Big Trades Each American League Contender Could Make
It’s the All-Star break, but front offices are definitely gearing up for the busiest portion of their annual calendar as the trade deadline looms at the end of the month. Each contender is looking for a deal that will help strengthen their club through the final two months of the season. It seems like every playoff hopeful has at least one hole in their roster they’d like to fill, so let’s break down a possible baseball trade or two that would improve every team seeking October glory.
Boston Red Sox
One of the major juggernauts in the American League, the Red Sox could look to bolster their team in a handful of ways. A starting pitcher could help, as could a catcher, or even a second baseman.
Their offense will do just fine without any other major additions (another complimentary player like Steve Pearce could help round out the October lineups), so Boston should look to add a quality arm before the deadline. While the market is not bursting with impressive starting pitchers, the Sox could look to add a left-handed reliever to their pen, something they have gone the entire year without.
The Marlins’ Adam Conley, who despite a recent rough outing versus the Nationals, has put together solid numbers all year. He’s sporting a 2.88 ERA and WHIP under 1.00 on the year. Lefties are hitting just .135 with a .495 OPS against the lengthy lefty (he’s listed at 6’3, but he looks taller). He could certainly provide solid innings that the Sox just haven’t gotten from left-handed relievers this year.
He also has experience as a starter, so if David Price slides back onto the disabled list, Boston will at least have a quality back up plan. His affordability will also help manage Boston’s luxury tax, and he’s not eligible for free agency until 2022.
Who they could offer: Bryan Mata, RHP.
New York Yankees
The Yankees need a starting pitcher. Recent rumors about them pursuing Manny Machado are baffling to say the least, namely because it implies that New York would be willing to give up Miguel Andujar in a separate deal for a starting pitcher.
Any deal including Andujar, the Yanks’ third baseman for the future, would have to be in exchange for a dominant starting pitcher. So they may actually be positioning themselves to acquire Jacob deGrom.
It would be bold to go for Machado and deGrom, and would be quite costly, so New York should probably look at a deal which would allow them to keep guys like Andujar and elite pitching prospect Justus Sheffield, who could contribute to the major league squad sometime this year.
Targeting Detroit’s Michael Fulmer and Mike Fiers could provide the most bang for the Yankees’ buck, as they would solidify their rotation with two quality (if not dominant) arms. Fulmer has a decent 3.47 ERA in his past 7 starts and we outlined why he’s a good trade target about a month ago. Meanwhile, Fiers has a 3.65 ERA on the year. The Tigers could even take the struggling Sonny Grade, who could benefit from the change of teams.
Who they could offer: Clint Frazier, OF; Sonny Gray, RHP; Dillon Tate, RHP; Matt Sauer, RHP
Cleveland Indians
Much like the Yankees, Cleveland’s need is obvious: their bullpen is a mess, and needs a lot of help. One quality arm isn’t enough, and two would still leave room for improvement. Three fresh arms could do the trick, and there’s a seller out there who can offer this kind of deal. Consider: Cleveland relievers have a negative WAR on the year.
The San Diego Padres have had an outstanding bullpen this year. A deal for Brad Hand and any other reliever would be perhaps too costly for the Indians to acquire just one arm, so Cleveland should target some lesser known (yet still dominant) arms.
Craig Stammen, Kirby Yates, and Adam Cimber would all instantly improve Cleveland’s pen and would perhaps be more cost-effective compared to acquiring someone like Hand. Stammen has an ERA of 2.72 and a WHIP of 1.09. Yates is even better, posting a 1.51 ERA and 0.93 WHIP, and a strikeout to walk ratio better than four to one. Cimber would provide a different look as a side-armed thrower, but also owns a respectable 3.25 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.
All three are having great years, and would reassemble an Indians’ bullpen that has completely fallen apart with Andrew Miller on the disabled list. Additionally, last year the Padres dealt multiple relievers to the Royals, Ryan Buchter and Brandon Maurer, so they have experience with this kind of multi-reliever trade.
Who they could offer: Bradley Zimmer, OF; Aaron Civale, RHP; Sam Hentges, LHP
Houston Astros
The Astros just sent down Ken Giles, who was supposed to be their lights-out closer for years to come. The team doesn’t have any glaring needs anywhere else, so they should focus on adding a reliable closer.
Just like the Red Sox, Houston is lacking the left handed reliever department, so a lefty closer would probably be their preferred choice. Last year, they nearly acquired Zack Britton from Baltimore. They should complete the deal this time around.
Britton hasn’t been his usual dominant self in 2018, but he is trending in the right direction. Since he got tagged by the Braves for 4 runs on June 22, he has only allowed 2 runs, and has a WHIP of 0.50 so far in July, against such opponents like the Yankees and Phillies. He’s a rental, too, so he won’t force the Astros to give up their top prospects.
Who they could offer: Jorge Alcala, RHP; Framber Valdez, LHP
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have already been one of the more active teams in the trade market this year. They strengthened their bullpen and outfield by acquiring Alex Colome and Denard Span from the Rays, but Seattle could still add another starter and more thump in center field.
Striking for Pittsburgh’s Ivan Nova and Starling Marte could strengthen the team’s weak spots. Neither are having their best years, which means they could be cheaper than usual, and the Pirates could use this opportunity to shed some salary and give top prospect Austin Meadows some more playing time in with a less crowded outfield.
Marte has been hot in July, too, slashing .429/.484/.714 this month. Currently, the Mariners have Guillermo Heredia in center, hitting an unspectacular .235 on the season. Marte would be an immediate upgrade, and can also share leftfield with Span when Robinson Cano returns in September, moving Dee Gordon from second base to center field.
Nova has been inconsistent this year, but could provide solid innings with Felix Hernandez struggling and Marco Gonzales throwing more innings than he’s used to.
Who they could offer: Joe Rizzo, 3B; Bryson Brigman, 2B; Darin Gillies, RHP
Oakland Athletics
The A’s have made a surprising surge back into the AL Wild Card race recently, and may now look to buy as the trade deadline approaches. The offense and bullpen have delivered at an elite level so far, meaning the team really needs to focus on its rotation if it wants to keep up with the Mariners and Astros.
Oakland has relied on young studs like Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas this year, along with veterans Edwin Jackson, Brett Anderson, and Trevor Cahill to get them this far. But Cahill, while great, has dealt with injuries, and Jackson and Anderson have exceeded all expectations, so some regression should be anticipated.
Acquiring Nathan Eovaldi from the Rays would help add a dominant arm to the rotation, as the righty has posted a WHIP of 0.81 this year, and is cheaper than most other options on the market.
Who they could offer: Daulton Jeffries, RHP
