MLB Trade Rumors: Latest on Yankees, Phillies, Nationals Entering 2019 Deadline
The current MLB standings could prompt some teams to wait right up until the July 31 trade deadline before picking a path as buyers, sellers or idle observers.
The San Francisco Giants stood out as a prominent seller at the All-Star break. A seven-game winning streak snapped on Saturday has since elevated them right into the National League's wild-card hunt. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, they could look to buy instead of shopping Madison Bumgarner and a handful of relievers.
These next days will swing the pendulum for a handful of middle-of-the-pack squads. While this uncertainty could prevent many of them from making marquee moves, plenty are still likely to address needs with lower-scale transactions.
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Others, meanwhile, are clear buyers. Some of MLB's powerhouses will look to widen the gap with postseason play in mind.
Given 2019's homer-friendly environment, it's not surprising to see most contenders seeking pitching reinforcements for the stretch run.
Let's take a closer look at three pennant hopefuls pursuing upgrades.
Washington Nationals
As usual, the Washington Nationals need bullpen help.
The NL East squad has spent many summers (and winters) trying to shore up their long-standing Achilles' heel. They have often caused themselves more damage in the process; acquiring Mark Melancon and Sean Doolittle cost them future All-Star closers Felipe Vazquez and Blake Treinen, respectively.
Relief pitching is once again a glaring weakness in D.C. As of Saturday, only the Baltimore Orioles holstered a worse bullpen ERA (6.11) than Washington's horrid 5.97. Despite this massive flaw, the Nationals narrowly lead a heavily congested NL wild-card race.
According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, they're looking to bolster their bullpen before the deadline. Perhaps given their 5.5-game deficit in the NL East, they hope to acquire someone who can also contribute beyond 2019:
From that interview Rosenthal mentioned, courtesy of MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo identified relievers as his main interest:
ESPN's Eddie Matz cautioned against Washington chasing a massive addition such as Kirby Yates, Will Smith or a Vazquez reunion. A drained farm system ranked 27th after this year's MLB amateur draft by Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter doesn't afford them that luxury.
These reported targets won't necessarily be cheap, though. Shane Greene has posted a 1.03 ERA as the Detroit Tigers' ninth-inning stopper this season. Buying the owner of a career 4.54 ERA at his peak could backfire.
Beyond a 6.09 ERA in 2017, Sam Dyson has recorded an ERA below 2.70 in five of the other six prior seasons. He has tallied 45 strikeouts to just six walks in 47 stellar innings for the Giants, who may no longer sell because of a recent hot streak.
One thing is clear: Washington needs someone to help Doolittle navigate the late innings.
New York Yankees
To date, the New York Yankees have made the biggest midseason splash by adding Edwin Encarnacion to an already stacked lineup. After fortifying a strength, they are poised to set their sights on pitching.
Per MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Bronx Bombers aim to acquire some bullpen insurance and a high-impact starter:
Landing another reliever would be another case of the rich getting richer. The Yankees already boast baseball's third-best bullpen ERA (3.79) behind Aroldis Chapman, Adam Ottavino, Zach Britton and Tommy Kahnle. Dellin Betances could resume mound work in August, and Luis Severino may return from a long absence as a reliever.
That hasn't stopped general manager Brian Cashman before, though. It certainly wasn't a dire need when he picked up Britton from Baltimore at last year's deadline.
The rotation remains New York's biggest area for improvement. While the group lacks a clear ace without Severino, even the rotation is far from a major weakness now Domingo German has excelled in his return from a hip injury.
Despite an array of early injuries, they lead the AL East by nine games with an AL-high 64 victories and plus-142 run differential. They could stand pat and win it all, especially if Severino, Betances and Giancarlo Stanton are ready by the postseason.
Yet the Yankees might as well try to get even better. They also have a deep farm system, and Clint Frazier could help Cashman land one of those desired aces. Just imagine how scary the Evil Empire would be with Madison Bumgarner or Trevor Bauer toeing the rubber for them in October.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are right on Washington's tail despite failing to meet expectations in 2019. Like everyone else, they can use better pitching.
Aaron Nola is their only starter with an ERA below 4.00, and even he needed to overcome a treacherous start to lower his mark to a still-underwhelming 3.77. As of Sunday, they ranked 20th in team ERA (4.74) and 28th with a 5.14 fielding independent pitching (FIP).
They have recently disrupted the status quo by taking a low-cost gamble on Drew Smyly. Per NBC Sports' Jim Salisbury, the lefty will replace Nick Pivetta in the rotation as soon as Sunday pending a physical.
Signing a pitcher with an 8.42 ERA this season obviously does not vault them to the top of the line. According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, they're aiming higher by targeting a pair of AL All-Stars:
Both Mike Minor and Marcus Stroman are under team control through 2020, which could give the Phillies an extra year to turn their newly built core into a championship contender. Despite acquiring J.T. Realmuto before the season, they still possess enough young talent to make a deal happen.
They're not alone in desiring those hurlers. Per Morosi, they weren't even one of eight teams that had scouts in attendance to see Stroman toss seven scoreless innings against the Tigers on Friday night. The Braves, also linked to Minor, had eyes on the Toronto Blue Jays righty.
Philadelphia's all-in offseason has yet to pay dividends, so perhaps the club goes double or nothing with another major move.
Note: All advanced stats, updated as of Saturday, are courtesy of FanGraphs.
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