Forget about the 2016 class of free agents. This year's trade deadline was supposed to provide the exciting moves and unexpected acquisitions first. However, injuries to two of the top trade candidates - Johnny Cueto and Scott Kazmir - may affect the market as the deadline approaches.
Cueto was diagnosed with elbow inflammation after being scratched from his start on Sunday. His MRI came back clean and he could make a start this weekend, but interested clubs may view him as a liability now considering newfound elbow issues are nothing to take a big risk on. The right-hander is expected to be a sought-after commodity at the deadline if the Cincinnati Reds fall further out of the playoff race.
"Any type of health issue for Cueto is worth monitoring given his status as both one of the top free agents of the 2015-16 offseason and potentially a big deadline trade chip for the struggling Reds," writes Mark Polishuk of MLBTradeRumors.com.
"His name has been at the top of sought-after starting pitching, along with Cole Hamels," adds Chris Schubert of MLB Daily Dish. "If the Reds are hoping to be able to get anything out of Cueto before he becomes a free agent this winter, he needs to bounce back from this injury and pitch well again."
Similarly, Athletics' starter Scott Kazmir was perhaps previously viewed as the most sure-fire trade candidate as Oakland (17-32) is among one of the worst teams in the MLB. It's been said general manager Billy Beane will likely be looking to sell big at the deadline, but now his top trade chip could be dealing with a significant injury.
Kazmir left his start on Wednesday with tightness in his left shoulder and he went for an MRI shortly after. Club officials are awaiting the results to determine the severity of the injury and whether or not the left-hander will need to be placed on the disabled list.
"For Oakland, the question of whether to give him a qualifying offer would be pretty easy. In the current climate, Kazmir getting a one-year deal for around $16.5 million would be a nice, low-risk deal," ESPN Insider Buster Olney wrote earlier in the month. "Beane is in position to use that as leverage in his talks with other teams, and if Oakland moves Kazmir sooner rather than later, the Athletics could sell at an even higher price with the idea that Kazmir would be available to his new team for more starts."
However, Beane's leverage may further deteriorate especially since Peter Gammons reported the A's have yet to receive calls on Kazmir before the injury.
"For Oakland, the big blow would be losing such a great piece of trade bait," writes Matt Verderame of FanSided. "If Kazmir has nothing more than tightness, this is a huge disaster averted for all parties involved. If it turns out Kazmir is seriously hurt, the pitching market at the deadline just lost a major cog."
These two arms will be closely monitored over the next couple of months. Both Cueto and Kazmir have been struggling in May, so they'll need to get healthy and pick up where they left off in April to at least keep their free-agent value up.