MLB Trade Deadline Possibilities
With the July 31 Major League Baseball trade deadline approaching there is a plethora of position players that are, or will be, available. Unfortunately, this quantity does not necessarily translate to quality. Here is an overview of the top trade prospects:
Prince Fielder: The power-hitting Fielder is actually one of the best signings available but looks set to remain with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers will entertain offers for their franchise first baseman, but will not send him anywhere unless it is for a major compensation akin to the five players the Atlanta Braves sent to the Texas Rangers for Mark Teixeira.
Fielder has good numbers this year, with 22 HRs, 44 RBIs, and 56 runs. Unfortunately, he is perennially unappreciated by most general managers and also has a steep contract of $10.5 million this year.
Jayson Werth: The 31-year-old outfielder and the Philadelphia Phillies have casually talked about a new contract, but nothing has been formulated yet. If the two parties cannot agree on a new deal, and the Phillies continue their slide in the National League East, it is conceivable that Werth will be dealt.
The five-tool outfielder would be of interest to teams like the San Francisco Giants, the New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Boston Red Sox. This year Werth is batting.276 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs.
David DeJesus: The Royals are struggling and it is uncertain if they will want to part with their .320 hitting outfielder. They may want to capitalize on DeJesus’s current performance to get a major haul for future growth.
If available, DeJesus could be of interest to any team lacking a strong outfield. The New York Yankees seem like a good candidate, given their ability to provide a lot of compensation and their glaring need to replace the injured Nick Johnson at designated hitter. Other teams interested in the New Jersey native are the Giants and the Red Sox.
Corey Hart: If the Brewers do hold on to Fielder, they may want to try and get some value out of Hart’s big year. The 28-year-old right fielder is batting .295 and tied NL lead in home runs with 22. Milwaukee would like to turn Hart into some young pitching prospects, an area they are severely lacking at.
The Brewers made offers to the Giants for Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner which were perplexingly rejected. The Red Sox could also be interested in getting Hart.
Adam Dunn: Dunn’s price-tag was described by one GM as “prohibitive” but the slugging first baseman/outfielder is still appealing to many a team. Dunn has one year and $12 million left on his contract with the Washington Nationals, and teams could be interested in ‘renting’ him for this year and then re-signing him as a free agent.
The best bet for Dunn would be the New York Yankees. They have the necessary money to absorb his fees, and his slugging would be even more impressive in the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium. Although the Yankees are content with their current pitching situation and had no interest in Cliff Lee, they are always keen to make a big-time signing at this time of year, and Dunn could fit the bill.
The Los Angeles Angels could also pay the hefty fee for Dunn in order to fill the vacancy left by Kendry Morales’s freak injury. Morales will miss the rest of the season after he fractured his lower leg while stepping on home plate to celebrate a walk-off grand slam victory.
It is tough to predict what the Nationals will do. They have become renowned for bizarre deadline deals and also are well below the luxury tax, which means they can gun for proven players in return for Dunn rather than just prospects.
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