Baseball's trading deadline (without waivers) is July 31, and there is almost always a flurry of activity as the contenders try to find that last piece to the pennant puzzle. These players are the most likely to be on the move.
Assuming the Padres hit a skid in June, Peavy will have a new address by August, probably with a National League team, after he rejected a trade to the White Sox. The Cubs have always been the team that everybody talks about with Peavy. Don't be surprised if the Phillies and Mets get interested, too, and maybe drive up the price.
Holliday has MVP-caliber talent, and his deal is up after the season, but he's doing no favors for the A's. The A's are in last place and Holliday's numbers are down, with six homers as of May 29. But he has a great track record, and a contender will emerge with terms the A's want. Maybe across the bay in San Francisco? The Dodgers have to cool off for that to make sense for the Giants, however. No use trading for Holliday without a pennant race.
The Indians tanked out of the gate, and have played a little better in May. But DeRosa didn't fit in as the third baseman, and the Indians are going younger in the middle infield. That makes DeRosa the odd man out, and as a solid veteran with an expiring contract, a contender will go after him. The Braves are interested, and so are many others. He'd make a lot of sense in Milwaukee as the replacement for injured second baseman Rickie Weeks. There's history between those two as well - the Indians and Brewers made the big CC Sabathia deal last season. (UPDATE: Traded to Pirates on June 27.)
As expected, Washington isn't going anywhere this season. So the power-hitting Johnson, who is healthy for the first time in years, is expendable, and is attractive because of a hot start. The Mets are the best fit with Carlos Delgado injured, but several other teams are likely to jump in. He's just 31, with an expiring contract.
Houston has been disappointing, in last place, and last-place teams don't need dominant closers with expiring contracts. If the Rays are in the thick of things in the AL East, he'd be a great fit for the defending AL champs, especially now that Troy Percival's future is in question.
He flies under the radar, but the Diamondbacks left-hander is a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter who seldom has a great record, but doesn't hurt you, either. With some run support, he could be a key to a pennant contender. He also has an expiring deal, so he likely won't cost much in return, either.
Why would a contender trade a dependable starting pitcher? Because they already have too many. If John Smoltz shows he's ready, Penny becomes expendable. And he will head to a contender somewhere. Besides the Red Sox, who doesn't need a starter? You can bet he'd go back to the NL, however, as the Red Sox won't want to aid a potential rival. He also has an expiring contract.
Hard to believe Blalock is only 28. So he has some mileage left, and if the Rangers slip up - they're in first place as of May 27 - expect Blalock to be on the block, to a team that needs a power bat or a third baseman.
A longer shot, as the 29-year-old second baseman is under contract for three more seasons with the Marlins. But Florida has always been a team that wheels and deals more than others, and they might decide Uggla is the key to a deal that restocks the farm system. He makes $5.43 million, and would likely go to a team that wants a new second baseman, not a half-season fill-in.
This one is a little more iffy. He's got another year on his deal, but if the Mariners decide they're probably not a contender next year and want to stockpile some youngsters, he'll fetch more than just about everybody on this list in a trade. He's left-handed with a good track record and is having a very good 2009 season (2.48 ERA as of May 29).
