Impact Waiver Trades MLB Contenders Should Make This August
Impact trades after baseball's July 31 non-waiver trade deadline are uncommon, but they aren't impossible to pull off. We only need to think back to the nine-player blockbuster between Boston and Los Angeles in 2012 for evidence of that.
While we are unlikely to see a deal of that magnitude go down this month and the vast majority of trades that are completed will largely be considered mundane, there are impact players to be had and impact deals to be made.
For those who have forgotten how the whole waiver trade process works or never really understood it in the first place, I direct your attention to this primer by Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter, who breaks it down into easily digestible bullet points.
Now that you understand how the process works, understand this: "Impact" doesn't always mean that a player will switch uniforms and provide a team with his best impersonation of Max Scherzer or Mike Trout for two months.
Oftentimes, the impact a new addition has on a contender is far more subtle. Heck, sometimes the impact isn't able to be measured by statistics or doesn't show up in a box score; it's felt in the clubhouse.
What follows are deals that five contenders should look to pull off in the days and weeks ahead as they try to bolster their rosters for the stretch run.
The Chicago Cubs Trade for Chase Utley
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With Philadelphia in full rebuilding mode, it stands to reason that Chase Utley may be willing to waive the no-trade protection that he's earned as a 10-and-5 player to join a contending club. As Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times recently reported, the Chicago Cubs would be interested.
Of course, that's dependent on Utley not only showing no ill effects from the ankle injury that plagued him all season long and landed him on the disabled list in late June, but that he's still capable of producing at the plate.
But the early reports from Utley's rehab assignment are good, with the veteran second baseman looking far more spry in the field—and making better contact at the plate—than he had in the season's first half.
Adding Utley, or any veteran to the mix, wasn't something team president Theo Epstein would rule out when Wittenmyer asked before the non-waiver trade deadline. “That might be more of an August thing for us. If the need is there and the opportunity presents itself, we’re always open to a position player.”
Not only would a healthy, productive Utley give the Cubs a boost at second base, but his experience and leadership could prove to be invaluable for a Cubs team that, really, lacks a veteran leader in the infield.
The Kansas City Royals Trade for Ian Kennedy
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San Diego will have to acknowledge that the playoffs are not a possibility before this deal could happen, but seeing as how Ian Kennedy is very likely not going to be a qualifying offer candidate at year's end, it makes sense for the Padres to move him for something rather than lose him for nothing.
Kennedy hasn't been as bad as his 4.49 ERA and 5.07 FIP would indicate, pitching to a 3.03 ERA over his past 12 starts, dating back to the beginning of June. That he's been home run-prone would become far less of an issue at Kauffman Stadium, which has been one of the toughest places to go deep this year, according to ESPN's Park Factors.
Due the balance of his $9.85 million salary, Kennedy wouldn't represent a massive expense for the Royals, who are in need of another innings-eating starter despite having already added Johnny Cueto to the mix.
The Minnesota Twins Trade for Joaquin Benoit
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Even after adding Kevin Jepsen at the trade deadline, Minnesota's bullpen could still use some reinforcements. Fox Sports' Jon Morosi tweeted that the Twins had interest in San Diego's Joaquin Benoit as the deadline approached, and the 38-year-old reliever is a prime candidate to be moved this month.
Due the balance of his $8 million salary this year and with an equal team option for 2016, Benoit is the sort of controllable reliever that Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reported the club was on the hunt for in July.
Benoit has thrived in a variety of bullpen roles, whether it be as a middle reliever, primary setup man or closer, and he has pitched to a 2.33 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 368 appearances since the start of the 2010 season, which includes a three-year run with the Detroit Tigers.
The Padres would likely have interest in minor league shortstop Jorge Polanco, but it's hard to imagine the Twins agreeing to a one-for-one swap. Perhaps an expanded deal that saw the Twins wind up with one of San Diego's starting pitchers as well would convince the Twins to part with the 22-year-old infielder.
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The New York Yankees Trade for Martin Prado
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Trading for Martin Prado not only makes sense for the Yankees because of the gaping hole the team has at second base, but also because the club is already paying $3 million of Prado's $11 million salary, both this year and next. They might as well pay him to play for them.
Prado, 31, isn't having the best of seasons at the plate, with a .313 on-base percentage and .671 OPS, but both would be improvements over what Stephen Drew provides.
If you remember, Prado was scuffling at the plate last season as well until he was traded to New York at the deadline, hitting .316 with 16 extra-base hits and a .877 OPS over 37 games down the stretch. A return to the Bronx could find him swinging the bat like that again.
Of course, this move is incredibly unlikely for two reasons: Miami has been hesitant to trade Prado, and for whatever reason, Yankees manager Joe Girardi is smitten with Stephen Drew and the .181/.251/.348 slash line that he's posted over 138 games while wearing pinstripes.
Still, the chance to shed Prado's 2016 salary—and potentially even keep the money the Yankees originally sent to the Marlins in the offseason trade that bought Nathan Eovaldi to the Bronx—might be too appealing for Miami owner Jeffrey Loria to turn down.
The St. Louis Cardinals Trade for Carlos Gonzalez
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Sure, his injury history and mediocre road splits are reason for concern, but few players have been swinging the bat as well as Carlos Gonzalez has since the All-Star break, and the July National League Player of the Month would add another dimension to a St. Louis offense in need of a boost.
With Matt Holliday sidelined indefinitely with another quad strain, CarGo would give the Cardinals a legit star to replace him in left field, allowing the club to use Brandon Moss strictly as part of a platoon with Mark Reynolds at first base, adding depth to the team's bench in the process.
Moving forward, Gonzalez would provide some insurance should Jason Heyward depart as a free agent after the season, and with the way CarGo is swinging the bat, the $37 million that he's due through the 2017 season doesn't seem like such a bad deal.
Despite having used one of their most valuable trade chips (lefty starter Rob Kaminsky) to land Moss, the Cardinals have enough on the farm, both in the field and on the mound, to work out a deal with Colorado.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs and are current through games of August 5. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts.
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