Kuzul

With the Major League Baseball trade deadline rapidly approaching—July 31, in case you were unaware—it’s become increasingly clear that the Cincinnati Reds need something, anything to get them to the next level in order to compete for a division title and possibly a World Series championship.

The team has concerns surrounding the level of production it’s received from several key areas, including left field, shortstop and the bullpen. Until it addresses at least one of these issues, the Reds are not a championship-caliber team, much less a division winner, or even a wild-card team.

With that, the Reds have a few options. Should they buck their recent trend of twiddling their thumbs at the deadline, then they will likely choose to pursue a reliever and a bench bat while shipping off underperforming prospects—e.g. Daniel Corcino—who still have upside and value if moved to a new team.

But, this article isn’t about what they will do, it’s about what they should do. What the Reds should do is make a trade to address one of the weaknesses mentioned above.

Outlined below are two trades the Reds could feasibly make. Both trades are doable in terms of the salaries the Reds would take on and the perceived availability of the incoming players, as well as the package assembled to acquire them.

Let’s start with an in-division deal involving a familiar trade partner.

Want to make a splash at the deadline? This is the way to do it.

It can be tough to justify acquiring Starlin Castro, a player well known for his lackadaisical work on the field. However, the Reds are in grave need of an offensive upgrade at shortstop, and this is the best way to fill that hole.

Offensively, Castro is a great fit for the Reds. The 24-year-old is slashing .274/.325/.436 through his first 406 plate appearances to go along with 26 doubles, 11 home runs, 52 RBI and 43 runs scored.

Zack Cozart’s offensive contributions pale in comparison to Castro’s. In 90 games as the Reds’ shortstop, Cozart has managed just a .236/.287/.307 slash line with 18 extra-base hits—two home runs—22 RBI and 31 runs scored.

In addition to Castro, the Reds would also do wonders for their bullpen by acquiring left-handed reliever James Russell.

The Reds’ left-handed relief situation has been a mess. With Aroldis Chapman manning the ninth inning, the Reds were left with Manny Parra and Sean Marshall as their two remaining left-handed relievers.

Unfortunately, the club lost Marshall to a season-ending shoulder injury, and Parra has regressed significantly from his outstanding 2013 season—3.96 ERA and 1.40 WHIP, up from 3.33 and 1.20 in 2013.

Russell, on the other hand, has been outstanding. On the season, the 28-year-old has allowed a 2.54 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP with a 7.0 strikeout rate, a 4.1 walk rate, a 1.69 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 5.4 hits per nine innings. Russell’s numbers would make him the third-best reliever on the Reds roster, behind Chapman and Jonathan Broxton.

Giving up Tony Cingrani would be tough, as the 25-year-old has shown some promise since being called up during the 2012 season.

However, for the Chicago Cubs, Cingrani could be a great fit. The Rice University product would be a cheap, controllable option through the 2019 season, and he would provide the Cubs with a high-upside lefty—something their system is lacking.

Jesse Winker would slot in as a surefire top-10 prospect in the Cubs’ system—likely toward the back end of the group—and presents the Cubs with a solid outfield prospect with the ability to post .300/.350/.500 seasons with 20-plus home runs at the big league level.

The third piece of the Reds’ return package, Amir Garrett, provides the Cubs with another high-upside lefty with legitimate mid-rotation potential.

Garrett is still raw, thanks largely in part to his pursuit of a career in professional basketball. However, he has a fresh, live arm, capable of ramping up a mid-90s fastball. His curveball and changeup are, understandably, behind his other two offerings, but they both have the potential to be at least big league average.

Garrett’s curveball has the best potential of his two secondary offerings. He’s inconsistent with the pitch’s release point, but with repetition and the improved ability to stay on top of the pitch, it could be an above-average offering at maturity.

At worst, Garrett can be a late-inning relief option, where his fastball could operate as a plus pitch from the left side. The inefficiencies he experiences with his secondary offerings would also become less of an issue, as he’ll only really need one to develop in order to become an effective option out of the pen.

The package could be tough for a lot of fans to process as it would give up the team’s perceived No. 6 pitcher, along with arguably the best prospect in its system—and a third with some impressive upside.

This trade is much more conservative than the first and, in all likelihood, a move the Reds may actually make.

Ben Zobrist was a near-buy-low candidate earlier in the year, and after missing some time with an injury, he had been struggling at the plate. More recently, however, Zobrist has been on point. Over the month of July, Zobrist has seen his batting line skyrocket up to .267/.356/.410, on the back of a .360/.450/.500 performance through his last 55 plate appearances.

Aside from his current slugging percentage—a mark that would represent the second-lowest full-season figure of his career—Zobrist has rebounded back toward his career averages, and he looks to be a pretty safe bet for the remainder of the 2014 season.

Zobrist is a free agent at the end of this season, so the team would have to look to re-sign the 33-year-old at the end of the year. However, it’s a price worth paying when you consider some of the offensive woes the team has experienced this season.

Zobrist’s versatility would afford the Reds a wealth of opportunities. The veteran super-utility man could lock down second base with relative ease until the return of Brandon Phillips, upon which he would slot quite nicely into left field.

Perhaps more important than the defensive versatility Zobrist offers is his ability to hit second in the Reds lineup.

With Joey Votto out for an undetermined length of time and Phillips dealing with his own injury, two of the more important pieces to the Reds’ offensive attack are on the shelf. The injuries have caused first-year manager Bryan Price to do a lot of lineup shuffling, and the Reds’ most recent game saw Cozart operate from the 2-slot.

Zobrist could remedy some of the lineup concerns, and when Votto and Phillips do return, he’d still be a great option to hit second. Zobrist makes contact at a very high rate, and even with an in-play percentage of 72 percent this season—nine-year MLB average is 69 percent—Zobrist has managed to sneak his on-base percentage up over the .350 mark—something the Reds could desperately use behind Billy Hamilton.

Hit-and-run opportunities would be plentiful for the Reds with Zobrist batting behind Hamilton, and the middle of the order would be presented with numerous chances to hit with both runners on base.

Acquiring Zobrist won’t cost nearly as much as his teammate David Price, but he still won’t be cheap.

Tampa Bay Rays general manager Andrew Friedman isn’t the type of GM to sell low on a player, and he’s content with waiting until he gets exactly what he wants for Zobrist. He’s also likely to be content with keeping Zobrist and trying to sign him to a multiyear deal following the 2014 season.

So, the Reds will have to pay full price for Zobrist. But what exactly is full price?

The Rays’ farm system isn’t quite as deep as it used to be, as Tampa Bay has seen top prospects such as Alex Cobb, Chris Archer, Matt Moore and others graduate to the big league level. With Price likely on his way out—at least next year, if not this one—the Reds could part with a combination of mid-level pitching prospects such as Chad Rogers and Sal Romano.

Romano, a 6’4″, 250-pound right-hander, possesses a solidly average fastball, which possesses above-average potential as he continues to log minor league innings. His breaking ball and changeup figure to be average offerings.

Romano has shown some improvement over his 2013 campaign, logging a 4.01 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP over 19 starts. As he continues to improve his command and control, Romano can be a solid option at the back end of a contending team’s rotation.

Where Romano has shown vast improvement, Rogers has been somewhat disappointing. The 24-year-old is still an attractive piece, though.

While he doesn’t have overpowering stuff—his fastball sits right around 91-92 mph—Rogers works well out of the bullpen, utilizing a three-pitch arsenal that includes a slider and changeup, as well as the aforementioned fastball.

Rogers’ arsenal and velocity suggest that he’ll be a middle-relief option when he reaches the big leagues.

If the Rays balk at Rogers, Jon Moscot—a surefire rotational option—may be enough to make them pull the trigger.

All stats are current through play on July 18, 2014, and are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

Trade suggestions, comments, outraged? Start the debate in the comment box below.

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The July 31 MLB trade deadline is less than two weeks away.

For the 43-52 Boston Red Sox, who are currently sitting in fourth place in the American League East—and 9.5 games back from the first-place Baltimore Orioles—the time has come for them to determine whether they’ll be on the buying or selling side of the trade fence come deadline day.

We could have a lengthy debate about which direction the Red Sox should go. 

A 9.5-game deficit within the division is daunting, even with over two months remaining in the season. But we have seen crazier things happen before, and bottom-dwelling teams can light up at the right moment.

Perhaps this is exactly what Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington is hoping for.

In a way, Boston hasn’t even decided about its future this season.

Manager John Farrell described this position further via Julian Benbow of The Boston Globe:

Time will tell. I’m not privy to every conversation Ben has. This is a busy time of year for the entire industry. So I’m sure there will be additional rumors continuing to grow, but until we know something concrete, our job is to maintain our focus on the field each and every day with the intent to win each and every night. … No one has given up anything. No one has conceded anything. But we also have been in the game long enough to know that over the next two weeks names are going to start getting bantered about.

This conundrum leaves Boston at the aforementioned crossroads.

What if there was a move, however, that would be beneficial to either direction? What if the Red Sox could execute a deal that would not hinder their chances of salvaging 2014, but would also serve as a bonus if Boston decides that its postseason prospects have waned?

There is such a deal—the kind that would make sense on either side of the fence.

In short, Boston needs to trade incumbent closer Koji Uehara.

Let’s get the numbers out of the way first. Uehara’s 2014 statistics aren’t indicative that his age is catching up with him.

Over the course of 42 games and 43.2 innings pitched, Uehara has posted a 1.65 ERA along with a 0.756 WHIP—and he’s 39 years old.

His strikeout-to-walk ratio is down slightly from last year—9.50 in comparison to 11.22—but all other signs point to Uehara being as effective as ever.

So why trade the most venerable member of the Red Sox bullpen?

First, there are contractual considerations—Uehara is set to become a free agent no matter how Boston’s season ends. Having signed a one-year contract for the 2013 season with an option for 2014 that vested last August, Boston will have to determine his future with the team sooner or later.

Given his age, it is hard to judge where Uehara sees himself a year from now, but the fact that he is still pitching effectively suggests that he will want to retain a prominent role next season.

The only real question is whether or not it will be with the Red Sox.

In 2014, their lineup of batters has gradually transformed from that of aging veterans toward a younger cast of characters, who should comprise the team for years to come.

Outfielder Mookie Betts and catcher Christian Vazquez are two examples of Boston’s young talent breaking into the big leagues.

Since the Red Sox also have a plethora of pitching prospects awaiting their eventual debuts, they should also consider applying this theory to the pitching staff in general.

Granted, finding an effective reliever to serve in Uehara’s stead would be tough. Few closers have equaled Uehara’s performance in his two seasons with the Red Sox.

There are those analysts—like ESPN’s David Schoenfield—that would argue the closer position is overrated. 

“The point isn’t that a closer isn’t important; of course he is,” he writes. “The point is that a lot of guys can do that job—and that the job is extremely volatile.”

This isn’t to suggest that Uehara is overrated or that his contributions are no longer needed, but if one wants to strike a balance between a quick fix and a long-term solution, then dealing Uehara makes sense.

Contending teams are almost always looking for pitching help, and they become even more desperate as the trade deadline approaches. Adding serviceable relievers can often be the difference between success and failure in the playoffs.

And how many postseason games are decided in the later innings? This author has seen more than a few.

Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles (h/t Ben Shapiro of MassLive.com) pointed out a possible buyer in the relief-pitching market via Twitter, suggesting that the Los Angeles Dodgers might be pursuing added bullpen help—namely former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon. 

But Papelbon has a year remaining on his four-year, $50 million contract—with an option for 2016. While the cash-laden Dodgers have little concern over the price tag, a considerably cheaper move for Uehara seems much easier to pull off. 

The trade package would also appear more amenable from both parties’ standpoints.

As only a matter of speculation, a possible trade-chip commodity is Dodgers’ outfield prospect Joc Pederson.

With a loaded outfield consisting of Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford and Yasiel Puig, Pederson’s chances of making the Dodgers’ big league roster appear distant.

In an article on ESPN.com back in November, Saxon pointed out this dilemma even after listing Pederson as the No. 2 prospect in the Dodgers’ farm system.

The Red Sox need outfield help—we know that all too well. Los Angeles has an overload of outfielders, and they want relief pitching, according to Saxon.

This sounds like a plausible trade opportunity. Of course, Boston could be enticed by a possible exchange for veteran outfielder Ethier, who is another rumored target, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (h/t Marc Normandin of SB Nation).

But why not go after a younger player with incredible upside?

Ethier is 32 years old, and his numbers have fallen considerably from the All-Star caliber stats he posted in 2010 and 2011.

The Dodgers, however, aren’t the lone entity when it comes to a potential trade partner. Other teams certainly come to mind when discussing the acquisition of relief help.

The Detroit Tigers are another contender with bullpen needs; Chris Iott of MLive.com suggests the Tigers will be aggressive when it comes to upgrading this component.

We might as well add Uehara to that discussion as well.

Additionally, teams like the St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels are other teams that could possibly be in the same boat.

Any plausible transaction like this begs two questions—will it actually happen and, if so, who will take over the closer’s job in Boston?

Let’s address the second question first.

Lefty Andrew Miller would be the best option to fill the void, in this author’s opinion. He has been as serviceable a reliever as the Red Sox could have hoped for over the past two-plus seasons. Both righties and lefties are batting under .200 against him this year.

Miller is a pending free agent, and the Red Sox would like to keep him into 2015, per Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. Miller’s current contract is worth a little over $1.9 million, making him a much cheaper commodity than Uehara.

Why not preview what an increased role would do for Miller’s future in Boston?

The bigger question, of course, is whether or not the Red Sox would actually execute this idea. One could make the argument either way.

Cafardo reasons that Boston would like to retain Uehara for just one more season, based on the fact that Uehara has shown no signs of slowing down. Cafardo also points out the obvious—Uehara’s age alone could thwart a potential transaction, and the Red Sox would not be likely to get much in return.

We also know too well that teams get desperate as the playoffs draw closer. Exchanging highly touted prospects for two-month rentals is nothing new.

Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston shares this perspective—he suggests the Red Sox should trade Uehara if they can get something of value in return.

Edes’ statement is essentially our conclusion.

Boston won’t trade Uehara for some mid-range prospect or major league platoon player. The deal would have to be lucrative enough to convince Cherington that it’s the right one to be had.

As we have stated numerous times, however, teams in need of bullpen help at the deadline can be too aggressive—sometimes even overpaying for the talent they want.

From the Red Sox’s perspective, dealing Uehara would not mean conceding the 2014 season: As mentioned, Boston has bullpen options. More importantly, any upside addition to Boston’s beleaguered outfield would be nothing short of a bonus.

In addition, the Red Sox could secure at least something for Uehara if they decide that retaining him for 2015 is no longer worthwhile.

This is more speculation, of course. Trades can be a tricky thing to evaluate. While it is nice to play fantasy GM and swap excess components for the best players out there, the reality is that both teams involved need to come to a mutual agreement.

The complex nature of such agreements is nearly impossible to ascertain, which is why so many trade rumors never materialize.

Still, the Red Sox would be wise to shop Uehara. Given the fragile nature of the closer role, combined with Uehara’s age and contract status, we can deduce that the six-year veteran is not a part of Boston’s long-term plans.

From that vantage point, why not try to get something in return?

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com—and contractual information via Cot’s Baseball Contracts—unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Boston Red Sox. Be sure to check out his entire archive for Red Sox news, insight and analysis. Follow him on Twitter @PeterMcShots.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As MLB teams head out of the All-Star break, the trade deadline will serve as the make-or-break point for plenty of clubs on the fringes of playoff contention.  The two weeks before the July 31 deadline should bring lots of intrigue and action as teams vacillate between buying and selling on a seemingly daily basis.

Because of the surprises in the standings throughout the league, plenty of teams that harbored postseason or even World Series aspirations at the beginning of the year could turn into sellers shortly.  While it’s unclear how much talent will actually move this month, the available players are enough to create more excitement than baseball fans have seen in years.

For those looking for the most recent scoops on the biggest names, check out the latest rumors surrounding players who could potentially shift the pennant race this summer.

Contenders for Price?

David Price will move out of Tampa eventually.  But with the Rays’ recent surge, the postseason is no longer a total improbability in the mediocre AL East, even as Tampa sits 9.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles.

The fact that Price is still under team control in 2015 could allow the Rays to wait until the offseason to deal the former Cy Young Award winner.  As ESPN’s Jim Bowden reports, Tampa would command a haul superior to what the Cubs received for Jeff Samardzija (subscription required):

The impression teams are getting is that if the Rays manage to get back in the playoff chase, they will hang on to Price, and if they don’t, they will trade him only if they get a better package than what the Chicago Cubs got for Jeff Samardzija, which eliminates a number of possible suitors. 

The Rays would be looking for an elite prospect and a top prospect in exchange for Price, and there are only a few organizations that have that type of package to offer, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Cubs and Minnesota Twins, and the latter two teams aren’t really a fit for Price. (Both the Cubs and Twins have been adding prospects, not trading them.) 

It’s not unreasonable for the Rays to set their expectations high, as Price is a superior pitcher to Samardzija.  Even though the latter has experienced a breakout year, Price has produced more wins above replacement (3.0 to 2.4).

Still, it will be difficult for any team to match what the Cubs received for Samardzija in Addison Russell.  A package for Price would require a premium major league-ready prospect, such as the Dodgers’ Joc Pederson or St. Louis’ Carlos Martinez.  Even so, Price might not be willing to accept a trade unless it sends him to his preferred geographic location:

Ultimately, though Fangraphs gives the Rays just a 5.8 percent chance of reaching the postseason, they also give them the best projected record from now until the end of the season.  At the moment, Tampa seems likelier to hang onto the slim chance of surging into October rather than shutting down their window of contention.

Papelbon Going West?

Philadelphia Phillies’ general manger Ruben Amaro Jr. held onto delusions of contending headed into the season.  With his last-place Phillies at 42-53 and 10 games out of first place, however, it appears a fire sale is closer than ever to becoming reality.

One prime candidate to go would be closer Jonathan Papelbon.  The 33-year-old Papelbon does not have tremendous trade value because of his age and onerous contract.  However, at least one plugged-in reporter believes that the Los Angeles Dodgers could seek out Papelbon’s services:

It’s a bit unclear why the Dodgers would want to add Papelbon.  After a rough start, closer Kenley Jansen has rebounded to post nine consecutive scoreless appearances.  Moreover, his .391 BABIP and 1.87 FIP suggests some poor luck that will eventually correct itself and bring his 3.49 ERA down.

Nonetheless, Papelbon could be interested in joining the NL West leaders.  According to The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Matt Gelb, Papelbon recently hinted at frustration over the team’s losing and a willingness to accept a trade to a contender:

Some guys want to stay on a losing team? That’s mind-boggling to me. I think that’s a no-brainer.

You know, I came here for a reason…and I say that because I’m with a group of guys in the bullpen that can do very special things in the future. I’ve been waiting for that, you know what I mean? It’s fun to be a part of that, it really is. We are there finally with our bullpen. So that aspect of it would kind of [stink] to leave. But at the same time, winning is the cure-all of cure-alls.

Papelbon has had his best season for the Phillies, posting a 1.21 ERA thus far.  However, there are numerous alarms that regression is imminent—an 85.7 percent strand rate well above his career average, an overall increase in walks and decrease in strikeouts, a .232 BABIP that is 45 points below his career average and the fact that he has yet to allow a home run even in the bandbox of Citizens Bank Park. 

Still, someone is bound to take the leap based on Papelbon’s experience and reputation as a big-time playoff performer after his time in Boston.  The Dodgers don’t have a clear need, but they could at least absorb his salary without so much as blinking.

Bullpen Help for Angels?

The Los Angeles Angels have surged to the second-best record in baseball and are just 1.5 games behind the Oakland Athletics for the AL West lead.  With the A’s having made their big splash already, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that the Angels could be readying an answer:

Street has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise grisly season for the San Diego Padres, whose historically impotent offense has the team floundering at 41-54.  Though his sterling 1.09 ERA has been aided by a .195 BABIP, he has also increased his strikeouts, reduced his walks and induced worse contact.  A slight correction is likely coming, but Street is not turning into a pumpkin this summer.

For his part, Street appears tired of floundering on poor teams.  The 30-year-old has not pitched on a playoff team since the 2009 Colorado Rockies, and according to the Los Angeles Times‘ Bill Shaiken, Street would welcome the opportunity to play in Anaheim:

‘I would love it,’ he said.

Street cited the chance to ‘play with guys like Albert Pujols and Mike Trout’ as well as to play for Manager Mike Scioscia. Street broke into the major leagues with the Oakland Athletics from 2005-08, when the Angels won the American League West three times in four years.

The Halos have had bullpen issues for much of the season, a bullpen that ranks 27th in WAR.  Even with Joe Smith’s recent emergence to stabilize the closer position, Los Angeles ranks just 18th in bullpen WAR over the last 30 days.  The trio of Street, Smith and Kevin Jepsen would secure the final three innings for the Angels, turning arguably their greatest weakness into a strength.

The fickle year-to-year performance of relievers makes it harder to construct lockdown bullpens at the beginning of the season, but the trade-off is that acquiring help during the season is easier.  Acquiring Street and perhaps upgrading the back of the starting rotation would leave the Angels among the small handful of favorites for the World Series.

*All stats via Fangraphs.com.

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Imagine an alternate world for the New York Yankees.

It’s the All-Star break in 2014, Derek Jeter’s still retiring at season’s end and domestic beer still costs $9 at the Stadium.

But in this reality, they did not make the postseason in 17 of the last 19 years.

Imagine that from 1995-2013 they didn’t win five World Series titles, and picture an ’09 season where they hadn’t backed up their first of two failed campaigns with immediate success.

Perhaps it’s into this other reality that we could actually fit a scenario where—with the Yankees now at 47-47 after their second failed campaign, maybe heading toward a third—the front office might feel more comfortable blowing the whole damn thing up.

Because often the biggest hindrance to beginning a path of true soul-searching, self-improvement and accountability is one’s own obscuring mask of past success and current adequacy. Seventeen out of 19 postseasons, right? And only five games back. And .500, but not significantly worse.

And it’s the Yankees.

That’s the issue. It’s the perception of what the Yankees have always been and what they should be—rather than the acknowledgement of what they’ve become and what they now are—that may ultimately harm them in the second half of the season and in the future. 

FanGraphs tells us the Yankees have an 11.3 percent chance of making the postseason. A fan on the corner, having just learned Masahiro Tanaka is out a minimum of six weeks, tells us the Yankees probably have no shot. 

Now, a quick qualification, whether one views it as optimistic, fair or necessary to say this before continuing: Yes, both of those projections may prove horribly wrong if the Yankees’ offense catches fire and some dark-horse pitching heroes (David Phelps, Shane Greene, Brandon McCarthy?) buoy them through a second-half surge. 

This idea would be especially reinforced by the continued parity (feebleness?) of the AL East and some lucky breaks—like the returns and success of CC Sabathia and Tanaka coupled with more major injuries to contenders (think Toronto‘s sidelined Edwin Encarnacion).

But right now, consider the trends—or truth, or however you’d like to paint this picture: The Yankees are damn mediocre. In many respects, they’re quite paltry. On the surface, $500 million bought them .500 baseball. Beneath, it’s actually worse:

If you choose to take the escapist route and claim injuries, misfortune and timing are the sole blame, I would mention that New York headed into the season without a true insurance plan—let alone any plan (if the sole “plan” was to stay under their $189 million threshold, they fell short of it). 

On the back of a successful spring training, I wrote on March 27 in the season preview:

[E]ven with optimism continually rising, no team’s 2014 outlook is more bipolar than New York’s. Think about how stunningly dominant, effective and efficient this ballclub could be with all its pieces in harmony; yet think of how many unstable, moving parts could send the same club into a tailspin.

And in the face of potential embarrassment from (a) that tailspin materializing as they miss the postseason in back-to-back years, (b) declining attendance at new Yankee Stadium, (c) diminishing viewership for the YES Network and (d) being haunted by George “The Boss” Steinbrenner‘s angry ghost—no longer rolling in his grave, but banging on the lid of the casket—Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner only know how to be buyers.

This all raises the following two questions—it’s the Yankees, remember: Would the front office realistically consider the classic fire sale of its older, expiring, movable parts in exchange for young talent? And isn’t the cherry on top the fact that New York doesn’t possess blue-chip young talent in their own farm?

OK, make that three questions: If they don’t (really, since they won’t) consider becoming sellers instead of buyers, should they?

Yes. At least partially. Because only continuing to buy is like wrapping gauze and smearing Neosporin on the chest of a patient with a leaky valve and collapsed lung.

Based on the notion that the Yanks’ management and operations have yet to, and don’t seem willing to, adjust with their own organization’s markedly different foundation—and different power structure in MLB—yes, they should sell.

This argument should be looked upon, at the least, as a blueprint for the Yankees to begin their journey of self-refinement and enrichment. They should engage in some selling before the July 31 deadline; not using their refined brand of elitist history and their riches to buy their way out of what could be a debacle the next three months.

There is no magic cream, no quick-fix solution; neither by only buying the antidote off the top of the market nor by solely developing it within. Balance is the wise choice here.

After their winter spending spree, I noted in a February 10 Yankees spring training preview:

With or without true Yankee ‘success’ through overvaluing and overspending, they will still be one year delayed in setting into motion what could be a smarter long-term model. One that, in part, finds undervalued pieces from outside, and trusts the younger, unproven ones from within.

Halfway through the season, it’s time to set that renewed model in motion. And better now than the first week of November. 

The Overreliance on Buying: No More Core; the Shifted MLB Power Dynamic

There’s no more validity in the “lost art” of buying as there is in a one-time “failed experiment” of buying. It’s just that the identity of the Yankees and the rest of the league has transformed in a way that makes a strategy largely based on spending headed for failure.

Back in February, I led off that season preview by asking fans a simple though profound question: “The pinstripes and interlocking ‘NY’ look the same, but what about the new identity of the team as 2014 ushers in a new era? What does that change mean, and how would you begin to identify with the present state of the franchise?”

The idea was to consider what I called “[A] fault line forming in the Bronx since last season.” It runs between the transformed, attractive team we’ll see on the field and the shifted foundational pieces beneath the organization’s surface, the most integral of which have been removed since Game 162.

It was to point out the possibility that their method of winter spending, as they’d always done, may end up biting them in their collective behinds if losing the foundational pieces—Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Robinson Cano, etc.—were not taken into account and sufficiently offset.

I argued, as I still do now in July, that while it should have been supremely important to fill the holes left by the most significant Yankees of the past 20 years, valuing positional depth and reliability would be as, if not more, vital than buying the top-tier free agents off the market and locking them down in the Bronx.

A few more premonitions from that preseason piece:

It’s not that 2014 is suddenly the year of the rupture and the collapse at the epicenter, but it feels like there are tremors on the eve of camp because a number of anxious, cosmetic fixes were made to correct what went wrong in 2013.

Yet for all the signings this winter, and despite paying for what they see as the cost required to win, the Yankees could be entering spring training teetering on a fancy idea of success and a reality of coming up short. …

That free will to spend is a pragmatic modus operandi when there’s a working foundational structure already in place—take the 2008 spending antidote and the 2009 outcome. But this isn’t 2009, and putting a flashy lineup on the field should translate to revenue but it may not translate to contention. …

And still the Yankees could win 95 games in 2014.

They could capture the division crown and make a run in the postseason—and Yanks brass may look cunning by season’s end. …

This isn’t meant to castigate or doom the organization; it’s a reminder that things are simply different in the Bronx, and that there’s a heck of a lot to consider about the larger trends.

What’s the larger trend? While big spending is a large chunk of the Yankee identity, we shouldn’t discount the core of Yankees around whom that spending occurred from the late-’90s through late-’00s.

Instead of trying to replicate it this winter, perhaps management could have accepted that Jeter is the only one left from that (yes, magic) run and begun to search for or build a new youthful core in conjunction with bringing in players in their primes, not past them.

On Thursday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post poignantly titled his column, “Core Four’s Greatness is a Recipe Yankees Can’t Keep Chasing.” This isn’t to say Sherman is five months late to the party. It’s more to substantiate at baseball’s midway point, through a few excellent points, how many of us may have been feeling about those larger, anxious trends months ago.

Here’s what he wrote Thursday:

[W]hile a thick wallet is credited for much of the Yankees’ success the past two decades, I believe it misses the key factor, which also will not be replicated anytime soon, if ever again: The Yankees developed en masse five of their greatest players, and that group proved durable and capable of handling New York and October.

Really, with all that has been written and said about Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Bernie Williams, I do not think what they meant is properly assessed.

We are talking about 20 percent of a roster. And not just any 20 percent, but stars at catcher, shortstop, center field, lefty starter and closer. I don’t want to downplay how difficult it is to form a winning roster, but it is a lot easier to fill in the other 80 percent when you begin with that 20 percent at such key positions year after year. 

But one of his keener undercurrents comes shortly after:

It is hard to keep even a talented group healthy, hungry and humming from one year to the next. So imagine the fortune of what the Yankees had. … But because those guys showed up at the doorstep and stayed and prospered, it made everything else easier to construct around. Even the 2009 champion that was burnished by the purchases of CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett still was fortified by high-level results from the Core Four.

And, still, there’s more to the “struggle” story in which the Yankees find themselves mired in 2014.

Simply: The system of power and wealth of MLB has changed, and the way teams scout, draft, develop, trade and spend has metamorphosed, too. Well, for most teams besides the Yankees.

I mentioned in the preseason preview:

We’re in a new era in which the power structures of success have changed not only in MLB, but also within the longtime leviathan of the league, the Yankees. …

Continuing the trend to throw cash at free agents, they’ve repeatedly failed to properly value the MLB draft, player development or real trust in the farm. And that’s just one issue; one of the few unchanged aspects. 

Sherman agrees that “The game has changed too much for any club to assemble that kind of consistent success for two decades. Having a financial advantage is less relevant today than ever for many reasons.”

He credits the well-known proliferation of and advancements in statistical analysis with leveling the financial playing field.

More to the point, he sharply notes the influx of wealth into the game, illuminating how it has translated to the new landscape where “every franchise can sign its elite performers before free agency, so players on smaller-market squads who you could once envision just biding their time until they joined the Yankees…do not hit the open market, at least not in their primes.”

Though it’s a fair, almost defeatist point about the Yankees’ inability to sign anyone they want, it misses two facts First, outside of Cano, the Bombers signed just about everyone whom they coveted most this winter. Second, through three months of underperformance they seem to have missed the mark on their mass half-billion-dollar, half-baked plan to contend.

As the game and horizon has changed, it’s no longer smart to bring in the majority of your talent through free agency. More than that, it’s just irrational to think that you can replicate the Core Four by signing four free agents in one single winter, with one of them past his prime and the second one passing through.

More to the Story than Injuries: The Failed Free-Agency Frenzy; the Farce of the Farm

From the jump, I mentioned the obvious discomfort of the Yanks’ brass to “blow the whole team up” at a key juncture—several major injuries to several of the most important players; poor performance; aging veterans and expiring contracts—where that M.O. would be Plan A for many teams.

(A team like the 2014 Rays, on the other hand, has suffered from a team-wide slump for the first half; without major injuries and aging veterans, it’s more rational to wait out the storm. They’re 9.5 games out of the AL East lead, and David Price hasn’t left…yet.)

The Yankees rotation has already taken care of blowing itself up, after all.

Sabathia? Knee. Degenerative. Remains out. Could be a bigger chance his career is over than the 11.3 percent of New York marching into October baseball. Sherman goes so far as to argue the Yankees would benefit most from the team deeming CC “physically incapable of playing” to get some insurance money for one of their priciest assets.

Ivan Nova? Elbow. Tommy John. Gone this season. May start throwing again by September.

Michael Pineda? 19.2 innings pitched since ’11. Shoulder issues. Still out. Possibly returning in August. 

Tanaka? Elbow. Partially torn UCL. Gone for now. Last-ditch effort of platelet-rich-plasma therapy to save his season.

And Hiroki Kuroda is far from an ace (97 ERA+, 3.91 FIP). He’s also 39 and will be a free agent who may be contemplating retirement at season’s end. 

The position players are largely a disaster so far. And bless Chris Stewart: Brian McCann, the prized catcher, is hitting .239 with 39 RBI (83 wRC+, 1.1 fWAR, minus-7.7 oWAR) for all his stellar clubhouse leadership.

Carlos Beltran, who wanted to be in pinstripes years ago, is batting .219 with nine homers and 28 RBI this year (78 wRC+, minus-0.8 fWAR, minus-8.5 dWAR), and he’s had knee and concussion issues.

Jacoby Ellsbury, plugged in the Bronx for another six seasons after this one, has six home runs and is on pace for his highest strikeout total of his career (105 wRC+, 1.9 fWAR), and via defensive metrics, he’s been a liability so far (minus-5 DRS, minus-5.6 UZR/150).

No one was going to follow Robinson Cano beyond simple adequacy, and Brian Roberts’ .241 and 89 OPS+ actually looks somewhat good (then again: 87 wRC+, 0.3 fWAR). That idea of platooning Eduardo Nunez (no longer a Yankee) with super-utility man Kelly Johnson (unfortunately still a Yankee) sounded nice this winter.

Until now, because Johnson might be one of the most uneventful players to ever take the infield in the Bronx—he’s hitting .214 with six homers and 50 punch-outs (87 wRC+, 0.4 fWAR, 23.7 K%)—and, for the platoon romanticists out there, he’s hitting lefties (.194, 113 wRC+) better than he’s hitting righties (.218, 83 wRC+).

Moving down to the farm situation, the shortcomings of the Yankees system are well-documented and understood at this point.

We know that none of Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, MLB.com, FanGraphs or Bleacher Report see much value from Tampa and Staten Island all the way up to Scranton. We know Gary Sanchez has been the No. 1 prospect for a few years but has a great shot (.270/.339/.420, 60 K, 18.3 K%) to become the next Jesus Montero. 

And to give plaudits to Yankees scouting and development for the sacrificial and somewhat life-saving performances by David Phelps, Vidal Nuno, Chase Whitley and Shane Greene would be overly simplistic.

No, that’s largely lucking out on the only in-house options available. If they had better talent at the most significant position for any team—pitching…starting pitching—they likely would have come up with something better than Jeff Francis and Brandon McCarthy through trades this month. 

They also wouldn’t have felt the need to saturate the farm with pitchers in this year’s draft, selecting five with their first five picks, 15 out of their first 21 picks and 13 of those 15 from the NCAA.

In other words, they not only were desperate for pitching, but for the most advanced, developed, MLB-ready pitching. Their top pick, Mississippi State’s closer Jacob Lindgren, was praised for the talent capable of appearing and contributing this postseason for the Yanks.

But looking at the big picture, it points to the holes in the farm.

Sherman lends more perspective of his own, as well as some context:

[T]he only trick this pony knows is to spend. By winning all of these years, the Yankees have not had access to the top of the draft, and generally they have done a poor job of drafting and developing what was available. The sense around the sport is the Yankees’ past two drafts have been better and the system is improving.

And even if Lindgren becomes a key piece of the bullpen down the road, if Shane Greene sticks and if another dark horse (like Robert Refsnyder) breaks out in pinstripes, the Yanks still lack the depth or development team for sustainability.

“Still, there are not many ready-made solutions internally and the idea of losing enough to get a top-10 pick a few times is as palatable to the Steinbrenners as playing patty-cake with an alligator,” writes Sherman. 

Knowledge Trumps Power

None of this is to say the Yankees should move each and every one of their aging, expiring vets.

But to incessantly hear this type of definitive wording about remaining buyers until death from Cashman and Co. no longer seems most pragmatic—especially when stated upon learning Tanaka would take the injured starting total to four of five, per NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty: “We’ll continue to look at any options to upgrade ourselves, and I’ll certainly present that to ownership. And until I’m told otherwise I’ll continue the course of action.”

Kuty highlights the biggest irony, describing how it appears “the team will remain trade market buyers despite — or maybe in spite of — Masahiro Tanaka‘s elbow injury.” 

Because what if, rather than buying in spite of losing him, they view his (and CC, Nova and Pineda‘s) absence as the reason to do some selling before the end of the month?

What if they reframed and reduced their reliance upon their financial power (which has seen some diminishing baseball clout) to work in unison with better knowledge—that is, better scouting, drafting, development and understanding of how to enter a season with real insurance and depth?

Maybe Cashman will keep searching for more bandages and ointments until the deadline, since they’ve come this far (to give credit where credit’s due, they’re still in the postseasons hunt).

And our patient with the leaky valve and collapsed lung can obviously still benefit from a few layers of gauze and Neosporin. 

But only post-surgery.

Only in synchronicity—and balance—with other structural, foundational fixes.

“No one is suggesting the Yankees lower their payroll, but instead just re-imagine it,” Sherman adds.  “The Yankees keep trying to recapture the past, and that is not doing much for their present and it is potentially destroying their future.”

Common statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and advanced stats/metrics via FanGraphs, unless noted otherwise. 

Peter F. Richman is a New York Yankees Featured Columnist and Expert, as well as a B/R Copy Editor. For more NYY opinions, discussion, debate and analysis, feel free to reach out via Twitter: Follow @Peter_F_Richman

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Despite their disappointing 2014 season, the Boston Red Sox are one of baseball’s better-positioned franchises when it comes to immediate future success. They have a wealth of talent in the minor leagues, several established stars in the majors who should continue to perform and young studs who are just cutting their teeth at the MLB level.

With just a 43-52 record and a 3.5 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to Baseball Prospectus, the Sox are likely best off letting their youngsters play and trying for more glory in 2015. However, the overall mediocrity of the AL East could tempt the Red Sox to make one last push this season, especially if they go on a winning streak between now and late July.

In such a scenario, the Red Sox must be careful not to leverage their promising future for what would be an unlikely and daunting playoff push. Thankfully, even with prospect attrition factored in, their farm system is deep enough to allow for some wiggle room in trading prospects without gutting future iterations of Red Sox teams. 

With that balancing act in mind, let’s take a look at some minor leaguers Boston could move without jeopardizing its future at the deadline.

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The Seattle Mariners enter the All-Star break with a 2.5-game lead in the race for the second American League wild-card spot but still have some clear needs to address at the MLB trading deadline.

There’s no doubt Seattle will be in the market for offense. The Mariners are tied for last in the AL in wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) and have holes in left field and at designated hitter.

While offense is the primary need, the Mariners also will be looking for an addition to the middle of their rotation. Seattle has depth to sell at relief pitcher and shortstop, meaning it should be possible for the Mariners to address as many as three needs without mortgaging the future.

The Mariners don’t necessarily need to make a blockbuster trade to get into the playoffs. Simply addressing a few holes with even league-average players will make Seattle a significantly better ballclub.

Acquire a right-handed corner outfielder

Such a player would fit exactly what the Mariners currently need. Seattle’s lineup is overloaded with lefties and desperately needs an upgrade in left field.

Seattle has received a combined 0.3 WAR from Dustin Ackley and Endy Chavez, the team’s primary left fielders. Anyone who can post league-average offensive numbers over the rest of the season will be an upgrade.

The situation worsened last Thursday when Michael Saunders injured his oblique muscle, via Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune:

That means the Mariners are looking at playing both Ackley and Chavez every day until around September, if everything goes well with Saunders’ recovery. Upgrading both would be nice, but the Mariners must at least get one corner outfielder.

There are a number of right-handed corner outfielders who should theoretically be available. Marlon Byrd, Josh Willingham, Alex Rios or Justin Ruggiano would make some sense in Seattle.

Of those, Byrd seems the most likely to land with the Mariners at the moment. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports that the Mariners have had “serious” discussion with the Philadelphia Phillies about acquiring Byrd:

Byrd has hit .263/.315/.479 with 18 home runs this season, including a .954 OPS against left-handed pitching. That power would decrease in Safeco Field. Byrd has an ugly strikeout rate, but he would be a clear upgrade over Ackley.

FanGraphs has Byrd playing roughly average defense in right field over the past few seasons in terms of defensive runs saved. Byrd would likely be slightly worse than Ackley in left and slightly better than Chavez at either spot, but his offense would make up for it.

Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs offers a breakdown of how Byrd turned his career around in 2013 after bouncing around the majors:

Between 2010 and 2012, Byrd ranked in the upper eighth in ground-ball rate. Since the start of last season, he ranks in the upper fifth infly-ball rate. Byrd’s swing has a bit more of an uppercut, and the other numbers that come along with it aren’t surprising.

Again, the home runs would decrease, but Byrd has the kind of power the Mariners need.

A dream scenario could be prying away Scott Van Slyke from the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it might be too much of a stretch. The Dodgers need to sort out a logjam in the outfield, but it’s unclear if they would be willing to part with Van Slyke.

Van Slyke has posted a 166 wRC+ in 155 plate appearances this season, including a 1.125 OPS against lefties. If he were available, Van Slyke would be more expensive than Byrd, as the Dodgers would be selling him when his value is at a peak.

The Mariners should be content with turning one of their high-upside relievers, likely Brandon Maurer, into a decent outfield bat. Ackley could also be involved in a change-of-scenery deal.

Look for an additional bat

The Mariners are last in the AL in on-base percentage and have scored 19 runs in their last 10 games. One bat is necessary to hold on to a wild-card spot, but Seattle needs two to be a serious contender.

Those numbers are about to get worse with Saunders’ injury, as he had the third-best wRC+ on the team among regular players.

Even if the Mariners can’t pick up two outfielders, they can get someone to be the DH. Corey Hart has a .628 OPS and is an injury risk, meaning the Mariners could use an upgrade.

Hart has been a bit unfortunate with a .246 BABIP and is still regaining his timing from a long stint on the disabled list, but he needs to turn it around by the July 31 deadline.

If Hart doesn’t improve fast, the Mariners will be looking to add another bat of any sort. Ruggiano hits lefties well (.869 OPS versus left-handed pitching) and should come at a reasonable price.

In addition to the outfielders listed above, Ben Zobrist is a big name who will be available. Zobrist has a wRC+ of 117 and can be plugged in at any number of positions, likely right field in Seattle’s case.

However, the Mariners can’t play Zobrist at second base, his most valuable position. Other teams will be likely willing to give up more for him.

Pick up a mid-level starter

Despite the great pitching numbers, the Mariners will soon have a need for a starter.

Roenis Elias is unraveling, with 16 earned runs allowed in his last three starts. He has never thrown more than 148.1 innings in a professional season and is quickly approaching that mark.

Greg Johns of MLB.com reports that James Paxton will make a rehab start at Low-A Everett on Thursday. Still, a lat injury is difficult to recover from, and Paxton could be shut down for the year with even another minor setback.

Taijuan Walker is back, but the Mariners are going to be incredibly careful with both him and Paxton. Lloyd McClendon was also less than pleased with Walker’s start in Tacoma last Sunday, according to Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio KJR:

Even veteran Chris Young is on pace to pass his career-high innings count of 179.1. The Mariners need a healthy and reliable option behind Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma.

The big name out there is David Price. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports believes the Mariners should trade for the ace.

“Yes, the Mariners would need to give up legitimate pieces for Price – one rival executive suggested a package of right-hander Taijuan Walker, infielder Nick Franklin and third baseman D.J. Peterson, the 12th overall pick in the 2013 draft,” he wrote.

Walker and Nick Franklin would be understandable in a trade, but the name that should concern the Mariners is D.J. Peterson. The Mariners can’t afford to lose any offensive prospects due to the difficulty of attracting hitters to Seattle, particularly ones with Peterson’s power.

It would be hard to fault the Mariners for going for it, but acquiring Price assumes they can win a World Series in the next two years. That’s possible but not probable without at least two bats.

Instead, a cheaper mid-level starter might be a better option. Ian Kennedy is the kind of player who would be a good fit.

Kennedy has a 3.47 ERA (2.94 FIP) and has struck out 26.1 percent of batters faced while only walking 6.7 percent. He is a slight fly-ball pitcher, meaning his numbers shouldn’t drop too much transitioning from Petco Park to Safeco Field.

San Diego Padres manager Bud Black explained why he thinks Kennedy is on pace for some of the best numbers of his career, including a career high in strikeouts, via Will Laws of MLB.com:

“I think Ian is throwing as well as he’s thrown in a few years as far as just pure stuff and making pitches. His velocity is up, his secondary pitches are good. So it doesn’t surprise me at all.”

If Seattle wants a starter, it will take more than a relief pitcher. The Mariners have a number of shortstops who are blocked at the major league level and could be traded.

Franklin is the most valuable, but the Mariners could also get something for Chris Taylor or include Ketel Marte as part of a package.

The Mariners need to make acquisitions, particularly bats, to reach the playoffs. Once there, anything is possible with Hernandez and Iwakuma at the top of the rotation.

All stats via FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

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It has become redundant to say, but the Oakland A’s made the biggest assault on a possible 2014 World Series title when they added Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to their already-dominant pitching staff on the Fourth of July.

With the trade deadline just over two weeks away, it may be easy to assume that the A’s will now stay quiet and not make any more splashy moves. The team is already saturated with talent and without their two top prospects, Addison Russell and Billy McKinney, as trade bait.

But here is a scary thought if you are the rest of Major League Baseball: Not only did the A’s land two of the most coveted free-agent pitchers and become immediate World Series favorites, but now with a surplus of young, talented arms, they are primed to be buyers at the trade deadline to address their limitations at second base.

It was not headline news, but when the A’s acquired Samardzija and Hammel from the Cubs, Tommy Milone was demoted to Triple-A. Also, recovered from a broken hand, Drew Pomeranz was activated from the disabled list Sunday and then promptly sent down as well. There simply is not room in the rotation.

With wins in his last six decisions and a 3.55 ERA that was on the decline before being sent down, Milone would not be in the minor leagues for many other ballclubs. Pomeranz sports a 2.91 ERA over 55.2 innings pitched this season. He, too, deserves to be in the big leagues. Furthermore, A.J. Griffin (3.60 career ERA in two seasons with Oakland) and Jarrod Parker (a former ninth overall pick and the owner of a 3.73 ERA in two years with the A’s) will both return from Tommy John surgery next year.

Thus, thanks to the Samardzija-Hammel acquisition, the A’s now have a surplus of young, talented starting pitching. With four pitchers (Milone, Pomeranz, Griffin and Parker) all without jobs, or five pitchers (now including Jesse Chavez, who was formerly a relief pitcher) vying for one spot in the starting rotation, the A’s are clearly an attractive target to many teams.

Yet while the A’s may have the pieces to make another deal at the trade deadline, it is obvious that they do not have many glaring issues.

The three-headed monster of Dan Otero, Luke Gregerson and Sean Doolittle has erased any semblance of a concern in the bullpen. Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss, Yoenis Cespedes and Coco Crisp are everyday staples at their respective positions. And the first base and catcher positions have turned into the three-way platoon of Derek Norris (.294 BA), Stephen Vogt (.358 BA) and John Jaso (.274 BA). Do not ask how it is working, but it clearly is.

Middle infield for the A’s, however, has been a different story.

Granted, Jew Lowrie has done an admirable job at shortstop. In 90 games (82 starts), he has posted a .234 batting average and driven in 34 runs.

Second base is where the bulk of the worry lies, and it has only escalated since utility man Alberto Callaspo was placed on the disabled list after straining his right hamstring, as John Hickey of the San Jose Mercury News reports. 

Switch-hitting Nick Punto (160 at-bats) and left-handed-hitting Eric Sogard (156 at-bats) currently share time at second base and have struggled immensely. The two have combined for a total of one home run, a .202 batting average, a .259 slugging percentage and 16 RBI while manning second base—all position lows for the A’s. Their .273 on-base percentage and meager 25 walks (also both position lows) presumably make for an irate Billy Beane.

The A’s continue to be heavily dependent on Lowrie to carry the weight of the middle infield. An injury to the seven-year shortstop would be catastrophic, as a Punto-Sogard middle infield would be about as offensively inept as they come.

There are a number of potential solutions for the A’s and their middle infield concerns.

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley and New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy are both subject to being shipped elsewhere in the coming weeks. The two are the best-hitting second basemen on the market, but the chances the A’s acquire either is slim, given the fact that Utley does not want to leave Philadelphia in the first place (as Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News reports), and the Mets are asking for a hefty amount of minor league offensive talent in return for Murphy.

Luis Valbuena of the Chicago Cubs has also drawn interest from the A’s, but the Cubs are reluctant to deal him, as Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal states. However, with prospect Arismendy Alcantara making a case for himself as their everyday second baseman (9-for-23 with a home run, five RBI and a stolen base in his first five big league games), Valbuena may be on his way out.

Perhaps the best fit and most realistic acquisition for the A’s is Tampa Bay Rays do-everything-man Ben Zobrist. Slashing .266/.401/.754 with a .352 on-base percentage and five multihit games in his last nine contests, Zobrist would provide a noticeable and immediate boost offensively. His ability to play second base, shortstop and either corner outfield position makes him an even more intriguing option for the A’s.

Karl Buscheck, the A’s Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, views Zobrist being traded to the A’s as an ideal situation for both teams, as the Rays are likely to be looking for young pitching at the deadline. Tommy Milone, Drew Pomeranz, Jarrod Parker or A.J. Griffin would all be at their disposal.

Combine this perfect match that addresses the needs of both teams with the parting words of general manager Beane in an interview with Jim Bowden of ESPN (h/t MLB Trade Rumors) and it is clear the A’s will not be complacent with their league-leading 59-36 record:

Well, you know, there’s a lot of time left, Jim. Whether you have needs or not, you have to take advantage of the environment. This is a time that everybody comes to the table. And whether you’re actively pursuing something specific, you want to be a part of the conversation. I don’t want to say we’re done. The short answer is: I hope we’re active still.

Follow Jacob Garcia on Twitter @Jake_M_Garcia or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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The Cleveland Indians have some work to do at the upcoming July 31 trade deadline. The team currently sits at 45-46, 7.5 games back of the division-leading Detroit Tigers and 3.5 games back of the Seattle Mariners for the second wild-card spot.

The Indians need help in a couple of different areas, including the starting rotation and the bench. Aside from those two areas, the team has a collection of players who are simply underperforming. For a team with limited funds, and limited willingness to give up top prospects, it can be difficult to bring in the pieces necessary to put themselves over the top.

In any event, the team needs to do something, and that’s what I’m here to help sort out. Over the next few slides, I’ll break down the club’s biggest areas of need, their moveable pieces, some possible targets and even propose a few deals the Indians could look at to bolster their roster.

Let’s get started.

All stats are current through play on July 10, 2014 and come courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and Fangraphs.com unless otherwise noted.

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The Oakland A’s made fireworks with a blockbuster trade to land both Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel on the Fourth of July, according to ESPN insider Keith Law, giving up Addison Russell, Billy McKinney, Dan Straily and a player to be named later.

With it, they made one thing abundantly clear to the rest of baseball: The A’s are going for it all right now, and they are your 2014 World Series favorites.

This team already had MLB’s best record (53-33) and the American League’s best rotation before acquiring a dominant duo from the north side of Chicago. Oakland now has nothing short of an embarrassment of riches.

But let’s be honest—we’ve seen this all before. The A’s have always had arms for days, seemingly cornering the market in young, prized mound artists. What makes this the team that can finally break the playoff failures the franchise has seen during the Billy Beane run?

In a word: offense. Oakland is leading all of baseball with 430 runs scored and has a powerful trio of Brandon Moss, Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes leading the charge with a combined 51 home runs and 178 runs batted in before the All-Star break.

Throw in 72 more RBI from the remarkable catching trio of Derek Norris, John Jaso and Stephen Vogt, and you have a team that can shut you out and put up crooked numbers all over the scoreboard.

There is one key element of this trade that needs to be discussed, however.

In the deal, the A’s sacrificed one of baseball’s best prospects in Addison Russell, a shortstop soon to be ranked No. 6 in Baseball Prospectus’ next top-50 list (per BP’s own Jason Parks):

Addison Russell will rank #6 overall on the upcoming #BPTop50. That would give the #Cubs the #3, #5, #6, and #18 best prospects in MiLB.

— Jason Parks (@ProfessorParks) July 5, 2014

This would be fine and dandy if Samardzija were a legitimate piece of Oakland’s future. The reality is, the ace pitcher will sprint away from the Bay Area for a $100 million contract in a little more than a year while the A’s sit back and look to execute their next move.

Hammel is a free agent following the 2014 season as well, so this smells very much like a bold rental to push for a World Series title that has suddenly fallen right into their laps.

A feel-good story for one of MLB’s most beloved underdogs has transformed into a Yankees-like championship-or-bust mentality, something this franchise is certainly not used to. A mediocre landscape of teams across the American League should give the A’s confidence, but the overhanging pressure of a bull’s-eye on their backs will be quite the hurdle to overcome.

If 2014’s bright hopes end in failure, Oakland will be just fine. The team will let Hammel walk and replace him with what it hopes is the Jarrod Parker of old—and we have no reason to believe he won’t be, even after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery.

And if all goes to hell, Billy Beane will simply hop on the telephone and trade Samardzija away to replenish the pieces he sacrificed to acquire him in the first place. The Matt Holliday experiment in 2009 provides a clear precedent there. (He was traded to St. Louis for Brett Wallace, Clayton Mortensen and Shane Peterson after appearing in 93 games with Oakland after signing on as a free agent.)

The benefit of acquiring a coveted pitching asset whose arm has very little mileage on it is that MLB teams will be no less desperate for his services a year from now. Samardzija can be flat-out nasty, and his body type and limited wear and tear should keep him healthy.

The A’s have identified a rare opportunity to break their 25-year title drought, and they just made the deal they had to make to build a proper postseason-ready rotation.

Some will question the forfeiture of such a dynamic prospect for what essentially amounts to a one-year rental, but it’s a rental that makes the difference between contender and clear-cut favorite in the American League, and that’s always a deal worth making.

These are not the A’s of 2002, when a 103-win team was just ninth in MLB in runs scored during the height of the steroid era. This team can mash, and it also has as deep a bullpen as anyone in the sport.

The A’s are making a stand and going for it all in 2014. When you put the pieces together, it looks like they just might succeed.

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If the Boston Red Sox intend to make a playoff push in the second half of the season, they’ll likely need to go after some outside help.  Below is a shopping list that may come in handy for the Red Sox as the trade deadline approaches:

1. Offense
2. More offense

To say that Boston is “offensively challenged” would be an understatement.

The Red Sox recently went eight straight games without ever scoring more than three runs, and they only managed to put up that many once during the stretch.

On the way to winning the World Series in 2013, Boston led all of Major League Baseball in averaging 5.27 runs per game.  This year’s club is scoring nearly a full run-and-a-half less.  From ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes:

The Sox averaged 3.86 runs per game in their first 72 games. Only five times in their history have they averaged fewer. Two were war years (1943 and 1945), one was 1968 — when the entire big leagues went into a collective slump, prompting a lowering of the mound — one was in 1932, when the Sox lost 111 games and one was in 1992, when they finished last.

Edes also notes that Boston is on pace to plate just “306 runs” at Fenway Park, which would be the team’s lowest home output since 1945.

For the Red Sox to have a chance of returning to the postseason this year, their lineup will have to become significantly more potent.  Any efforts Boston might make to bolster its roster will almost certainly involve outfielders.

David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Mike Napoli are fixtures at DH, second base and first base, respectively.

Before the season started, catcher A.J. Pierzynski was signed to a one-year $8.25 million contract with the though that either Christian Vazquez or Blake Swihart (both ranked among the organization’s top 10 prospects) would fill the position in the future.  If Pierzynski is to be replaced, it’ll be from down on the farm not through a trade.

Last month Boston re-signed Stephen Drew at roughly $10 million for the remainder of the season, then installed him at shortstop and shifted phenom Xander Bogaerts to third base.  Barring a catastrophic slump, neither of them will be going anywhere either.

The Red Sox’s infield is locked in.  The outfield, on the other hand, is a mess.

Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is struggling to hit above .200, right fielder Shane Victorino isn’t healthy and left field is a revolving door of various players.  Brock Holt and his .318 batting average have been a very pleasant and unexpected surprise, but sadly he can’t play every position simultaneously.

In order to combat its scoring woes, here are three outfielders Boston may want to pursue in the weeks ahead:

Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

The Red Sox are rumored to be showing interest in Kemp, but there are conflicting reports as to the validity of the rumors.  On Sunday Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe wrote “The Red Sox, who need to improve their righthanded hitting, spent significant time watching Kemp last week.”  However, on Monday WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford countered with:

According to a major league source, there is “nothing going on” regarding the Red Sox and a possible acquisition of Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp.

There had been reports that the Sox were heavily scouting Los Angeles, with Kemp as a potential target. But while the Red Sox continue to explore multiple avenues in regard to upgrading their outfield’s offensive production, according to the source there is no momentum regarding any deal involving the Dodgers outfielder.

Regardless of whether or not Boston is currently chasing Kemp, he’s definitely someone who could add a spark to the Red Sox’s batting order.

Kemp made the All-Star team and finished second in the NL MVP voting in 2011 and was again an All-Star in 2012.  He’s been plagued by injuries ever since, though, appearing in just 73 contests in 2013. After getting off to a slow start this season, Kemp is batting .310 in 44 games dating back to May 3.

The major downside with Kemp is that he still has five-and-a-half seasons left on an eight-year, $160 million contract that runs through 2019.

Dexter Fowler, Houston Astros

Fowler is in the second season of a two-year, $11.6 million deal, and he is eligible for arbitration in 2015. But he likely doesn’t fit into the Astros’ long-term plans, and they could be happy to trade him in order to build for the future.

This season Fowler is hitting .277 with six home runs, 24 RBI and a .383 on-base percentage.  But like Kemp, he has overcome a slow start, batting .313 with a .431 OBP in 174 plate appearances since May 12.  Fowler also has stolen six bases, which would lead a Red Sox club that has swiped a total of just 27 bags all year.

Seth Smith, San Diego Padres

Smith will be a free agent at the end of the season, and San Diego might be eager to get what they can for the 31-year-old before his contract expires.  In 64 games for the Padres, Smith is hitting .286 with a .396 OBP.

His power numbers are what should be of great interest to Boston, though—Smith’s eight home runs would rank third on the team behind Ortiz (17) and Napoli (9), while his .519 slugging percentage would be tops on the Red Sox by a large margin over Ortiz’s .478.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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