NL East Trade Deadline Preview
With the All Star Game officially concluded and the festivities winding down, it’s time to turn our attention to the MLB trade deadline on July 31. The NL East has been a mostly lopsided affair with the Washington Nationals comfortably sitting with a 9.5-game lead on the Atlanta Braves and company.
This season’s trade deadline is one of the most intriguing in recent memory for the NL East. Currently, the Braves, Mets, and Marlins sit within 2.5 games of each other with the Nationals sitting alone at the top. Last year the Nationals easily clinched the division going 95-67, and finishing with an 8 game lead over the New York Mets who finished the season 87-75 following their 2015 World Series appearance.
Fast forward to 2017, and the once pitiful Atlanta Braves now sit at 42-45 and in second place in the division. Yes, that Braves organization that finished 2016 at 68-93 is now toeing the line of .500 baseball. As for the Philadelphia Phillies, well, let’s just say this upcoming trade deadline will be all about the future of the organization.
The second half of the season is going to be filled with pure drama and emotion, and all five teams will be looking for certain pieces to either push for the playoffs or stake their claim as a threat in 2018.
Atlanta Braves (42-45)
Did any of us really think the Braves would hold a .500 record against the Washington Nationals? Or how about even be competitive in 2017? The answer to both of those is an resounding no. This organization has been planning for the opening of SunTrust Park, and boy did they ever.
This team has the makings to be a hassle for the division-leading Nationals, but what will they need to truly pose a threat? The answer is simple: Pitching. The Braves bats have put together a team batting average of .263, and have three players in Freddie Freeman, Ender Inciarte, and Tyler Flowers batting over .300. Prior to the All Star Break, the Braves blew a 4-1 ninth inning lead of the Nationals following an incredible outing for R.A. Dickey, and this simply cannot happen. The Braves have been plagued by the rotation having quality starts, and the bats not being able to keep up, but also vice versa.
If the Braves indeed decide to buy rather than sell after this horrendously difficult stretch to begin the second half, the squad needs arms, and fast. The bullpen needs a closer to replace Jim Johnson, and heck even a new starting pitcher would keep the Braves hopes alive for a few more weeks.
Miami Marlins (41-46)
Rather than seeking options to build up a roster that has shown signs of competing this season, the Marlins have been surrounded by rumors selling rather than buying. With their last postseason appearance coming in 2003 the Miami fanbase is growing weary of the organization’s lack of product on the field. According to Bleacher Report’s Rob Goldberg, the Marlins have been in discussions about moving Justin Bour to the New York Yankees, but that’s not all.
R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports reported that the Marlins are listening to offers on Dee Gordon. With an All Star in Stanton, the Marlins simply have their franchise player, but what good does it do when they have no one around him? The Marlins are competing in a division that has been mostly run by the Nationals over the course of the last five years, and can’t seem to compete with them.
This leaves one solution for Miami: the future. It’s simple. The Atlanta Braves are one of the best examples of starting from scratch, and in just two seasons they have found their core, which now is on a direct path to compete with the Nationals. If Bour and Gordon are shopped prior to the deadline the Marlins will be getting some serious returns.
New York Mets (39-47)
Who could have guessed that the Mets, after reaching the Fall Classic just two years ago, would be selling come 2017? Sitting in the middle of the NL East alongside the Marlins and the Braves, the Mets have seemingly fallen back down to Earth.
According to a tweet from ESPN’s Buster Olney, “Mets open for business now, willing to listen to offers for Granderson, Addison Reed, Bruce, Cabrera, etc. Far behind in races.” This doesn’t come as a shock sitting 8 games below .500, and 12 behind the Nationals at the All Star Break. The only message that the Mets are sending throughout the league is that the phone lines are open, and they’re simply ready to sell.
With the Mets core built to compete for years to come in Noah Syndergaard, Amed Rosario, Jacob deGrom, and Michael Conforto the best thing the front office can do is acquire pieces necessary to compete in 2018.
Philadelphia Phillies (29-58)
It’s not very often that the general manager of a ball club holds his pregame media session, and allows the public a glimpse into the next couple weeks. This is exactly what Matt Klentak did prior to the Phillies last game before the All Star Break, “I would expect we would be more active than last year,” Klentak said, per philly.com. “I think a lot of our short-term controlled players have had nice first halves. I think that’s going to put us in position to field a lot of inquiries and we are fielding those inquiries.”
One of the wildest theories being thrown around the league is that the Phillies are in search of acquiring Giancarlo Stanton, but nothing concrete has come from it. In order for a team such as the Phillies to even consider acquiring a talent the likes of Stanton would be the definition of a blockbuster.
The last five years for Phillies fans have been dismal following their stretch of postseason appearances, which included two World Series appearances and one title. This trade deadline as stated by Klentak will prove to be defining for this organization going forward. Look for the Phillies to make moves inquiring about the future of their outfield, and don’t be surprised if the team squeezes out an eye opener or two.
Washington Nationals (52-36)
To be quite frank, the Nationals this season have been hard to watch at times. Are they currently 9.5 games ahead in the division? Yes, but they are also in the same division with four teams currently committed to rebuilding. The Nationals last weekend against the Braves showed horrific signs to the fan base regarding the bullpen, and what happens when even an incredible outing from Max Scherzer isn’t enough.
According to Patrick Reddington of SB Nation’s Federal Baseball, the Nationals are in search of a good arm in the late innings, and that player is none other than Cincinnati Reds standout Raisel Iglesias. The dominant closer is certainly a step up for the depleted bullpen out in D.C, but what about the asking price?
Cincinnati Enquirer writer C. Trent Rosencrans sees Iglesias as the biggest piece to trade, but only “if you want to maximize the return.” The departure of Iglesias would not only be a piece of the puzzle for the Nationals to close the door on games late in the season, but would satisfy the Reds front office for the long term.
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For the Nationals to press out, and close the door on the NL East they will need to complete the puzzle. In order to do so, Washington has to figure out the Atlanta Braves who they are 6-6 against this season, and currently pose the biggest divisional threat even 9.5 games up. Also, the bullpen has to find some relief or blown saves late in the year may come back to haunt them in D.C. Metro.