Players to watch before 2022 MLB Trade Deadline

The 2022 MLB Draft is in the books, and with less than two weeks left until the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline, executives around the game are shifting their focus toward figuring out what’s next for their clubs.

For some, the answer might seem clear. But a lot could still change over the next 13 days.

With this in mind, here are 30 players — one for each team — who MLB.com’s beat reporters believe could directly impact what their teams will do at the Deadline.

Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Guerrero isn’t going anywhere, but he has more power than anyone on this roster to determine what happens next. Guerrero’s 2022 season has been a clear step back from his ’21 performance, which landed him second in the AL MVP voting, so the Blue Jays need the face of their franchise to lead the surge as soon as possible. A recent skid has put the Blue Jays into a crowded Wild Card race and cost Charlie Montoyo his job, but this star-studded lineup is capable of so much more. This all starts with Guerrero, who has the talent to be one of the best players on the planet. If he gets back to that form, the Blue Jays’ front office will find it even easier to bet on a late run and be more aggressive at the Trade Deadline. — Keegan Matheson

Orioles: 1B/OF Trey Mancini
Will he stay or will he go? That’s the question being asked around Baltimore these days — and one that’s especially fascinating now that the Orioles entered the All-Star break with a .500 record, within striking distance of an AL Wild Card spot. Mancini is the current face of the franchise, save perhaps for Adley Rutschman, not only for his personal triumph but just as much for his play. Do the O’s elect to keep a clubhouse leader for the stretch run to see out his contract with the organization that drafted him? Or if the Orioles fall out of contention, might he find himself on a team destined for October? — Zachary Silver

Rays: RHP Luis Patiño
With a prime spot in the AL Wild Card race, the Rays are likely to make some additions leading up to the Trade Deadline. They could use another bat in their lineup, preferably one with some power, while navigating through extended absences from key hitters like Wander Franco. But their pitching is also in a tricky spot, as they’re without a bunch of key arms while several important members of their staff are likely to bump up against workload restrictions in the second half. That could lead to additional trade activity, but one young arm who should have…