MLB trade rumors: Which prospects could benefit most from a deadline trade?

It's the last two weeks of July, which means we start seeing all the rumors involving prospects heading to rebuilding teams, and taking the place of veterans on their way to contenders. We've already seen a top 10 fantasy prospect traded at the start of the month, but we're undoubtedly going to hear many more names over these last ten days before the deadline. Which prospects could benefit the most from a trade at the deadline, and could they help you down the stretch?

Note: I'm purely speculating on where these prospects may end up, if dealt for specific players. I don't have any inside information that would indicate to me that any of this is even remotely likely. Rather, I am looking at teams which may be selling, matching them up with contenders, and seeing how their outlook for playing time changes.

#5 - Noah Syndergaard, RHP, New York Mets

The first prospect on my list is unlikely to be traded himself, but if one of the starters on the big club is moved (we see you there, Bartolo Colon), Syndergaard could get the call to the majors for the rest of the season. Whether the Mets find someone to take on Colon and his 2015 contract is the bigger question, but it would make a lot of sense for Thor to debut when that happens.

#4 - Wilmer Flores, 2B, New York Mets

The player directly in front of Flores on the depth chart is Daniel Murphy, who has been rumored both as a trade candidate as well as an extension candidate. It doesn't really seem like Flores has much left to prove in AAA, although playing half your games in Las Vegas can make your numbers look better than they really are. Flores would likely take over should Murphy be dealt, and would likely be a top 15 second baseman for the rest of the season.

#3 - Stephen Piscotty, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

Potential Trade Partners: New York Mets (Colon?), Philadelphia Phillies (Burnett?)

Piscotty isn't the top outfield prospect in his own organization, but that doesn't mean he couldn't bring back a key piece to help the Cardinals down the stretch. He's blocked on the depth chart in St. Louis, but would likely be starting for a number of teams in a corner outfield spot. He won't likely be the headliner needed to bring back an ace starting pitcher, but could help bring a mid-rotation type to pitch behind Adam Wainwright. A move to a new team makes him fantasy relevant in all leagues (dependent on where that is, of course).

#2 - Oscar Taveras, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

Potential trade partners: Philadelphia Phillies (Lee or Hamels), Tampa Bay Rays (Price)

Chalk this up as the "If the Cardinals decide they'd like to trade for David Price" prospect. There's almost no way that if the Cardinals were to acquire Price that Taveras would not be included. Going from St. Louis to Tampa removes a rather large blockade in terms of consistent playing time, as Taveras would only need to be better than Brandon Guyer or Kevin Kiermaier to get regular playing time. I would think that the odds of this happening are less than 5%, but the Cardinals do have the ability to get a trade done for an ace if they're willing to include Oscar.

#1 - Joc Pederson, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Potential trade partners: Philadelphia Phillies (Lee or Hamels), Tampa Bay Rays (Price)
Dark horse: Texas Rangers (Beltre?)

This is no surprise here, as Pederson remains about as blocked as is possible for a prospect at AAA. There's no indication that the Dodgers will be able to get him into an everyday role without moving a veteran earning a ton of money, which tends to happen more in the offseason. The Dodgers don't really need an upgrade in the rotation, but they have this excess of talent (and the ability to spend money) which leads to these thoughts.

I included Texas only because Beltre would be a definite upgrade over Juan Uribe at third, and could take on that type of money without an issue. I don't think that happens, for the same reasons that Daniel Kelley outlined, but third is one of the few positions on the field where the Dodgers could potentially make a substantial upgrade.

Pederson fairly instantly becomes a starting outfielder for any of the three teams, and is likely a top 25 outfielder the rest of the way.