Things I Want To See Happen At The Trade Deadline
We're all set for a day of craziness in MLB...
The MLB Trade Deadline is here. Buyers have until 6 p.m. EST to bolster their rosters ahead of a hoped deep postseason run.
We’ve already seen a slew of big-time deals go down over the past few days, but there are still a glut of high-profile names blowing out in the wind waiting to see what their future will look like by the end of the day. There’s also a myriad of aggressive teams still wanting to make a move or two in order to upgrade their rosters for the stretch run.
With that in mind, I’ve made a large pot of coffee and I decided to use a lot of digital ink on bringing my ultimate Trade Deadline dreams to life.
Enjoy!
Mets Don’t Trade Verlander
For those of you who are regular readers here at Blogs Of Steele, you will know that I’m a New York Mets fan. I don’t try to hide it. I cover them for another site, as well as in this space as much as I can, although I do try to keep it neutral for professionalism reasons, obviously. However, I am going to break away from that today because I am hoping beyond hope that the Amazins’ don’t deal away Justin Verlander.
The future Hall of Famer has bounced back from a rough start to life in Queens, posting a stellar 1.49 ERA in his last seven starts. He was absolute dealing in July, allowing just seven runs in 42 1/3 innings. As a result, Verlander is one of the biggest trade chips available at the Deadline, and the Dodgers, Astros and the Orioles - yes, you read that last one right, the Orioles really are aggressive buyers, you aren’t dreaming - are among the most aggressive admirers.
It is no secret that Verlander wasn’t exactly happy with the Mets trading away fellow ace Max Scherzer over the weekend, and if a legit contender like the Dodgers comes in with a big offer, that could persuade Verlander to waive his no-trade clause. If I was Mets GM Billy Eppler, I wouldn’t deal away my ace unless a team offers a stupid, blockbuster haul in return. Not only has Verlander figured it out in a Mets uniform, but by trading away a second ace in a matter of days, I’m not sure that sends the right message to the clubhouse and to stars like Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor. In-fact, I’ll go as far as stating that dealing away Verlander at the Trade Deadline could cause a lot of long-term internal damage for this organization, and that doesn’t bode well for the 2024 season.
Orioles Make A Big Splash
The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the best stories to emerge from the 2023 season so far. The O’s are finally competitive and they lead off the Trade Deadline atop the AL East with a 65-41 record. Let me state this next fact clearly - the Orioles being good, and the Orioles being aggressive at the Deadline, is GREAT for Baseball. It really, really is. Baltimore stunk out the sport for a significant amount of time, so the fact this organization is now looking to add a major piece as they look to win the division for the first time since 2014 when Buck Showalter was leading the ball club is really, really cool. And, to offer you some nice symmetry, Showalter’s current club, the Mets could help out the Orioles in a big way on Tuesday. According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the O’s are one of the most aggressive teams pursuing a potential trade for Mets ace Justin Verlander. Baltimore is actively looking to add high-end starting pitching and, while I don’t want New York to deal Verlander (see above), the three-time Cy Young Award winner ending the day in an Orioles uniform would be quite the turn of events. It would be the clearest sign yet that the Baltimore Orioles are ready to become relevant again. If not Verlander, then controllable starters like Logan Gilbert (Mariners), Mitch Keller (Pirates), Dylan Crease (White Sox), and Brady Singer (Royals) could be names to keep an eye on when it comes to the Orioles.
Angels Continue To Load Up
All Baseball fans and purists want is to see Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout get a chance to play in the postseason. That’s literally all we dream of. With that fantasy actually looking like a reality right now, I would love to see the Angels be really aggressive right until the death at 6 p.m. EST. Per Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Angels are still looking to add one more pitcher before the Deadline and there’s plenty of options out there. Having already added Eduardo Escobar, Mike Moustakas, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López, Randal Grichuk, and C.J. Cron since the end of June, coupled with the fact Trout should be back soon, the Angels have gone all in and adding one more key piece would really help their cause. Currently three games back of a wild card spot, this ball club would benefit from a proven performer and it would also signal to Ohtani, who will become a Free Agent in the offseason, that this franchise is finally serious about winning. I want to see Ohtani and Trout perform their magic in the Playoffs so, Angels, please be active today.
Padres Do Something Padres Like
The Padres are an absolutely compelling case study as of right now. An absolute dumpster fire for much of the year, they are five games back of a wild card spot and certainly have the pieces to become big time sellers if they wanted to. As I’m writing this, that hasn’t been the case. General Manager A.J. Preller could get back one of the greatest return packages in Trade Deadline history by dealing away starter Blake Snell and elite reliever Josh Hader on Tuesday. However, Preller and the Padres have shown time and time again that they can be very unpredictable, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they went out and made a big-time deal to actually strengthen their roster, rather than weaken it. Either way, I’m really hoping the Padres do something Padres-like to make the Trade Deadline really interesting.
Yankees Get Judge Some Help
The New York Yankees have been a hot mess for a considerable amount of time now but, given that they are the Yankees, they won’t be anything but buyers at the Trade Deadline. Their biggest need? It has to be outfield help. In star slugger Aaron Judge’s absence, the Yanks averaged a meager 3.9 runs per game dating back to June 4. Judge is back now but, with Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo, DJ LeMahieu, and Josh Donaldson all not playing to the back of their Baseball cards, the Captain is going to need some help.
With the Chicago Cubs absolutely surging right now - they are 8-2 in their last 10 games - Cody Bellinger is seemingly off the market. What options are left? Dylan Carlson? What about Lane Thomas? I absolutely love Thomas as a player. He’s in the midst of a career year - hitting .287/.334/.473/.807 with 16 homers and 57 RBIs. The 27-year-old is a controllable asset, a do it-all player who can mash against both lefties and righties. He would substantially improve the Yankees, although his asking price may be too steep for GM Brian Cashman. Regardless, competing with a slew of teams for a wild card spot, the Yankees have to add some notable weapons at the Deadline if they are to make the postseason.
CHAOS
We all love some bat-shit crazy madness at the Trade Deadline. Last year we were treated to a blockbuster deal with Juan Soto being traded to the Padres. I would love nothing more than to see a huge surprise come out of left field today. A player that isn’t even on our radar as of right now gets dealt just before the 6 p.m. EST cutoff point to send the Baseball world into a meltdown to end all meltdowns. That would be the best-case scenario for all Baseball fans, and I am all here for all-out chaos.
