Soto unlikely to move, but plenty of others available as MLB trade market takes shape

May 30—Let's get this out of the way up front, the Washington Nationals aren't trading Juan Soto.

It's true the Nationals fit the profile of a seller and could benefit from trading away big league assets as part of a long-term rebuild, but dealing away Soto wouldn't make sense. There's no way the club could get good value back for a 23-year-old who's already on a Hall of Fame trajectory, plus he's still under team control through the 2024 season, so why act now?

Plus, looking big picture, the Nationals are also exploring the possibility of a sale, and you don't have to be a Wall Street professional to guess that the club is likely worth a lot more with Soto on board than it would be without him.

So scratch Soto off the list of possible trade options this deadline season, but even if he isn't up for grabs there should still be plenty of talent available on the trade market in the months to come.

What teams are most likely to make a move? Which players could be top targets? Here are some possibilities as we approach the season's two-month mark.

Montas among top available pitchers

The Oakland Athletics have been in full fire sale mode since the end of last season, but they still have one big ticket item on the shelf in starting pitcher Frankie Montas. The 29-year-old has been one of Oakland's few bright spots so far, posting a 3.28 ERA through his first 10 starts, and will be highly sought after by contenders looking to shore up their starting rotations entering the home stretch.

Among the possible landing spots? The Minnesota Twins have been one of baseball's best stories going from worst to first in the AL Central, but they seem like a club that's still a starting pitcher away from seriously contending with the league's best. The New York Mets could also make a move if Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer's health are still up in the air, as could any of the NL West contenders looking to gain an edge in one of baseball's toughest divisions.

Contreras last man standing

Willson Contreras is the last member of the 2016 World Series champions still remaining with the Chicago Cubs, and his time at Wrigley Field could be coming to an end. With the Cubs far out of postseason contention the two-time all-star and impending free agent should be among the top bats available on the market, and with six home runs and a .844 OPS he could make a sizable impact on a number of contenders' rosters.

Two obvious landing spots? The New York Yankees and Houston Astros. New York has been dominant this season but catchers Kyle Higashioka and Jose Trevino haven't produced and Ben Rortvedt has yet to play due to multiple injuries. Houston, meanwhile, currently has two catchers in Martin Maldonado and Jason Castro who are both batting close to .120 with OPS figures in the low .400s. Contreras would be a massive upgrade for both clubs and significantly improve each of their World Series odds.

Expect Reds rebuild to accelerate

It didn't have to be this way for the Reds. Had the club invested in its roster last offseason Cincinnati might be in position to contend for a Wild Card spot, but instead it sold off several key contributors and crashed out of the gate to a disastrous 3-22 start.

The Reds actually have played much better lately, but they're still way out of postseason contention with little hope of getting back. Expect the Reds to shop their remaining big league veterans, with impending free agent outfielders Tommy Pham and Tyler Naquin among the likeliest to go.

While he remains under contract for another year, starting pitcher Luis Castillo could be the club's most valuable commodity. If there is a contender willing to pay a premium for that extra year of team control the Reds could land a significant prospect haul to jumpstart their rebuild process.

Red Sox buyers, sellers or both?

The Boston Red Sox are in an interesting spot. Three weeks ago they looked like they might be headed towards one of the most epic fire sales in club history, but now they've gotten back on track and are once again in position to contend for the playoffs.

Even with that being the case, the Red Sox are still in a unique position where they could sell off parts of the big league roster to accommodate MLB-ready prospects who might be ready to help the team now while also moving to add big names as well. Jarren Duran in particular looks like he could be ready for primetime, so might the Red Sox consider trading impending free agent Jackie Bradley Jr. so the rookie can take over in right field?

Meanwhile, the Red Sox could also improve their playoff odds by addressing their beleaguered bullpen. Boston badly needs a closer, so if the Chicago White Sox continue to struggle, maybe they will strike a deal for top arms Liam Hendriks or Kendall Graveman? And if not them, there are no shortage of other possible options on selling teams.

The biggest possible trade chip the Red Sox have is shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who is expected to opt out of his deal and become a free agent after he and the club failed to agree on an extension prior to the season. Had the Sox continued struggling the club would have had a tough decision to make with Bogaerts, but now that Boston is back in the hunt a trade seems significantly less likely.

Email: mcerullo@northofboston.com. Twitter: @MacCerullo.