When we think of the notion that pitching wins championships, we tend to think only in terms of World Series crowns. But pitching wins pennants as well—and some of that pitching arrives via in-season trades.

Consider this: Only once in the past six editions of the Fall Classic—2013—has neither participant had at least one starting pitcher in its rotation who wasn’t acquired after Opening Day.

  • 2010: Texas (Cliff Lee)
  • 2011: St. Louis (Edwin Jackson)
  • 2012: Detroit (Anibal Sanchez)
  • 2014: San Francisco (Jake Peavy)
  • 2015: Kansas City (Johnny Cueto)

So it’s not really surprising to see pitching dominate the rumor mill lately—or serve as the overwhelming focus of this week’s potential swaps.

Keep in mind that these proposed deals are only ideas and pure speculation. Unless otherwise noted, there’s no indication that any of them have actually been discussed.

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