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The Major League trade deadline may have passed, but that does not mean that players can no longer be traded this season.  Instead, the waiver wire process will shortly begin and there will be more players on the move.  Typically the players on the move have bad contracts, which allows them to surpass the waiver process or a team will claim a player and a trade will be negotiated.  Here’s a look at five players who will likely be on the move:

 

Vladimir Guerrero, DH, Orioles– This potential hall of famer is riding a 6-game hit streak, batting a respectable .284 with 9 home runs.  He leads the league in chase rate (swinging at pitches out of the strike zone) and his numbers are way down across the board, but he has playoff experience and could help a team down the stretch as a hired bat. It would not surprise me to see him rejoin one of his past two teams: the Rangers or the Angels.  The Yankees also could make a move for their former nemesis by putting him in the DH slot, though this is unlikely with Andruw Jones and Eric Chavez now healthy to support Jorge Posada.  The White Sox would be the dark horse considering they are not getting anything out of Adam Dunn. 

Wandy Rodriguez, SP, Astros– An underrated strikeout artist, it’s been another fine season for Wandy Rodriguez.  A 32-year-old hurler, this southpaw is durable and could be a solid third starter for a playoff contender.  He always has an ERA under four and he was involved in some trade chatter with the Yankees just a few weeks ago.  If a playoff contender suffers an injury in the starting rotation, Rodriguez could be the first player targeted. 

Alfonso Soriano, OF, Cubs– At 35 years old, Soriano’s best days are in the past, but he does have four home runs over his last four games and now 19 dingers on the season.  His OBP is disgraceful at .283, and he leads the league in chase rate.  With his awful contract, he will clear waivers, and at that point could end up getting traded if the Cubs are willing to eat some of his contract in a swap of bad contracts.  It would be interesting to see him reunite with the Yankees, or join a team desperate for outfield production such as the Tigers or Braves.

Carlos Zambrano, SP, Cubs– Another bad contract on the Cubs, Zambrano does have 8 wins and is riding three quality starts.  He does have ace ability, which we saw that as recently as the end of last season.  So a team desperate for a third starter may want to consider the Cubs volatile hurler, though they would have to be willing to take on a few years of potential mayhem.   The Yankees, White Sox, and Tigers are potential landing grounds.

Carlos Lee, OF, Astros– The veteran slugger is 0 for his last 19, dropping his average to .267, but he does have 60 RBI and 41 extra base hits on the season.  The same teams that will go after Soriano will also consider this 25-year-old.  The only question is whether he will veto a move considering his 10/5 rights.  Known as El Caballo, Lee is a rancher who wants to stay close to his home in Texas.