Yankees Acquire Andrew Benintendi
After spending years beating up on the Yankees, we’re going out on a limb to suggest that the Italian-American outfielder will now help the Bronx Bombers. Benintendi is having a fantastic year for Kansas City — batting .314 (as of July 13th) for the Royals. A year earlier, the speedy outfielder won a Gold Glove. Benintendi has a proclivity for making contact/not striking out. He’s also a left-handed bat. When looking at the Yankees’ right-handed dominant line-up with a propensity for striking out, the Ohio native is a perfect fit. In the process, the sight of Benintendi in pinstripes would make the city of Boston’s proverbial skin crawl to no end.
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Philadelphia Gets Outfield Help With Michael A. Taylor
Taylor makes some sense for the Phillies. For one, he’s a veteran of the N.L. East — and won’t have to make much of a adjustment versus the pitching he may face. He’s a plug-and-play guy, possessing the ability to play multiple outfield spots. Taylor’s past history as both a starter/bench player gives Philadelphia some much-needed versatility. Above all else, Taylor — an elite athlete — is very good as both a fielder and as a base stealer. He’d be a great depth piece to add for the Phils as they attempt to make the playoffs.
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The Rich Get Richer: Luis Castillo to LA
Despite being a league leader in ERA, you know the Dodgers will be looking to make a move. Walker Buehler and Dustin May are currently injured. Clayton Kershaw (at this point in his career) is somewhat injury-prone. For as fantastic as they’ve been in the first half of season, we can’t necessarily assume Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson will continue to pitch at this level. As such, trading a few of their highly-prized prospects for Luis Castillo makes sense. Castillo will be headed to a pitcher’s park where his stuff will play up. It also won’t hurt pitching for a lineup featuring multiple All-Stars.
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Boston Fortifies Rotation With Montas
Oakland may have the worst record in the league, but it also possesses one of the most valuable trade chips ahead of the deadline. Montas is the quintessential piece for Oakland to ‘make money’ off of. By which we mean swindling a desperate team looking to hold on in the playoff race for some high-regarded prospects. Montas has some injury concerns — though he’s also sitting with a rocket for a right arm. Boston needs more depth in its rotation, and would welcome the chance to get Montas playing meaningful baseball.
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The Brew Crew Rings The Bell
Milwaukee holds a slim lead over the Cardinals in the N.L. Division race. The Brewers are a ballclub rooted in both pitching and fundamentals. The team collectively bats under .240 (which isn’t great). Bell provides both pop and a nice approach to the plate. For the lowly Nationals, Bell is hitting a career-high .304 (as of July 13th) with 12 HRs and 47 RBI. He’d be a very nice piece to integrate on an everyday basis. Bell is primarily a first basemen, but can also play the corner outfield spots in a pinch. Of course, he can also DH with the new rule now instituted in the National League.
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Happ Makes The Dodgers Very Happy
Happ is this year’s version of Ben Zobrist. The Cubs traded for the versatile player — who featured at nearly every position on the field en route to a World Series ring. Like Zobrist, Happ is a switch hitter (though the Dodgers will welcome his prowess from the left side of the plate). Flush with high-end prospects and younger players, LA would be a nice trade partner for the rebuilding Cubs. Duly, the Dodgers can’t wait around for Max Muncy to suddenly find his form (as it appears he’s still playing with an injured elbow sustained last year). In short, Happ is a perfect fit for Andrew Friedman and the title-hungry Dodgers.
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Robertson to Boston
The 37-year-old reliever will head back to the American League — where’s he’s featured for almost the entirety of his 14-year career. The Cubs will be willing to offload Robertson to a contender. He’s experienced, gritty, and still an effective pitcher to this day. There will be no shortage of contenders looking for an innings eater out of the ‘pen. Robertson fits the bill here for a number of clubs — though especially for the Red Sox.
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St. Louis Makes Major Move By Landing Trey Mancini
St. Louis will likely be jockeying with the Brewers for the top spot in the Central for the duration of the season. Mancini — a proven hitter — would be a brilliant acquisition. We must offer a caveat, however. The Orioles are .500 for the first time in quite sometime. Even though the A.L. East is a bear of a division, the O’s could opt to hold onto their highest-profile player in Mancini. The next few weeks will ultimately determine this. However, if he is made available, the Cards won’t think twice in pawning off a couple of prospects for a lifetime .272 hitter.
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The Pads Make a Statement With Contreras
The Padres’ front office is never bashful when making big moves. There always seems to be this desire to one-up the Dodgers in some form or fashion. While it’s unlikely SD catches LA for the division crown, a wild card berth is very much in play. Willson Contreras has been one of the National League’s most prolific catchers over the last few years. An All-Star yet again, he’s essentially the last remaining piece from the World Series group. The Cubs likely can get a handsome return for Contreras (who is a free agent at the end of the year). Incumbent catcher Austin Nola is batting a meager .236 — and has only 2 HRs in 199 at-bats.
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The Rays Get Their Man in Nelson Cruz
Cruz is a professional hitter in the best sense of the term. He can mash with the best of them, and is highly experienced. Tampa wanted him badly in the offseason before he signed a 1-year deal in the nation’s capital. Now as a rental, the Rays are revisiting the possibility of adding Cruz. To put it mildly, Tampa struggles big time when it comes to slugging. They don’t hit many HRs in their cavernous park, and it could be a major problem as the race for a wild card spot gets tighter and tighter. Cruz’s presence as a DH would solve a big issue. Also based upon his age, Tampa likely wouldn’t have to give up all that much for him.
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Drury Days in Seattle
Cincinnati infielder Brandon Drury has become a hot name in the trade market in the midst of his best season at the plate. In his first year with the Reds, Drury has already set a career-high in home runs (18) and WAR (1.7) His plug-and-play ability will be highly valuable to any acquiring team. In ’22 alone, he has collected innings at 3rd (387.0), 2nd (132.1), 1st (31.2), and SS (4.0). He’s even played nearly 1000 innings in the outfield over his career. Drury hasn’t appeared in a postseason game since 2017, but that could all change with a trade to a contending squad. The Dodgers, Braves, and Giants have already expressed interest, but a move to the AL could be in the cards. The Mariners are currently red-hot, and could use another power righty bat in the middle of their lineup.
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Say Hey to Peralta, Jays!
Longtime Diamondback David Peralta has become a fan favorite in Arizona over his nine-year career. Peralta was signed by the Diamondbacks in 2014, and has appeared in 951 games for the franchise ever since. A former Silver Slugger and Gold Glove recipient in left field, Peralta would is capable of adding defense and a steady left-handed bat to a contending team. Though his batting average is down this year (.236), the 34-year-old has regained his power stroke with 11 HR already on the year. It’s a far cry from his 30-homer campaign in 2018, though perhaps a new ballpark may aid his resurgence. Toronto tried to add some left-handed balance to its lineup with the acquisition of Raimel Tapia, but Peralta is far more dynamic at the plate.
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Christian Walker to Queens
The Mets have seen their lead in the NL East dwindle in recent weeks, making it increasingly likely they’ll make a move prior to the trade deadline. With Max Scherzer already returning and Jacob deGrom not too far behind, it doesn’t seem like a move within the pitching staff is in the cards. Instead, New York could look to bolster an offense that has gone completely cold over the last month-and-a-half. Arizona’s Christian Walker has seen his name floated around in rumors, and has been absolutely mashing the ball all year. Walker is up to 21 HR on the season. The Mets don’t have a whole lot of pop outside of Pete Alonso, and Walker could alleviate that issue.
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Reuniting Pham with La Russa
Tommy Pham made headlines this season for reasons that have nothing to do with his play. Fantasy football fiasco aside, Pham is a serviceable outfielder who will get some looks across the league. Teams will covet his power-speed profile (11 HR, 7 SB on the year) which has carried him throughout his career. An intriguing landing spot for him would be with the Chicago White Sox to play for his old manager in St. Louis, Tony La Russa. The White Sox have been one (or two) hitters short all season. Pham would operate as the team’s fourth outfielder, and provide insurance in the event the often-injured duo of A.J. Pollock and Adam Engel are forced to missed time.
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Mahle Pitching in Philly, Please
Mahle has been one of the league’s most effective strikeout pitchers for quite some time. Since 2020, Mahle has posted an elite 10.5 K/9 mark while maintaining a respectable 3.94 ERA (playing half of his games in the hitter-friendly confines of Great American Ball Park). Though Luis Castillo has generated significantly more buzz, a clever team picking up Mahle could potentially sway the balance of either league. Given the struggles of Ranger Suarez and the checkered injury history of Zach Eflin, Mahle would fit in nicely within Philadelphia’s staff. A Mahle-Wheeler-Nola trio is as strong of a staff as you’ll see in MLB.
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An Analytics Darling Heads to The Mecca of Computers
The Zack Greinke reunion in Kansas City isn’t going exactly how either side had planned. Greinke is enduring arguably the worst season of his career, and the Royals are currently in dead-last in the AL Central. It might be best for both sides to move amicably, and look forward towards the future. For Greinke, the future could potentially mean one last postseason run. The Giants never shy away from making a splash, and certainly have the coaching and analytic team to help get the best out of the 38-year-old.
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Marquez Heads to Minneapolis
There might not be a player in baseball who needs a change of scenery more than Colorado’s German Marquez. The talented righty has pitched in Coors Field for the entirety of his career, and his overall numbers show the unfortunate effects of playing in the most hitter-friendly park in baseball. It’s been especially tough in ’22, where he’s on pace to set new career-highs in ERA (5.66), WHIP (1.474), H/9 (9.8), HR/9 (1.7), and BB/9 (3.4). A move to a city like Minnesota (a bottom-5 hitter’s park) could potentially revitalize Marquez’s career. It would also allow the Twins to stop relying so much on mediocre starters like Dylan Bundy, Devin Smetlzer, and Chris Archer.
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Atlanta Boosts Rotation With High-Upside Option
Every team in baseball (aside from maybe the Yankees) could use some bullpen help. This includes an Atlanta Braves team which ranks 4th in bullpen ERA on the year. Kenley Jansen (20 SV) has been serviceable on the year, though the bullpen did lose some depth with Spencer Strider moving into a starter’s role. It opens up a spot for a right-handed flamethrower in the vein of Detroit’s Michael Fulmer. Fulmer has been electric since becoming a full-time bullpen arm. He’s boasting a 1.89 ERA on the season, and has given up just 18 hits in 33.1 IP. Adding another arm that can touch 100 next to A.J. Minter, Tyler Matzek, and Jansen would make the Braves staff even more difficult to contend with.
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Mariners Love Martin!
Martin Perez has been one of the feel-good stories of the season. After bouncing around a bit in recent years, Perez returned to Texas in ’22 after being with the team from ’12-’18. He’s enjoyed a renaissance season with the team that gave him a shot over a decade ago, posting a 2.72 ERA en route to an All-Star nod. While Perez has proven to be a quality starter for Texas, it could behoove the squad to strike while the iron’s hot. Perez’s trade value will likely never be higher than it is now, and could fetch a pretty penny for a Rangers team in need of help in other areas. The Mariners are desperately trying to reach the postseason for the first time since ’01, and Perez could be the missing piece.
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“Houston…We Need Moore Pitching”
The Rangers have done an excellent job with their reclamation projects this year, and could be receiving a massive trade haul as a result. Matt Moore is enjoying a career year in his 11th season in MLB. Before signing on with Texas prior to the season, Moore had played for five teams in the last five years (including a previous stint with the Rangers in ’18). This is the first year he’s being used exclusively out of the pen, and it has been a massively positive change for the left-handed pitcher. Moore has given up just 8 ER in 40.0 IP, while striking out batters at a career-high clip (10.1 K/9). Houston has one of the deepest pens in the league, but currently have no lefties on the staff other than starter Framber Valdez.
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