MLB Waiver Wire: Players Any Team Would Be Lucky to Have
The Aug. 31 Major League Baseball waiver trade deadline is less than a week away, but teams prepping for their playoff push still have time to land a player that could help with that.
Many big-name players were taken off the market before July 31, but several players are still available to help fill a necessary void. Plus, some teams would be more than happy to let one of their players go who may have a hefty contract on the books.
Ahead is a look at some of the players who would help out the ball clubs currently competing for the postseason. The players are in no particular order as far as value is concerned, but summaries will also include some of the teams that could benefit the most from putting pen to paper in the upcoming days.
Carlos Gonzalez
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Carlos Gonzalez is having himself a solid second half of the season. On the year, he's now hitting .272 with 30 home runs and 71 RBIs, which should make any team's mouth water for having a bat like that in the lineup down the stretch.
Of course, Gonzalez would come at a price, since he has $37 million on his contract for the next two seasons. His recent tear at the plate might also not help matters, as the Colorado Rockies could end up with a higher asking price—especially after trading Troy Tulowitzki to the Toronto Blue Jays.
However, the price may be right for some teams—whatever that price may be. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who sit a half game out of the Wild Card as of Thursday, would certainly benefit from Gonzalez, as their offense is ranked 24th in the league for the second half of the season.
The St. Louis Cardinals could also find a spot for Gonzo, who would help provide a spark to a team that holds a four-game lead in the NL Central.
Edward Mujica
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Now, I know what you're probably thinking. Who could possibly want this guy in their bullpen?
The Boston Red Sox designated Edward Mujica for assignment earlier in the year, and he didn't fare much better with the Oakland Athletics. Actually, he's been worse.
In 26 games, Mujica has a 5.18 ERA in 24.1 innings with the A's, compared to his 4.61 ERA in 11 games and 13.2 innings with the Sox.
However, Mujica had his best years in the National League, most recently as a once dominant closer with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012 (1.03 ERA in 26.1 innings) and 2013 (2.78 ERA in 64.2 innings with 37 saves).
Perhaps a change of scenery would be good for the veteran, who could provide just enough help in the bullpen for a NL team in the hunt for October. Plus, his contract is up after this season, so the team wouldn't be losing too much aside from a roster spot.
Several teams in the NL would benefit from a fresh arm in their bullpen, such as the New York Mets, who have a dominant starting rotation but still haven't found the answers late in the game. The Los Angeles Dodgers could also use a back-end arm, as several solid starts by Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke have been wasted by the bullpen this season.
As it stands Tuesday night, the Mets hold a 5.5-game lead over the Washington Nationals in the NL East, while the Los Angeles Dodgers hold a two-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.
Francisco Rodriguez
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Francisco Rodriguez is back. Well, he hasn't really gone anywhere, but it seems like folks may have forgotten about him a little bit in the last couple years. It could have something to do with moving to a setup role in years past, but he's certainly back to being a solid arm as a closer.
He's been an All-Star the past two years and has 30 saves with a 2.06 ERA in 43.2 innings pitched this season. The aforementioned teams in the previous slide could definitely benefit from snagging K-Rod, who could continue his closer role for the Mets (hey, remember when he WAS with the Mets?) or slide into the eighth-inning role for the Dodgers behind Kenley Jansen.
SI.com's Cliff Corcoran also brought up the possible interest of the Houston Astros, who were interested in a closer before the deadline but never made a move. As of Tuesday night, the Astros hold a 4.5-game lead in the American League West.
Though Rodriguez is owed $9.5 million beyond this year, the veteran has a decent amount of playoff experience under his belt and could definitely help provide an instant boost to any bullpen.
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James Shields
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James Shields has had an up-and-down season for the San Diego Padres, though he now can boast experience in both the American and National Leagues.
He's 9-5 with a 3.74 ERA in 26 games this season and has pitched a little bit better at home than on the road. Shields is also working on a career-high in strikeouts per nine innings this season at 9.9.
His contract is what makes things a little complicated. Shields is only owed less than $2 million for the rest of the season, but is owed $21 million for each of the next three seasons. That includes an opt-out clause after next season and a buyout option for 2019.
That could potentially be a lot of money for a 33-year-old pitcher, but there is definitely a chance to find some upside—especially for a struggling pitching staff.
One of those rotations is the New York Yankees, who are still trying to find consistency from the starting rotation. To make matters worse, WFAN beat reporter Sweeny Murti reported that CC Sabathia was headed to the 15-day disabled list after injuring his knee. New York is right in the thick of a pennant race with the Toronto Blue Jays and might need to make a move out of necessity, if not for anything else.
Another team in the AL East, the Baltimore Orioles, could also benefit from adding Shields to their starting rotation. The O's are just 2.5 games back of the second Wild Card spot.
Jose Reyes
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Jose Reyes has only played in 22 games for the Colorado Rockies after being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays for Troy Tulowitzki, but he could still end up on the move. Hopefully, he hasn't fully unpacked his suitcases.
The Blue Jays certainly benefited from the trade, especially since Reyes is owed $48 million over the next two years and the team is 20-4 since making the move. Reyes, on the other hand, told The Denver Post's Nick Groke that he would be up for another trade.
Reyes has been injury prone and his play has diminished a bit in the last couple of years, but his .279 batting average this season isn't terrible. A new scenery with a playoff contender could do the 32-year-old good and help a team making a late run, especially if Reyes gets hot at the right time.
The Yankees could have some use for Reyes, but at second base instead of shortstop. Stephen Drew is batting a dismal .199 for the Bronx Bombers, while Brendan Ryan isn't much better at .237. Plus, wouldn't it be fun to see Reyes competing in a pennant race against his former team?
Another interesting possibility for Reyes would be with the Baltimore Orioles. Much like the Tulo trade, Reyes could be swapped straight-up for O's shortstop J.J. Hardy, who has struggled this season with a .222 batting average. That trade would save the Rockies $19.5 million, while Baltimore could get a spark in its lineup for the month of September.
Austin Jackson
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As Fox Sports' Jon Morosi reported Monday, Austin Jackson has cleared waivers, and he could help out some teams both on the field and at the plate.
Since coming to the Seattle Mariners in the David Price trade last year, Jackson has been decent—but a little below average—and is batting .259 this season. That's a little bit of a drop from a couple of years ago, but the 28-year-old would provide speed on the basepaths and in centerfield for teams who need to fill that void.
Jackson is owed about $1.75 million for the remainder of the year and will be a free agent at the end of the season. He could add some depth to teams like the Texas Rangers, who hold the second Wild Card spot in the American League as of Thursday, or the Angels and Giants as well.
Hanley Ramirez
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Hanley Ramirez has managed to fill that goofy, subpar fielding void that Manny Ramirez left behind in the Boston Red Sox outfield upon his retirement. Unfortunately for the Sox, Hanley's bat hasn't exactly followed suit with the way Manny's once did.
He does have 19 home runs and is batting .252, both of which aren't exactly awful. In the field, however, the Sox are very talented in the outfield—so much so that Boston actually started working Ramirez out at first base Tuesday, as reported by ESPN.com staff writer Gordon Edes.
Ramirez also has a ton of money remaining on his contract and is owed $66 million over the next three years. The Sox might be able to make out by swapping contracts with another player or by simply eating some of the money to make something happen.
Plus, new Boston president David Dombroski, who helped make the trades of David Price and Yoenis Cespedes from the Detroit Tigers this season, would certainly be capable of making the right moves with the right team regarding Ramirez.
Ramirez might benefit from being added to a better lineup for a contending team, by moving back into the infield or serving as a designated hitter. The move to first base could just be the Red Sox preparing for 2016, but maybe it's to make Ramirez more appealing to a playoff contender.
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