contemplate making a last-ditch effort in their drive toward the postseason, here is a look at the latest trade rumors surrounding Major League Baseball.
Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is arguably one of the greatest players ever at his position and a borderline Hall of Famer. Although he has certainly declined in recent years, he is a definite candidate to move via a waiver trade.
According to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have all shown some level of interest in acquiring the 36-year-old veteran.
While Utley is a Philly sports icon, he can become a free agent at the end of the 2015 season, which gives the Phils plenty of incentive to make a trade.
Matt Lombardo of NJ.com sees no reason why Philadelphia shouldn't ship him out of town regardless of what type of return it can get:
Both the Cubs and Dodgers could use a veteran player of Utley's ilk, but ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick sees the Yanks as the best fit:
Utley would have a chance to start in the Bronx since the combination of Stephen Drew and Brendan Ryan leaves plenty to be desired. Although Utley is having an awful year with a .179 batting average, four home runs and 25 RBI, he has been hampered by an ankle injury that he is just now returning from.
He is a six-time All-Star who enjoyed solid production just one year ago when he hit .270 with 11 homers and 78 RBI. He is also a left-handed hitter with three seasons of 30 home runs to his credit, which makes Yankee Stadium the perfect ballpark for him.
He has played in 46 postseason games, gone to the World Series twice and won a championship. He is the type of competitor every contending team would love to have in some capacity, and he'll be an asset regardless of where he lands.
Justin Upton
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the non-waiver trade deadline related to deals that weren't made was the San Diego Padres. Despite having several players who would have been attractive to contending teams, San Diego decided to stand pat.
That included outfielder Justin Upton, who can walk this offseason with only a compensatory first-round pick coming back in return. One can only assume the Padres received interest in the 27-year-old All-Star, and according to baseball journalist Peter Gammons, they did.
The New York Mets reportedly offered the Padres pitching prospect Michael Fullmer in exchange for Upton, but they declined, which resulted in Fullmer being sent to the Detroit Tigers for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes instead.
After opting against making any big moves ahead of the deadline, Padres general manager A.J. Preller explained his line of thinking, per Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press (h/t the San Jose Mercury News):
We've got a lot of players that are attractive to clubs and we were working through all different scenarios to add to the club and other scenarios. Teams were asking about our guys, but ultimately we didn't feel like we got to the value that we needed to get to. If we got to those values I think we probably would have made other trades, but I think the fact that the team has played better, that made it a little easier to kind of stay pat and add a guy and go from there.
Upton is hitting just .248 this season, but with 18 home runs and 57 RBI, he is the type of run producer who could make a big difference in the middle of a contender's lineup.
The Padres still have an opportunity to make a deal involving Upton; however, it could be difficult with the waiver element since multiple teams figure to have interest in him.
San Diego seems at peace with losing Upton for a first-round pick, but his name will continue to be worth watching until Aug. 31 comes and goes.
Kyle Lohse
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Lohse entered the 2015 season having strung together four solid campaigns in a row, but he has struggled mightily this year.
The 36-year-old veteran is 5-13 with a bloated 6.31 ERA for the Brew Crew, which prompted Milwaukee to move him to the bullpen. He was also placed on waivers in hopes of a team claiming him, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Assuming nobody does, Lohse seems to believe the Brewers will attempt to trade him, per MLB.com's Adam McCalvy:
Lohse signed with the Brewers after posting a career-best season with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012 that saw him go 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA. He followed that up with a 3.35 ERA and 3.54 ERA in 2013 and 2014, respectively, but he has suddenly fallen off the proverbial cliff after proving himself to be a strong, middle-of-the-rotation starter.
It is possible that Lohse has reached the end of the line at 36 years of age, but it is important to remember he had a 6.55 ERA in 2010 before bouncing back to have four excellent seasons in a row.
Since Lohse will be a free agent after this season, a team won't have to make a sizable or long-term financial commitment to him if it decides to strike a deal.
Even so, considering how poorly Lohse has been pitching this year, it is tough to imagine an organization making a move to acquire him.
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