The MLB trade deadline is just under a week away and there are a lot of big names coming up in potential trade conversations this deadline. We haven't seen a monumental trade yet, but in the upcoming days we should see a plethora of them.
This season has been a very unique one in the fact that many teams are winning before they were expected to, and that leaves the teams who were projected to succeed in a dark hole. Young teams that had ETA's in the upcoming years such as the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Baltimore Orioles, just to name a few, are currently taking the MLB by storm en route to a potential postseason birth.
These teams will be definite buyers at the upcoming deadline, but where does this leave other teams. In all three of the team's divisions I just mentioned, there is a team who has highly exceeded expectations, and others that have went well below those expectations.
Currently, the top three payrolls in all of baseball are not occupying a wild card spot and many assume they will become sellers at this deadline. I think this is very unique because until this season, teams that pay the big bucks win the big games. These three teams are the Mets, Yankees, and Padres. All three of these teams have big time stars that want to compete for championships and this season cannot do that with these teams.
Historically, I don't think there has really ever been a season where the top three payrolls in the entire sport have struggled this bad and have contended with possibly selling at the trade deadline. There hasn't been a big move made yet while the league is waiting to see what will ensue with these top teams that have paid their way into a miserable season.
Moving onto the actual targets at the deadline, this year's deadline includes many more promising pitching targets than bats. Pitchers such as Dylan Cease, Marcus Stroman, and even maybe Justin Verlander are headlining the field for buyers looking for pitching at this year's deadline. My prediction is that the Reds and the Orioles go out and acquire a notable pitcher by August 1st to pad their rotation which isn't the sharpest and will help them in the long run.
Both teams on the offensive side have little to no holes, but the pitching staff could certainly use some help. We all know that in October, you can have as much offense as you want but if the pitching is not there, then you can kiss your chances goodbye. In the next 6 days there are going to be a lot of new pitchers suiting up for different clubs.
Now for the biggest headline throughout the league, Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is a free agent this upcoming offseason and is free to sign with whatever team he chooses and many believe that won't be the Angels. He's by far the best player in our game today and with that comes extreme value added to his name. If the Angels were to trade him then they would be receiving an absolute haul in return from whatever team he is dealt to.
Currently, the Angels sit a couple games out of the last wild card spot in a very tough American League. It is not going to get any easier for the Halos and they could be in a spot this offseason where they lose Ohtani and get nothing back in return. If I was the general manager of the Angels, I would be fielding calls and taking offers left and right for Ohtani.
Sure he's the best player in baseball, but he hasn't taken your team to a postseason once and it's time for something new in Anaheim. Trading Ohtani would absolutely set the Angels up for the future and eliminate the risk at losing him in the offseason for nothing. If the right deal is there for the Angels, I would take it. If a team does land Ohtani, then they might as well give him a blank check because he is going to get paid.
In any sport, the trade deadline is always a fascinating time of year and this season the headlines could not be greater in the MLB. The surprises of what happens on deadline day is the best part and I can't wait to see what new changes take place in the baseball world come next Tuesday.
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