The 2020 Major League Baseball trade deadline is Monday, Aug. 31 at 4 p.m. ET, and although there are not high expectations for blockbuster trades or massive wheeling and dealing, most GMs believe there will be some movement. Front office insiders believe we will see some impending free agents traded to contending teams, as well as some young, controllable players being traded for each other based on team needs. It s also possible, because of the large financial losses teams are taking with no fans in the stands, that some small and mid-market teams will be trying to unload some salaries to the bigger-market clubs.

Last week, I handed out my trade deadline ideas for every team in the East and West. Now, here is one move for every American League and National League Central team that I would like to see made between now and the trade deadline.

All stats through Tuesday afternoon.

American League Central

Chicago White Sox

Acquire right-handed pitcher Lance Lynn from the Texas Rangers in exchange for right-handed pitchers Jonathan Stiever and Dane Dunning.

The White Sox are in a serious three-way race with the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians not only for the divisional title, but also for second place and maybe a wild-card berth. The White Sox have one of the most prolific lineups in baseball and might just be one trade away from the playoffs and maybe even a World Series appearance. A trade for Lynn could be the difference-maker. Lynn, 33, has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year, going 4-0 with a 1.59 ERA after his first seven starts, allowing just 25 hits while striking out 50 in a league-leading 45 1/3 innings. Lynn has made major changes to his pitch sequencing and location over the last couple of years thanks to analytics (something he fought for years but now embraces). He has really become one of the more dependable starters in baseball. The White Sox could secure his services through the 2021 season at an affordable annual salary of $10 million. The prospect price would be steep, having to deal two of their top pitching prospects in Stiever, who went 10-10 last year with a 3.48 ERA in the Carolina and South Atlantic Leagues combined, and Dunning, who was 6-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 2018 at both Single A and Double A before undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2019 and missing all of last season. Both starters profile to be middle-of-rotation type arms.

Cleveland Indians

Trade right-handed pitcher Mike Clevinger to the New York Yankees in exchange for outfielder Clint Frazier and third baseman Miguel And jar.

The Indians are blessed with another top pitching prospect in Triston McKenzie, who appears ready to step in and replace Clevinger full-time in their starting rotation. After Clevinger let his teammates down by breaking curfew, violating health protocols and misleading the team about his behavior, trading him probably has to be under serious consideration at this point. They also only control him for two more years. In return, the Indians should be able to get two everyday position players that would help lengthen their lineup significantly. Former Indian Frazier, 25, appears ready to have his breakout season if he can just get playing time and would fit nicely in right field for Cleveland. And jar, 25, is just two years removed from hitting .297 with 47 doubles, 27 home runs and 92 runs batted in and finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. He s since had shoulder surgery but is presently blocked by the Yankees all-star lineup and depth. And jar could play left field, third base, first base or DH for them. Both players are entering their prime years and this trade could end up being a difference-maker for Cleveland for years to come. In return, the Yankees get their third starter to put behind Gerrit Cole and Masahiro Tanaka in their rotation.

Detroit Tigers

Promote third baseman Spencer Torkelson to the major leagues for the final month of the season.

Torkelson, 20, was the Tigers first-round selection in this year s MLB Draft out of Arizona State. His bat and power are both major-league ready right now. In fact, if they put him in the lineup for the final month of the season, he ll be the team s best overall power hitter. I know there is the argument of saving service time and handling him like they did Casey Mize, but there is a difference in their rebuilding program. Torkelson is as major-league ready right now, as Mize is. Therefore, if you re willing to start the clock on Mize, then you should do the same for Torkelson even though he was drafted two years later. When I was GM of the Washington Nationals, I drafted Ryan Zimmerman in June 2005, put him in the big leagues in September and he hit .397 in 20 games and 62 plate appearances and Torkelson is a better hitter with more power at the exact same stage. Zimmerman s first full season the next year, he got on base 35 percent of the time and hit 20 home runs and drove in 110 runs. Torkelson will surpass those numbers if they bring him up now.

Kansas City Royals

Acquire outfielder Jesse Winker and right-handed pitcher Tyler Mahle from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for outfielder Whit Merrifield and closer Trevor Rosenthal.

The Royals have made it clear they don t want to trade Whit Merrifield. We all understand why. He s led the AL in hits and stolen bases two of the last three years. He can play multiple positions and is signed to a club-friendly contract that will pay him approximately $6.75 million in 21 and $2.75 million in 22 with a team option of $10.5 million in 23. There are some salary escalators in his deal based on awards and plate appearances, but they max out at $2 million per year. However, he s also 31 years old and when the Royals are ready to win in 2023, he ll be 34 and an impending free agent. His trade value will never be higher than it is right now. They could package him along with their impact closer Trevor Rosenthal and deal them to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for outfielder Jesse Winker and right-handed pitcher Tyler Mahle. The Reds desperately need to improve their bullpen if they re going to get to the playoffs this year and Rosenthal has been one of the game s best closers this year, even though he s a free agent at the end of the season. Merrifield would replace Winker in left field and give the Reds a tremendous lead-off hitter who can beat you with speed and produce traffic for the middle of their lineup that features Joey Votto, Nicholas Castellanos, Eugenio Su rez and Mike Moustakas. The Royals get Winker, who is four years younger than Merrifield and his having his breakout season, as shown by his .315 average with 6 home runs and on-base percentage of .444. Mahle, 25, would immediately go into the Royals starting rotation.

Minnesota Twins

Acquire right-handed reliever Matt Barnes from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for minor-league right-handed pitcher Josh Winder.

Barnes, 30, pitched in at least 62 games in each of the last four years out of the Red Sox bullpen, including 70 games last year. His ERA over that span was under 4. Last year he posted a 3.78 ERA, striking out 110 hitters in just 64 1/3 innings of work. He s off to a slow start this season, as shown by his 5.73 ERA over 11 appearances, and his velocity is down 1 mph across the board, but that s probably because of either the shortened spring training or a tweak needed in his mechanics. The Twins could use some veteran bullpen depth and Barnes should fit the bill. In return, the Sox get Winder, 23, who was 7-2 with a 2.65 ERA last year at Cedar Rapids in the Midwest League. He started 21 games, providing 125 2/3 innings of work while yielding 93 hits, walking 30 and striking out 118. He ll be slated for High-A or Double A next year for Boston and profiles to a back-of-rotation type starter or long reliever in time. Most analysts view him as a top 30 prospect in the Twins organization.

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

Trade pitching prospects Brailyn Marquez and Kohl Franklin and catching prospect Miguel Amaya to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for left-handed closer Josh Hader.

The Cubs window for another world championship is this year and the next and because they ve decided to hold on to their entire core, they might as well go for it one more time. Cubs fans won t like this idea after watching Eloy Jim nez on the South Side of Chicago and Gleyber Torres in the Big Apple, but remember how great that parade was? Wasn t it worth it? So let s go one more time and trade top pitching prospects Marquez and Franklin and top catching prospect Amaya to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for left-handed closer Josh Hader. Hader, 26, is the best closer in baseball. He s pitched in eight games this year and hasn t given up a hit or a run while striking out 13 and walking 5 in 8 1/3 innings of work. The two-time All-Star is a game-changer and is controllable through 2023. The Brewers need to quickly retool somehow because they have one of, if not the worst, farm systems in baseball. This trade would allow them to build back their system while solving their long-term catching position with Amaya while Marquez would immediately become their top pitching prospect and Franklin wouldn t be far behind.

The backup (and more realistic) plan would be to deal for Trevor Rosenthal of the Royals, but Chicago is built to win now and it s time for Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein to try and go big one more time with a mammoth trade for Hader.

Cincinnati Reds

Acquire right-handed relievers Josh Staumont, Greg Holland and Scott Barlow from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for outfielder Aristides Aquino and third baseman Jonathan India.

The Reds have a legitimate chance to get to the postseason. They have one of the top 3 starting rotations in baseball, and a lineup that can do damage on a nightly basis. However, their team defense leaves little to be desired but is passable, and here comes their problem their bullpen has been a complete disaster, with a team ERA of 5.48, ranked last in the division and 26th in baseball. If they want to see October baseball, that s what they need to fix. The good news is the Reds have both infield and outfield prospect depth to trade. Their farm system is strong. They have a large enough inventory of prospects to trade outfielder Aristides Aquino and third baseman Jonathan India. Both prospects are presently blocked by their major-league roster Eugenio Su rez at third base blocking India and Jesse Winker, who is having his break-out year in left field, blocking Aquino. Therefore, I m going to throw out the idea of Aquino and India to the Royals for Josh Staumont, Greg Holland and Scott Barlow. In Aquino, the Royals get a power bat that they can replace Alex Gordon with in left field next year, India can be either a valuable prospect trade piece in the future or be moved to second base if the Royals decide to play Bobby Witt Jr. at third. The Reds would get Staumont, who has put up a 0.79 ERA in 12 appearances this year with 23 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings of relief; Holland, who s been having a solid comeback season as shown by his 3.60 ERA in 15 appearances; and Barlow, who has been dominating in his 16 games that have included 20 strikeouts and a 1.69 ERA. Staumont, 26, and Barlow, 27, are controllable through 2024 while Holland, 34, is a free agent at season s end.

Milwaukee Brewers

Acquire center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. from the Boston Red Sox in return for left-handed pitcher Antoine Kelly.

The Brewers certainly miss the defense of Gold Glove center fielder Lorenzo Cain, who opted out this season. Not having him in center field has cost the Brewers numerous runs with balls dropping in and around centerfield that they were used to seeing caught by Cain over the last few years. Therefore, if the Brewers decide to go for it, trading for an elite defensive center fielder for the last month of the season makes some sense. Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is an impending free agent and also a previous Gold Glove winner in center. Perhaps the Red Sox could pry away one of the Brewers lower-level pitching prospects as a player to be named later like southpaw Antoine Kelly or perhaps right-hander Max Lazar.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Trade right-handed reliever Richard Rodr guez to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Brian Howard.

Howard, 25, had a strong solid season in Double A last year for Oakland s Midland affiliate in the Texas League, making 23 starts with a 3.25 ERA striking out 118 hitters in 130 innings. He s presently listed as one of Oakland s top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline. Rodr guez, 30, has been solid out of the Pirates bullpen this season, pitching 11 2/3 innings, allowing just 5 hits and 4 earned runs while walking 1 and punching out 16. The A s are a legitimate contender this year and their front office is always looking to add a quality bullpen arm.

St. Louis Cardinals

Acquire outfielder Teoscar Hern ndez from the Toronto Blue in exchange for right-handed pitcher John Gant and left-handed pitcher Ricardo S nchez.

The Cardinals have the pitching and defense to catch the Cubs and hold off the Reds, but quite frankly don t have enough offense. The recent promotion of rookie outfielder Dylan Carlson will definitely help, but they really need another power bat that can do some damage in the middle of their lineup and help protect Paul Goldschmidt. Taking from the Cardinals pitching depth, how about a trade of right-handed pitcher John Gant and left-handed pitcher Ricardo S nchez to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for outfielder Teoscar Hern ndez? Hern ndez, 27, has tremendous power and is presently second in the AL with 10 home runs to go along with his .294 batting average, .336 on-base percentage and 156 OPS+. He s not the perfect player because he doesn t always have the focus in right field or on the basepaths that you d like to see, but the physical ability is there and the power is going to play regardless. The Cardinals just don t get enough bang for their buck offensively from Dexter Fowler, Harrison Bader and Tyler O Neill, at least to this point, and Hern ndez would upgrade to the power aspect of their lineup. He could play right field or DH for the Cardinals, wherever he best fits on a daily basis.