The NL West is shaping up to be one of the tightest races in baseball and it could be a race that comes down to the final few weeks of the season.
With just four days until baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline, at least three teams are jockeying for position to make the trade that either keeps them on top (Padres) or puts them over the top (Giants).
For the Padres, it’s been a season that only a select few predicted. For the others, this team was predicted to finish in the cellar of the NL West and be one of the biggest sellers at the deadline.
Fast forward to the end of July, and the Padres are three-and-a-half games up on the Giants and show no signs of letting that lead slip away.
Speaking of the Giants, they continue to sit in second place, unable to gain any significant ground on the Padres in the division. But you can bet that general manager Brian Sabean is looking at several deals that could possibly put his team in the driver’s seat and leave the rest of the division in the dust.
In third place are the disappointing Los Angeles Dodgers, the team picked to be the front-runners by most “experts.”
Manny Ramirez has been on the disabled list more than once, as have a few of their starting pitchers. It just hasn’t been the year that manager Joe Torre envisioned.
While they’re more than seven games back of the Padres, they could still add a piece or two to get themselves back in the race. Or perhaps they could waive the white flag and say “see ya next year.”
Bringing up the rear in the division are the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks. A few weeks ago it looked like the Rockies could make a surprising run to the top, as they were within a game of the leading Padres. But the team sputtered and is now eight games back.
As for Arizona, it’s been a disappointing year. And after just recently trading away Dan Haren, it seems the fire sale is about to begin.
The Diamondbacks are sellers, and every buyer in baseball knows it.
So, with all that being said, there are deals out there to make and players that will be priced to move in the coming days. Here are 10 potential players that could call the NL West home for the final three months of the season.