The Top Hitters Who Could Be on the Market This Summer
A lineup can look complete in May but suddenly spring leaks in July.
Hitting a baseball is a particularly challenging daily task, which is why it's always advisable for teams to have plenty of players with track records of consistently producing at the plate.
Listed below are some productive hitters who could end up on the trading block at some point this year who could also be targeted by teams looking to mash their way to a World Series win.
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1. Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers
Elvis Andrus has long sneaked under the radar as being one of the better hitting shortstops in the game, but he changed that last year after he hit 20 home runs, tallied 88 RBI all while batting near .300.
It was Andrus' best season at the plate, and he had actually gotten off to an even better start this year.
An injury to his elbow is going to keep Andrus out of action for probably another month, but once he returns, the Texas Rangers can expect to receive some calls about their long-time shortstop.
2. Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers
Third baseman Adrian Beltre is a surefire Hall of Famer and also one of the most beloved players to ever step foot on the diamond.
Beltre doesn't really need to take another at-bat in his career. He can ride off into the sunset knowing that he'll be remembered fondly by every baseball fan that ever got to see him play.
Still, if there is one thing missing from Beltre's career, it's a World Series win, and he's unlikely to get that while playing for a rebuilding Rangers team.
Beltre deserves one more shot at winning it all, which is why many fans are rooting for him to get traded to a contender. He's also not just some veteran who's getting by on his reputation, as he's still batting well over .300 this year.
There's no guarantee that Beltre plays past this season, so while he's still around, it would be great to see him go one last postseason run.
3. Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
In stark contrast to Beltre, Machado still has plenty years of playing baseball ahead of him, but similar to Beltre, they are currently on losing teams.
Machado will have the opportunity to choose where he plays next this winter, but in the meantime, there's still the rest of this 2018 season to go through.
Machado's currently having a career year at the plate, and he could easily improve any team's shortstop or even third base situation from an offensive standpoint.
The still quite young infielder is expected to be one of the star players moved during this trading season and he has the ability to shake up any division or pennant race.
4. J.T. Realmuto, Miami Marlins
Catchers aren't known for their offense, which is why those players who can hit while occupying that position are typically valued very highly.
The Miami Marlins' J.T. Realmuto is one of those good-hitting catchers and he has been for a few seasons now.
Realmuto knows how to work a count and drive the pitch he's looking for when he gets it.
The Marlins are almost certainly going to miss the postseason this year, so trading Realmuto now and getting prospects back for him may be the best course of action for them.
5. Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
Joey Votto is the face of the Cincinnati Reds, but recently, the veteran first baseman has made it known that he's not all too pleased with the franchise's current direction.
Any trade involving Votto is going to be complicated by the massive dollars and several years still left on his contract, but if a team can afford to take that financial hit, he's a player well worth adding, especially since he's shown that he's still one of the best at getting on base.
A Votto trade would be a shocker, but it cannot be ruled out at this point.
