MLB Trade Rumors: Athletics, Phillies, Braves Pushing For Deals Before 2018 Deadline

Chris Archer Rays Athletics — Chris Archer #22 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Oakland Athletics in the bottom of the first inning at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum on May 28, 2018 in Oakland, California. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

We're less than 24 hours away from the 2018 MLB trade deadline, and a number of deals could still be brewing. Several teams are looking to be buyers as they try to reach the playoffs for the first time in a long time.

Perennial contenders like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers have already made moves to try and win the 2018 World Series. Other postseason hopefuls continue to be mentioned in trade rumors.

The Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves and Oakland Athletics all find themselves in a similar spot. None of the teams have experienced any recent success, and they weren’t expected to contend this season. Now that they all have a chance to make the playoffs, they are eyeing possible deals ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. EDT deadline.

Philadelphia and Atlanta are in direct competition with the NL East up for grabs. The division was supposed to be the Washington Nationals’ to lose, but it’s the Phillies and Braves that are tied in the loss column and in the thick of the playoff race. Philadelphia last made the playoffs in 2011, and Atlanta hasn’t been in the postseason since 2013.

6. (Final one) The teams most likely to be aggressive/creative over the next 24-ish hours: #Athletics #Rays #Brewers #Phillies #Braves
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 30, 2018

contenders still seeking relief: red sox, braves, cubs, mariners, phillies, pirates, dbacks, dodgers. many mentioned on market: yates, kela, iglesias, diekman, steckenrider, barraclough, conley, clippard, avilan, loup, givens, romo, alvarez, duke, ziegler, avilan, axford, rodney.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 30, 2018

The Phillies have been linked to just about every available player. After missing out on Manny Machado, J.A. Happ and Cole Hamels, they got Asdrubal Cabrera from the New York Mets. The team reportedly has interest in acquiring Adam Jones, but the outfielder probably wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause if the Baltimore Orioles agreed to deal him.

Like the Phillies, the Braves are interested in improving their bullpen. Atlanta could make an even bigger move, considering they’ve reportedly spoken with the Tampa Bay Rays about Chris Archer. The Braves are among the favorites to land the pitcher because of their stacked farm system.

Oakland has also inquired about Archer’s availability, according to The New York Post’s Joel Sherman. The Athletics might be the year’s biggest surprise, playing their way into the postseason race with a scorching hot June and July. Oakland is up to 15 games over .500, and they trail the Seattle Mariners by just two games for the American League’s second wild-card spot.

The A’s last reached the playoffs in 2014, and they haven’t won a postseason series in 12 years. Oakland averaged fewer than 71 wins from 2015-2017.

Major league baseball