Kuzul

The NL West is shaping up to be one of the tightest races in baseball and it could be a race that comes down to the final few weeks of the season.

With just four days until baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline, at least three teams are jockeying for position to make the trade that either keeps them on top (Padres) or puts them over the top (Giants).

For the Padres, it’s been a season that only a select few predicted. For the others, this team was predicted to finish in the cellar of the NL West and be one of the biggest sellers at the deadline.

Fast forward to the end of July, and the Padres are three-and-a-half games up on the Giants and show no signs of letting that lead slip away.

Speaking of the Giants, they continue to sit in second place, unable to gain any significant ground on the Padres in the division. But you can bet that general manager Brian Sabean is looking at several deals that could possibly put his team in the driver’s seat and leave the rest of the division in the dust.

In third place are the disappointing Los Angeles Dodgers, the team picked to be the front-runners by most “experts.”

Manny Ramirez has been on the disabled list more than once, as have a few of their starting pitchers. It just hasn’t been the year that manager Joe Torre envisioned.

While they’re more than seven games back of the Padres, they could still add a piece or two to get themselves back in the race. Or perhaps they could waive the white flag and say “see ya next year.”

Bringing up the rear in the division are the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks. A few weeks ago it looked like the Rockies could make a surprising run to the top, as they were within a game of the leading Padres. But the team sputtered and is now eight games back.

As for Arizona, it’s been a disappointing year. And after just recently trading away Dan Haren, it seems the fire sale is about to begin.

The Diamondbacks are sellers, and every buyer in baseball knows it.

So, with all that being said, there are deals out there to make and players that will be priced to move in the coming days. Here are 10 potential players that could call the NL West home for the final three months of the season.

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With the deadline quickly approaching, fans are wondering just what their team is going to do. That is, if they haven’t made a move already.

There have been two big moves thus far and both have come in the American League’s Western Division. The Rangers acquired left-hander Cliff Lee from Seattle and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim acquired Dan Haren from Arizona late Sunday night.

As for the San Diego Padres, this is not the time to stand by and watch everyone else make moves to make their team better. It’s also not the time to make a lateral move that doesn’t make them any better than they are right now. If they want to wrap up their division, and do so in convincing fashion, then there’s a deal or two that they can make to put a pretty little bow on the NL West.

The Padres should be proud that they are still in first place at this point. Most thought they would be in last place in the division and be selling off multiple pieces to rebuild for the coming seasons.

Before the 2010 season even started, Newy Scruggs of NBC 5 in Dallas called the Padres “terrible” while broadcasting for 105.3 The Fan during spring training in Arizona. Seems that wasn’t exactly accurate.

Then, just last week during the Padres three game set with the Atlanta Braves, Fox Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi decided to throw his own dart at the Padres, essentially calling them “pretenders.” No disrespect to Mr. Morosi, but this was the same guy that expected the Padres to trade Adrian Gonzalez, Heath Bell, and Chris Young at this year’s trade deadline.

So, with just a few days left before Saturday’s non-waiver trade deadline, general manager Jed Hoyer and the Padres’ front office continue to work on the best trades that are available to them.

There have been several names thrown out there, but there’s no telling if any of them have actually stuck. We could go down the list of guys like Baltimore’s Ty Wigginton, Miguel Tejada, and Jeremy Guthrie, Cleveland’s Jake Westbrook, Seattle’s Milton Bradley among others, that have been talked about.

One name the Padres, along with the Giants, Angels, Red Sox, and others were after, was Royals’ outfielder David DeJesus. But, thanks to an injury last week, he will miss significant time which takes him off the trade market.

Orioles’ right-hander Jeremy Guthrie made it known that he would love to pitch in San Diego after a game against the Padres earlier this season, but MLB.com’s Corey Brock shot that rumor down a few weeks ago.

So who does that leave? While I’m not of the opinion that the Padres can watch the deadline go by without so much as a single trade, 619 Sports out of San Diego, via Twitter , sees things a little differently.

Are the Padres good enough to win the NL West as they are?

Not in my opinion.

Sure, they hold a slim three game lead over the San Francisco Giants, but a three game lead is nothing in the major league.

The Padres need to add another arm to the rotation and possibly another player or two to their infield depth.

Orioles’ short stop Miguel Tejada has been mentioned more than once as a possible replacement for injured second baseman David Eckstein. The Padres need to bring in someone that can stem the tide until Eck returns to the lineup. A few sources out of San Diego believe that Tejada’s addition could move him to the outfield once Eckstein is ready to come off the disabled list.

It may be a temporary bandaid, but the Padres need more than that in their starting rotation.

They currently have Jon Garland, Kevin Correia, Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, and Wade LeBlanc in the rotation, but they need another guy that can take the ball every fifth day and provide veteran leadership and ability. A guy you can count on to give you the best chance to win when the ball is put in his hands.

A few promising pitchers are the aforementioned Guthrie and Westbrook along with Arizona right-hander Edwin Jackson. I believe Houston right-hander Brett Myers would be the best fit, but he may not be dealt until the Astros figure out what they’re going to do with Roy Oswalt.

SI.com’s Jon Heyman weighed in on that exact topic via Twitter , saying that the Astros weren’t anxious to trade Myers. Heyman added that though the Astros may not be “anxious” to trade him, he thinks they eventually should.

Earlier today, a rumor surfaced that the Padres had acquired outfielder Jayson Werth from the Phillies. The Padres need another productive bat in the lineup and it was no secret that the team was looking for another outfielder.

The original rumor, reported by Jack Cronin of 1090 AM in San Diego, stated the Padres had sent “a couple of prospects” to the Phillies for Werth. I couldn’t see how the Phillies would take that little in return after all the reports that they were looking for high returns for the outfielder.

With just five days to go before the deadline, the rumors will be hot and heavy until the Padres actually make the moves they set out to make. They may be major moves or they may just be lateral moves, but the Padres can not let the deadline go by without so much as a whimper.

They need a proven starter and they need another bat in the lineup. Trades won’t stop after the July 31st trade deadline, but if the Padres want to sew up the NL West division before the end of July, they need to make the impact moves and do so now.

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Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the 2010 Texas Rangers. Or should I say, the first-place Texas Rangers, and we’re not just talking about the first few games of the season.

We’re almost to the month of August and instead of most of the radio stations, and the fans, already deep into conversations surrounding the upcoming season for the Dallas Cowboys, the Rangers are still very relevant, and for good reason.

No other time in the team’s history have they had this kind of record this deep into the season (58-41) and no other time in the team’s history have they looked like a legit World Series contender.

What is funny about that, at least to me, is the fact that the local radio station here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area continues to get texts and e-mails asking the stations to stop talking about the Rangers.

You’d think fans would be excited about the fact that this team is finally a legit contender. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I had a conversation, though a short one, with a close friend of mine who is not ready to “drink the Kool-Aid.”

While I’m fine with that, his reasoning was a tad off. He made point that this team doesn’t know what it’s like to challenge for a division title or a pennant for that matter.

To that point, he is somewhat correct. However, what he failed to mention is the fact that they have three players who absolutely know what it takes to get to the World Series, and two of them know what it takes to win.

Outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and catcher Bengie Molina were both members of the Anaheim Angels when they won the World Series over the San Francisco Giants in 2002.

Pitcher Cliff Lee, as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, made it to the World Series in 2009 before losing to the New York Yankees.

So while this team, as a whole, may have not challenged for a pennant before, they have guys that can teach the rest of the team just what it takes to win.

What this team also has, thanks to the addition of Cliff Lee, is an ace at the top of the rotation, especially in a best-of-five series, something the Rangers haven’t had since Nolan Ryan wore the uniform.

With Lee anchoring the rotation, they also have two guys who have been as solid as any in the big leagues this season.

Right-hander C.J. Wilson (9-5 3.03 ERA) and right-hander Tommy Hunter (8-0 2.09 ERA) have been two guys that have kept the Rangers in front of the Angels for the majority of the season and are two reasons why they currently hold a seven-game lead in the AL West.

Outside of Lee, Wilson, and Hunter, the back end of the rotation gets a little cloudy. Matt Harrison, Rich Harden, Scott Feldman, and Colby Lewis could round out the last two spots in the rotation except for the fact that Harden and Feldman haven’t exactly been what the Rangers had hoped at the beginning of the season.

Offensively, they have the weapons to put up runs against even the best pitchers in the game right now. Outfielders Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz, along with designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero have combined for 56 home runs and 200 runs batted in, while all three are also hitting .300 or better.

Next to those three, you’ve got guys like third baseman Michael Young (.301/15/58) and second baseman Ian Kinsler (.301/6/38), who also make for legit offensive weapons.

Imagine, if you will, being an opposing pitcher having to face Ian Kinsler and Michael Young, then having Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, and Vladimir Guerrero still waiting in the wings.

Those five guys alone would be enough to make me wonder who I should and shouldn’t pitch to.

This isn’t the team that has faltered year in and year out in the late part of the season. This isn’t the team that holds a slim lead in the AL West and tanks before the month of August is even over.

While Texas grabbed left-hander Cliff Lee out from under the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Angels responded with the addition of Dan Haren.

It’s only a matter of time before we know just how much help Haren will be for the Angels. With the Rangers up seven games, it might be too little, too late.

While there are those who won’t believe in this team until they are named the AL West champions, there are others who would rather stop talking about baseball altogether for no other reason than the Dallas Cowboys started training camp this past weekend.

But why people want to give more attention to something that couldn’t be more meaningless, like NFL training camp, instead of a team who’s deep into a divisional race, I’ll never know.

I know Texas is a football state and I know that most would rather go to a Cowboys game than a Rangers game regardless of how good, or bad, the Cowboys are.

The Rangers have earned the attention to this point because they continue to prove themselves night in and night out.

While they were swept by the Baltimore Orioles prior to the All-Star break, I think they more than made fans forget about that with series wins over Boston and Detroit on the road, as well as three out of four against the Angels in Arlington.

The road only gets rougher for the AL West leaders. The month of August is where this team will prove itself once and for all.

After road trips to Seattle and Oakland to start the month, the Rangers play series against the Yankees, Red Sox, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Minnesota, and Kansas City.

Those series alone will make or break the remainder of the AL West chase for the Texas Rangers.

This team has a chance to do something no other team in its history has done. They have a chance to go to the World Series, and more than that, they might have a legit chance to bring home the biggest prize in the industry.

While Rangers fans want the media on their side, it’s unfortunate that the football fans in the area outnumber them.

Even if the Rangers bring home the World Series trophy to North Texas, the Cowboy fans will still make the argument that they have more championships in their trophy case.

It’s the same argument that Yankees fans make to every other baseball fan of every other team there is.

The Rangers deserve the attention right now. They’ve had the kind of season that deserves the spotlight.

The football fans want them to fall on their face for no other reason than to have the spotlight all to themselves as is usually the norm this time of year.

While me, personally, I’m not a Rangers fan. But I’m hoping they keep fighting all the way to the AL West championship and the ALCS. That way, the football fans will have to endure baseball talk for another few months.

The Cowboys are fighting for nothing more than a roster spot while the baseball team in the area is fighting for something that actually means something.

So, as long as that remains true, the spotlight should stay on Rangers’ Ballpark and the Texas Rangers baseball team.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Kansas City Royals outfielder David DeJesus was one of the hottest names on the rumor sheets over the last several weeks.

There were at least five teams that were in the chase to land him, but according to several beat writers, the Royals were asking far too much for teams to give up.

Well, it seems like the Royals are regretting that now as DeJesus will land on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained thumb, which will keep him out past the non-waiver trade deadline next Saturday.

Not to say that a waiver wire deal can’t be completed once he’s healthy and ready to return to the team, but he’s going to need to prove that he can be 100 percent healthy before teams jump back in the race.

One thing is for sure at this point: The Royals won’t get anywhere near what they had been demanding after DeJesus does return from his disabled list stint.

Next to the Royals outfielder, there are several rumors to update, so let’s get to them.

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Last night, news broke that the Philadelphia Phillies were working on a major deal for a front-line starter.

While there were names thrown around, eventually it was learned that they were working extensively with Houston for right-hander Roy Oswalt. While a deal wasn’t imminent, the two sides have continued talks into Wednesday afternoon.

While that seems to have cooled from last night, another rumor has made its way to the top of the list, and it’s the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers trying to negotiate a deal that would send Prince Fielder to Chicago.

If that is the player the White Sox are after, it would effectively end any chase they had for Nationals’ first baseman Adam Dunn.

Prince Fielder’s potential landing spot isn’t the only hot rumor out there. There are several names being thrown around.

So, without further ado, let’s get to what else is on the MLB rumor sheets.

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Update: (10:47pm CDT) Jayson Stark has another potential development as J.A. Happ was pulled from his start in Triple-A tonight.

Update: (10:44pm CDT) Jayson Stark, via Twitter, says that Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro is apparenlty a little miffed that ESPN reported that the team was “close to a major deal.”

Stark says that their report said that the team was “working on” a big deal, not “close to” a big deal.

Buster Olney, also via Twitter, says the Tampa Bay Rays have gotten involved but says their involvement surrounds Phillies’ outfielder Jayson Werth.

Update: (10:25pm CDT) Matt Gelb , staff writer for the Philadelphia Enquirer , says the reporters still have not met with Phillies manager Charlie Manuel because his door has remained closed.

A deal seems to involve outfielder Jayson Werth but Gelb says that he can’t see Werth being dealt to a National League team, and is of the opinion that he’ll be dealt to an American League team.

Update: (10:15pm CDT) Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, via Twitter , chimes in and says that a deal is “not close.” He says the Phillies are talking to “many teams on many fronts” and that the Diamondbacks, A’s, and Astros are not close to a deal.

Update: (10:03pm CDT) According to ESPN’s Buster Olney , the Phillies have not discussed Dan Haren or any pitchers from the Rays. I misread that tweet from Olney, though it’s contrary to Jayson Stark’s article that says they have discussed Haren. That being known, it seems more and more likely that it’s Roy Oswalt about to be headed east.

Starks’ article also talks about the Phillies being more aggressive about moving outfielder Jayson Werth to free up a roster spot for top prospect Domonic Brown.

Update: (9:57pm CDT) Jayson Stark has an article up and says the Phillies have also discussed Baltimore’s Jeremy Guthrie and Oakland’s Ben Sheets. Though a “major trade” to me says “major pitcher.” Hence either Oswalt or Haren have to be the guy they’re after.

9:54pm CDT With the Major League Baseball trade deadline just a week and a half away, it seems that the wheels are in motion for this month’s second big trade.

This time, according to Jayson Stark and Buster Olney of ESPN, it’s the Philadelphia Phillies that are the center of the all the talks. It’s not known who exactly the Phillies are about to land, but rumors are that they’ve discussed Houston’s Roy Oswalt, Arizona’s Dan Haren, and pitchers with the Tampa Bay Rays.

We’ll get updates up on this story as it develops as well as the players that might be involved, so keep checking back with us.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The trade deadline is a little over a week and a half away and, surprisingly, there hasn’t been a whole lot of action over the past month.

The only big move that has taken place was the Texas Rangers landing left-hander Cliff Lee. Next to that, it seems teams are holding their cards close to their vests and not letting anyone else know what they’re about to do.

The other problem may be the expensive price tag on a lot of players that could be had on the trade market. Teams are unlikely to pay a hefty price for players they may only have for a few months.

We may not see a whole lot of movement from anyone until late next week where the rumors will be flying, but the possibility of the big blockbuster deals may not come to pass this time around.

So, let’s take a look at what we can look forward to in the next week and a half leading up to Major League Baseball’s trade deadline on Saturday, July 31st.

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Now, before anyone jumps to conclusions about the picture that opens the slideshow, you can relax, because Mariano Rivera isn’t going anywhere.

However, there have been plenty of rumors that have centered around relievers, most of which any team would love to have in their own bullpen for the stretch run.

There are some better than others, some that will cost more in return, and even more that can be had for not much at all.

However, whether they cost major league talent, top prospects, or your run of the mill “player to be named later,” we’ll see plenty of relievers moved at the deadline make a huge impact on their new teams as they make a run to the division titles and into the playoffs.

The following list is the 10 relievers who would make the biggest impact to any team that wants to make it deep into the playoffs.

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The Texas Rangers made, arguably, one of the biggest trades in franchise history for a guy that was called the “biggest impact pitcher” since Nolan Ryan wore a Rangers’ uniform.

Rangers’ general manager Jon Daniels decided that first baseman Justin Smoak was expendable, and was able to sneak in under the radar and bring Cliff Lee to the Rangers.

But, just when it seemed like the Rangers could be done dealing, there are rumors and rumblings to the contrary.

While Chris Davis will be their starting first baseman of the future, at least for now, it wouldn’t hurt for Daniels to go out and land another player that could spell Davis at first and not lose much offensively.

If you’re asking for my opinion, the Rangers’ bullpen still needs a lot of work, as does their rotation.

Sure Neftali Feliz gives the team a lockdown closer, Darren Oliver and Darren O’Day have had better than expected years, but besides that they don’t have another pitcher that makes teams fear the late innings.

So, here are my list of players that the Rangers should look at as well as explaining what they would bring to the team. The team isn’t done dealing, they still have moves to be made, these are just a few players they should or could look at.

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Imagine for a minute you’re staring into a boxing ring somewhere between Anaheim, California and Arlington, Texas.

The Los Angeles (don’t call me Anaheim) Angels just watched as the Texas Rangers stole left-hander Cliff Lee right out from under the New York Yankees. It was like a stunning left cross that the Angels never saw coming.

While they stare off into space, stunned that the once lowly Texas Rangers just threw their biggest punch in years, and while the stars they’re seeing start to wear off, owner Artie Moreno has to be hatching a plan on how the team responds.

They certainly didn’t expect to lose Kendry Morales to possibly one of the most freakish injuries in baseball history, breaking his leg while celebrating a walk off home run. But the Angels didn’t freak out, they didn’t rush out and overpay the first player available that could take over at first base.

They’ve stood back, weighed their options, and have begun compiling a list of players they could possibly land at or before the trade deadline.

Sure there were plenty of names that have been tossed around recently, but the Angels’ front office is still holding its cards close to the vest and not giving any indication on which direction it plans on going.

We’ve heard several rumors over the last month-and-a-half, and we know there are certain things that are true about what the team needs. So, we can start there and see where we land.

But, before we do, one question needs to be asked. Are the Texas Rangers done dealing? The answer to that, according to one report, is no.

On July 9th, Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago reported that the Rangers had, or have, “serious interest” in Chicago Cubs’ outfielder Xavier Nady. Levine says the Rangers have interest in Nady because they “traded their first baseman (Justin Smoak).”

While that might be true, the Rangers filled that hole at first by calling up Chris Davis from Triple-A, so there’s no indication about whether the interest in Nady is still there or if Davis will be the guy for the remainder of the season.

Davis brings solid defense to the position, but his bat is suspect at best. He struggled mightily over the first few months of the season and was demoted to the minor leagues, at which time Justin Smoak was given the chance to be the new first baseman.

Unfortunately for both Smoak and the Rangers, he also struggled, with a batting average that just barely lingered above the .200 mark. He was dealt to the Seattle Mariners in the deal that brought Cliff Lee to Texas.

The Rangers aren’t the only team that will be interested in Nady, but unless the Rangers are wanting a reserve first baseman or outfielder, I don’t know that the interest was ever really that strong to begin with.

As far as the Angels are concerned, there are a whole host of names that they have been linked to.

Derrek Lee (Cubs), Paul Konerko (White Sox), Adam Dunn (Nationals), and Prince Fielder (Brewers) have all been mentioned in connection with the open first base job at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Konerko’s name seemed to be the one the Angels were most interested in while the White Sox were floundering around in the AL Central. But a big turnaround has all but killed the possibility that Konerko is headed west.

So, with him out of the mix, you still have Lee, Dunn, and Fielder as possibilities. The Cubs are in a selling mode, and would more than likely be willing to deal Derrek Lee, who would be a good fit for the Angels. He brings not only solid defense to the position, but he also gives them a solid power bat in the lineup.

As for Adam Dunn and Prince Fielder, these are probably the least likely of the remaining three names that could be on the Angels’ radar.

Adam Dunn has made it very clear that he does not want to be traded by the Nationals and would like to work out a contract extension with the team. However, over the last few days, those feelings seemed to have disappeared thanks to what Dunn calls a “lack of urgency” from the team. Dunn has also made it clear that he doesn’t want to be traded to an American League team just to be a designated hitter. Though, if he’s traded to the Angels, they would want him as their full time first baseman.

Last, but certainly not least, Brewers’ first baseman Prince Fielder. There’s no question that he’s a player the Angels may “kick the tires” on, but he’s not a player they will get serious about for one reason—Scott Boras.

Earlier today, ESPN’s Buster Olney apparently had some things to say about Boras, comparing Fielder to Yankees’ first baseman Mark Teixeira. Olney suggested that some general managers and scouts around baseball think there’s a 180-degree difference in the two players. Olney also says that Fielder is “one of the worst first basemen in baseball.”

Well, Boras wasn’t going to let that stand and decided to throw his comments to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal . Before I post good ‘ole Boras’ comments, you should know that the Brewers approached Fielder and Boras with a five-year contract extension said to be worth upwards of $100 million. The offer was denied and talks have gone nowhere since.

The main problem that Buster Olney brings up is Fielder’s body size, and he says he has talked to “unnamed sources” that share that concern.

Boras shot back through the aforementioned Haudricourt by saying, “This stuff about a ‘bad body’ is bull. He may be a thick guy but he’s an athlete. He certainly is not the worst first baseman in the league like they say.

“It’s all hearsay. I’m tired of unnamed sources. No one put his name on those comments. Nobody mentioned that he just tied the (Brewers) club record for consecutive games played (274). He goes out there and plays every day. How many guys do that? They didn’t talk about that.

“People who know Prince know about his work ethic, what he’s like in the clubhouse and the attitude he takes out there every day, wanting to win. It has nothing to do with his body type. All of those things boost his value.”

The Angels are in need of a first baseman, that much is true, but the other piece that may slingshot them to yet another AL West crown is a starter to complement Jered Weaver. While a guy like Roy Oswalt might be too rich for the team’s blood, they could look towards a few starters like Ted Lilly, Jake Westbrook, or perhaps Pedro Martinez, who you know has to be watching each race with tremendous interest.

As it stands right now, the Rangers have the ace they’ve needed for so long, and they’re hoping that Cliff Lee is able to keep them in front in the AL West. But, if the Angels land another starter, as well as a guy like Derrek Lee, it could make the race a tight one all the way to the end.

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