All 30 MLB Teams' Nightmare Scenario at the 2015 Trade Deadline
For some unlucky clubs, the 2015 MLB trade deadline on July 31 is bound to turn into a nightmare.
Just look to the example of Billy Beane and his 2015 Oakland Athletics. Last year, the club's vice president and general manager pulled off one of the biggest splashes of the summer, swapping Yoenis Cespedes for Jon Lester. The team promptly face-planted down the stretch and crashed out of the postseason in the Wild Card Game.
As Beane learned firsthand, the trade season is the time of the year when a lot can be gained and even more can be lost. This season, clubs from around the league will be looking to avoid the fate of the American League West squad.
Unfortunately, there are all sorts of ways that the trade deadline can go bad. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox could end up making an ill-advised decision to move a franchise cornerstone. Then there's a squad like the Cincinnati Reds, whose prize trade chip is dealing with a health scare at the worst possible moment.
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The club gives away another top prospect to get out from another bad contract.
Unsurprisingly, the Arizona Diamondbacks have made Aaron Hill, the owner of a .220 average, "available" on the trade front, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Hill has not only been lousy, but is also owed a considerable sum of money. He's set to make the balance of his $12 million salary this year and also rakes in $12 million in 2016. While it's understandable that the D-backs would like to part with the vet, the team can't afford to use the same trade model it employed in shipping out Bronson Arroyo.
The D-backs were only able to convince the Atlanta Braves to take on the starter by lumping 2014 top pick Touki Toussaint into the deal. That's the kind of move that could burn Arizona big time down the road, and the team needs to avoid taking the same risk again.
Atlanta Braves
2 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: Chris Johnson is still on the team when the deadline passes.
Chris Johnson knows that the Atlanta Braves really want to get rid of him. Just ask the third baseman.
"I've been called in the manager's office," Johnson said, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. "[Manager Fredi Gonzalez] has told me they are trying to move me. I want to be moved, and they want to move me. Hopefully, something gets done."
Even if both sides agree that it's time for Johnson to leave town, actually working out a deal will be a tricky task. The 30-year-old is still owed roughly $20.5 million between now and the end of 2017, per the calculations of Bowman. That's a lot of coin for a player who has posted a .601 OPS in the current campaign.
Baltimore Orioles
3 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The team does nothing before the deadline.
For the Baltimore Orioles, a quiet trade season just isn't an option.
With eight pending free agents on the roster, the O's are on the verge of watching the window of opportunity slam shut. Since the club is within striking distance of the second wild card and the AL East lead, making one last run with the current core of players would make a ton of sense.
Per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, GM Dan Duquette is "serious" about adding a hitter to the outfield. Rosenthal added that Jay Bruce and Justin Upton, per Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi, are two of the bats that the team has checked in on.
If Duquette doesn't want to add to the roster, then he needs to subtract before all those pending free agents have the chance to walk away for free in the winter. Whether playing the role of buyer or seller, the Orioles have no choice but to be busy between now and the end of the month.
Boston Red Sox
4 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The team plays it too conservatively at the deadline.
2015 just hasn't been the Boston Red Sox's year.
The club is sitting in the cellar in the AL East and needs to shift into fuller seller-mode ASAP. Failing to do so could result in a 2016 season that is just as frustrating as the one that the team is currently stumbling through.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe sees a whole slew of trade pieces on the 25-man roster, including Wade Miley, Junichi Tazawa, Koji Uehara, and Alejandro De Aza and Brock Holt.
The highly versatile Holt, who can play all over the diamond is by far the most compelling name on that list. The super-utility man, who landed a spot on the AL All-Star squad, would be an ideal fit for any contender looking to secure some insurance at a wide range of positions.
Chicago Cubs
5 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The front office gets overly aggressive.
The 2015 season has been a major success for Chicago Cubs, who are the owners of the second wild-card spot.
Still, it's important to remember that the club plays in the fiercely competitive NL Central, where the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates are clearly the class of the division.
An October trip could be on tap for the Cubs, but if the team does make it to the postseason, it's almost certainly going to be a wild-card winner. With a one-game playoff looking like a best-case scenario, this month is not the time for President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein to get bold on the trade front.
Per Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, there has been speculation linking Chicago to Justin Upton. Since the San Diego Padres left fielder is a pending free agent, he's not the kind of bat the Cubs should be targeting. Instead, the team should be aiming for players who have multiple seasons of club control.
Chicago White Sox
6 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The club trades Chris Sale.
It doesn't sound like Rick Hahn, the GM of the Chicago White Sox, is anywhere close to trading away the electric Chris Sale. Then again, the exec hasn't completely ruled the idea out, as he told 670 The Score (via CBS Chicago).
"We don’t have any untouchables. It’s simply the nature of the business, is we have to listen to any ideas any clubs have on any of our players. We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t at least hear out the value of our guys. And who knows, perhaps someone might overwhelm you or surprise you with something that is simply too good to turn down and makes the franchise stronger for an extended period of time.
"
It's difficult to comprehend how a potential trade partner could manage to come up with a proposal for Sale that would "overwhelm" the South Siders. The lefty is a front-runner for the AL Cy Young Award thanks to his 2.86 ERA and his K/9 ratio of 11.7, which is tops in the bigs.
Then there's the remarkably team-friendly contract he's pitching on. Sale is in the second season of a five-year pact which pays him $32.5 million. With his standout performance on the field and his bargain of a salary, Sale might just be the most valuable trade chip in baseball—that is, if he ever actually hits the market.
Cincinnati Reds
7 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: An injury wrecks the trade market for Johnny Cueto.
Johnny Cueto is the perfect trade piece.
The ace is a free-agent-to-be on a fourth-place club that's going nowhere fast. The problem for the Cincinnati Reds is that Cueto's right arm is providing plenty of cause for concern. As Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports noted, the starter's recent six-walk outing "likely renewed concerns for teams already worried about his elbow."
Jayson Stark of ESPN echoed that sentiment, tweeting: "Asked an exec of a team interested in Johnny Cueto if they saw anything to be alarmed about in his start Sunday. He said: 'Yes. Everything.' "
It's always bad timing when a pitcher suffers an arm injury. But Cueto getting hurt at the end of July would be absolutely brutal timing for the Reds.
Cleveland Indians
8 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The front office ships out a talented starter to bolster the offense.
With the Cleveland Indians lingering on the outskirts of playoff contention, there's no question that it's the problematic offense, which ranks No. 12 in the AL in runs, that has held the club back.
One way for the Tribe to upgrade its attack would be to trade from an area of strength—the rotation. According to Paul Hoyes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, plenty of contenders have been checking in with GM Chris Antonetti about the availability of his starting arms.
"There is a lot of interest in our players," Antonetti told Hoynes.
From an established ace like Corey Kluber to a rising star like Cody Anderson, Cleveland has all sorts of intriguing starting pitchers. However, Antonetti has no interest in parting with one of the team's high-upside starters
"We are not motivated at all to do that," said Antonetti.
The team's fanbase will be hoping that Antonetti doesn't change his mind because the Indians have the makings of a starting staff that will make the team a force in the Central in 2016 and beyond.
Colorado Rockies
9 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The team misses the opportunity to sell high on Carlos Gonzalez.
For the last-place Colorado Rockies, the trade season needs to be all about building for the future.
Right fielder Carlos Gonzalez is one Rockie who could play a crucial role in that rebuilding process. When it comes to CarGo, the question has never been whether he could produce. The question has always been whether he can stay healthy. Gonzalez appeared in just 70 games in 2014 and 110 in the season before that.
In 2015, the Venezuelan has already played in 85 contests for Colorado and has been boosting his trade value as of late. In his past 30 games, Gonzalez owns a .570 slugging percentage and has gone yard seven times. For Colorado, this is the ideal moment to sell high on the dynamic left-handed hitter.
Detroit Tigers
10 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The franchise comes up short in its efforts to cash in on its biggest chips.
It's a whole new ballgame for Dave Dombrowski, the president, GM and CEO of the Detroit Tigers.
After his club ripped off four consecutive division titles, the underwhelming Tigers are prepared to begin a summer selloff, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
"We haven't been in this spot, for a lengthy period of time," Dombrowski said, per Nightengale. "No question, it hasn't been in recent years."
Pending free agents David Price and Yoenis Cespedes are the two Tigers who have the potential to fetch the most lucrative returns for Detroit. The front office needs to sell high on the likes of Price, Cespedes and lesser players such as Rajai Davis and Joakim Soria. The success of this summer's fire sale in Motown will determine just how rapidly the Tigers can return to prominence in the AL Central.
Houston Astros
11 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The club gets hosed in its pursuit of a starting pitcher.
With an inexperienced rotation, bolstering the starting staff should be priority No. 1 for the Houston Astros as the club battles with the Los Angeles Angels for the AL West division crown.
Unfortunately for the upstart Astros, that might be easier said than done, as there could be complications ahead if Houston wants to reel in either Johnny Cueto or Cole Hamels—two of the premier arms on the block.
As Jerry Crasnick of ESPN explained on Twitter, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and Cincinnati Reds counterpart Walt Jocketty aren't exactly the best of friends, dating back to the days when Luhnow worked in the St. Louis Cardinals front office: "Multiple scouts think the old Walt Jocketty-Jeff Luhnow friction could be an impediment in #Reds #Astros trade talks."
One of those scouts noted to Crasnick: "Walt isn't going to do Jeff Luhnow any favors."
Hamels might not be willing to do the Astros any favors either. Per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the lefty ace "isn't anxious to approve a trade" to Minute Maid Park.
There are plenty of starters to be had, but it certainly doesn't help the Astros' bargaining position when two of the most sought-after ones could already be off the table.
Kansas City Royals
12 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The team misses out on adding an ace to the rotation.
The first-place Kansas City Royals are the kings of the AL, but that doesn't mean that GM Dayton Moore can sit back and relax as the deadline edges closer.
The AL Central squad's rotation, which ranks last in the league in innings, is the one area on the roster that Moore really needs to address. At the very least, the team has to add a reliable pitcher who can eat some quality innings. It would be even better if the Royals could find a No. 1 arm. Currently, Edinson Volquez is playing the role of default ace.
Los Angeles Angels
13 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: A lefty masher isn't added to the lineup.
As Mike Trout and Albert Pujols go, so go the Los Angeles Angels.
In 2015, the AL West squad has been dangerously dependent on the All-Star Game MVP and the resurgent first baseman. Just how reliant have the Halos been on Trout and Pujols for power this season? Consider that with a combined 57 jacks, the pair accounts for more than half of the club's round-trippers (106).
Suffice it to say that acquiring another power bat—especially one of the left-handed variety—would be a major add for the Angels.
With left field looking like a black hole ever since the departure of Josh Hamilton, a player who could occupy that spot would be an ideal fit. According to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Jay Bruce of the Cincinnati Reds, who has cracked 15 home runs, is one of the players the Angels have been keeping tabs on.
Los Angeles Dodgers
14 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The team gives up an the enigmatic Yasiel Puig.
According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the clock could be ticking on Yasiel Puig's run with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He wrote: "The Dodgers were able to purge their team of Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp and are better for it. Is Puig next? Where Puig used to be untouchable because of his tremendous ability, the Dodgers don’t seem to feel that way now. Would they move him for a pitcher?"
This July is not the time to pull the trigger on a deal involving Puig. The Cuban is hitting .266 on the season, which means trading him now would be a classic example of selling low. That would be a foolish choice to make considering that, as Cafardo noted, Puig has the kind of "tremendous ability" that is nearly impossible to find.
Miami Marlins
15 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The club sells low on Marcell Ozuna.
There's no understating just how disappointing the 2015 season has been for the Miami Marlins, who have piled up the second most losses in baseball.
Considering how poorly the campaign has played out, dealing away free-agents-to-be such as Dan Haren and Mat Latos would be smart business. What would not be smart business is selling low on Marcell Ozuna, who has been such a dud in 2015 that's he's played his way to Triple-A.
Per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, there are contenders who have targeted the outfielder as "an interesting change-of-scenery, bounce-back candidate." For the Fish, selling Ozuna now would be a major mistake, as his value is at an all-time low.
Milwaukee Brewers
16 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The team trades Carlos Gomez but doesn't get back the proper return.
There just aren't a lot of players who can do what Carlos Gomez does.
Thanks to his ability to impact the game in the field, on the bases and at the plate, the Milwaukee Brewers center fielder is a true triple threat.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Brew Crew is willing to part with the star because the team knows it will be extremely difficult to re-sign Gomez when he hits the free-agent block at the end of the 2016 season.
Trading Gomez this month would be the definition of a high-risk move. There's the potential that the Brewers could land the kind of haul that would help the club jump-start its rebuilding process. But there's the also the potential that the team could trade him away for an array of prospects who never pan out.
Minnesota Twins
17 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The club strikes out at upgrading the pen.
As the trade deadline approaches, the Minnesota Twins have three positions on the roster that could use a tweak or two: catcher, shortstop and the bullpen.
While finding a quality player at catcher and shortstop—the two most defensively demanding spots on the diamond—is beyond challenging, picking up an extra pen arm is one of the more manageable tasks of the trade season.
Plus, with All-Star Glen Perkins locking down the ninth inning, the Twins don't need to make a major move for a prominent closer. What the wild-card hopefuls need is a setup man or two to bridge the gap to Perkins.
New York Mets
18 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The club does nothing to jolt the underwhelming lineup.
The New York Mets offense is historically bad, which is a shame considering how effective the club's starting rotation has been.
In a recent game with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Mets went 1-for-26 with runners in scoring position. The team ultimately won the contest 2-1 in 18 frames, but still, that's no formula for winning baseball games on a consistent basis. Per the Elias Sports Bureau Twitter account, the club's 25 hitless at-bats with runners in scoring position was the worst in franchise history.
Considering just how bad the offense has been, it will likely take multiple moves for GM Sandy Alderson to spark the the group to life. That's a lot to ask, but then again, doing nothing would be extremely frustrating based on the team's recent history. The last time the Mets made a trip to October was way back in 2006.
New York Yankees
19 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The team parts with either Luis Severino or Aaron Judge.
From Johnny Cueto to Scott Kazmir, there are an array of prominent starters on the trade block who could help the New York Yankees down the stretch. But that doesn't mean GM Brian Cashman is rushing to make a move, as he explained to Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York.
"Is it worth the overall cost of some of the talent we have coming? That is what we would wrestle with. There are certain players that we do not want to move," Cashman said.
According to Marchand, the players whom Cashman really doesn't want to move are top prospects Luis Severino and Aaron Judge. Either the righty starter or the outfielder masher could be the centerpiece in a blockbuster swap this month. Of course, if they were moved, they could become future stars who haunt the Yankees for years to come.
Oakland Athletics
20 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: Billy Beane trades his biggest chip of all.
When it comes to Billy Beane, rule No. 1 is to never try to predict what the the vice president and GM of the Oakland Athletics will do next.
Just think back to last winter when Beane jettisoned Josh Donaldson in a shocking swap with the Toronto Blue Jays. With the third baseman enjoying a monster season north of the border, Sonny Gray now holds the title as the club's best player and most valuable potential trade piece.
The key word there is "potential." After all, who would trade away a 25-year-old starter who is posting a Cy Young-caliber season with a 2.29 ERA? Beane might just be the only exec who is bold enough to make such a move.
Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles speculated that the Los Angeles Dodgers could be a possible trade target, as Beane's former protege, Farhan Zaidi, is now running the shop at Chavez Ravine.
Philadelphia Phillies
21 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The organization endures another quiet trade season.
In a year in which parity pervades in the big leagues, the Philadelphia Phillies, who have lost the most games in the majors, are an exception to that rule.
The Phils have to blow up this roster, and the sooner, the better. One veteran whom they absolutely need to ship out of town is closer Jonathan Papelbon. Right before the Midsummer Classic, the right-hander discussed his thoughts on the trade market.
"It's time to you-know-what or get off the pot," Papelbon explained, per Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "The Phillies have got to make a decision. You've got to go one way or the other."
The 34-year-old is set to make the balance of his $13 million salary in 2015 and has a vesting option for the same amount next season. Still, with Papelbon sporting a 1.72 ERA, there should be bullpen-challenged contenders who could fit the vet into their payroll.
Pittsburgh Pirates
22 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The club swings and misses in its attempt to bolster the infield.
Suddenly, the Pittsburgh Pirates infield is looking ridiculously thin.
Utility man Josh Harrison is out until early September as he recovers from thumb surgery, and shortstop Jordy Mercer will be shelved for a similar amount of time thanks to a lower-leg contusion and a Grade 2 MCL sprain, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
It wasn't that long ago that the Pirates were one of the most well-rounded teams in the majors. A couple of injuries later, the team's playoff chances could be in serious jeopardy if GM Neal Huntington fails to add an extra infielder via the trade block.
San Diego Padres
23 of 30
The Nigthmare Scenario: The team stands pat after the disastrous first half.
The San Diego Padres went all in on 2015, as the NL West squad brought in the likes of Matt Kemp, James Shields, Justin Upton and Craig Kimbrel in the offseason.
With the Pads wallowing in fourth place in the NL West, there's no question that the spending spree was a major failure. Now, San Diego has no choice but to cut its losses and sell just as aggressively as it bought in the winter.
San Diego has some extremely high-profile trade chips in players such as Upton and Kimbrel. The club should pawn off the vets in an effort to rebuild a farm system that was gutted in the offseason.
San Francisco Giants
24 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The team fails to upgrade its outfield/bench.
The San Francisco Giants are looking awfully thin in the outfield.
Left fielder Nori Aoki is currently on the disabled list, and right fielder Hunter Pence has already endured a couple of stints on the shelf. Then there's center fielder Angel Pagan, who has been hobbled by a bum left knee, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
With so many injury-related question marks surrounding the outfield, bolstering that group should be the chief priority for GM Bobby Evans.
One player who would be an ideal fit in orange and black is Gerardo Parra. The 28-year-old, who is hitting .313, would provide the Giants with much-needed cover at all three outfield spots. Plus, he could bolster the subpar bench as the club attempts to keep pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Seattle Mariners
25 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: Jack Zduriencik makes a desperate move in an effort to save his job.
Jack Zduriencik's seven-year tenure at Safeco Field has been a complete failure. During his time in the GM's office, the Seattle Mariners have yet to make a single postseason appearance, and it doesn't look like that trend will be changing in 2015.
With the M's stuck in last place, now would appear to be the ideal time for the club to switch to seller mode. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen. As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote, Jack Z's dismal run in Seattle means that both he and skipper "Lloyd McClendon may be on the hot seat."
The Mariners should be pressing the reset button and shipping out valuable assets in an effort to build for 2016 and beyond. Instead, since there's no guarantee that Zduriencik will be around for that future save for a dramatic second-half recovery, it's far more likely that the exec will make an ill-advised addition in an effort to save the season and his job.
St. Louis Cardinals
26 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The club misses out on an upgrade at first base.
The St. Louis Cardinals are sporting the best record in baseball, but the club's offense, which ranks No. 19 in runs, could certainly use a boost before the end of the month.
First base is the one position where the Cards have been especially vulnerable. On the season, the players who have patrolled that spot have posted the fourth-worst OPS in the bigs.
For GM John Mozeliak, there's no choice but to find an extra bat at first. That player could just be residing in the NL Central in the form of free-agent-to-be Adam Lind. Per Buster Olney of ESPN, the Milwaukee Brewers are taking calls on all of their players whose contracts run out at season's end.
Tampa Bay Rays
27 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The team's brass stands pat and lets the season slip away.
It doesn't sound like the Tampa Bay Rays' brain trust will be hitting the trade market to stop the team's slide down the standings.
"We do believe strongly that the organization we have and the roster we have in place are good enough to get us to where we need to get to," principal owner Stuart Sternberg said, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
The starting staff, which Chris Archer headlines, is definitely good enough. The group checks in with the second-best ERA in the AL. The same can't be said about the offense, which is No. 13 in the AL in runs. The club is still in the chase in the wide-open AL East, but failing to address the weak offense will sink the Rays.
Texas Rangers
28 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The front office allows the club's status as a fringe contender to get in the way of building for the future.
In Year 1 of manager Jeff Banister's reign in the dugout, the Texas Rangers, losers of 95 games a season ago, have been a pleasant surprise.
While the Rangers aren't buried in the wild-card chase just yet, the club should still have its focus fully trained on 2016 and beyond. One crucial way for Texas to build for tomorrow is to sell high on popular trade targets. No player better fits that description than Yovani Gallardo, who has quietly been dealing for the AL West squad in 2015.
The righty is sporting a 2.91 ERA and could help out a wide variety of October hopefuls. With Gallardo set to hit the open market in a couple of months, letting him walk away from Globe Life Park for free would be a shame.
Toronto Blue Jays
29 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: No reinforcements are added to the subpar pitching staff.
The Toronto Blue Jays can score runs better than any other team in baseball, and it's not even close. The problem for the AL East squad is that the team's pitching staff has been doing a terrible job of keeping the opposition off the board.
The starting five, which ranks No. 24 in ERA, has been especially suspect for the Blue Jays. Over the All-Star break, third baseman Josh Donaldson told Chris Cotillo of SBNation.com that some reinforcements are in order
"I definitely think with the offensive capabilities we’ve proven so far, there probably could be a couple of additions that would be nice," Donaldson said.
Adding a front-line starter and a reliable reliever wouldn't just be nice. It would also be a major boost in helping Toronto earn its first postseason berth since 1993.
Washington Nationals
30 of 30
The Nightmare Scenario: The club brass fails to add injury insurance for the lineup.
Even though the Washington Nationals are perched atop the standings in the NL East, the squad hasn't come anywhere close to living up to its lofty preseason expectations.
A key reason for the underwhelming results is that the Nats—especially the team's position players—just haven't been able to stay off the shelf. Currently, lineup staples such as Denard Span, Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth are all on the DL.
GM Mike Rizzo needs to go out and make a move to provide Washington with injury insurance rather than bank on all of those players returning to health between now and the end of the season. With the Nats in need at so many different positions, a super-utility man like Ben Zobrist of the Oakland Athletics would make for a shrewd addition.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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