The Winds of Change are Starting to Blow Part 3

The Winds of Change are Starting to Blow Part 3

 

Welcome back everyone to part 3 of our trade deadline preview. Today we will be taking a look at two teams on different sides of the spectrum as far as the playoffs are concerned. Those two teams are the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals. Washington is trending upward while the Yankees are trending downward, but not all hope is lost in the Bronx. Washington is sitting 1.5 games back of the suddenly hot again Atlanta Braves, but because of the Braves streakiness they should like their current chances at a division title. Let’s take a look at what these teams will need to do.

New York Yankees

Positives- Brett Gardner. Mark Teixeira. Future Closer Dellin Betances. New found ace Masahiro Tanaka.

Negatives- Injuries. Terrible infield. No Depth. Kelly Johnson’s defense.

The New York Yankees are perhaps the biggest enigma of the 2014 baseball season. They sit one game over .500 at 43-42 and three games back of division leading Toronto, but truthfully, they have no business being in this race. The way they’ve played, including having a -33 run differential, they should be making offseason golfing plans. This isn’t an injury plagued team overachieving, this is a bad team that is lucky everyone else in the division is just as bad.

The Yankees definitely need starting pitching but their main targets came off the board last night as the Oakland A’s pushed all in and acquired Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija from the Cubs. David Price is still potentially available but even if Tampa chooses to deal him I don’t see a situation where they would be willing to help the Yankees and end up having to face Price. There is also the issue of facial hair. Yes, it sounds crazy but Price had gone on record as saying he would never want to play for the Yankees because of their facial hair policy and his unwillingness to shave. Lately however, Price, like everyone else who will not stand by original statements, has flip flopped on the issue and said if he did wind up on the Yankees he would shave and abide by team rules.

There is one team out there with the pieces to fit both of the Yankees needs, and if I’m the Yankees and Brian Cashman I’m calling this team nonstop and doing whatever I have to do in order to get a deal done. That team is the San Diego Padres. Ian Kennedy and Chase Headley should be Yankees come August 1^st. Kennedy of course would be on his second stint in the Bronx after his first didn’t go well at all but he is a different pitcher now than he was then. He can eat up innings and be an anchor in the rotation for the second half to go along with Masahiro Tanaka. As far as Headley is concerned, there have been rumblings about him and the Bronx for a while. The time though is now to pull the trigger. Despite the pinched nerve Headley is dealing with causing pain in his leg he is still a massive upgrade over the entire current infield with the exception of Teixeira. Also, being a switch hitter, that short porch in right will do wonders for his power numbers. I’m not even going to list other options to consider here because this is the deal the team needs to get done.

Washington Nationals

Positives- Pitching. Anthony Rendon emerging as a future star. Production and veteran leadership of Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche. Tanner Roark solidifying his spot in an already excellent rotation.

Negatives- Health. Bench production. Having to find playing time for all the talent.

The biggest issue that faced the Washington Nationals this season was health. Too many key players missed chunks of time not allowing them to field their complete team until just recently. The problem with that is the double edged sword nature of the issue. The team’s glad to have everyone back and playing but is forced to do a lot of shifting and have to sit a good player. Anthony Rendon who is naturally a third baseman was playing extremely well at the hot corner while Ryan Zimmerman was doing a good job in left field as he feels he is no longer able to play an effective third base due to his shoulder problem. Now with franchise cornerstone Bryce Harper healthy, he slides back into left field and shifts Zimmerman to third and Rendon to second. With this lineup, Danny Espinosa, who is a far superior defender than Rendon is forced to sit on the bench. Keeping everyone at their positions they were playing and shifting Harper to center forces Denard Span to the bench, and with the season he is having this year, the Nationals cannot afford to do that. Having too much talent is a luxury usually and that is how Matt Williams is playing off in the media but I do not envy the decisions he has to make on an everyday basis.

Due to their excellent pitching and great starting talent there isn’t much that the Nats have to do besides stay healthy. They could certainly look for a utility bench player to help bolster their bench production as Nate McLouth, Kevin Frandsen, and Scott Hairston haven’t been able to do a good enough job. Some guys that the Nats can look to acquire would be Marc Krauss of Houston, Emilio Bonifacio of Chicago, or Alexi Amarista of San Diego. Any one of those guys would help add to their depth and help Matt Williams throw a versatile player in the lineup on days where multiple guys need days off.

That’s it for part 3 of our series, we will be back tomorrow with part 4 as we continue to analyze the needs of contenders as the season goes on. Tomorrow we will take a look at the St. Louis Cardinals and the Seattle Mariners and who they should be looking at to cement their playoff chances.

The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow Part 2

The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow Part 2

 

 

Welcome back to Part 2 of our trade deadline preview where we will be taking a look at contending teams and what and who they should be looking for come the deadline at the end of the month. Yesterday we took a look at the Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers and how they can improve their chances to be the team lifting the Commissioner’s Trophy come October. Today we will take a look at the Cincinnati Reds and the Oakland Athletics.

 

Cincinnati Reds

Positives- Emergence of Devin Mesoraco. Todd Frazier home run power. Late inning relief. Getting rid of Dusty Baker.

Negatives- Health. Middle Relief. Infield Depth.

 

Getting rid of Dusty Baker and the emergence of Devin Mesoraco go hand in hand because Dusty refused to give him playing time every day last season because well, Mesoraco isn’t a hardened veteran who should always take precedence over potential. Todd Frazier has emerged as well, becoming a right handed power threat this lineup sorely needed to balance out Votto and Bruce. Jonathan Broxton and Aroldis Chapman have formed a great one-two punch at the back end of the bullpen and make Reds fans feel very confident when they have a lead going into the 8th inning. 

Middle relief and health were the two biggest concerns of the first half for the team. The health is better and the Reds have gone on a run to climb right into the thick of the wild card race. Middle relief is still a concern, especially from the left side. If the Reds can pick up a southpaw before the deadline they will be in very good shape. If they can also pick up an infielder to shore up their depth they will surely take it but it is not as big of a need as a lefty reliever.

The first guy the Reds should look into is Tony Sipp of the Houston Astros. The Astros are willing to part with any player who they don’t see as a valuable part of their future and Sipp certainly fits that bill being both 30 years old and a reliever. Another target I would look to if I were Cincinnati would be Neal Cotts of the Texas Rangers. The Rangers may not see the need to blow everything up with their lost season this year but Cotts is certainly an expendable piece. If the Reds can keep their key contributors healthy and acquire one of these guys they could certainly find themselves playing in the Wild Card game.

Other options to consider: Cesar Ramos (TB), Brian Duensing (MIN), Alex Torres (SD).

 

Oakland A’s

Positives- Depth.  Best run differential in baseball by far.

Negatives- Production from 2^nd basemen.

 

Oakland lost their top two starters before the year began in Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin but they haven’t looked back thanks to the signing of Scott Kazmir and the emergence of Jesse Chavez as a middle of the rotation starter. They’ve jumped out to the best record in baseball and the best run differential as well. They’ve gotten great production from almost every spot in the lineup except 2^nd base and have gotten spectacular pitching. If I’m Oakland and my focus is on a 2^nd baseman I want one of the bigger names and wouldn’t settle for anything less if I couldn’t acquire one. Those names are Chase Utley, Ben Zobrist, and Daniel Murphy. Utley would be the absolute perfect fit but it is unknown if Philly would even trade him, or even better yet, if he would veto the trade. Zobrist fits the Billy Beane mold of a good, patient hitter who can play multiple positions but again it is unknown if Tampa would consider trading him if they feel they can contend next season. Lastly is Daniel Murphy who the Mets could probably be persuaded to trade, but they would certainly have to brace themselves for a fan revolt as next to Harvey and Wright he is the most beloved player on the team. If I can’t get one of these guys then I go to war with the platoon of Sogard and Punto. A second tier type player like Gordon Beckham is not that much of an upgrade over those two guys so I would not give anything up to acquire him. I would instead shift my focus to a back end starter for the purpose of depth. Sonny Gray and Jesse Chavez have never thrown the amount of innings they will throw this year and Scott Kazmir hasn’t done it in years so it would be nice to have some insurance around just in case any of these guys were to break down. Someone like former Athletic and current Diamondback Brandon McCarthy would be a nice pickup. He’s having a horrible year in Arizona but could benefit from a move back to the Bay Area.

Other options to consider: Roberto Hernandez (PHI).

There you have it folks part two is in the books. We will back again tomorrow with a look at two more contenders. Until then, enjoy the games.

The Winds of Change are Starting to Blow

The Winds of Change are Starting to Blow

 

 

The month of July is a busy one in Major League Baseball. Firstly, we reach the midway point of the season where the picture of contender or pretender becomes clearer. Next we have the All-Star Game and the arguments of selections and whether they are deserved or not. However, what comes next is the most important aspect of the season and begins the final act and march towards the postseason. What happens of course is the trade deadline. Teams try as best they can to shore up their rosters and do whatever is necessary to reach that postseason light at the end of the tunnel. As is always the case there will be deals that will work out, deals that won’t, and those very few deals where both teams mutually benefit. For the next few days we here at Changing Speeds will take a look at teams we feel are postseason contenders and what it is and who it is they should be looking for as the deadline approaches. If you do not see your team covered in this space over the next few installments, then as the old saying goes, better luck next year. We will start off this series with a look at the Detroit Tigers and the surprising Milwaukee Brewers.

 

Detroit Tigers

Positives-  Much improved infield defense with the acquisition of Ian Kinsler and shift of Miguel Cabrera back to first base. Victor Martinez is 3rd in the AL in hitting and doing it from both sides of the plate. The emergence of Rick Porcello thanks in large part to the improved infield defense. They employ Miguel Cabrera.

Negatives- Offensive production from the shortstop position. BULLPEN. BULLPEN. BULLPEN.

The Tigers have the guy they believe to be their shortstop of the future in Jose Iglesias. Unfortunately for them he is out for the season. Due to his injury the Tigers had to use a patchwork approach at the position rotating guys in and out based on effectiveness but have seemed to settle on Eugenio Suarez. Suarez is not going to strike fear into any pitcher but because they will be getting Iglesias back next year and have enough offense everywhere else in the lineup I don’t see Detroit making a move for a shortstop. The bullpen is a completely different story, especially the back end. Joe Nathan has looked old and washed up far too often and even the saves he converts aren’t easy. Joba Chamberlain is the complete opposite of Phil Hughes. Both moved to very hitter friendly parks but only Hughes has seen his stats improve. Chamberlain is still the same ineffective out of shape mess he was as a Yankee. Only difference now is he has about 14 pounds of facial hair on his face which is a bold decision in the summer in Detroit. Luckily for the Tigers the bullpen is one of the easier problems to alleviate and there are plenty of options out there where they won’t have to mortgage their future and give up top tier talent.

The first phone call I would make if I’m Detroit is to the Houston Astros to kick the tires on Chad Qualls. Houston is in sell mode, especially when it concerns a guy they have no plans for in the future, so they should be very willing to listen. Qualls has experience and knows how to pitch down the stretch in a pennant race. The change of scenery and ability to pitch in meaningful games could even rejuvenate Qualls and give him some extra motivation to perform well. If the Tigers are willing to pay a little extra and maybe willing to part with a borderline top prospect they could probably pry Joaquin Benoit from the Padres and bring him back to the Motor City. Benoit pitched the last three seasons in Detroit before going to San Diego this year so the Tigers could possibly be skeptical to bring him back and basically admitting they never should have let him go no matter how much San Diego offered. Another possibility but one that is a long shot based on what the team would have to give up is Jonathan Papelbon. Philly should be looking to unload him especially because he has pitched very well as of late, but knowing Ruben Amaro Jr. he will ask for an exorbitant return because Philadelphia is so far away from competing that the ace of their next World Series Championship team probably isn’t born yet.

 

Other options to consider: Brad Boxberger (TB), Matt Guerrier (MIN), Jason Frasor (TEX)

 

Milwaukee Brewers

Positives- Pitching. MVP type season from Jonathan Lucroy. Health of main contributors.

Negatives- Depth.

 The Brewers opened up the season on a roll and haven’t looked back. Despite many pundits and analysts predicting they would come back to Earth and end the season around .500 they have been the best team in the National League for the whole first half of the season. When you’re on a three game losing streak but are still three games up on the next best team you know you’ve had a good season. The rotation has been lucky enough to stay healthy and pitch very well. Yovani Gallardo, Matt Garza, and Kyle Lohse is a very formidable top of the rotation but Marco Estrada and Wily Peralta have pitched exceptionally as well. One of the reasons the pitching staff has pitched so well is thanks to team MVP Jonathan Lucroy. Besides the great offensive numbers he’s putting up, Lucroy’s defense and most especially his tremendous pitch framing skills have helped the staff get some extra calls that may not have originally gone their way. Lucroy has taken such a leap this season with his play that he has arguably bypassed Yadier Molina as the best all-around catcher in the National League.

The main issue that will stop the Brewers from making some serious noise in the National League is their depth. They were lucky enough in the first half to have every main contributor stay on the field for the most part and not miss any significant time but in order to protect themselves against a reversal of fortune they need to acquire some depth. What the team really needs is a lefty hitting outfielder with a little bit of pop and a utility infielder that can help spell guys here and there because the likes of Elian Herrera just aren’t cutting it.

If I’m Milwaukee my first call is to Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay has no chance to do anything this season but word is that they are reluctant to go into full fire sale mode because they feel they can compete next year when back at full strength. So while they may not be willing to part with guys like David Price or Ben Zobrist, someone like Matt Joyce or Logan Forsythe should be open for discussion. Due to the emergence of Kevin Kiermaier, Matt Joyce is expendable. He can be platooned in left field with Khris Davis and gives them some pop off the bench from the left side. He could do very well in a hitter’s paradise such as Miller Park. Forsythe would bring some infield versatility as well which would help Milwaukee tremendously. Another lefty outfield bat I would explore is Dominic Brown of Philadelphia. He has performed at a level so bad that I’m not even sure there is a word to accurately describe it, but he could very well be a change of scenery away from breaking out of his season long funk.

Other options to consider: Eduardo Nunez, Chris Parmelee (MIN), Donnie Murphy (TEX), Josh Rutledge (COL), Chris Coghlan (CHC)

Well there you have it folks part one of our trade talk is in the books. We will be back tomorrow to take a look at two more teams needs and who they should be looking to go after.