MLB Power Rankings: Final Pre-Trade Deadline Breakdown

Major League Baseball’s July 31 trade deadline is nearly here.

On Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, teams will no longer be able to trade players without them having to clear waivers first. The next few days could be the difference between a team buying for the second half of the season or trading away some talent with the hope of improving for 2014.

I’ve got you covered on where every team in the league stands heading into Wednesday’s deadline. B/R’s Joel Reuter usually mans these rankings, so we’ll be using his list from last week as a reference point. Essentially, I took a look at how each team did over the last week and made the appropriate changes in order to give you an up-to-date power ranking.

On each of the following slides, you’ll see how each team fared during the past week, what their upcoming schedule is for this week and what everyone has been talking about lately—whether it be a big series coming up, a vital injury or a trade that could happen.

Check back each week for updated rankings.

All statistics in this article were obtained via FanGraphs unless otherwise noted and are current through July 28. All contract information was obtained via Cot’s Contracts and all injury information was obtained via Baseball Prospectus.

1. Tampa Bay Rays (62-43, LW: 3)

Last Week’s Results (4-2)

at Boston Red Sox (2-1)

at New York Yankees (2-1)

What's Everyone Talking About?

One of the hottest teams in baseball right now, the Rays move into the top spot in the power rankings. While they couldn’t hang onto their slight lead in the AL East, taking four-of-six from the Red Sox and Yankees was still a big accomplishment. The team is in a great position to retake the lead in the upcoming week.

Matt Moore has really been outstanding for the Rays all season long, as he’s 14-3 on the year with a 3.41 ERA. Jeremy Hellickson has done a good job as well, as he’s already a 10-game winner, but he needs to get that 4.48 ERA a bit lower. If David Price can stay healthy, Tampa Bay will be a tough team to beat down the stretch.

 

This Week’s Opponents

at Boston Red Sox (1)

vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (2)

vs. San Francisco Giants (3)

2. St. Louis Cardinals (62-40, LW: 1)

Last Week’s Results (3-3)

vs. Philadelphia Phillies (3-0)

at Atlanta Braves (0-3)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Cardinals gave me no choice but to drop them from the top spot in these rankings. While St. Louis is still one of the most dangerous teams in the game, getting swept by the Braves isn’t going to help its cause right here. The Cardinals need to bounce back quickly to preserve their NL Central lead.

If the team doesn’t turn things around, the Cardinals might not be the top team in the division for much longer. Manager Mike Matheny needs Matt Carpenter and Yadier Molina to carry the offense in the coming days, while Adam Wainwright and Shelby Miller need to continue doing their thing on the mound.

This Week’s Opponents

at Pittsburgh Pirates (5)

at Cincinnati Reds (3)

3. Pittsburgh Pirates (61-42, LW: 4)

Last Week’s Results (4-3)

at Washington Nationals (3-1)

at Miami Marlins (1-2)

What's Everyone Talking About?

Pittsburgh, we have a problem.

As reported by Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jason Grilli, one of the game’s top closers this season, is going to be out for around four-to-eight weeks with a forearm injury. That doesn’t bode well for the Pirates, who enter Monday just 1.5 games behind the Cardinals for the NL Central lead.

The team’s next series is going to say a lot about how the rest of the year is going to go. The Pirates and Cardinals are set to square off five times in the coming days in what’s sure to be a can't-miss series. It will be interesting to see how Mark Melancon does in the ninth inning now, pending he gets any save opportunities.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. St. Louis Cardinals (5)

vs. Colorado Rockies (3)

4. Detroit Tigers (59-45, LW: 9)

Last Week’s Results (6-1)

at Chicago White Sox (3-1)

vs. Philadelphia Phillies (3-0)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Tigers are in a good spot at the moment, sitting a few games ahead of the Indians, but the team needs to stay healthy. Miguel Cabrera was just forced to miss some time, and Detroit can’t afford to have him on the bench for any period of time. Without him in the lineup, the team’s division lead would be gone.

These next couple of games are going to be very important for Detroit. Washington hasn’t been great this year, and the Tigers really need to take both games. They shouldn’t have much of a problem sweeping the White Sox either, and that would put their win streak at eight in a row.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. Washington Nationals (2)

vs. Chicago White Sox (3)

5. Boston Red Sox (63-43, LW: 2)

Last Week’s Results (3-3)

vs. Tampa Bay Rays (1-2)

at Baltimore Orioles (2-1)

What's Everyone Talking About?

Time is dwindling before the trade deadline, and the Red Sox still have yet to find a suitable replacement for Clay Buchholz. It’s unclear when the right-hander will take the mound again for Boston this season, as he hasn’t pitched since June 8. The team has been getting by with minor leaguers stepping up.

Boston could decide to go with Brandon Workman for the rest of the season, but that would be a bold move. It seems much more likely that general manager Ben Cherington would go out and make a deal to acquire a starter. The organization has a bunch of young talent that it can ship off in a trade.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. Tampa Bay Rays (1)

vs. Seattle Mariners (3)

vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (3)

6. Oakland Athletics (62-43, LW: 5)

Last Week’s Results (5-2)

vs. Houston Astros (2-1)

vs. Los Angeles Angels (3-1)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Athletics now have a commanding six-game lead in the AL West, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to be giving it up anytime soon. Oakland may also be looking to add another starting pitcher for the second half of the season, which would boost their already-strong playoff chances.

Someone like Jake Peavy could be a nice fit for the team, but it will definitely come at a price. For the moment, Bartolo Colon has been the ace of the staff. The right-hander is 14-3 on the season through 21 starts. He also has a 2.54 ERA in 141.2 innings of work and has only walked 18 batters all year.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. Toronto Blue Jays (3)

vs. Texas Rangers (3)

7. Los Angeles Dodgers (56-48, LW: 11)

Last Week’s Results (6-1)

at Toronto Blue Jays (3-0)

vs. Cincinnati Reds (3-1)

What's Everyone Talking About?

Without a doubt, the Dodgers are the hottest team in baseball right now. The Dodgers have lost just one game since the All-Star Break and are 18-5 in July. The team was in the cellar of the division earlier in the year, came all the way back and now holds a slim lead over the Diamondbacks.

How long will the hot streak last?

The Yankees aren’t playing the best baseball in the world right now, and by the time the Dodgers arrive at Wrigley Field, the Cubs might not have anyone left on the team. It seems likely that the Dodgers will be able to extend their division lead with a few easy wins this week. They just keep getting better and better.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. New York Yankees (2)

at Chicago Cubs (4)

8. Atlanta Braves (60-45, LW: 10)

Last Week’s Results (5-2)

at New York Mets (2-2)

vs. St. Louis Cardinals (3-0)

What's Everyone Talking About?

As each day passes, it seems more and more likely that the Braves are going to run away with the NL East. They enter Monday 8.5 games ahead of the Nationals, which is the largest margin between any division leader and its respective second-place team.

But the Braves still have some work to do.

While Atlanta could replace Tim Hudson internally, it would be smarter for the the team go out and make a trade. Hudson wasn’t the team’s best pitcher this season, but he was still the leader of the rotation. It’s not going to be easy to replace him, but the Braves have the pieces to make a deal for one of the veteran starters on the market.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. Colorado Rockies (4)

at Philadelphia Phillies (3)

9. Cincinnati Reds (59-47, LW: 7)

Last Week’s Results (4-4)

at San Francisco Giants (3-1)

at Los Angeles Dodgers (1-3)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Reds recently took advantage of the struggling Giants, but they didn’t play so well against the red-hot Dodgers. Cincinnati needs to come out of its next series against San Diego with a few wins. After that, the Reds go home for one of the biggest series of the season, as the Cardinals come to town.

Cincinnati sits five games back of St. Louis in the NL Central entering Monday, but currently has a hold one of the wild-card spots. The upcoming series against the Cardinals could make all the difference in the world. The Reds have lost three straight and can’t afford to be further back in the division this time next week.

This Week’s Opponents

at San Diego Padres (3)

vs. St. Louis Cardinals (3)

10. Baltimore Orioles (58-48, LW: 6)

Last Week’s Results (2-5)

at Kansas City Royals (1-3)

vs. Boston Red Sox (1-2)  

What's Everyone Talking About?

It appears that the All-Star Break wasn’t the best thing in the world for Chris Davis. In the first half of the season, the first baseman hit .315/.392/.717 with 37 home runs and 93 RBI. He then participated in the Home Run Derby and the Midsummer Classic. Since this time, though, he’s gone cold.

Davis has yet to hit a home run in the second half of the year, and he’s already played in nine games. He’s also hitting just .229/.282/.314 since returning from Citi Field. What in the world is going on with him? At one point, we thought he could break the single-season home run record. Now, he might not even top 50 homers on the year.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. Houston Astros (3)

vs. Seattle Mariners (3)

11. Texas Rangers (56-49, LW: 8)

Last Week’s Results (2-5)

vs. New York Yankees (2-2)

at Cleveland Indians (0-3)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Rangers are falling, and falling fast. Texas didn’t play well against the Yankees and were even worse against the Indians. Texas is now six games back in the division and desperately needs to turn things around quickly. Unfortunately, the recently acquired Matt Garza might not be enough to get the team into the postseason.

The Rangers may need to make another deal or two. Adding someone who can hit in the heart of the lineup would be ideal, but the front office might be reluctant to trade even more young talent than they already have this season, as Texas really gave up a lot to obtain Garza. Making a similar trade would really hurt the farm system.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. Los Angeles Angels (3)

vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (1)

at Oakland Athletics (3)

12. New York Yankees (55-50, LW: 13)

Last Week’s Results (3-4)

at Texas Rangers (2-2)

vs. Tampa Bay Rays (1-2)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The captain is back in pinstripes, and boy, did he ever make quite the return. Derek Jeter launched the first pitch he saw on Sunday—in what was just his second game of the entire season—into the right-center field stands. He wasn’t running full speed for most of the game, though, as he can’t afford to get sidelined another time.

Sunday’s victory over the Rays was also the first time Jeter and Alfonso Soriano were in the lineup together in quite some time. While the acquisition of Soriano was a decent one—even though New York had to give up a young prospect—it still won’t be enough to get the Yankees into the playoffs.

This Week’s Opponents

at Los Angeles Dodgers (2)

at San Diego Padres (3)

13. Arizona Diamondbacks (54-51, LW: 12)

Last Week’s Results (3-4)

vs. Chicago Cubs (2-2)

vs. San Diego Padres (1-2)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Diamondbacks are just 2.5 games behind the Dodgers for the NL West lead, but they have six games ahead of them that are going to be quite difficult. The Rays, Rangers and Red Sox are no walk in the park, and Arizona has to come away with a few victories. It would be good if it came away with a starter as well.

With the way things look right now, the Diamondbacks won’t have enough pitching to make the postseason. Arizona has to go out and find itself someone who it can stash at the top of the rotation for the remainder of the season. Even if the guy is only signed through this season, the team needs to make it happen.

This Week’s Opponents

at Tampa Bay Rays (2)

at Texas Rangers (1)

at Boston Red Sox (3)

14. Kansas City Royals (51-51, LW: 17)

Last Week’s Results (6-1)

vs. Baltimore Orioles (3-1)

at Chicago White Sox (3-0)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Royals are getting hot at the right time of the season. They’re back to the .500-mark and could make a comeback to clinch a playoff berth if this continues. They just took six-of-seven games against the Orioles and White Sox, and the team’s next two opponents shouldn’t be hard to beat either.

Kansas City should refrain from trading any of its essential pieces unless it’s going to get equal major league value. The Royals could get a bunch of talent for someone like Ervin Santana, but that would likely be a big blow to the team’s rotation. He’s 6-6 on the year with a 3.06 ERA through 20 starts.

This Week’s Opponents

at Minnesota Twins (3)

at New York Mets (3)

15. Cleveland Indians (56-48, LW: 14)

Last Week’s Results (4-2)

at Seattle Mariners (1-2)

vs. Texas Rangers (3-0)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Indians are on the verge of catching the Tigers in the AL Central, as they enter Monday just three games back in the division. While Cleveland had a solid week, it can’t afford to be dropping series to teams that are under .500. Losing two-of-three to Seattle isn’t going to help the team’s playoff hopes.

But being able to sweep the Rangers was great. Sure, Texas is sliding, but it still is a tough team to beat. The Indians have won four in a row and need to keep this hot streak going. Before you know it, it could be the Indians who are sitting atop the AL Central. They could easily go 7-0 this week.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. Chicago White Sox (4)

at Miami Marlins (3)

16. Washington Nationals (52-54, LW: 16)

Last Week’s Results (4-4)

vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (1-3)

vs. New York Mets (3-1)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Nationals have won three straight games, but they need a big spurt in order to stay in the playoff hunt. Washington is still two games under .500 and sit 8.5 games behind Atlanta for the NL East lead. The team is also seven games back of a wild-card spot, so things definitely need to pick up soon.

Manager Davey Johnson can no longer let Dan Haren take the mound either. He’s one of the big reasons the team is so far back. Through 19 starts, the righty has just five victories and a 5.49 ERA. He’s a liability every fifth day, and if the Nationals are going to make a late push, he can’t be a part of it.

This Week’s Opponents

at Detroit Tigers (2)

at Milwaukee Brewers (3)

17. Colorado Rockies (51-55, LW: 15)

Last Week’s Results (3-4)

vs. Miami Marlins (1-3)

vs. Milwaukee Brewers (2-1)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Rockies are in trouble. While they’ve managed to stay in the mix for most of the season, things are on the decline. They just played two of the worst teams in the league last week, and they lost more games than they won. Don’t expect them to win many against the Braves or the Pirates either.

Colorado has gotten some great performances throughout the season from guys like Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer, among others, but it won’t be enough. The Rockies are six games back in the NL West and eight games back in the wild-card race. Even with two months left, you can count Colorado out.

This Week’s Opponents

at Atlanta Braves (4)

at Pittsburgh Pirates (3)

18. Los Angeles Angels (48-55, LW: 18)

Last Week’s Results (2-5)

vs. Minnesota Twins (1-2)

at Oakland Athletics (1-3)

What's Everyone Talking About?

Things just went from bad to worse in Los Angeles. The Angels looked to have one of the top rosters in the league entering the season, but it’s been all downhill from the start. One of the problems was the lack of production from Albert Pujols, who was hitting .258/.330/.437 through 99 games.

Now, Pujols might not play for the rest of the season. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reported that the first baseman will likely sit out the remainder of the year due to a foot injury. The Angels weren’t going to do much the rest of the season anyways, so Pujols might as well not risk trying to return early.

This Week’s Opponents

at Texas Rangers (3)

vs. Toronto Blue Jays (4)

19. Toronto Blue Jays (48-56, LW: 20)

Last Week’s Results (3-4)

vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (0-3)

vs. Houston Astros (3-1)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Blue Jays made a bunch of trades and signings this past winter with the hopes of contending for a playoff berth this season. Things haven’t gone according to plan, though, and at the moment, it appears as though Toronto won’t be playing meaningful baseball in the last few weeks of the regular season.

But will Toronto decide to trade some of the players on the current roster in order to set itself up nicely going forward? Mark Buehrle hasn’t pitched great this season, as he’s 6-7 with a 4.50 ERA, but some teams may be looking for a lefty with a lot of experience. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him get dealt before the deadline.

This Week’s Opponents

at Oakland Athletics (3)

at Los Angeles Angels (4)

20. Seattle Mariners (50-55, LW: 22)

Last Week’s Results (4-3)

vs. Cleveland Indians (2-1)

vs. Minnesota Twins (2-2)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Mariners looked to be getting hot, but now, the team isn’t going to be going very far the rest of the season. They needed to come out of their last two series with more than four wins, as the next six games—against Boston and Baltimore—are going to be difficult to come out from alive.

Seattle enters Monday 12 games back of Oakland and will need a miraculous turn of events in order to get back into the hunt. Don’t be surprised if the Mariners give up on the rest of the season and start to trade some notable veterans. Kendrys Morales seems like a prime candidate to get dealt before Wednesday’s deadline.

This Week’s Opponents

at Boston Red Sox (3)

at Baltimore Orioles (3)

21. Chicago Cubs (48-55, LW: 24)

Last Week’s Results (5-2)

at Arizona Diamondbacks (2-2)

at San Francisco Giants (3-0)

What's Everyone Talking About?

Here’s my thought process on what’s happening in Chicago. All of the team’s players line up outside general manager Jed Hoyer’s office. They enter and pick a card out of a hat. The card either says “stay” or “go.” If the card says “go” then Hoyer trades that player to another team. What do you think?

Hoyer has already traded Scott Feldman, Matt Garza and Alfonso Soriano. Your guess is as good as mine as to who the next Chicago player to go to a different team will be before Wednesday’s deadline. It will be interesting to see if Hoyer will pull the trigger on Samardzija and trade him for a bunch of prospects.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. Milwaukee Brewers (4)

vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (4)

22. San Diego Padres (48-58, LW: 25)

Last Week’s Results (5-2)

at Milwaukee Brewers (3-1)

at Arizona Diamondbacks (2-1)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Padres are well out of the race in the NL West, but they have been making some noise lately. They took three-of-four from the Braun-less Brewers and then two-of-three from the second-place Diamondbacks. If San Diego can sweep the Reds and Yankees, they could be right back in the hunt for a playoff berth.

That might be asking a lot of them, though. The Padres could end up selling some of its top players before even playing the Yankees. It appears that Chase Headley is going to be staying put, but guys like Edinson Volquez and maybe even Carlos Quentin could be with new teams before the week concludes.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. Cincinnati Reds (3)

vs. New York Yankees (3)

23. Minnesota Twins (45-57, LW: 26)

Last Week’s Results (4-3)

at Los Angeles Angels (2-1)

at Seattle Mariners (2-2)

What's Everyone Talking About?

Will the Justin Morneau era with the Twins come to an end this week? Morneau has spent his entire career with Minnesota, but with the team struggling and with his contract expiring after the season, it doesn’t seem likely that he’s going to be with the club for much longer.

The first baseman isn’t having the best season, either. Through 96 games, he’s hitting .264/.324/.396 with eight home runs and 53 RBI. He could be a valuable left-handed bat in the coming weeks, but he isn’t nearly as good as he used to be. Minnesota probably won’t be getting a ton in return for him.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. Kansas City Royals (3)

vs. Houston Astros (3)

24. San Francisco Giants (46-58, LW: 19)

Last Week’s Results (1-6)

vs. Cincinnati Reds (0-3)

at Cincinnati Reds (1-0)

vs. Chicago Cubs (0-3)

What's Everyone Talking About?

Things are getting ugly in San Francisco. The Giants were already having a bad season, but this past week was the icing on the cake.

The team went 1-3 against the Reds and then got swept by the Cubs. They might pick up a few against the Phillies this week, but the Rays will definitely give them a run for their money.

Buster Posey has been strong all season long, though. In 100 games, he’s hitting .308/.379/.511 with 14 home runs and 59 RBI. But he could be without his buddy, Hunter Pence, pretty soon. Pence could be on the move in the coming days, as many teams are looking for right-handed-hitting outfielders.

This Week’s Opponents

at Philadelphia Phillies (3)

at Tampa Bay Rays (3)

25. New York Mets (46-56, LW: 23)

Last Week’s Results (3-5)

vs. Atlanta Braves (2-2)

vs. Washington Nationals (1-3)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Mets better be careful, because they could end up in the cellar of the NL East very fast if they don’t start playing better. They’ll be taking on the Marlins next, and they have yet to crack the code on beating them this season. They’ve played each other 11 times in 2013, and the Mets have only won three of those games.

While Matt Harvey is the biggest star for the Mets these days, it’s important to keep an eye on Zack Wheeler as well. He’s also a big piece of the future puzzle for New York, and has had a nice start to his career. He’s 4-1 through seven starts and has allowed 16 earned runs in 38.2 innings of work. That's not a bad start at all.

This Week’s Opponents

at Miami Marlins (4)

vs. Kansas City Royals (3)

26. Philadelphia Phillies (49-56, LW: 21)

Last Week’s Results (0-6)

at St. Louis Cardinals (0-3)

at Detroit Tigers (0-6)

What's Everyone Talking About?

Even though the Phillies just played two of the best teams in the game, getting swept in back-to-back series is shameful. It’s also a little disappointing that Philadelphia will likely hang on to all of their big trade chips as the deadline approaches. It would have been interesting to see who could pull of a deal for Cliff Lee, but it most likely will not happen.

But keeping Lee through this season and into 2014 does make a lot of sense as well. The Phillies should have a strong rotation next season, and Lee is going to be the ace at the top. If Philadelphia can make some smart decisions over the winter, the organization could be in the postseason next year.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. San Francisco Giants (3)

vs. Atlanta Braves (3)

27. Milwaukee Brewers (43-61, LW: 27)

Last Week’s Results (2-5)

vs. San Diego Padres (1-3)

at Colorado Rockies (1-2)

What's Everyone Talking About?

In Milwaukee’s first couple of games without Ryan Braun, the team failed to do much of anything. They lost five-of-seven games to a pair of teams that weren’t too tough to beat, but that’s been the story for the Brewers all season long. It’s been one massive disappointment throughout the entire year.

Milwaukee hasn’t lost 100 games in a season since 2002, when it lost 106. If the Brewers continue to play poorly for the rest of the season, though, there’s a chance we could see them drop 100 on the year. Without Braun in the lineup for the remainder of the 2013 season, it’s certainly not out of the question.

This Week’s Opponents

at Chicago Cubs (4)

vs. Washington Nationals (3)

28. Miami Marlins (40-63, LW: 29)

Last Week’s Results (5-2)

at Colorado Rockies (3-1)

vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (2-1)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Marlins were quite surprising this past week, as they won five of their seven games. They took three-of-four from Colorado and then shocked the Pirates by winning two-of-three. Miami could continue to roll, as the team is set to face the Mets this week, which is a team that Miami has dominated this season.

But will the Marlins be making any noise at the deadline? Well, Jeffrey Loria is probably going to hang on to Giancarlo Stanton instead of moving him before the deadline. That would have made for a fun couple of days, but Loria is the kind of guy that doesn’t like giving the fans what they want. If he did, Miami would probably be a bit more competitive these days.

This Week’s Opponents

vs. New York Mets (4)

vs. Cleveland Indians (3)

29. Chicago White Sox (40-62, LW: 28)

Last Week’s Results (1-6)

vs. Detroit Tigers (1-3)

vs. Kansas City Royals (0-3)

What's Everyone Talking About?

What is Chicago’s roster going to look like after Wednesday’s deadline? The White Sox are having a horrendous year, and it’s about time the organization started to rebuild. It appears that the front office is going to be making some trades in the coming days, and the team could have a completely different look on Thursday.

Jake Peavy seems like the most likely guy on the team to get traded. He’s 8-4 on the year with a 4.28 ERA in 13 starts. He’s averaging 8.55 strikeouts and 1.91 walks per nine innings on the year. Many teams would love to have him down the stretch to aid their playoff chances. Chicago should get a lot in exchange for him.

This Week’s Opponents

at Cleveland Indians (4)

at Detroit Tigers (3)

30. Houston Astros (35-69, LW: 30)

Last Week’s Results (2-5)

vs. Oakland Athletics (1-2)

at Toronto Blue Jays (1-3)

What's Everyone Talking About?

The Astros are the worst team in baseball by five games, and I wouldn’t expect things to change much as the season progresses. Houston has close to no major league talent on its roster, and it just isn’t ready to compete yet. Give it a few more years, and the Astros could contend for a spot in the playoffs.

What Houston likely will do soon is trade its top starter, Bud Norris. The right-hander is 6-9 on the season with a 3.93 ERA. He’s pitched well for the Astros, and it appears that he’ll be pitching elsewhere in the next few days. A lot of contenders could use him in the middle or back of their starting rotations.

This Week’s Opponents

at Baltimore Orioles (3)

at Minnesota Twins (3)