The trade market has yet to heat up, but teams around the league have already begun making small moves as injuries and other issues pop up.
As the MLB season forges on toward June, teams are beginning to fall into place as contenders are establishing their dominance, while the league’s bottomfeeders are beginning to pry for the number one pick in the draft. While the trade market has yet to heat up, teams have been quietly making moves to position themselves to go on runs before the fateful week at the end of July.
This week, the Chicago Cubs – who own the league’s best record at 27-9 – signed a veteran in Joe Nathan to bolster their bullpen, the Houston Astros called up their top third base prospect in Colin Moran, and Royals top pitching prospect Kyle Zimmer was sent to Double-A. While none of the moves are earth shattering, they’ll have immediate effects for every team.
Signing Nathan likely won’t make the Cubs bullpen the best in baseball, but it can give the team another piece necessary to finish out games as the season trudges on. The Astros are hoping Moran gives the team a shot in the arm, despite the main concerns coming from the pitching staff.
As for the Royals, the team may put Zimmer on the fast track to the big leagues with the struggles of their rotation this season, most notably the recently injured Chris Young and Kris Medlen.
In related moves, the Atlanta Braves fired Fredi Gonzalez as they’ve struggled to reach 10 wins and the Pittsburgh Pirates extended breakout star Francisco Cervelli. Here’s a roundup of moves around the league as the end of May nears.
Next: Cubs Add Veteran Reliever