MLB Trade Talk: Which Teams Are Looking to Make Big Moves
The MLB July 31 trade deadline is right around the corner, and several teams will be looking to make big moves in the next few days. The window of opportunity is closing fast for some teams, and players who can fill up holes quickly should be on the market.
The Astros and Angels want to remain atop the division, while the Padres and Reds might be looking to begin a rebuild. Let's take a look at some of the teams that might be looking to buy and/or sell.
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Houston fell a half-game out of first place in the AL West by losing six straight games before the All-Star break, but it doesn't need to panic just yet.
As I mentioned in a previous article, the Astros could benefit from another starting pitcher, and Johnny Cueto is the top man on their list. Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle added yesterday that White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija is also on the list.
Drellich also mentioned that Houston might be in the market for a first baseman after Chris Carter's slow start, though, Carter did have a strong second half last season.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Speaking of the Angels, the Halos could be in the market for more offensive help and could use another bat to replace Josh Hamilton's.
Los Angeles Times beat writer Mike DiGiovanna said as much but with no definite names as of yet:
"Hearing #Angels active in pursuit of hitter but prices still high. Waiting for them to come down. Appears to be lot of posturing in market.
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) July 16, 2015"
There are plenty of teams in need of pitching, and 22-year-old Trevor Gott might be someone the Angels would be willing to deal, though, he's done a great job in the seventh-inning spot.
At least one team in the AL East
Just 6.5 games separate the first-place New York Yankees from the last-place Boston Red Sox in the AL East, and the division will most likely remain up for grabs for most of the second half.
The Blue Jays rank as the 23rd-best team in ERA, while the Red Sox sit in 28th. Both would certainly benefit from a starting pitcher but would most likely have to part with prospects. The Phillies could jump into that mix by potentially moving starter Cole Hamels or closer Jonathan Papelbon, or both.
In the same token, the New York Yankees have a starting rotation with a back end that has underperformed, but as Joel Sherman of the New York Post stated, don't expect the Yankees to give up too much:
"Brian Cashman has followed a similar script in July: 1) Think about deepening/strengthening the overall roster rather than swinging big for superstars; 2) Use the Yankees’ financial might to take on contracts that other teams want to get rid of and, in exchange, lower the prospect asking price; 3) Part with prospects from areas of perceived organizational depth. ...
I suspect the Yankees will follow this playbook again this month and make small trade or no trades at all. Because without serious injury, the Yankees do not have an area of urgency that must be addressed, and even if you think, for example, another starter is an urgent matter, the Yankees have committed themselves to not falling down the Phillies sinkhole by continuously mortgaging tomorrow to invest in today.
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Despite seemingly acquiring every big-name free agent available this offseason, San Diego sits next to last in the NL West and 10 games out of first. The Padres might end up moving players just as quickly as they brought them in this winter.
Outfielder Justin Upton is a free agent after this season, and Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal said during All-Star Weekend that several teams, such as the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros, were looking at San Diego's pitching staff.
Many of these moves could give the Padres back some younger talent, as noted by Dan O'Dowd of MLB.com, who said, "Given its place 10 games out in the National League West—and 7.5 back in the Senior Circuit's Wild Card race—San Diego could deal Upton, arguably the premier free agent-to-be in 2016, in an effort to improve its farm system."
The Reds are a whopping 15.5 games back of first place in the NL Central and 7.5 games out of the second wild-card spot.
Though playoff hopes might be fading, Cincinnati does have three huge names who could potentially be traded to help with the future.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, outfielder Jay Bruce is available for trade to go along with Cueto and flamethrower Aroldis Chapman:
"There may be no better time to at least gauge interest in Bruce, as he has a .309/.389/.551 with 17 doubles, eight home runs and 26 RBI over 49 games, as the Cincinnati Enquirer recently noted. Bruce was hitting .162 on May 14, the newspaper also noted. Bruce has played superbly over the last 3 1/2 weeks, hitting .357 with 11 doubles, four home runs and 13 RBI over 22 games.
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The Mets started off the season on fire and quickly cooled off, but they still remain one game out of the NL wild-card spot. New York's young staff had helped contribute to the league's third-best ERA, but the Mets are dead last in batting average.
With David Wright sidelined and the middle infield struggling to have an impact, New York would benefit from a decent infielder. Starlin Castro could make a good fit from the Chicago Cubs. Newsday's Marc Carig also reported a possible interest in dealing with the Brewers for third baseman Aramis Ramirez.
If anything, as noted by ESPN.com's Adam Rubin in late June, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson certainly isn't numb to the idea:
"I would characterize us as somewhat aggressive. ... Are we prepared to overpay? Me, personally, yeah, I’m prepared to overpay. But there has to be something to overpay for. You get to the point where you’re prepared, based on the short term, to maybe do a little more than you’d otherwise do. But there still has to be something out there that’s attractive that you really believe is going to help your team.
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There are many options available for teams poised for a playoff run or those looking to rebuild for the future. It shouldn't take long for the wheels of the trade deadline to start turning.
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