It's no secret who most of the relief players will be available at the 2024 trade deadline. There are several teams that are clearly sellers and will try to get rid of their weapons at the deadline.
After all, every team in the competition will be looking for help from the barn, some more than others.
But what about the relief pitchers who are off the radar and not among the top trade candidates that everyone thinks will be traded?
Five Surprise Supporters Who Could Be Replaced
Keep in mind that there are always surprises at the deadline. Some teams may turn to last-minute sellers while others may receive an offer that is too good to refuse.
Let's look beyond the obvious relief players available at the 2024 trade deadline and pick out some quality relief pitchers who could be involved in a surprise trade.
David Robertson
It may be hard to believe, but the defending champion Rangers look more like sellers than buyers right now. That puts reliever David Robertson on the potential trade list.
With a $7 million mutual option for next season, the Rangers can keep Robertson through 2025. But that option could also increase his value on the trade market. The 39-year-old has still proven himself to be a capable late-game relief pitcher with an earned run average of less than 3.00.
Robertson also has postseason experience and is a locker room presence, so teams will certainly be asking about him if the Rangers end up having to sell players at the deadline.
David Bednar
Before the season began, David Bednar was expected to be one of the best relief players this year. Things haven’t quite worked out that way with a 5.00+ earned run average and a short stint on the injured list. But his track record over the past three seasons speaks for itself, so he still has value if the Pirates make him available in a trade.
Technically, Pittsburgh is close to a wild card spot, but he may not be ready yet. And while Bednar still has two years of arbitration left, his price tag is prohibitive for a small-market club, especially for a relief pitcher. If the Pirates get the right offer, they may consider letting him go.
Tyler Rogers
The New York Giants don’t look like a strong contender to make the playoffs these days. That should give them a chance to consider offers from players like Tyler Rogers. While not a true fullback, Rogers has been one of the most consistent late-inning relievers in baseball over the past several years.
He still has another year left on arbitration, meaning he won’t be a rental player, which increases his value on the trade market. Given the state of San Francisco’s roster, some rebuilding may be necessary, so if trading Rogers can give them a quality prospect in return, he’s someone they can move before the deadline.
Hector Neres
The Cubs have been working hard before the offseason due to friendly games, though Chicago will likely sell players when the offseason ends. Hector Neres has been good, but he certainly hasn’t come close to the 1.71 ERA he averaged in Houston last year.
That means he probably won’t be worth his $9 million club option for 2025. So he’ll be a free agent this winter, meaning the Cubs would be wise to trade him if they’re not in a more favorable position by the deadline. Again, he’s not the dominant force he was a year ago, but he’s saved more than a dozen games for the Cubs and would be a good addition to any relief pitching bullpen on a contending team.
Chad Green
The Blue Jays are paying Green $10.5 million this year and are set to pay him the same amount next year. That doesn’t make a lot of sense for a team that’s in last place and needs to make some big decisions in the near future. It’s possible we could see a big trade from Toronto this summer, which would almost certainly mean that Green has been one of the bright spots for the team this year.
The caveat here is that the Blue Jays may have to cover some of his salary because it’s a huge amount. However, Green has been playing well this year and has playoff experience, so he could end up being one of the best relief pitchers to replace this summer.
