Month: July 2016

Posted on in MLB

MLB Trade Deadline: With a Few Days Away, Who Should We See Traded?

Another one of these posts, but now, the trades get even more intense. Now, with all of the intensity coming on with August 1st right around the corner, I go over who should be traded, and what teams should offer.

Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Baltimore Orioles

Jimenez isn’t the greatest ever as we know, but besides his subpar record this year, he can still play as a pitcher at a high level. Unfortunately for Baltimore, they missed out big time on trading Jimenez, as they were beat by the Toronto Blue Jays to get Melvin Upton, Jr., putting them in a position with not too many options. Their options are Edinson Volquez from the Kansas City Royals, but they may have to give up Mark Trumbo because the Royals are also looking to trade an outfielder. This will also have to involve Dan Duquette, their reliever. This trade has already been discussed between the team, but the question is what else do the Royals have to give the Orioles. The second option for them is SP Wade Miley of the Seattle Mariners. Miley is a pitcher who has won games against solid teams throughout the course of the year, especially when Felix Hernandez went down with an injury earlier this year. The Orioles are in very serious talks to try and get Miley from Seattle.

Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

The best way for the New York Yankees to plan for their future and try to get superstar OF Bryce Harper when he becomes a free agent is to surround him with fellow, young, superstar outfielders. Braun, the 2011 MVP, has been on the trade block for what feels like forever, and the best offer on the table would be to trade him for Carlos Beltran of the Yankees. Beltran, like Braun, is another excellent outfielder, but the Brewers need veteran leadership. While trading Braun will be a hard pill to swallow, considering the current situation of Milwaukee, it’ll all be worth it.

Matt Moore, SP, Tampa Bay Rays

Now, the first thought that comes to mind is to trade him for Jimenez in Baltimore, but I just do not think that the Orioles would want to add a player who doesn’t bring a winning mentality to their team. I think their best bet is to trade him for fellow SP Jeremy Hellickson of the Philadelphia Phillies. This is a perfect trade because these are two of the utmost worst team with absolutely nothing left to fight for. This trade should happen NOW!

Johnathan Lucroy, C, Milwaukee Brewers

This would be a good offer to make the Yankees along with Ryan Braun, if only Yankees C Brian McCann was older. McCann is EXTREMELY solid, but he isn’t the best veteran catcher out there. The other offer is the offer by the New York Mets for C Travis d’Arnaud and OF prospect Brandon Nimmo. The offer from the Mets is the offer the Brewers are most comfortable with, as it seems though as if the Yankees wanna roll with McCann as their catcher.

Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati Reds

Bruce is definitely the hottest name on the market because it is shocking to many teams that he is even on the market in the first place. The best trade on the board will be the most compelling and game-changing trades for both teams, if the trade does indeed happen. The LA Dodgers will give OF Yasiel Puig to the Reds for Bruce. This trade would be huge because both of these players seemed like they would be untradeable at one point due to their utter dominance in the game. However, their similar qualities throughout this year has propelled this trade to possibly become a reality for both teams. This could change the whole outlook of the NL because while the Dodgers are fighting to be in the Top 4 of the NL, the Reds, although they are 14.5 games back of the first Wild Card spot St. Louis Cardinals, they could make the NL Central (their division) very interesting, and climb their way up the Wild Card standings.

Posted on in MLB

MLB Trade Deadline: What Needs to Happen?

Now that the MLB is in full swing after the rather boring All-Star Game, the focus of the MLB will turn towards the MLB trade deadline. August 1st will be here before we know it, and many teams could use trades to get themselves back in the playoff picture, or even just make themselves look better, perhaps. Here are some trades which I think should happen:

LA Dodgers Trade SP Clayton Kershaw and 2B Howie Kendrick to Tampa Bay Rays SP Chris Archer and 3B Evan Longoria

I completely understand that Kershaw leads the NL in WAR despite missing over a month of play, but the Dodgers offense is inconsistent. Howie Kendrick has been good at times, and Longoria just has been on the Rays for too long. I think this trade can power LA into a possible division champion contention. As for the Rays, it can only get better from here. Tampa has been in a state of flux for many years now, and the ‘Rays’ of the sun don’t seem to be helping at all. Now, LA is going to lose one of the best pitchers in the game, but I think that Longoria will thrive under the leadership of manager Dave Roberts, who is all about high-powered offenses.

Colorado Rockies Trade OF Carlos Gonzalez to Oakland Athletics for OF Josh Reddick

This trade is a golden one for both teams because these are two great outfielders looking to change teams in order for contracts to be fulfilled. These are two of the best power-hitters in their respective leagues, and these teams are already having downfalls which will force them to have to settle for sitting on the couch in October, so why not try to improve the team going into next season. This will also possibly force these players to restructure a contract, and not have to walk away from their respective teams.

Milwaukee Brewers Trade OF Ryan Braun to NY Yankees for LF Carlos Beltran and CP Aroldis Chapman

The Yankees want to make their team as young as possible, and Milwaukee needs veteran leadership in all facets of the game, and so Beltran and Chapman are excellent position fillers. Braun on the other hand will always be an MVP candidate (even if he is on PEDs), and New York needs a guy who is a blend of power hitting and skilled fielding, and Braun brings that to the table immediately. The Yankees have some work to do in the AL East if they want to be in the Wild Card, though. They are 4.5 games behind the Wild Card leader, the Toronto Blue Jays, who are also in the AL East. Now, with Boston flailing a bit, New York could be in good hands, but if the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers continue their hot streak, New York ain’t seeing the playoffs this year.

Atlanta Braves Trade RF Nick Markakis to Kansas City Royals for OF Alex Gordon

Unfortunately for the Atlanta Braves, Markakis’ glory days are behind him. His days in Baltimore were great, and they just didn’t seem to last very long. Alex Gordon had his glory days last year in Kansas City. Now, he is an outfielder, like Markakis, looking to find his ‘fountain of youth’. This trade makes a lot of sense because these are two outfielders who have a lot of potential and can still be productive if put on the right team. Markakis has a contract which pays him $11 million per year all the way through the year 2018. This allows for trades for him to become much easier than expected. This trade will give Atlanta fans a chance of hope, as they are the worst team in the big leagues.

*I would like to thank everyone for their support of my blog, as my last post was featured last week on the MLB.com Blog.

Posted on in MLB

The Best MLB Storylines After All-Star Break

The MLB has been the center of attention in terms of sports to watch now that the Cleveland Cavaliers have brought an NBA championship to The Land, and with All-Star Break over and the season back in swing, here are my predictions for what will happen after the break.

How Legit Are the Orioles?

Let’s get serious now about something, their pitching stinks outside of Chris Tillman. I mean SPs Kevin Gausman and Ubaldo Jimenez were supposed to be huge this year, but it hasn’t happened. However, they are one of the best hitting teams in the MLB, led by 3B Manny Machado and RF Mark Trumbo, and their fielding has been bailing out their pitchers quite a bit. I will be very concerned in the playoffs if the pitching does not improve by then, but they can light up the scoreboard for sure, and that can make them a threat to teams like the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians (the top 2 seeds in the AL).  Also, if they can get a high seed, they could coast their way to the World Series (33 wins at home).

The Case for Texas and Cleveland

Yes, I am talking about the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians. If the Indians were to win the World Series, then Cleveland may as well just become the new Paris (except unlike the 2016 France Soccer team, Cleveland has a championship). The Rangers were off to a hot start to the year, but in their last 10 games, they have gone 3-7 overall, and only have a +16 run differential. Cleveland has a +81 run differential, and Baltimore, whom we mentioned earlier as a threat to these teams, had a +41 run differential. Texas hasn’t produced much, scoring 41 runs in their last 10 games, and allowing 94. If this keeps up, Baltimore and Cleveland will fight ‘til the end for the top seed in the AL.

What About Dem Cubbies?

The Chicago Cubs just could not seem to find their mark in June. Their pitching, including SP Jake Arrieta, who was supposed to be the best in the biz, has been on a downfall lately, and the team is starting to get a bit overconfident. Manager Joe Maddon has to do a better job of mixing it up and keeping the team intact. They do not want to turn out like the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors in the NBA, blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Cavaliers, and losing in 7. If they get to the World Series, they better not perform like that.

Do the Washington Nationals Have a Clear Path to the World Series?

The Washington Nationals seem to be having a very clear path in the NL right now because no team is overly good right now besides the Nats. The Cubs are disappearing, the Giants are inconsistent, the Mets look like the best team in the league, and then the worst. I mean the NL has turned into a roller-coaster with too many twists, turns, and drops, and it is making baseball fans sick. The Nationals have been so good across the board, with guys like infielder Daniel Murphy, C Wilson Ramos, OFs Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth, and SPs Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer playing on top of their game, that they seem so dominant, and yet their record doesn’t say so. If they keep playing like they have, though, it’ll be smooth sailing for the Nats.

Who Will Be the Wild Card Teams for Each League?

Right now, in the AL, the Wild Card spots belong to the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. In the NL, the spots belong to the LA Dodgers and NY Mets (Mets hold tiebreaker over Miami Marlins). I think that the Dodgers will make it in as a Wild Card team for the NL. As far as the 2nd Wild Card spot in the NL, I think that the Marlins have been so good of late, and OF Giancarlo Stanton’s confidence is through the roof after his historic All-Star Break (he hit 61 HRs in the Home Run Derby to be crowned Derby champion), and that will propel Miami to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years (they won the World Series in ’03). For the AL, I don’t think any teams are going competitive enough to prevent either Boston or Toronto from being Wild Card teams.

Front-Runners for MVPs?

For the AL, I would have to say it will be neck-and-neck between Mark Trumbo and Jose Altuve. Their stats are so similar, but I think that Altuve’s improvement from a fantastic 2015 campaign gives him the AL MVP. For the NL, it’s Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper, and Giancarlo Stanton. I think that Harper gets the edge due to how he has played as of late.