MLB Trade Speculation: 5 Possible Landing Spots for James Shields

With the MLB trade deadline just one week away, the rumor mill has been heating up as we approach the dog days of summer.

One of the most talked about pitchers who seems to be available, is Tampa Bay Ray James Shields who has garnered attention from many big name clubs who are looking to add a lights out arm to their rotation.

Shields seems to be on his way out of Tampa, in favor of some talented young arms in the Rays farm system along with the fact his contract is up at the end of the 2011 season.

This list documents five of the most likely teams to land this former Devil Ray's service before the clock strikes midnight on this season's trade deadline.

5. St. Louis Cardinals

As productive an offense as the St. Louis Cardinals have, with Matt Holliday, Albert Pujols and a resurgent Lance Berkman, the pitching staff has been pieced together since the loss of Adam Wainwright for the entirety of the 2011 season.

Some MLB analysts, such as the Kansas City Star's Mike Castiglione believe the redbirds might be in the running for a starting pitcher, and due to the fact Shields is the top player available at his position, one must assume the Cardinals will at the very least throw their hat in the mix.

As pointed out in on of Castiglione's recent articles for the Star, despite early success, the wheels have come off the back end of the starting rotation for the Cardinals. Kyle Lohse and Kyle McClellan have earned themselves a 5.70 and 6.30 ERA over their past eight and seven starts respectively. Over those past seven starts, McClellan has gone 0-5.

For a pitcher seven and eight starts are not exactly a microscopic sample size, and the surprising early-season runs for these two pitchers have come to an end. St. Louis will most likely look to address these pitching woes before July 31, meaning they'll look in Shields' direction if they are serious about a long-term fix to the problem.

4. New York Yankees

It is trade deadline season, meaning that the New York Yankees are due to make at least one big splash. Despite their so far successful 2011 run, the pitching rotation is well, very non-Yankee like. 

CC Sabathia is the only big name penciled into that rotation, with AJ Burnett playing like his usual mediocre self and who knows when or if the Bartolo Colon return tour comes to a thundering halt.

I know the Yankees are the Yankees, and it's hard to count them out regardless of their pitching staff, but you can only go so far in this league with just one lights out starter. You can never count New York out of a big name possibly up for sale, especially considering Shields would provide that staff with two ace-caliber pitchers.

3. Boston Red Sox

I know this is hard to believe, but according to the Boston Globe's own Nick Cafardo the Boston Red Sox are actually close to the league's $175 million dollar luxury tax threshold so there's a chance the Fenway front is quiet this trade deadline.

There may be a chance, but probably not a large one. Like their hated rivals, it's almost as if it's Red Sox team policy to acquire one big name ball player every offseason and trade deadline.

Boston still has no true idea of when they'll be getting Clay Buchholz back in their rotation, meaning things would remain the Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield show and hoping for the best when the other starters take the mound.

Boston may not be willing to part with the necessary prospects to make this deal happen considering the loss of guys like Anthony Rizzo in order to obtain some big name veterans such as Adrian Gonzalez. However, it's certainly not a smart idea to write off the Beantown ballclub until the last final seconds of this deadline, and there is an obvious need for another starter if this team wants to find themselves in the World Series.

2. Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are in somewhat of the same situation as the Cardinals and Yankees find themselves in. All three clubs have a great batting lineup and some superstar players, but pitching continues to haunt them.

Fox Sports Ohio writer Hal McCoy has reported that while the Bronx Bombers were told Shields isn't on the market, word has it Tampa would seriously consider dealing their starter if they would receive Reds catching prospect Devin Mesoraco.

It's a tall price to pay for a team that's played well enough this year to be just four games back of NL Central-leading St. Louis, but if the Reds are looking to do anything that means reaching the World Series this season, then James Shields is a guy who can help stabilize that rotation as arguably the best pitcher out there right now.

1. Detroit Tigers

It's been reported all over that just a few nights ago, the Detroit Tigers sent two scouts to see Shields' latest outing in which he shined against the Yankees, shutting down New York by allowing just one earned run through his time on the mound.

With one trade already under their belt, it seems the Tigers are gearing up for a surprising time where they appear to be one of the largest buyers in the field this deadline season.

The Detroit News' Lynn Henning believes that the Rays will be eye-balling minor league prospects Jacob Turner and Nick Costellanos if this Shields deal is to get done between the two teams.

Though it is hard to part with young talent and potential, the Tigers would become a far more intimidating club considering their opposition would be facing off against the downright filthy Justin Verlander, and then James Shields taking the ball the next game. That's a killer of a one-two punch no matter what team Detroit finds themselves against for the rest of 2011.