Many star players switched teams before the July 31 trade deadline, but more could still be changing their jerseys in August thanks to the waiver wire. In a sport stricken by parity, in which a whopping 13 teams are within just three games of a wild-card spot, there are plenty of teams who will be looking to add pieces through waivers.
Although it is unlikely that a star will be placed on waivers, it does happen on occasion if the organization feels as if a drastic overhaul is necessary and wants to shave payroll. The Boston Red Sox traded Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 25, 2012 when they knew they were out of contention and wanted to clear up some money for the future.
While trades like those aren’t likely, would anyone be surprised to see the San Diego Padres sell a couple of pieces during this month? After all, Padres general manager A.J. Preller forgot to set his alarm last week and inexplicably slept through the trade deadline.
ESPN’s Buster Olney even reported that ace James Shields is expected to be a trade candidate during the month.
It’s certainly possible that some players will become available who can make an impact or help a team in the race for a playoff spot. With more teams than ever sniffing the playoffs, including franchises who haven’t played in October in quite some time, there may be an aggressive group of buyers looking to gear up for a long postseason run.
Here’s a look at some teams who should make a move on the waiver wire and why.
New York Yankees
The Yankees uncharacteristically made their blue-chip prospects unavailable at the trade deadline and elected to pass on aces such as Cole Hamels. This shift in philosophy demonstrates that GM Brian Cashman is committed to building from within, something the Yankees haven’t done since the “Core Four” emerged in the mid-90s and carried the Bombers to several championships.
Although the Yankees were inactive in July, they need to respond in August. Erik Boland of Newsday reminded Yankees fans that a dormant trade deadline doesn’t necessarily mean the team is done trading for the rest of the season.
They are currently 59-45 and have a six-game lead over the second-place Orioles and Blue Jays in the American League East, but the Yankees are a flawed team.
The team needed a starting pitcher before Michael Pineda hit the DL with a right forearm strain, as they rank last among teams in a playoff spot with a 4.37 ERA from starting pitchers. CC Sabathia (4-8, 5.54 ERA) has been nothing short of a train wreck, and the team would likely be better off if he were lost for the year to injury so it would give them an excuse not to run him out there every fifth day.
The Yankees were reportedly seeking bullpen help before the July 31 trade deadline, but it has become increasingly clear that none of their shaky, inconsistent starters can be counted on.
If a player like James Shields becomes available and can be had at a reasonable price, they should jump on him.
His contract is set to pay him $63 million after this season, and he has proved that he can be successful in the American League East. Landing Shields would be an appropriate response to Toronto’s huge deadline splashes of David Price and Troy Tulowitzki. Although the Yankees are calling up prospect Luis Severino to make his next start, it is unknown what kind of immediate impact the 21-year-old can have.
If no worthy starting pitcher hits the waiver wire, the Yankees could certainly upgrade at second base.
Stephen Drew is still on the interstate, hitting just .199 on the season. His 13 home runs and solid defense help his case, but if a player like Chase Utley is there, it’s hard to see the Yankees not taking a chance on him.
While the 36-year-old is currently on the disabled list and has been awful in his own right this season, his lefty swing would be tailor-made for the short porch in Yankee Stadium and he is a short-term commitment that could help the Bombers moving forward.
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick agrees that Utley would be a solid fit for the Yankees.
Chicago Cubs
It was surprising that the brain trust of Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer didn’t make a splash at the trade deadline, as the Cubs are sniffing the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
The Cubs are currently tied for the second wild-card spot with the San Francisco Giants, who just landed pitcher Mike Leake to help their starting rotation. The Cubs need to do something and capitalize on this opportunity for their loyal fans.
The one area of obvious weakness on the Cubs is left field. Although it seems like just yesterday that Chris Coghlan won the Rookie of the Year Award, the now-30-year-old is batting just .249 with 24 RBI on the season. Rookie Kyle Schwarber can slide to left field when catcher Miguel Montero comes off the disabled list, but that still doesn’t make their lineup scare anyone.
Perhaps a player like Marlon Byrd would be able to help the Cubs.
Byrd has enjoyed a resurgence of late, hitting more than 20 home runs and driving in more than 80 runs in each of the last two seasons. He currently has 18 homers in 2015 and could provide Chicago with some more right-handed power and help them stretch their lineup.
New York Mets
The new-look Mets and their young pitching staff looked extremely impressive in the weekend’s sweep of the Nationals.
Now tied for first place with Washington, the Mets proved that they can hang with the best and that they have a legitimate shot to make a deep run this season.
Nobody wants to face the Mets in a short series. How can anyone stack up against Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and presumably Steven Matz?
With Yoenis Cespedes, Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe and Tyler Clippard now in the fold, it has become quite clear that the Mets are finally going for it this year. Captain David Wright is also on his way back to help bolster an improved offense, making the Mets that much more frightening.
The one area of weakness for the Mets is their bullpen.
Although adding Clippard was a great move, Jenrry Mejia was busted for using performance-enhancing drugs for the second time this year, resulting in a 162-game ban. Closer Jeurys Familia has been excellent this season, but he has blown three saves in his last four chances and has pitched to a 6.75 ERA since July 19.
Mets fans rejoiced when Jose Reyes was traded to the Rockies, envisioning a reunion with their former All-Star. Although that never happened, the Mets could still make a new connection with an old friend and pick up Francisco Rodriguez off waivers if he becomes available.
Rodriguez saved 83 games over his three seasons in New York and although they weren’t all pretty, the 2015 All-Star could help the Mets make the postseason for the first time since 2006. His 1.46 ERA would be welcomed in Flushing with open arms.
Houston Astros
Few teams had a better trade deadline than the Astros, who picked up Scott Kazmir and Carlos Gomez. Much like the Mets, their prospects finally came to fruition and are producing in 2015, making them a legitimate contender for the first time in a long time.
A six-game Angels’ losing streak has now given the Astros a four-game lead over their division rivals. While the slugging Astros could likely benefit from acquiring another player who can hit for average, as they rank No. 25 in baseball with a .246 team batting average, it has been reported that they are still seeking bullpen help.
While their relievers currently rank third in the league with a 2.68 ERA, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports that they are looking for a right arm out of the pen.
Like the Mets, Francisco Rodriguez would fit in Houston. Veteran relievers Koji Uehara and Joaquin Benoit could help Houston down the stretch and in the playoffs as well.
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