The upcoming Major League Baseball All-Star Game is notable for being the official end to the season’s first half, but it also marks the real beginning of trade season.
This year’s deals are going to be fascinating because so many teams are bunched close together in the playoff race. Entering play on Saturday, 20 of the 30 teams were in the playoffs or within five games of a wild card spot.
That grouping will lead many general managers to believe their team is an actual playoff contender instead of a false idol. It can make the July 31 trade deadline dull because teams won’t want to sell off their assets in the hopes of catching fire, and they will want to convince their fans they are still going for it.
Yet there are still plenty of teams out there that have come to the realization that now is the time to go into sell mode. Whether that means a deal materializes or not is another story, though at least some will try to make something happen.
A case in point involves these rumors.
Phillies Price Still Steep for Cole Hamels
Even though Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. may be busy putting foot to mouth about some players on his roster, he’s not changing his tune in terms of trading Cole Hamels.
According to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, a recent conversation between the Phillies and another team shows that the Phillies aren’t going to sell their ace left-hander for less than what they want.
“One Phillies person told an interested team executive that they are “not bending” on Cole Hamels, leaving the impression he could stay in Philly for the foreseeable future,” Heyman wrote.
It’s not clear what exactly the Phillies seek in return for Hamels. Last summer, when the southpaw was also being discussed as a trade candidate, Heyman quoted a rival general manager as saying “they want the world.”
If Hamels remains with the Phillies for the rest of this season, while decreasing his value (that’s an extra two months a team won’t have control over him), it won’t be the worst thing in the world.
However, given where this franchise is at owning the worst record in baseball, the Phillies need to strike while the iron remains hot for Hamels. That means this winter would be the absolute latest they should wait to deal him.
As good as Hamels is, he’s 31 years old and his numbers have started to drop in 2015.
There’s a very short window of time that a team has to maximize a player’s trade value. The Phillies may be past that point with Hamels, even though he’s still a very good pitcher. But it doesn’t seem to be changing their hopeful return.
Padres Ready to Sell James Shields
A potentially interesting alternative for teams seeking pitching help that can’t afford Hamels is San Diego Padres right-hander, James Shields.
According to Peter Gammons of Gammons Daily, the Padres have already been exploring options for Shields:
It’s hard to overstate how bad things have gotten for the Padres, who certainly did everything in their power over the winter to make a playoff push for the first time since 2006. Shields, Craig Kimbrel, Justin Upton, Wil Myers and Matt Kemp were supposed to bring the franchise back to prominence.
Instead, San Diego has lost six straight games and is just one game ahead of last-place Colorado in the National League West.
The Padres signed Shields to a four-year, $75 million deal in February. He’s performed well in some areas, with a career-high 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings, but somehow pitching in spacious Petco Park hasn’t prevented him from having his second-worst home run rate (1.4 per nine innings).
One problem San Diego could face if it’s serious trying to ship Shields out is how much money it has to eat. Keep in mind, he was an old free agent at 33 years old and will be 37 by the time his contract ends. Some of his declining numbers, especially pitching in a division with three big parks, are going to scare off teams.
Shields isn’t without value, as every team would love to have a pitcher who has thrown at least 203.1 innings and made at least 31 starts in eight straight seasons. But there’s only so high they can go with some of his numbers.
There’s also the public relations image the Padres would have to deal with after selling one of their high-profile acquisitions five months after signing him. The team isn’t succeeding now, but the raw talent on the roster could provide hope to fans that they won’t have to go through another full rebuild.
San Diego general manager A.J. Preller has a lot to mull over in the next three weeks, so expect more buzz around this franchise as July comes to a close.
Giants Seeking Michael Morse Reunion
Michael Morse played a role in the San Francisco Giants’ postseason run last October, notably with his game-tying home run in Game 5 of the NLCS, so it’s no wonder the defending champions would look to reunite with the veteran slugger.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Giants have had some contact with Morse’s current team.
“San Francisco has shown some interest in re-acquiring first baseman Michael Morse from the Marlins but would have to be willing to pay a good chunk of the $11 million remaining on his contract for Miami to consider this,” Jackson wrote.
Looking at each of San Francisco’s three World Series wins since 2010, one thing that’s remained consistent is the front office making a midseason acquisition that pays off in October.
Cody Ross was claimed off waivers in August of 2010 and was named NLCS MVP. Marco Scutaro was acquired from Colorado in July 2012, won NLCS MVP and drove in the series-winning run in Game 4 of the World Series.
Only last year didn’t feature a big deal that paid off in the postseason, but that was only because Madison Bumgarner was so dominant that no one else really needed to do much.
Things haven’t gone well for the Giants so far this season, which has been a pattern for the franchise after championships. They are hovering around the .500 mark and in the playoff mix, but they have work to do catching the Dodgers in the division, as well as the Cubs for the second wild card spot.
Morse isn’t a dynamic hitter, as evidenced by his .204/.266/.296 slash line with Miami this season, but the Giants have the ability to hide him on the bench as a pinch hitter.
That’s not an ideal role for a bad defensive player, especially one owed as much money as he is, but the Giants have a knack for getting the most out of their talent, like few other teams can.
Stats via Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted
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