With the summer swap season whittled down to a single Trade Deadline -- Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET -- general managers have apparently embraced a flair for the dramatic. A slow-moving market is heading into what could be a frantic few final days, as there remains a long list of obvious needs among contenders.
One last time before Deadline day, let’s explore those needs. We have to draw the line somewhere, so these are the 10 clubs that according to myself are given at least a 20 percent chance of reaching the playoffs and what they are -- or ought to be -- looking for, in order of urgency.
1) Brewers: Starting pitching
Even if it doesn’t appear anybody’s going to run away with the National League Central, the Brewers might struggle to keep pace with the Cubs and Cardinals if they don’t make a pitching move of some sort.
The loss of both Brandon Woodruff and Jhoulys Chacin to oblique injuries this week only further amplifies an already existing rotation need and threatens to overtax a bullpen that is ordinarily a team strength but has a 6.10 ERA in July. Maybe the Brew Crew instead goes after bullpen depth, but the rotation is the most obvious area to address.
2) Nationals: Bullpen help
Maybe you can win a World Series with a relief ERA of almost 6.00, but, uh, probably best not to try.
With GM Mike Rizzo having dipped into the system quite a bit within this window of contention in Washington, it will be interesting to see what he can pull off at this Deadline. Perhaps the Nats can be a club that improves by taking on some significant salary.
3) Phillies: Starting pitching
The needs have been a moving target for a Phillies team that’s had a rollercoaster season, but the rotation has been a pretty consistent issue here, especially with Jake Arrieta having lost effectiveness while pitching with an iffy elbow.
The improved play of late increases the odds of Philadelphia doing something interesting at the Deadline, as the club already took an all-in approach to 2019 with its wild winter.
4) Yankees: Starting pitching
You wouldn’t expect a team in the lower-third in MLB in quality starts to be on a 105-win pace. But we should know by now that the ordinary rules somehow don’t apply to the Yankees.
Still, with Luis Severino having not thrown a pitch this season, there’s no obvious choice here for a Game 1 assignment, and the rotation is in a major rut right now. The Yankees, trying to avoid going a decade without a World Series appearance for the first time since the pre-Babe Ruth era, have rightly been in persistent pursuit of a controllable arm with sizzling stuff.
5) Rays: Pitching
Blake Snell’s arthroscopic elbow surgery is a big bummer for a Rays team that was already reeling in recent weeks. With Tampa Bay’s only realistic path to the postseason now the coin-flip Wild Card Game, it would be surprising to see a team so careful about the management of its controllable assets make a super-aggressive move. But with the rotation depth chart down to Charlie Morton and … Charlie Morton, the rotation is a clear need, and bullpen depth has been a need here all along.
6) Twins: Bullpen help
A division lead that was once gaudy (as high as 11 1/2 games) is now gaunt, and the bullpen has been bleeding runs and bodies of late. In the last two weeks, Minnesota has designated four relievers for assignment.
The Twins do have some interesting arms in their system who are probably going to get a tryout at the big league level down the stretch (and they added veteran Cody Allen on a Minors deal), but a proven commodity would sure help a club trying to nail down its first division title in nearly a decade.
7) Dodgers: Bullpen help
The Dodgers are obviously in no danger of missing October, but there’s an argument for putting them No. 1 on this list given that they’ve lost the last two World Series and (a la the 2016 Cubs) should leave nothing to chance. This is no time to get cute!
While it’s true that the L.A. ‘pen could be bolstered by guys left off the October rotation (Kenta Maeda and Ross Stripling, perhaps), there are enough questions about closer Kenley Jansen and setup man Joe Kelly that a reinforcement is in order.
8) Indians: A right-handed bat
Whether or not the Indians actually take the unusual step of trading their best starting pitcher (Trevor Bauer) in the middle of a division race, bringing in a right-handed stick for the outfield and/or infield (as a platoon mate for second baseman Jason Kipnis, who has labored against lefties) is a must.
The Indians beat up on a bunch of sub-.500 clubs to get back into contention, but their lineup will need bolstering as the schedule gets more difficult and the race with the Twins hits the home stretch.
9) Cubs: Better bench depth
While we could list the Cubs as yet another team in need of bullpen help (because it’s true), a noticeable difference between the 2019 Cubs and past Joe Maddon-managed clubs is the inability to rest and rotate players. The below-average production from Daniel Descalso, Albert Almora Jr., David Bote and the recently optioned Addison Russell has hurt the cause and created a need for a plug-and-play type.
10) Cardinals: Left-handed bullpen help
The Cards’ much-improved recent play could/should compel the front office into action, and there’s little question where they need the most help. Manager Mike Shildt told reporters earlier this week that his bullpen was running “on fumes,” with closer Carlos Martinez taking on a particularly worrisome workload given his shoulder issues in recent seasons.
So the Cards have a bullpen need in general, but particularly from the left-hand side, as they designated Chasen Shreve for assignment this week and need a companion for Andrew Miller.
Potential Bullpen fits: Kirby Yates, Edwin Diaz, Will Smith, Felipe Vazquez, Ken Giles, Shane Greene, Ian Kennedy, Shawn Kelley, Chris Martin, Alex Colome, Sam Dyson, Tony Watson, Mychal Givens, Austin Brice, Nick Anderson.
Heck maybe Joe Biagini gets a look, nah
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