Trade deadline: NL West for sale, plus Dodgers, Giants, Diamondbacks wish list

Selling the NL West: San Diego Padres

The Padres were a World Series or bust team going into the season. They sit at 46-51 (.474) and 10 games behind in the NL West. At this point, they have the largest payroll in the division and need to dump some before the trade deadline. However, they still have not officially committed to selling. If they do, here are some ideas.

Josh Hader is a UFA at the end of the season. He is currently on the books for $14 million. He is carrying a 1.00 ERA with 23 saves and 54 strikeouts in 36 innings pitched. He is a top-tier closer and will be in demand come August 1. Returning to the Brewers or heading to Atlanta could be likely, but it will take at least two top prospects.

Starting pitcher Blake Snell is a UFA next season as well. Snell is 6-7 with a 2.71 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 103 innings. Look for the Reds to send a pair of top 10 prospects like RHP Chase Petty or OF Jay Allen (and possibly both). The Orioles could also be in the mix with prospects 3B Coby Mayo and C Samuel Basallo.

Then there is Juan Soto. The Padres traded the Nationals five top-tier prospects for Soto and Josh Bell. With a year of arbitration left and a minimum of $25 million coming in that season, the Padres will need to trade him quickly. They will have to settle for slightly less, but four top-10 prospects will probably get it done this year. The Yankees would be the prime target; they have many options in their farm system. Trey Sweeny, Elisha Dunham, Will Warren, and one more would be fantastic for the Padres.

Buying the NL West: San Francisco Giants

The Giants are 54-43 (.557) in third in the NL West as of Friday. Their first big need is the need for speed. It’s essential, inherent and there is something they can do about it. Next, they need right-handed power and left-handed hitting … so a switch hitter with a .280 average and 20 homers. Lastly, they need to improve their bullpen average against.

First on the Giants’ wish list is National’s third baseman Jeimer Candelario. It is almost a certainty that Candelario will be moved within before August 1, but the sooner, the better for San Francisco. After he was non-tendered by Detroit, he was signed by the Nationals to a $5 million deal. It was a terrific bargain, and the switch-hitting infielder has posted a .259/.334/.819 slash line, 46 RBI, and 15 home runs with solid defensive metrics.

The Nationals’ Lane Thomas is hitting .289/.337/.819 with 15 homers and eight stolen bases. He is 27 years old with two years left of club control; trading for the pair of Nats would be perfect for the Giants and reasonably cheap. Sending Brandon Crawford and his expiring contract with C Patrick Bailey and prospects RHP Keaton Winn and OF Jairo Pomares would work perfectly.

Making a call to the St.Louis Cardinals could help a lot as well. SS Paul De Jong has club options for the next two years at $12.5 million per year and could be a trade steal. The 29-year-old shortstop is hitting .238 with 12 homers and 34 runs this year.

The 29-year-old Ryan Helsley has been very effective in 22 appearances this year. He has a .201 average against, 33 strikeouts, seven saves and three wins. He is a productive seventh- or eighth-inning option, which could drastically help the Giants late in the season.

Rumors are swirling around the Chicago White Sox two-time All-Star Tim Anderson. While slashing .235/.274/.549 with no homers this year, he has been a .318 hitter over the past four seasons. Anderson is struggling through the worst season of his career. The 30-year-old is in desperate need of a change of scenery, and that could help jumpstart his season and he could be a postseason leader for the Giants. In the final year of his contract, he may be a rental, but he could be cheap.

Buying the NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks are having themselves an impressive season. At 54-43 (.557), they are in second in the NL West and just two games behind the Dodgers for the division lead. They need to improve their pitching as they are sixth in the NL in homers allowed and runs given up. They are 25-of-42 in save opportunities as well. A starting pitcher and a closer are at the top of their needs list. They are solid across the board at the plate, but one positional upgrade could turn them into a powerhouse. That position is center field.

Alek Thomas is the current center fielder at hitting .230 with just five homers and five stolen bases. The Chicago Cubs’ Cody Bellinger is known to be available. The former MVP is hitting .314 with 12 homers and 12 stolen bases.

While the Cubs are on the line, Kyle Hendricks would be a valuable back-of-rotation starting pitcher. He is 33 with one club option year on his contract. He has a 3.57 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 10 starts this year. Trading Thomas, DH Dominic Canzon, and two top-30 prospects should be agreeable and outbid the Yankees.

They could go big and shoot for San Diego’s Juan Soto. Soto can play center very well and is hitting .262/.420/.905 with 17 homers. It would take quite a few prospects to move him to Arizona, but it would be a significant boost to the club. RHP Brandon Pfaad, 3B Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B Ivan Melendez and IF Blaze Alexander would be the price tag. Now, if the Diamondback could through in Dominic Canzon and 25-year-old starting pitcher Tommy Henry, they may be able to get Josh Hader or Blake Snell in the deal as well. This would be the biggest blockbuster trade of the decade so far and one we would talk about for years

Buying the NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers (55-40) are the biggest buyers and are at the top of all trade rumors as the deadline approaches. Money is barely an object in L.A., so contracts don’t factor in much. They have money to spend, and the luxury tax is not a deterrent. They are chasing the Braves and need some big boost to be able to toe-to-toe with them in the eventual NLCS.

Marcus Stroman is the most coveted Cub going into the trade deadline, and Chicago will be looking to move him this year to save some cash and stock the farm with future talent. Stroman is 10-6 with a 2.88 ERA and 101 strikeouts on the year.

The Dodgers could bring back Bellinger in that trade as well. The two-time All-Star brought a World Series back to L.A. and was a fan favorite. The Dodgers acquire Stroman and Bellinger for SP Julio Urias, RP Alexander Reyes along with prospects OF Jonny Deluca, SS Eddys Leonard, RHP Nick Nastriniand either catcher Diego Cartaya or Dalton Rushin.

With Urias gone, another starter is needed; Detroit’s Eduardo Rodriguez is expected to opt out of his contract at the end of the season. With a 2.69 ERA, .97 WHIP, and 88 SO E-Rod is an adequate upgrade over Urias and will be cheaper and more effective in the long run. Dodgers sending SS Joendry Vargas, RHP Landon Knack, and INF Devin Mann should motivate the Tigers and benefit both clubs.

No trade conversations in L.A. would be complete or valid without a Shohei Ohtani trade bit. The Dodgers and Ohtani make all the sense in the world and elevate the Dodgers to the best team in the NL. Pulling off the Ohtani trade would solidify an NLCS and probable World Series appearance.

Shohei would get to stay in L.A., plus the Dodgers get a significant enough international fanbase boost to set any cost. Acquiring a Cy Young contender and MVP favorite at the deadline would be epic. Moving C Diego Cartaya is a giving, the Dodgers have Will Smith as their catch for the foreseeable future. Cartaya, IF Michael Busch, RHP Gavin Stone, and rookie phenom Bobbie Miller plus one more top-20 prospect, would be ideal for both clubs and out of any other club offers.