MLB Trade Rumors

The MLB trade deadline is just two weeks away, and with the All-Star Game finally in the rearview mirror, the rumor mill is starting to heat up.

Big names like Johnny Cueto, Aroldis Chapman, Jeff Samardzija and numerous others are potentially available, and new names seem to pop up every day in reported trade discussions. Here, we'll discuss some players who have already been linked to trade talks, along with relative newcomers like James Shields and Jay Bruce.

Major League Baseball's All-Star Game is giving its players some much-deserved rest, but the trade market is starting to heat up, as some of the game's best could be on the move in the coming weeks. 

Those available sit on each end of the spectrum from All-Stars to vital role players. Continue below for some of the latest buzz surrounding the most recent trade rumors: 

The 2015 All-Star break comes just over two weeks before the July 31 MLB trade deadline.

Bleacher Report MLB Insider Scott Miller is at the MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati and is listening to all of the latest trade buzz.

Stephen Nelson catches up with Scott to find out which teams are ready to deal and which players could be on the move between now and July 31.

The addition of a second wild-card slot has had a huge effect on the MLB trade deadline the past three seasons.  With so many teams on the fringes of contention, teams that have actually chosen to auction off assets have enjoyed a thriving seller's market due to the scarcity of real impact.

As we rapidly approach the All-Star Break, most teams in baseball have a pretty good idea of where they stand compared to the rest of the league.

While no team has technically been eliminated or clinched a playoff spot just yet, there is only so much a season can turn around in the second half, so teams are either looking to the now or to the future with the trade deadline on the horizon.

All the talk this time of year is about contenders and pretenders, buyers and sellers, but the reality of the situation is that every team in baseball is always looking for ways to improve. Essentially, everyone is a buyer and a seller—because you've got to give up something of value to get what you want.

Whether it's been scribbled down on a scrap of paper that is hiding in the corner of a cluttered desk or has been neatly typed out on a smartphone, each general manager of MLB's 30 teams has a trade shopping list at the midseason mark.

As we approach the season's halfway point, MLB teams are now aware of what they need in order to contend for a title. Those who want to add pitching will have quite a few options on the open market.

At the middle of June, the Mets are currently 36-32 and in first place in the NL East. They certainly look to be contenders this season, but whether they can successfully hold off the Washington Nationals and win the division or take one of the wild-card spots remains to be seen. It will not be easy and the Mets will have to be more consistent, particularly on the road, to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

Most of the Mets' core is in place right now, but injuries have certainly had an effect up to this point.

When examining the Los Angeles Dodgers on the surface, it's difficult to find anything significantly wrong with the team.

Not only do they rank among the top of the league in runs scored and ERA while having committed the sixth-fewest errors, the Dodgers have also maintained control of the National League West for most of the season.