Most of the same starting pitchers have been at the center of trade rumors for weeks. Both Madison Bumgarner and Marcus Stroman are expected to be dealt. Trevor Bauer and Matthew Boyd can likely be had for the right price. Zack Wheeler is also reportedly on the market.

Those aren’t the only names being targeted by contenders. Teams looking to upgrade their rotations are interested in both Noah Syndergaard and Robbie Ray. Whether or not they are moved within the next two weeks is up to the New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Mets have gotten calls on Syndergaard since the offseason. The San Diego Padres and New York Yankees were both interested in acquiring the right-hander before the start of the 2019 MLB season, and that might not have changed with the 2019 trade deadline quickly approaching.

MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reported last week that the Padres recently asked the Mets about Syndergaard’s availability. According to SNY’s Andy Martino, the Yankees have spoken with their cross-town rivals about both Wheeler and Syndergaard for months.

Syndergaard is probably more likely to be traded in the offseason when his value could be higher. The 26-year-old is in the midst of the worst season of his career, pitching to a 4.55 ERA in 112.2 innings. His 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings are a career-low.

Despite his struggles, Syndergaard remains an attractive option for buyers at the July 31 deadline. He’s still arbitration-eligible in 2020 and 2021. Syndergaard has a career 3.22 ERA in 105 games and is one of the hardest throwers in baseball.

Teams like the Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers that have shown interest in Syndergaard are also reportedly eyeing Ray. The left-hander is drawing several suitors across the league, according to Morosi, with the likes of the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros also hoping Arizona will listen to offers.

With the second-worst record in the National League, the Mets are long out of the playoff race. The Diamondbacks are very much in the hunt for a wild-card berth, trailing the Phillies by just a game for the NL’s final postseason spot.

That should make a trade for Ray a long shot.

Ray only has one year of arbitration left after this season, which might be the only reason why Arizona would even consider a deal. Ray will lose a lot of his value next season when the Diamondbacks could try to move him before he hits free agency. The San Francisco Giants are currently finding out how difficult it is to acquire top prospects for a pitcher that’s headed for free agency as they shop Bumgarner.

Ray has a 3.81 ERA in 111 innings. The 27-year-old has a league-high 56 walks, though he’s striking out 11.8 batters per nine innings. Ray has posted a sub-4.00 ERA in three straight seasons, starting in 2017 when he finished seventh in the NL Cy Young voting with a 2.89 ERA and a league-high 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Diamondbacks are 14 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the NL West.

Noah Syndergaard New York Mets
Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets celebrates after defeating the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on September 30, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Adam Hunger/Getty Images
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