on the Cubs

The July 31 non-waiver trade deadline has passed http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-roberto-clemente-jersey , but MLB trade speculation is alive and well.Players can still be dealt via the waiver process, and anyone traded by August 31 will be eligible for the postseason.Here, then, are five swaps for big-name players who could help decide playoff races, tipping the balance at the 11th hour.Andrew McCutchen, OF, San Francisco Giants1 of 5Lynne Sladky/Associated PressThe San Francisco Giants are clinging to life at the edge of the National League playoff picture and might opt to ride it out.On the other hand, they've got multiple teams to leapfrog in both the NL West and NL wild-card races and would be wise to unload assets to rebuild a ho-hum farm system.If they go that route, Andrew McCutchen should be the first to go. The veteran outfielder is slashing a respectable .255/.356/.415 and is a noted clubhouse leader.As an impending free agent, he'd represent a modest monetary outlay and could help multiple contenders, including the Cleveland Indians, who are running away with the American League Central but will face a tough challenge for Junior Circuit supremacy.Adrian Beltre, 3B, Texas Rangers2 of 5Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesSomeday Kent Tekulve Jersey , Adrian Beltre will be in the Hall of Fame. This season, he's hitting .278 and has shown flashes of his old self.Add several dollops of postseason-tested leadership, and you've got yourself the makings of a waiver-period steal."Obviously, it's going to come down to what works for the team, and what works for me," Beltre said in July of a potential trade, per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. "A chance for me to鈥攊f we go down that route鈥攁 chance for me to actually be part of that team, not just sitting on the bench. A chance for me to play. I'm not going to specifically say, 'I need to play every day,' but contribute to that team to win the World Series, if that's going to happen."Trade partners could include the Philadelphia Phillies, who expressed interest in Beltre before the non-waiver deadline, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com, and could give him reps at third alongside Maikel Franco. Most essentially http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-bill-mazeroski-jersey , Beltre would bring needed experience to a young club that's locked in a tight race with the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.Shin-Soo Choo, OF/DH, Texas Rangers3 of 5Rick Scuteri/Associated PressShin-Soo Choo is hitting .274 with 20 home runs and an .864 OPS for the Texas Rangers. Those numbers would plug nicely into the middle of most contenders' lineups.Now for the rub: Choo is owed $42 million over the next two seasons and is making $20 million this year. If the last-place Rangers hope to unload him, they'll need to eat some of that money.Provided Texas is willing to get financially creative, it could find a suitor. The aforementioned Indians recently placed Edwin Encarnacion on the 10-day disabled list with a hand contusion.Maybe he'll be back, but if Cleveland wants to hedge its bets and maintain contact with the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros in the AL pecking order, a Choo trade could be the ticket.Matt Harvey, RHP, Cincinnati Reds4 of 5John Bazemore/Associated PressWhen the New York Mets traded Matt Harvey to the Cincinnati Reds in May, it seemed like the last gasp of a once-promising pitcher's career.Harvey, though, has pitched decently for Cincinnati. In his most recent start Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he tossed seven innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts.The Reds are mired in last place and should flip Harvey, an impending free agent Dave Parker Jersey , for prospects.The division-rival Milwaukee Brewers, who are jostling with the Chicago Cubs for the NL Central crown, are a logical landing spot.The Brew Crew's starting corps owns a ho-hum 4.01 ERA. Harvey would be a lottery ticket and far from a guaranteed ace. But he'd inject an enviable X-factor into a serviceable but uninspiring Milwaukee rotation.Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals5 of 5Jacquelyn Martin/Associated PressNow we arrive at the waiver period's most enigmatic trade target.Bryce Harper probably isn't going anywhere. The Washington Nationals will likely hold on to their franchise superstar in his contract year and hope for a late postseason surge. He's having something of a down year with a .236 average, though he's also clubbed 28 homers and is arguably MLB's most compelling personality.The Nats are looking up at the Phillies and Braves in the NL East and face an even steeper climb in the wild-card race. Cashing Harper in now before he ditches the nation's capital for untold riches is the smart play.The list of contenders that would benefit from Harper's stretch-run services is as long as the list of contenders. Imagine him on the Cubs, or the Los Angeles Dodgers, or the New York Yankees, etc. He'd tilt the balance of power wherever he landed.Is the safe bet that he'll remain in D.C.? Sure. Is the fun bet that he'll go to a World Series hopeful? You betcha. All statistics current entering play Monday and courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs. The Tampa Bay Rays traded pitcher Matt Andriese to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for catching prospectMichael Perez and pitching prospect Brian Shaffer on Wednesday.Andriese, 28, is 3-4 with a 4.07 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 2018. The Diamondbacks designatedreliever Randall Delgado for assignment to make room forAndriese on their 40-man roster.Andriese has appeared in 27 games, starting four this season. He's struck out 59 batters in 59.2 innings. Now in his fourth MLB season,Andriese was mostly used as a starter in 2016 and 2017."Ultimately, I'm not happy with the decision Josh Harrison Jersey ," Andriese said during spring training, perRoger Mooneyof theTampa Bay Times. "But at this point, where I'm at, you got to roll with it and just do the best to my ability. I'm not by any means mad about it. I'll just take the opportunity and learn from it and go on."Shaffer, 21, was the23rd-rankedprospect in the Diamondbacks organization. He's 7-5 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, striking out 109 batters in 106.2 innings.Perez, 25, has spent the 2018 season in Triple-A Reno. He's hitting .284/.342/.417 with six home runs and 29 runs batted in.