The time period from June 1 through Aug. 1 may be the most hectic time during baseball’s year. Teams are tasked with deciding what they want to do before the trade deadline, whether it be buying, selling or staying put.
A lot can change in those two months though. Teams can plummet down the standings or skyrocket up the standings, making it hard to judge which teams will end up in which spot by the end of July. This season has been filled with much of the same.
But this year’s trade deadline, without a doubt, will be one of the most chaotic and star-filled in years. Buckle up baseball fans, the season is just beginning. Let’s dive into some of the rumors around the league.
The Philadelphia Phillies are among baseball’s elite this season. They are led by an incredible pitching staff that has four guys among baseball’s best in ERA. Any one of the four (Ranger Suarez, Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez) could find themselves up for the NL Cy Young at the end of the season.
Their offense is also loaded, albeit a bit less than their starting rotation. Namely, their outfield could use a bit of offensive production, as their infield has stars like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm (who’s having one of the most under the radar seasons in the league).
For the Phillies, adding one or two superstars at the trade deadline could be exactly what they need in order to push past the teams like the Yankees and Dodgers in October. And Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report lists Philadelphia as the top landing spot for the All-Star outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
There may not be a better dream trade for any team in the league than Philadelphia landing Robert. Robert comes with team control, fits a position of need and he’s still young. Have I mentioned he hit 38 home runs and 36 doubles last season? He’s truly a game changing talent and the White Sox are actively shopping him. Philly has the farm system to spend big. Why not go out and make a splash for a name like Robert?
As of today, the St. Louis Cardinals are in one of the toughest spots in the league, in terms of having a plan for the trade deadline. They started the year off terribly. They looked like for sure sellers. But they’ve slowly rebuilt their record, pushing back up to competing in the NL Central.
But Baseball Reference still gives them just a 4.2 percent chance to make the postseason. Even though the National League, as a whole, has been horrendous, the Cardinals still don’t look like playoff contenders. If they go on a bit of a skid over the next few weeks, they may opt to sell. And if they sell hard, they could move their star third baseman Nolan Arenado.
If the Cardinals opt to make Arenado available, there may not be a team more willing to empty their farm system for a star third baseman than the New York Yankees. New York’s lineup has been ridiculous this year, but they still have a few holes, mainly at third base and catcher.
Could you imagine the Yankees making a massive trade to bring Arenado to the Bronx? Pairing him up alongside AL MVP favorites Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. That’s the idea that Eric Hosmer recently touched on. It’s certainly a possibility if the stars align in New York.
The Oakland Athletics are among the worst rosters in the big leagues. They truly are a wreck at this point in time, despite having a bit of success winning games early on. The front office in Oakland understands they don’t have a winning roster built, so they’ll actively be shopping their top names this year.
One name that’s drawn attention since the beginning of the season is their dominant closer Mason Miller. Miller transitioned from a starter to the bullpen during the offseason and lit the world on fire with an insane stretch of games to begin the year. He’s been among the league’s best bullpen arms and he’s still just 25 years old.
Oakland would be foolish to not deal him now, while he’s healthy, young and under team control. MLB insider Jon Heyman has a similar view, where he listed Miller’s likelihood of being traded as “fair”.
Listing him as a fair chance to be traded probably has more to do with the A’s not getting the package of prospects they want for him, rather than Oakland just being unwilling to move him.
I will say though, that every game Oakland waits to move him, they’re taking a risk. Miller has been relatively healthy throughout his baseball career. With the state of the game today, the pitch clock, and Miller’s 104 MPH fastball, it’s wishful thinking to believe he’ll be able to stay healthy forever.
