[UPDATE: The St. Louis Cardinals have played their way right on to Seller’s Street by losing 7 of 9 with their Wild Card competition Padres visiting the Gateway City for 3]
Every time I write an article like this, some team gets hot. Last time, I invited the Red Sox to sell because they had lost 6 straight. They repaid my lack of faith by winning 13 of 15 and jumping into a wild card spot. The time before that, I counted out the Twins and they proceeded to win 14 in a row! With that in mind, there is always a chance that in the next 2 weeks leading up to the trade deadline, one of these teams will get hot and make me look like an idiot. The countdown is on:
days
hours minutes seconds
until
MLB Trade Deadline
Definitely Selling
Colorado Rockies: The big problem with bad teams selling is that their players aren’t very good. Go figure. I was the conductor of the Jake Bird train for a long time but knew they were using him too much. They should have traded the reliever while they could. On June 10th, his ERA was 1.41. He has had a few blow ups since then and it’s up to 3.62. Still no HRs given up at Coors Field though. They would love to get rid of 3B Ryan McMahon, but there are two big problems with that: he’s owed $32m the next 2 years and he stinks. Then there is old friend Mickey Moniak who, if you squint, is hitting well against lefties…but only at Coors Field.
Chicago White Sox: Luis Robert is the most obvious trade candidate in the league, but he is making $15m this season and has been one of the worst players in the league. BUT, he still plays a good CF and hits lefties. Not going to lie, I would be happy if the Phillies got him. Starter Adrian Houser has been released by 4 teams in the last year, but since signing with the White Sox in May he has pitched 8 of 9 quality starts and has a 1.56 ERA. His last 3 starts have been 22 innings with 1 ER! That’s free money for Chicago. Steven Wilson is a right-handed relief pitcher no one has ever heard of, but he’s 30 with 2 years of control left and a 2.15 ERA in 31 appearances
Washington Nationals: The Nationals have good young players that they aren’t selling and bad old players that no one wants. Closer Kyle Finnegan has been on the trade block forever, but has to get moved now in the last year of his contract. He’s been solid. Mike Soroka parlayed some great peripherals last year as a reliever into a starting job and $9m with the Nationals. It’s been bad. They need to move him to the pen to try to build some value.
Pittsburgh Pirates: I was chastised online by Pirates fans for suggesting they trade Bryan Reynolds who absolutely stinks. He is owed $75m over the next 5 seasons and is playing below replacement level. I was wrong for suggesting anyone wants him. Isiah Kiner-Falefa on the other hand is playing adequate SS and should move since he will be a free agent. The real pieces teams want are in the bullpen. David Bednar (R), Dennis Santana (R), and Caleb Ferguson (L) should all be on the move. Bednar and Ferguson have a year of control left while Ferguson is a free agent. I wouldn’t be surprised if two are traded together in order to get a higher-level prospect.
Not-Oakland Athletics: Much like Washington, the A’s are filled with young players they want to keep and old players no one wants. Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs are both starters they would love to trade, but they aren’t cheap and Severino hasn’t been any good. There is only one guy in the bullpen that has even made it to arbitration in his career and that’s Sean Newcomb. The lefty was recently acquired from Boston and has been solid. Expect him to go thanks to pending free agency and cheap contract.
Selling Unless They Are Fooling Themselves
Atlanta Braves: There’s a possibility that the Braves could really tear things down, but I wouldn’t count on it. Instead, look for them to deal pending free agents. Marcel Ozuna is still a DH force even if his stats are down this season. Raisel Iglesias (R), Rafael Montero (R), and Pierce Johnson (R) are all soon to be free agent relievers that need to be on the block. Iglesias has been bad though and costs $16m, so he might be a tough sell. There is also lefty Aaron Bummer who still has a year of control left. The real interesting thing will be if the Braves sell low on Michael Harris or Ozzie Albies. Both used to be on great contracts but have struggled a ton this year. Albies has 2 great team options after this season, but it is possible they let him go. Sean Murphy would be an instant game changer to someone like the Padres, but I bet he doesn’t get moved until the offseason with Drake Baldwin ready to take his job.
Baltimore Orioles: It’s funny that for a team with such pitching problems that their pitchers are going to be in demand at the deadline. Charlie Morton has put things together after a disaster start. Old friends Seranthony Dominguez (R) and Greg Soto (L) will have value at the deadline. Trevor Rodgers (L) and Felix Bautista (R) could be the setup and closer package deal that a team in need of a bullpen rebuild on the fly (like the Phillies) would pay for. Ryan O’Hearn looked like a game changer a month ago, but June and July have not been kind to him. Still, he is a DH on the last year of his contract who mashes righties and probably needs to be a Giant if Rafael Devers can play first. There is also Cedric Mullins, who stinks, but has reverse splits and has pounded lefties, and Ramon Laureano who has the same but reversed problem, a righty who mashes righties.
Miami Marlins: The Marlins have been a great story the last few weeks (basically since my kid gave up on them1) but they aren’t going to make the playoffs. Not that it matters. This team is SO young! There are only 2 players on the active roster within a year and a half of possible free agency, Sandy Alcantara who has been terrible this season and Cal Quantrill who has been better than Sandy but not exactly good. The most likely to be traded are solid righty reliever Anthony Bender and OF Jesus Sanchez who cannot do a thing against lefties.
A Bad 2 Weeks from Selling
Cleveland Guardians: Cleveland is 4.5 games out of the Wild Card and needs to hop 6 teams to make it. Before the deadline they have to play the A’s, Orioles, Royals, and the Rockies. That is a soft enough schedule where they could play themselves back into the Wild Card race. Closer Emmanuel Clase, LF Steven Kwan, and old friends 1B Carlos Santana and Kolby Allard (L) could be on the move if they go under .500 during this soft stretch.
Kansas City Royals: KC is in the same spot as the Guardians but with a harder schedule. They face the resurgent Marlins in Miami and then the Cubs in Chicago before getting Cleveland and Atlanta at home. That series against the Guardians could be the difference between buying and selling. They would probably listen on both Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo. Considering everyone I just listed, they might be the two best starters on the trade block. Old friend and all-star Carlos Estevez wouldn’t be a bad contract to get off of either.
Arizona Diamondbacks: At 5.5 games back and only behind 4 teams, they seem a lot closer than they really are. Injuries have crushed this roster including big acquisition Corbin Burnes. They could convince themselves to buy, but they would need to get past St. Louis, Houston, Pittsburgh, and Detroit first. That’s the toughest lead up to the deadline on this list. Plus, they could really reload and reset for next season with a good deadline. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are right there with the KC starters as top arms that could be traded while soon to be free agent Eugenio Suarez has easily the most production of any trade candidates. Ryne Nelson (R) and Shelby Miller (R) are two relievers who would look very good in a contenders bullpen and are on cheap deals.
Los Angeles Angels: Remember two years ago when they should have sold but bought anyway and then put everyone on waivers? Well, that makes them a little unpredictable. Playing the Phillies, Mets, Mariners, and Rangers might make up their minds for them though. They are 4 games out with 4 to get ahead of in the wild card race. Tyler Anderson and Kyle Hendricks are solid starters on expiring contracts (Hendricks has to go back to the Cubs, right?). Taylor Ward has been very solid in the outfield and might finally get moved after years of speculation. His right-handed bat would be very useful for the Phillies. Then there is the ageless Kenley Jansen who went into the break with 12 straight scoreless outings. He has one awful appearance so far this year but has been otherwise pretty good. Yoan Moncada is a switch-hitting infielder who can’t hit lefties at all but is doing pretty well against righties with a .889 OPS. Bryson Stott fans look away, but you could see him platooning with Sosa at second, right?
Minnesota Twins: Reliever central has to lose to the Rockies, Dodgers, Nationals, and Red Sox in order for us to get our hopes up. They are 4 games out with 4 ahead of them but are in position to really swing the playoff race if they sell off super relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. A team getting either has a new legit closer, but a trade for both locks down a bullpen completely. Both are righties who throw 100+ and have 2 years of control left. There is also Danny Coulombe (L) who is an expiring contract at 35 and regular annoyance Harrison Bader who are both likely to be moved.
Texas Rangers: The Rangers are only 3.5 games out with 2 teams to jump to make the playoffs, but they been hovering around .500 almost the whole year. I don’t think they’ll be sellers, especially with a relatively easy schedule coming out of the break, and they have to feel good about the playoffs with deGrom and Eovaldi starting a short series. 2 bad weeks could mean everything though. They are expensive, but Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi would top the Royals and Diamondbacks starters in terms of sheer talent and Texas might want to get off their deals while they can. I would like to see the Phillies acquire lefty relief ace Holby Milner just so no other team could deploy him against Bryce Harper in the playoffs. Adolis Garcia is the only position player who is likely to be moved as his bat is on the upswing after 2 bad months to start the season. He is really bad against lefties though.
St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals are 3.5 games back of the wildcard as of July 23. I had to add them to the list after dropping 7 of their last 9 games. They play the Padres then the Marlins before the deadline and could find themselves in a huge hole. The funny thing is that they started this season with the intent of selling, it just hasn’t gone to plan. This is probably good for them too since they are loaded with interesting relievers. Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, and Steven Matz are all free agents next year and need to be moved. Helsley has been one of the best closers in the sport for years but does not look like the same guy this season. Still good, but nowhere near dominant. Old friend JoJo Romero could move too. As for position players, only Lars Nootbar and Nolan Arenado could potentially be on the block. Nootbar though is currently on the IL with a rib injury. Arenado is still a very good 3rd baseman, but the bat has really fallen off. He is still decent against lefties, but righties own him at this point.
All stats courtesy of ESPN.com and Baseball-Reference.com while contracts are from Spotrac.com
- He grew up in Miami so he is a Marlins fan despite all my efforts. There is hope though. The last Marlins Phillies game we went to, he asked to where my Castellanos jersey mid-game when the Phillies were winning. My loving arms and wallet are ready for him when he’s ready to take the plunge ↩︎
Philly Front Office 
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