Outlining What I Want To See Go Down At The Trade Deadline
From certain teams being uber-aggressive to shock moves nobody sees coming, here's a few things I want to see happen between now and 6 P.M. EDT...
We’re seven or hours or so away from the Trade Deadline in Major League Baseball.
Teams have until 6 P.M. EDT today to make final improvements ready for the stretch run and then the playoffs. For sellers, they will be looking to take full advantage of high demand and get back as many assets as they can for the future.
We’ve already seen a boatload of moves over the past 24 hours or so, but there should be a lot more to come over the next several hours.
And, on that note, I want to dive into a slew of different scenarios I want to see play out throughout the course of today as we edge closer to the Trade Deadline…
The Player I Want To See Dealt The Most
There is only one contender for this section.
Garrett Crochet is without doubt the best starter available and there should be a slew of teams lining up for the White Sox ace.
Sure, the fact that Crochet reportedly won’t pitch in the postseason unless he signs an extension could scare off some teams. But, if you are giving up a boatload of assets for the lefty, an extension makes sense. Plus, Crochet is under team control for two more years so you aren’t acquiring him for just this year.
Also, it is one thing having that stance while playing for a hot mess of a White Sox team. It will be a different situation completely if Crochet is indeed traded to a contender today. Once on a legit team with a real shot at winning the World Series, I’m sure Crochet would reconsider his current stance of not pitching in October unless he has an extension. If you’ve got a real chance to win, you should push any personal needs to the side.
However it all shakes out, it sure seems like Crochet will get traded before the deadline and I’d love to see him end up with the Dodgers or the Orioles. Owning a 3.23 ERA this year with 160 strikeouts in 114.1 innings, Crochet would form a lethal two-headed monster with either Tyler Glasnow in LA or with Corbin Burnes in Baltimore. Either of those scenarios would be a lot of fun to watch play out.
Runner-Up:
If Crochet is the most notable starter available, then Tanner Scott is the biggest reliever being shopped. The lefty has been stellar for the Marlins this year, owning a 1.18 ERA with 18 saves and 53 strikeouts in 45.2 innings pitched. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in a single outing since June 13. Incredible. Scott is a pure rental too, so perfect for a contender that’s all in on winning this year. Looking at you, Yankees.
The Player I Don’t Want To See Dealt
Now, I’ll preface this with the fact that I don’t think he will be traded today.
However, the reason I bring up Tarik Skubal is because I find it crazy he was even brought up in trade scuttlebutt in the first place.
The 27-year-old has established himself as a true star for Detroit, going 12-3 with a 2.35 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 130 innings pitched at the time of writing this. Skubal is an absolute stud and he’s a front-line talent that the Tigers should be building around for the future. Granted, they are probably done this year given that they are 6.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, but they’ve made strides this season and should look to make a leap next year with Skubal in place as their elite ace.
Of course, as a wise man pointed out to me earlier, every player has their price and the Tigers probably would listen if a team came up with a crazy offer. I don’t think that will happen, but you can’t rule it out. Anything can happen on Trade Deadline Day, after all.
But, if you weren’t clear on my stance before, Skubal should absolutely be a Detroit Tiger come the end of the Trade Deadline, and he should be considered a huge piece of their long-term future going forward.
Runner-Up:
This was also never going to happen, but it just shows you how crazy a place Baseball Twitter is that trading Jackson Holliday even became a discussion. The former No. 1 prospect in the game endured a rough start to life in the Major Leagues, but he’s been raking back in Triple-A and he’ll be a cornerstone player for the Orioles for years to come. There was never any way on God’s beautiful green earth that Holliday was going to be included in any trade package for any player. Period. I’ll be glad when we can move past this nonsense later.
Under-The-Radar Player I Want To See Traded
Okay, he’s not exactly under-the-radar as he’s been mentioned in trade talks, but Tyler Anderson isn’t exactly a massive name, either.
The lefty owns a 2.96 ERA this year with a 1.140 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 130.2 innings pitched. He was an All-Star this year and is under team control through 2025. The Angels are sellers and Anderson would be a perfect trade target for a contender not looking to give up the farm. The Mets would be a really fascinating fit for Anderson.
Runner-Up:
Ryan McMahon is having quite the season. He’s hitting .261/.346/.433/.780 with 15 home runs, 21 doubles, 49 walks and 47 RBIs. He earned his first All-Star nod this year and deserves an escape route from Colorado. Yes, he strikes out a lot but he can absolutely destroy baseballs and he would add a big bat to any contenders’ lineup. I’d like to see him mash at Yankee Stadium for the Bronx Bombers.
Teams I Want To See Be Uber-Aggressive
The Yankees and Orioles. No hesitation. The Yankees began the year red hot before descending into one of the all-time slumps. They’ve started to turn it around in the last few games, and the return of Giancarlo Stanton and the addition of Jazz Chisholm Jr. will help. However, they need a lot more help. And, given that they still have to persuade Juan Soto that his long-term future belongs in the Bronx, being ultra-aggressive and going all out to win the World Series this year is the only logical path forward. The Yankees need another top arm to slide into the starting rotation, bullpen help and another bat to help out the big two of Soto and Aaron Judge. I’m not convinced playing Chisholm Jr. at third base is the longterm answer and, given that DJ LeMahieu has seen his play fall off a cliff, acquiring another infielder would be the smart move. Yandy Díaz or Ryan McMahon would be good fits.
As for the Orioles, they currently sit atop the American League East and boast a roster full of ascending talent. With new ownership and a farm system overloaded with high-end talent, the O’s have the means and the resources to go out and make a couple of headline-grabbing moves today. They need pitching and I’d love to see them acquire both ace Garrett Crochet and reliever Tanner Scott. After being the laughing stock of the sports world for so many years, it would be really cool to see the Orioles flex their new-found financial muscle and really make one hell of a statement at the Trade Deadline.
*UPDATE - At the time of publishing this, multiple reports had the Orioles trading for Marlins LHP Trevor Rogers, with IF Connor Norby and OF Kyle Stowers going back to Miami.
Runner-Up:
The Boston Red Sox have been a fun story all year and they should be busy today. The front office owe it to that current group of players to be aggressive, especially given that they are only one game back of the final Wild Card Spot in the AL. They’ve already made a couple of moves, but they will need more if they are to sustain a playoff push down the stretch. Relief help and another righty bat would certainly boost the mood at Fenway Park. For the new front office, going out and acquiring a big name like Tanner Scott would certainly send a clear statement to the rest of baseball.
Teams That Should Be Going For It
The Royals have a legit MVP candidate in Bobby Witt Jr., an ascending star who is going to become one of the faces of baseball. They currently occupy the third Wild Card spot in the American League, and I’d love to see them be active throughout Tuesday. They could do with adding a versatile bat or two.
All of the above applies to the Pirates, too. Currently just two games out of a Wild Card spot in the National League, it is about time ownership does the right thing and give those long-suffering fans something to get really excited about. With phenom rookie Paul Skenes on the mound and seemingly making history in every single start, now is the time for Pittsburgh to be aggressive and really go for it. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen but if there is one thing I’d love to see today, it is the Pirates making a substantial move or two to really improve their team and fully commit to chasing a playoff spot. Skenes deserves that support, as do the Pirates fans.
Runner-Up:
The Mariners have elite pitching with the best ERA in baseball (3.45) and they are just 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. But they need offense. They’ve already added Randy Arozarena but, with franchise cornerstone Julio Rodríguez banged up, it would be really cool to see Seattle go all out to add another couple of big bats to that struggling lineup.
I Want Chaos
We all love chaos and I’m rooting for that today. Now, I will be clear that I don’t think this will happen, but I would very much enjoy the mayhem that would ensue if the Blue Jays decided to trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Again, I don’t think it will happen, but a shocking deal like that really would shake everything up. The Mariners, in real need of more offense, would be an intriguing fit and they have the prospect capital needed to get it done.
Happy Deadline Day, everyone. Enjoy the day!