The other day, I looked ahead towards the baseball trading deadline by examining what I thought were the biggest needs for some contending teams. Well, the ball started rolling almost immediately, with Jose Quintana switching Chicago teams and the Nationals addressing their bullpen needs by getting Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle from Oakland, then the Yankees pulled off that blockbuster with the White Sox, bringing Todd Frazier and David Robertson to the Bronx.
That was just a start. There's still two weeks left until the deadline. You know plenty of other guys are getting moved. But who? Well, there are several names that I feel pretty confident will move. Where they might go is another question.
Sonny Gray, A's: He's probably the best starting pitcher you know is being shopped. Houston would like to add a starter, but I don't see Oakland trading him within the division. That leaves the Yankees as the other best fit and, in my opinion, Gray's most likely destination. The Yankees already needed a starter, and Michael Pineda needing Tommy John surgery made that need even more pressing. And, with the haul of prospects acquired in last year's trades, they have the players to make the deal worthwhile for the A's.
Brad Hand, Padres: Something tells me Hand is going to end up in Boston. Outside of Craig Kimbrel, the Red Sox bullpen is not very good (neither is their lineup for that matter). If they're going to have any shot at making a run deep into October, adding a reliever is a must. And there are worse options than an All-Star lefty setup guy.
Pat Neshek, Phillies: Speaking of All-Star setup guys... Neshek brings additional value because he has all that postseason experience with the Cardinals. I'm assuming the Phillies won't let the Nationals anywhere near him, but I do think Neshek will likely stay in the National League. They already don't lose, but just imagine how much more unbeatable the Dodgers would be if they could plug Neshek in there between the starters and Jansen.
Jay Bruce, Mets: They aren't going to make the playoffs and they have like six starting outfielders, which means the Mets are probably going to deal at least one of them. And Bruce, who they got as a quasi-rental last year, seems like the most likely candidate. His contract is up at the end of the year, so Bruce would be one of those two-month rentals. I would've said Arizona before they got J.D. Martinez. But he got hit by a pitch in the hand in his first game with the Diamondbacks, so an outfielder might be back on the table for them.
Yonder Alonso, A's: Who doesn't need a lefty power bat off the bench? I think this one could be the surprise. I have a feeling Alonso will be traded. I just have no idea where. That's why I see a team coming out of nowhere and snatching him up. For some reason, I see Colorado being the ones to make that move. Or Milwaukee.
Matt Adams, Braves: Freddie Freeman moved to third so that Adams could stay at first. Who does that help, though? The Braves aren't good, Freeman's not a third baseman, and Adams can't play defense. He's the second coming of Adam Dunn. He should be DHing for an American League team. If Kansas City decides they're in it and choose to be buyers rather than sellers, I can see Adams helping them out down the stretch, then potentially taking over at first next year if Hosmer leaves as a free agent.
Mike Moustakas, Royals: However, if the Royals fall out of it, it's very realistic to envision them unloading some of their pending free agents. And Boston has coveted Mike Moustakas for months. Especially now that Todd Frazier's in New York, the Red Sox could panic and give up too much for Moustakas. Although, if he were to go to the Red Sox, that wouldn't necessarily be a rental. Since you know they're gonna go after him hard in the offseason wherever he finishes 2017.
Darren O'Day and/or Brad Brach, Orioles: Baltimore's got an abundance of relievers, and I can see the Orioles unloading at least one of them at the deadline. Cleveland's trade for and brilliant use of Andrew Miller was one of the primary reasons why they got to extra innings of Game 7 of the World Series last year. Can lightning strike twice with either Brach or O'Day?
Aaron Sanchez, Blue Jays: Out of all the Blue Jays starters, Sanchez seems like the most likely to be dealt (assuming they trade any of them at all). Yes, they'd probably get more for Marcus Stroman, but we all know how much the Blue Jays love their wannabe shortstop, so that's probably not happening. Sanchez, who's a free agent after the season and making only half a million though...that's a different story. He's the one you can easily see heading to Houston.
Melky Cabrera, White Sox: Believe it or not, the White Sox still have some players left on the roster! It might not be for long, though, since Melky Cabrera might be the next one to move. Especially since he's a proven postseason contributor. And a switch hitter. A team like Washington could certainly use him.
I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of wheeling and dealing going on over the next two weeks. Last year, we saw the Cubs and Indians both get to the World Series on the strength of their deadline moves (with a little help from the Yankees). Can somebody do the same this year? It's gonna be really interesting to see.
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