The Top 100 prospects most likely to be dealt by the Trade Deadline are ...

On average over the past 25 years, about 2.5 players deemed Top 100 prospects are dealt each year by the MLB Trade Deadline. With this year's Deadline looming, none have swapped jerseys so far, helping to ratchet up speculation heading into what is often one of the most exciting times of year on the baseball calendar.

On the latest MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo -- along with host Jason Ratliff -- examined which Top 100 prospects appear most likely to be dealt before Thursday's 6 p.m. ET deadline. They looked at factors like team need, opportunity and fit to determine the best candidates, then picked them in a four-round draft based on the perceived likelihood of each player being dealt.

With those factors in mind, our gurus narrowed the list down to eight players with a chance to be included in a trade by the end of the week. Unsurprisingly, all prospects chosen were from contending teams, as those are the clubs most willing to part with prospect talent to bolster the big league club in the short term.

Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs (CHC No. 1/MLB No. 36)

Callis: Unless you're projecting the Cubs aren't going to re-sign Kyle Tucker -- which I suppose is possible -- then Caissie doesn't have a place to play this year, and he doesn't have a place to play next year. He's tearing it up. He's got 20 homers during his age-22 season in Triple-A and he's been in Triple-A the last two seasons. He has nothing left to prove. You hear the Cubs attached to all types of players. I just feel like he's going to be an obvious ask when teams are talking to the Cubs to make a move. I think he's about as much of a lock as a Top 100 prospect can be to be traded at the Deadline.

Harry Ford, C, Mariners (SEA No. 3/MLB No. 49)

Mayo: I'm targeting teams that are competing with guys at upper levels who might be blocked, so I'm going to pick Harry Ford. He's been catching only. They toyed with him playing the outfield last year but that hasn't happened this year. And he's obviously not going to catch in Seattle. I think he'd be of interest because he's been hitting well. A team can bring him up to the big leagues, not even have him catch and introduce him to big league pitching that way.

Aidan Miller, SS, Phillies (PHI No. 2/MLB No. 18)

Mayo: I pause on this one a little bit because he's not having a good year. I wonder if that would be selling low. I don't think the Phillies -- as good as they think Aidan Miller might be -- are afraid of trading from their system in order to play deep into October.

Alex Freeland, SS, Dodgers (LAD No. 3/MLB No. 35)

Callis: As we record this, Alex Freeland is rumored to potentially being called up. But he's kind of blocked, like a lot of the Dodgers prospects are. He's been in Triple-A for a year, and he's performed. He's solid across the board. He plays a quality shortstop. He does a lot of things. But he's blocked. I don't see how he's going to get regular playing time with the Dodgers.

Carson Benge, OF, Mets (NYM No. 4/MLB No. 68)

Callis: I think the Mets are going to make a trade. I don't know if they'll give up a Top 100 prospect, and if they do, it wouldn't shock me if it were Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean or Carson Benge. It's more just figuring out which one they might part with. Maybe because they have a bunch of outfielders, they'd part with Benge. He's been what they thought he was going to be when they drafted him in the first round last year. He's been a solid all-around player. No problem hitting in pro ball. He's hitting .350 in Double-A. It's going to be hit-over-power, but I think he'll get to 15-20 homers and 15-20 steals.

Cooper Pratt, SS, Brewers (MIL No. 3/MLB No. 37)

Mayo: I'm going to say there is the possibility of the Brewers trading Cooper Pratt. He's in Double-A. He's been solid but not spectacular. He's young for his level. He's only 20. And they have depth. Jesús Made and Luis Peña are both potential up-the-middle players, teenagers and performing very well in A-ball. They're OK at shortstop at the big league level for the time being. If either Made or Peña can follow the Jackson Chourio path and move a little more quickly, then Pratt is a guy who can be a little bit more expendable.

Josue Briceño, C/1B, Tigers (DET No. 4/MLB No. 51)

Mayo: I don't know that the Tigers are going to rip apart this core they have at Double-A right now. But Briceño is not going to catch. They have [Spencer] Torkelson, he's figured things out. I don't know if there is a place for Briceño to play, and he can really, really hit. He's hitting again this year. He's a quasi-blocked, very solid player without a clear position, maybe, in this organization.

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Chase Petty, RHP, Reds (CIN No. 6/MLB No. 97)

Callis: The Reds aren't going to trade Chase Burns. But they have too many Chases, so they have to trade Chase Petty. The Reds can use another bat in their lineup and they have a number of interesting pitchers, so maybe they part with Petty. They have six Top 100 prospects. I think, for a team in the Wild Card race, he could be expendable for the right bat.