Roundtable: Which trade needs to happen at the deadline?
The Major League Baseball trade deadline is just days away. If your favorite club is just one player away from ultimate glory, now is the time to go out and get him.
Over the next couple days, there should be a flurry of movement. Contenders are always looking to get better, and the threat of the deadline always seems to make some teams desperate. Upgrading a position of need is huge, but the threat of giving up too much is always present.
Flags fly forever, though. While teams may part with a player who will be great in a few years, sometimes the present is more important than the future.
With that in mind, the Big League Stew crew identified some of the trades they would like to see happen at the deadline. Which teams can greatly increase their World Series chances with a blockbuster move? Read on.
Rangers need to make a blockbuster deal
One of the Rangers’ biggest strengths both last year and this season is the team’s exceptional depth. The Rangers overcame a number of injuries last season due to youngsters filling holes, and that has carried over into this season. Former top prospect Jurickson Profar has performed well, but can’t even work his way into a full-time role due to a crowded lineup.
It’s time for the Rangers to change that. Despite the fact that the club gave up significant talent to acquire Cole Hamels last season, there’s still an incredible amount of promising youngsters in the system. Profar and the recently-recalled Joey Gallo have plenty of value, as does outfield prospect Lewis Brinson. If the Rangers are willing to part with some of those guys, they might be able to make another huge upgrade at the deadline this year. Jonathan Lucroy would look great here, as would any pitcher who could slot in behind Hamels and Yu Darvish. The Rangers can, and should, make that happen. (Chris Cwik)
The Giants should trade for Jay Bruce
I know this isn’t the most likely move for the Giants, as their bullpen most needs addressing. But they’ve longed for a bat with some pop for years and I love the idea of Jay Bruce in their lineup. Bruce — who is tied for the NL lead in RBIs with the last-place Reds — is very likely to be traded.
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The Giants have used a hodgepodge of outfielders this season, mostly because of injuries. But a healthy outfield that include Hunter Pence, Denard Span and Bruce makes them the class of the NL West and best sets them up for a deep October run. Plus, it means the Dodgers wouldn’t get Bruce. (Mike Oz)
Dodgers go all-in for Chris Sale
If Zack Greinke was still with the Dodgers this year when Clayton Kershaw got hurt, I wouldn’t be writing about them here. Their road to the playoffs would be a little more difficult, but it’s tough to complain when you have a pitcher like Greinke to fall back on. But Greinke signed with the Diamondbacks in the offseason, which makes Kershaw’s injury a lot more important. He leaves a hole that’s impossible to fill, but that doesn’t mean the Dodgers shouldn’t try. The NL West is a two-team race, with the Dodgers currently trailing the Giants by 2.5 games. While they’ve done a lot to close the gap, there’s still a lot of baseball left to play.
There aren’t a lot of can’t-miss arms on the trade market right now, but Chris Sale is one of them, and he’s more available than he’s ever been before. It’s rumored that the Dodgers would even include coveted young pitcher Julio Urias in a Sale trade. The White Sox would likely want more, but if the Dodgers are willing to go that far, they might as well throw in a few more guys and fully commit to their “win now” attitude. And can you imagine Sale and Kershaw in the same rotation? Bliss. (Liz Roscher)
The Marlins need a starting pitcher
Sometimes it seems like the Miami Marlins just flip a coin to determine whether they should buy or sell. With the team currently holding down a wild-card spot though, they’re definitely in buy mode. In fact, reports suggest they are aggressively pursuing starting pitching options, which was a clear need even before Wei-Yin Chen went on the disabled list Sunday with an elbow injury. Now, adding a starter to support Jose Fernandez is essential if they hope to keep up.
Where they’ll find that starter is anybody’s guess. They’ve been connected to the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres with Hector Santiago and Andrew Cashner, respectively, viewed as targets. They could always call the Rays too, because it seems they’re listening on their entire rotation. But aside from those options there’s really not a lot out there that wouldn’t require some serious creativity on their part to make happen. It may not be a friendly landscape for starter-needy teams, but the Marlins must find one. (Mark Townsend)
Toronto needs another arm
The Toronto Blue Jays don’t need to make a splash like they did last year when they pulled off stunning trades for David Price and Troy Tulowitzki. But they could still use another arm for the stretch run as they strive to defend their American League East title. Whether that’s a starter or reliever depends on what the plan is for Aaron Sanchez. The 24-year-old right-hander is 11-1 with an AL-best 2.72 ERA, but an innings limit looms and could send Sanchez to the bullpen sometime in August. If the idea is to shift Sanchez to a relief role sooner rather than later, acquiring a starter like Jeremy Hellickson or Rich Hill would be wise.
If Sanchez can remain in the rotation longer than initially expected, though, then adding another reliever perhaps makes more sense. A left-hander like Will Smith, Jake McGee, Fernando Abad or Sean Doolittle would fit in well, especially as former All-Star Brett Cecil has struggled at times this season. Adding a right-hander at the back-end wouldn’t hurt, either, with Ryan Madson and Tyler Clippard topping the list of available righties. Ultimately, what the Blue Jays do before the deadline all comes down to how they handle Sanchez’s short-term future. (Israel Fehr)
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
