As most of us know, the 2015 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline is coming up quick, fast, and in a hurry. All is quiet so far outside of the occasional rumor. There really have been no moves as of yet and I’m sure fans are beginning to get restless thinking that not much will happen by July 31st.
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Right now is the time that the teams who are sellers are trying to see how much they can possibly get in return for the veterans they are putting out on the trading block, most likely asking for way too much. Plus, the closer we get to the deadline, the more teams will know if they’re buyers or sellers.
I expect this trade deadline to get real interesting in a hurry. More starting pitchers are being put on the trade block by the day. So those teams like the Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers, who are on the market for a starting pitcher, will have plenty to fight for.
Detroit Tigers’ ace David Price has shockingly been rumored to being put on the trade block. He may be a free agent after the season’s end, but the Tigers are right in the middle of the playoff race in the American League. Price would be an incredible asset to a team that really needs that one more big pieces to plug into their rotation going into the stretch run. If he was dealt to any of those teams that I listed, it would be earth-shattering. Another earth-shattering deal will be whoever manages to get their hands on Cincinnati Reds’ ace Johnny Cueto. Oakland Athletics’ left hander Scott Kazmir is another quality starter who could be dealt soon. Chicago White Sox’ starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija will most likely be on the move. He may not be having the best year with an earned run average of 4.08, but he’s turned it up a notch lately and teams know how talented the 30 year old is. Another pitcher who helped boost his trade value is Cincinnati Reds’ Mike Leake, who went eight strong innings yesterday against the Chicago Cubs, and has pitched very well in his last four starts. Of course, we know about Philadelphia Phillies’ ace Cole Hamels and their need to trade their veterans to build up their farm system and start over. Add in some of the San Diego Padres’ starting pitchers like James Shields and Ian Kennedy into the mix. If the Texas Rangers are willing to deal Yovani Gallardo, that adds to a phenomenal list of starting pitchers that could be on the move.
When it comes to hitters that could be on the move, I do know the Milwaukee Brewers are willing to deal players like Gerardo Parra, Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura, and maybe even Ryan Braun for the right package. San Diego Padres star Justin Upton will most likely be moved as well because he will be a free agent after the season. The Padres need to get something for him before they end up paying for it. I’ve heard about the Cincinnati Reds being open to trading right fielder Jay Bruce, who has had a great bounce back year. Detroit Tigers’ star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes may be put on the trading block as well, which would be another incredible piece to add to any lineup, but I’m sure the price would be extremely high to acquire him. Oakland’s utility man Ben Zobrist is most likely going to be on the move. He’s valuable not only because he’s a veteran hitter, but he can also play nearly anywhere on the diamond.
There may be other quality position players from other teams who wind up being dealt in the next week, but when people say that there aren’t enough pitchers on the market, I have to scratch my head because there are plenty of very good pitchers who can help turn any of these teams on the bubble into serious playoff contenders. I have a feeling that the Chicago Cubs will be one of those teams who acquire a top-line starting pitcher. The Padres being sellers is disappointing to me and I’m sure their fans as well because of how much they did this past offseason and how much hype was given to them when they made those moves. They seemed ready to take that next level and just flat out disappointed everybody. That’s why they don’t crown the World Series winners in December, January, February or March. The New York Mets HAVE to acquire a hitter. They have the best young pitching in all of baseball, but their offense was ranked worse than the 1962 Mets…. That’s difficult to do. Somehow, they’ve still managed to hang in there, so they need to take advantage of this opportunity to add at least one bat to beef up their depleted starting lineup. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud coming back will help but they need more, especially with first baseman Lucas Duda struggling as much as he has, and Michael Cuddyer possibly being another DL victim.
Don’t worry baseball fans, this next week leading up to July 31st will be interesting. Too many teams need a boost in order to get over the top to allow nothing to happen. The trade deadline is like dominoes. Once one big trade is made, another team will make a move, and that will put pressure on others to make moves. And as we get closer to the 31st, the sellers know that they need to unload their veterans in order to add to their farm system, so they’re more likely to pull their triggers.
This just the calm before the storm, and I highly anticipate there being so many moves that most of our heads start to spin.
