The MLB All-Star Game is rapidly approaching, and then it will be all downhill to the July 31 trade deadline. Which teams will buy? Which teams will sell? Which players will be moved? Here is a trade deadline preview and analysis of the teams in the AL West.
The Astros have been decimated by injuries this season, and yet they find themselves with a seven-game lead in the AL West. Despite losing six starting pitchers, Houston ranks first in the majors in WHIP and 6th in ERA. Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez have been spectacular, but there is a big drop-off after those two. Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco have both had season-ending surgeries, and Spencer Arrighetti, Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, and JP France are all still expected to miss extended time. Astros GM Dana Brown will be looking at the likes of Sandy Alcántara, Seth Lugo, Freddy Peralta, Zac Gallen, and Merrill Kelly to fill at least one spot in the rotation.
Houston’s offense is second in batting average, but they are only 16th in runs scored. They need a run producer in the middle of their batting order. Yordan Alvarez just got two injections for inflammation in his still-healing fractured right hand, and there is no timetable for his return, yet. Christian Walker, who slumped mightily to start the season, has finally come around, but the Astros could still use some lineup help, especially at left field or second base. That spot may be harder to fill.
The stingy, nomadic Athletics actually added some talent in the off-season, but find themselves on pace for a worse record than last year. They do have a nice young core of Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom, Brent Rooker, Jacob Wilson, Lawrence Butler, and Mason Miller. However, their pitching has been mostly terrible. The A’s team ERA and WHIP both rank 29th in the majors, and that has led them to a 37-54 record. The team has already used 29 different pitchers this season. Until this team moves to Las Vegas in a couple of years and (hopefully) brings in more revenue, look for them to stay in the bottom three or four teams for payroll.
When you are losing and have a low payroll, what do you do? You sell every year at the deadline. Expect this year to be no different. After a decent start to his season, Luis Severino strung together four straight terrible starts and greatly diminished his trade value. Nonetheless, there is a good chance that some team will take a chance on him. Look for the Athletics to shop Jeffrey Springs, Max Muncy, Daniel Susac, Gio Urshela, Miguel Andújar, and Luis Urías to whoever will offer up young, controllable prospects in return. Teams will make offers for Miller. It would take a lot for the A’s to part with him, though.
Despite ranking 24th in ERA, 28th in WHIP, 28th in batting average, and 18th in runs scored, the 43-46 Angels find themselves just 4.5 games out in the race for a wild card spot. The one thing the team can do is mash. They rank 5th in home runs. Jo Adell, Taylor Ward, and Logan O’Hoppe have combined to hit 56 homers. The team has definite weak spots at second and third base, as well as in the back end of the starting rotation.
If GM Perry Minasian decides not to sell, he will be looking at some of the same pitchers as the Astros. Most likely, though, he will have to slide down to cheaper options like 41-year-old Charlie Morton of the Baltimore Orioles, Edward Cabrera of the Miami Marlins, and Andrew Heaney of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ryan McMahon (Colorado Rockies), Ramón Urías (Orioles), and Luis Urías (A’s) would be possible infield fits. The team has lost three in a row and could be sellers at the deadline if things continue to spiral. However, if they right the ship, can Los Angeles afford to waste a chance at getting Mike Trout into the playoffs?
If the playoffs started today, the Mariners would own the last wild-card spot. If they want to keep that spot, they will need to pick up a power-hitting infield bat. Outside of shortstop, JP Crawford, no one in the infield is hitting. Seattle will be watching closely to see if Arizona Diamondbacks or Baltimore decides to sell at the deadline. Third baseman Eugenio Suárez, first baseman Josh Naylor, and right fielder/first baseman Ryan O’Hearn would all be big upgrades for the Mariners’ offense.
Seattle could also use another starter at the back end of their rotation. Emerson Hancock was sent back to the minors, and Bryce Miller (bone spur in elbow) is out for several more weeks. Baltimore’s Zach Eflin, Pittsburgh’s Heaney, or Miami’s Cabrera would all be good fits. Since most of Seattle’s remaining starters are all righties, Heaney gets the nod here.
The Rangers are going to have a tough decision to make at the trade deadline. They currently sit at 44-46, four games back of the last wild card. Their pitching has been spectacular. They lead the majors in ERA and are second in WHIP. Their once-mighty offense, though, has been atrocious, ranking 27th in batting average and 25th in runs. Stars Adolis García, Cory Seager, and Marcus Semien have all had awful starts to the season. Former All-Star third baseman Josh Jung was sent down to the minors. Free agent acquisition Joc Pederson was hitting just .131 when he went out with a broken hand on May 25.
Should the Rangers decide to go all-in on a quest for a wild card, they will need to add a big bat at either first base or designated hitter. If Arizona or Baltimore end up sellers, the Rangers could make a play for Naylor or O’Hearn. Texas could also use bullpen help. Nine different pitchers have recorded saves for the club, with Robert Garcia being the most recent reliever given a chance at being the closer. So far, he has been okay, but an experienced closer like Aroldis Chapman (Boston Red Sox), Ryan Helsley (St. Louis Cardinals), David Bednar (Pirates), and Kyle Finnegan (Washington Nationals) might be options if he slips up.
The AL West has the potential to make several big moves. It will be interesting to see if any of the teams can land a big name like Suárez, Naylor, Alcántara, Peralta, or Gallen. There will be a lot of teams angling for a select few players this year, as only a few teams are clear-cut sellers at the moment. If a team like Arizona is going to give up Gallen, Kelly, Naylor, or Suárez, the asking price is going to be high.
It will also be interesting to see if the Angels and Rangers decide to go for it. The Rangers have the better chance to make the playoffs, but the Angels would be a much more interesting story. Who wouldn’t want to see Mike Trout, most likely coming off of hitting his 400th career home run by then, finally get another chance to shine in the postseason? With all of his health issues in recent seasons, he probably doesn’t have a lot of chances left. I, for one, would like to see Los Angeles go all-in to try to give him that chance.
Check back in the coming days for more trade deadline previews of the NL East and NL West. Here are the links to the deadline previews for the AL Central, AL East, and NL Central.
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