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The Hot Stove League hasn’t been officially open for a full week yet and the rumor mill has already begun to spin, with teams expressing interest in free agents and general managers beginning to chat on the phone about how their respective clubs may be able to help each other out in potential trade scenarios.

Teams that we don’t normally expect to be aggressive in the offseason, such as the Minnesota Twins, have been dominating the headlines this week, while news surrounding the biggest name available, second baseman Robinson Cano, has been far less than anyone expected.

What’s the latest news on your favorite team’s plans for the 2014 season?

Click the big orange button below to find out.

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You may be ready for the offseason, but there will be several moves that will catch you and every other baseball fan by surprise between now and the next few months.

Not all free-agent signings will be as obvious as Zack Greinke, the top free-agent pitcher of last offseason, going to the team with the most money to spend, the Dodgers. And the trades that appear to make the most sense almost never happen. But that’s why we pay such close attention during the four months of the year (November through February) when Major League Baseball isn’t even being played.

It’s a safe assumption that at least two or three big moves will seemingly come out of nowhere this winter. So before things begin to heat up, I’m going to predict five potential moves that probably would have caught you by surprise had you not read it here first.  

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Just a few days into the MLB offseason, the rumor mill is already in full swing, and one of the most interesting names that has been brought up so far is Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija.

Originally viewed as a possible extension candidate heading into the 2013 season, Samardzija took a step back, and with an extension now unlikely, the 28-year-old could be moved this offseason.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Diamondbacks and Cubs could pick up trade talks that began at the July deadline but did not produce any action at that point.

The Cubs drafted Samardzija in the fifth round of the 2006 draft and signed him to a five-year, $10 million deal with a $2.5 million signing bonus in order to assure he would not jump ship and pursue a career in the NFL after a prodigious career as a wide receiver at Notre Dame.

He’s had an up-and-down big league career to this point, but the 28-year-old appeared to have turned a corner in 2012, as he was handed a rotation spot out of spring training for the first time in his career and quickly became the Cubs best starter.

Entering what should have been the prime of his career in 2013, the hope was that he could take another step forward and establish himself as a legitimate staff ace and a cornerstone of the Cubs’ rebuilding efforts. That was not the case, though, as he instead took a step back across the board.

That was enough of a decline for a Cubs team that is incredibly thin on starting pitching up and down the organization to at least consider moving Samardzija.

Samardzija has two years of team control left and is still projected to be a bargain in arbitration at $4.9 million, according to MLB Trade Rumors, so he won’t come cheap to anyone trying to acquire him.

What can the Cubs realistically expect to get in return, though? Let’s first take a look at some recent blockbuster trades for starting pitchers.

To say Samardzija is a notch below the guys on that table would not be unfair, but in a relatively thin market for starting pitching and given his controllable years and reasonable salary, a similar return may not be out of the question.

For the sake of argument here, let’s focus specifically on the team currently linked to him—the Diamondbacks.

Top young arms Tyler Skaggs and Archie Bradley are likely off the table, as is slugging third-base prospect Matt Davidson, but the rest of their farm system could be available. That includes an impressive crop of second-tier pitching prospects, all of whom would be of interest to a pitching-thin Cubs team.

Considering none of those guys ranks among the team’s top three prospects—in fact, none ranks among baseball’s top 100 prospects, according to MLB.com Prospect Watch—it’s conceivable that the Cubs could land two of the arms on that list.

The most attractive options for the North Siders may be Holmberg, given how close he is to major league ready, and Barrett as a potential closer of the present and future in a bullpen that is anything but sorted out long term.

That may not be enough for the Cubs to pull the trigger, but if the Diamondbacks were to throw in one of their unwanted starters who could step into Samardzija’s rotation spot—like Brandon McCarthy, along with some of the $10.25 million he’s owed—and another low-minors prospect with some upside, that could get a deal done.

This basic outline of a package applies to whatever team the Cubs may wind up negotiating with. A pair of top pitching prospects, a decent big league starter capable of taking Samardzija’s spot and a low-level minor leaguer seems like a fair asking price for Samardzija at this point.

Whether the Cubs pull the trigger on a deal remains to be seen, but if they are not going to lock up Samardzija, moving the big right-hander now could be in the best interest of the team’s rebuilding efforts.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The most discerning MLB general managers understand the art of buying low.

These talent evaluators don’t just throw money at any player on the scrap heap. They know exactly when to spring for a free-agent ace rebounding from major surgery. They choose just the moment to pull the trigger on a deal for a floundering star who is ready to explode.

On the trade and free-agent markets, most players are wildly overvalued. However, there are also players who aren’t. They are the players with defects—everything ranging from injury concerns to PED links to major underproduction.

Here’s the ranking of the top 10 “buy low” options on the MLB winter market this offseason. The list begins with No. 10—the safest bet, and counts down to No. 1—the player with the largest upside, but also the highest risk.

10. David Murphy

2013 Stats: .220/.282/374, 26 doubles, 13 home runs, 77 OPS+, 0.4 WAR

David Murphy picked a terrible time to have the worst season of his career.

As Matthew Pouliot of HardballTalk.com noted, Murphy lost 200 percentage points off his OPS in 2013. The left fielder was consistently poor throughout the season, as he managed an .800 OPS or better for just one month. However, a resurgence is highly possible.

Murphy’s power didn’t desert him, as he still hit 13 home runs. In eight big league seasons, he owns a .778 OPS. While his contract year did not go to plan for Murphy, potential suitors will have the chance to buy an accomplished hitter at a discount price.

9. Starlin Castro

2013 Stats: .245/.284/.347, 34 doubles, 10 home runs, 72 OPS+, -0.1 WAR

2013 Salary: $5 million (first season of seven-year, $60.57 million deal)

Starlin Castro posted career lows in just about every statistical category in 2013.

His average dropped, his OBP tumbled below .300 and the young shortstop struck out at his highest rate ever. It’s certainly troubling that Castro laid an egg in the first year of his big contract. While his numbers were down by Castro’s standards, a quick peek at the list of free-agent shortstops serves as a reminder that he’s still a solid option at the position.

The Cubs need pitching badly. As Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune explained, flipping Castro could help the team fix that problem:

“You have to think a young shortstop would bring a lot of pitching, or at least one pitcher better than what Jeff Samardzija was supposed to be.”

The team also has an heir apparent to Castro in Javier Baez, which would enable them to absorb the loss.

If not for that massive deal anchoring him down, Castro would be the ultimate “buy low” candidate. As it currently stands, he’s still an intriguing option at a very weak position around the league. If he regresses more in 2014, though, his value will plummet. 

8. Josh Johnson

2013 Stats: 2-8, 6.20 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 9.2 K/9

2013 Salary: $13.75 million

Josh Johnson was so bad in 2013 that it’s almost hard to remember how good he used to be.

Last season for the Toronto Blue Jays, the righty made just 16 starts as he dealt with elbow injuries. Johnson’s season was cut short in August and he eventually had to undergo surgery on his pitching arm, per Matt Snyder of CBS Sports.

A dismal season and elbow woes are not exactly how any pitcher wants to enter the free-agent market. The one positive from Johnson’s 2013 season was that he posted the highest K/9 ratio of his entire career.

Clearly, Johnson can still produce swings and misses when he’s physically right. A return to the NL with a one-year deal could be just what the tall right-hander needs to get back on track.

7. Michael Morse

2013 Stats: .215/.270/.381, 13 doubles, 13 home runs, 84 OPS+, -1.6 WAR

2013 Salary: $6.75 million

Michael Morse was terrible for not one, but two teams in 2013.

The slugger posted a sub-.700 OPS in a half-season for the Seattle Mariners before getting shipped off to the Baltimore Orioles. Morse’s production didn’t pick up with the change of scenery either, as he hit just .103 in limited duty for the Orioles.

Morse’s best season came in 2011, when he finished with 31 home runs and a .303 average for the Washington Nationals. Moving forward, Morse still provides enormous raw power, but at the cost of a low average and huge strikeout numbers.

6. Carlos Ruiz

2013 Stats: .268/.320/.368, 13 doubles, 5 home runs, 90 OPS+, 1.4 WAR

2013 Salary: $5 Million

Carlos Ruiz is not returning to his 2012 form.

In 2012, he hit .325/.395/.540 with 32 doubles, 16 home runs and a .935 OPS. In 2013, Ruiz only made it into 92 games due to a 25-game suspension for using amphetamines and because of a strained hamstring. Ruiz’s power all but vanished, as he totaled just five home runs and posted a .368 slugging percentage. Plus, the catcher is about to turn 35.

Still, the veteran backstop should have multiple options. Troy Renck of the Denver Post reported that the Colorado Rockies are pursuing Ruiz. The main draws are his playoff experience and his skills in handling pitching staffs.

Ruiz would represent a far more compelling “buy low” candidate if he weren’t a ghost of his former self at the plate. 

5. Corey Hart

2013 Stats: Did not play due to injury

2013 Salary: $10 million

Corey Hart missed all of 2013 after undergoing surgeries on both of his knees.

It was brutal timing for Hart after he had totaled 30 home runs in 2012 and clocked at least 26 homers in each of his two prior seasons. Had the right-handed hitter posted stats like that again in 2013, he would have scored a major multi-year deal.

Now, however, Hart just wants to make thinks right with the Milwaukee Brewers. He explained to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

I’d definitely take a discount to stay here because I think I owe it to them to stay here and be a cheaper player…Nobody wants to play for free but I basically sat there and watched all season. I owe it to them and the fans to come back at a cheaper price.

It’s a generous offer from Hart. With 30-home run potential, however, the Brewers won’t be the only bidder for the two-time All-Star.

4. Kevin Youkilis

2013 Stats: .219/.305/.343, 7 doubles, 2 home runs, 78 OPS+, -0.4 WAR

2013 Salary: $12 million

Kevin Youkilis only played in 28 games for the New York Yankees in 2013 due to back problems that kept him off the diamond.

According to Mark Feinsand of the Daily News, there are no longer “any issues” with his health. After back-to-back subpar seasons, however, Youkilis will have a bit of an issue in landing a new deal. 

The infielder will be intriguing option for teams looking for power at the corner infield spots, but at a substantially lower price tag than the $12 million he earned in 2013.

Youkilis will be 35 by Opening Day 2014. With another big season, he could play his way into one last multi-year deal. Another dud of a season, however, will see him fall off the radar altogether.

3. Brett Anderson

2013 Stats: 1-4, 6.04 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 9.3 K/9

2013 Salary: $5.75 million 

2013 was a lost season for Brett Anderson.

The lefty appeared in 16 games for the Oakland A’s and ended the season in the bullpen. Despite his struggles, the A’s have already picked up his $8.5 million option for 2014.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that move could be the precursor to a trade, with the Blue Jays as a potential landing spot.

Oakland has a stable of young starting pitchers, so relying on the injury-prone Anderson doesn’t make much sense. In five big league seasons, the 25-year-old had made 30 starts just once. For less pitching-rich teams, however, trading for Anderson is a risk worth taking.

There simply aren’t that many left-handed starters with his level of talent. Now, if only Anderson could just stay healthy.

2. Roy Halladay

2013 Stats: 4-5, 6.82 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 7.4 K/9

2013 Salary: $20 million

For the first time since 2004, Roy Halladay failed to win 10 games last season. 

After making just seven starts, the veteran had to undergo shoulder surgery in May. When the two-time Cy Young Award winner returned in August, it did not turn out well.

John Finger of CSN Philly explained that, “His velocity was gone, and the bite on his breaking pitches had no teeth.”

That’s a rough assessment regarding Halladay, and it doesn’t bode well for the 36-year-old’s future. However, Finger also noted that Halladay had hurried back from the surgery to help out the club. With a full offseason to rest, Halladay has the chance to regain that edge.

For a contender, the eight-time All-Star could be the X-factor in 2014. For that to happen, though, Halladay will have to settle for an incentive-laden deal just a year after pulling in $20 million.

1. Johan Santana

2013 Stats: Did not play due to injury

2013 Salary: $25 million

Johan Santana is the ultimate reclamation project.

According to Andy Martino of the Daily News, the New York Mets have already dropped $5.5 million to buy out the lefty’s $25 million option for 2014.

Santana missed all of 2013 as he rehabbed from surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. That was the second time that Santana had undergone the same procedure.

As Adam Rubin of ESPN New York pointed out, it took Santana 19 months to recover from his first surgery. That means there’s no guarantee he’ll pitch in 2014 even though he has already begun to throw.

For a team with a deep starting staff, Santana represents the perfect flier. When he’s physically right, Santana is one one of the most devastatingly effective pitchers in recent memory. The only catch, however, is that he may never be healthy enough to pitch again.

All stats are from MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com. All salary information is provided by Baseball-Reference.com. Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs.com. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

While superstars Robinson Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury headline MLB‘s free agent class this offseason, several big names could be on the move via the old-fashioned way: trades.

In fact, when the trade dust settles, a Cy Young winner, MVP runner-up and World Series MVP may all have new homes by Opening Day 2014.

Read on to find out which players might be packaged in Hot Stove blockbusters.

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With MLB free agency set to begin, so too are the rumors and speculation of players who will be traded.

Last year, it was guys like R.A. Dickey, Jose Reyes, Justin Upton and James Shields who were traded to new teams. And this year is no different, as many big names have already been rumored to be moved. But will those deals happen? 

Here’s a look at some of the biggest names on the trading block this offseason.

Note: All stats obtained from ESPN unless otherwise noted.

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With the 2013 Major League Baseball season now in the books, speculation regarding this year’s free-agent class and the developing trade market is beginning to heat up.

Last winter, several of the game’s top-ranked prospects were dealt in exchange for established, veteran talent.

The Royals decided to trade phenom Wil Myers, who is likely to be named the AL Rookie of the Year in the near future, right-hander Jake Odorizzi and two additional prospects to Tampa Bay in exchange for James Shields and Wade Davis.

Then, just eight days later, another prospect-based, blockbuster deal transpired as the Blue Jays dealt highly regarded right-hander Noah Syndergaard, top-ranked catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud and two other players to the Mets in exchange for 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey and catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas.

While this year’s offseason is just beginning, it’s a safe bet that numerous big-name prospects will be wearing different uniforms by the start of the 2014 season.

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We can make all the predictions we want about the upcoming offseason. But the reality of the prediction business is that each time a move is made that comes out of left field, a lot of the thinking that went into the remaining predictions can go right out the window.

And trust me on this one. There will be signings and trades that no one predicted. Mystery teams are very real. Teams that no one have discussed as being a suitor for a particular free agent will sign that free agent. Players that haven’t been reported as being on the trade block will be traded. 

An unexpected trade will, in turn, force a team to go in a different direction to fill a void and target players not originally thought to be fits. A starting pitcher will sign with a team that already had five good starters, opening up another trade possibility for a team that might be seeking help on the free-agent market.

A team filling a need via trade could mean that there is one less bidder for a free agent, which could even limit the player’s asking price. As a result, a team that didn’t think they could afford that player could swoop in at the last minute and strike a deal. 

With that said, here are a few different timelines of predictions which take into account the changes in the market that will occur with each major free-agent signing or trade at a particular position. 

Right-Handed Power

The first two weeks of the free-agent signing period normally don’t include many big names changing teams, and this year will be no exception. There will be several free agents coming off the board, though, after re-signing with their current teams. 

The most notable moves having the biggest effect on the the market early on will be the Red Sox inking first baseman Mike Napoli to a two-year, $30 million deal and the Pirates bringing back outfielder Marlon Byrd on a two-year, $16 million deal. 

With Byrd and Napoli off the board early in free agency, teams desperate for a right-handed middle-of-the-order bat will zone in on Nelson Cruz. With the Diamondbacks, Phillies and Rangers very likely the top three suitors for the 33-year-old, and the Royals, Mets and Giants also possibilities, the ensuing bidding war will push the price tag to four years and $60 million.

The winner (or loser, depending on how you view Cruz (pictured) at $15 million per season for his ages 33-36 seasons a year after he was suspended 50 games for PED use) will be the Phillies, who are seeking a right-handed-hitting corner outfielder to balance out a lefty-heavy lineup. It’s a risky signing ,but the lineup is actually very good on paper. 

1 Ben Revere, CF
2 Jimmy Rollins, SS
3 Chase Utley, 2B
4 Ryan Howard, 1B
5 Nelson Cruz, RF
6 Domonic Brown, LF
7 Cody Asche, 3B
8 TBD, C

With Cruz’s big deal, Corey Hart will likely scrap any plans to re-sign with the Brewers at a discounted rate, as he’s expressed interest in doing. The Rangers, who could utilize him at first base and the designated hitter spot as he returns from multiple knee surgeries that forced him to miss all of 2013, could be an excellent fit. 

The Masahiro Tanaka Effect

As pointed out by Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the uncertainty surrounding Tanaka (pictured), specifically the potential changes that are being discussed to the posting system, could push back the process that will determine which team wins negotiating rights with the 25-year-old star out of Japan.

Hyun-Jun Ryu and Yu Darvish were each posted in December of the past two offseasons, respectively, and were signed to deals in January. With several teams expected to be in the mix for Tanaka, who several front office executives and agents told Passan they believe will cost more than Darvish—his combined posting fee and contract cost the Rangers over $110 million over six years—the market for the top starting pitchers could also move at a snail’s pace. 

If Ervin Santana and his agent, for example, aren’t getting the free-agent bids they are hoping for, they’ll simply wait until the Tanaka posting is complete in the hopes that the teams that lose out will re-focus their attention back to him.

Of course, teams that either aren’t interested in Tanaka or have the financial resources to acquire both of the top two starting pitchers could try to lock up Santana, Matt Garza or Ubaldo Jimenez early in the offseason.

Since it’s unlikely that any team will dish out the $200 million it would take to land both Tanaka and one of the top starters, expect that trio to sign in late December and possibly even January as they wait out Tanaka‘s posting process.

The Yankees, who need to bring in at least two starters, will look to sign a second-tier starter early on before making a strong push for Tanaka. If they convince Hiroki Kuroda that they’re going to spend freely and build a winner for 2014, I think he’ll stick around for one more season. Then they’ll spend freely to win the Tanaka bidding and head into 2014 with a rotation that has a chance to be pretty good.

1 CC Sabathia, LHP
2 Hiroki Kuroda, RHP
3 Masahiro Tanaka, RHP
4 Ivan Nova, RHP
5 Michael Pineda, RHP 

The Closer Carousel

For the most part, teams are not willing to invest big money into their closer. And after watching Koji Uehara, who made $4.25 million in 2013, and rookie Trevor Rosenthal, who made the minimum $490,000 salary, dominate throughout the playoffs, who could blame them? 

Even Edward Mujica, a journeyman middle reliever, was one of the best closers in baseball once finally given the chance when the Cardinals had limited options early in the season. How Mujica‘s season ended, however, is why giving almost any pitcher “closer money” is a big risk. 

The 29-year-old was hit hard in September and was relegated to mop-up duty in the playoffs. It’s not a surprise, given the history of relief pitchers. It’s hard to know what you’re going to get from year to year. The Cards just happened to catch lightning in a bottle with Mujica and ended up riding him all the way to the playoffs before turning to Rosenthal.

Mujica‘s value has dipped, but in reality, there could be more teams interested in bringing him on now at a much lower rate than had he finished the year strong. 

That’s because the closer’s market is full of pitchers who are deserving of closing jobs and the big contracts that come with that role. Here’s a list of those in that group, in order of how I ranked them at MLBDepthCharts:

Joe Nathan, RHP (pictured)
Grant Balfour, RHP
Joaquin Benoit, RHP
Jesse Crain, RHP
Brian Wilson, RHP
Edward Mujica, RHP
Fernando Rodney, RHP

Several others with closing experience, including Kevin Gregg, Ryan Madson, Chris Perez and Jose Veras, could be had at a discounted rate. 

Now let’s take a look at some teams who could be in need of a closer. The current projected closer is listed in parentheses:

Chicago Cubs (Pedro Strop)
Cleveland Indians (Cody Allen)
Detroit Tigers (Bruce Rondon)
Houston Astros (Josh Fields)
New York Mets (Bobby Parnell)
New York Yankees (David Robertson)
Oakland Athletics (Ryan Cook)
Tampa Bay Rays (Joel Peralta)

Nathan could start things off by signing a two-year, $26 million deal with the Tigers. Here’s how the rest of the dominoes will fall:

Fernando Rodney to the Yankees (1 yr, $10M), Closer
Jesse Crain to the Red Sox (3 yrs, $18M), Setup man
Grant Balfour to the A’s (2 yrs, $18M)
Joaquin Benoit to the Dodgers (3 yrs, $18M), Setup man
Edward Mujica to the Mets (2 yrs, $8M), Closer until Parnell returns from neck surgery
Brian Wilson to the Cubs (2 yrs, $20M)

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Los Angeles Angels were one of the most disappointing teams in baseball. After entering the 2013 season with a lot of hype, they never developed into a serious contender, finishing 18 games behind the Oakland Athletics in the AL West.

Now, the effort to fix the roster begins. The pitching staff is the main area of concern after the Angels finished with a 4.23 team ERA, which ranked 24th in the majors. They are apparently seeking ways to add some pitching by moving a couple hitters. 

Buster Olney of ESPN reports Mark Trumbo and Peter Bourjos are currently on the trade block, with Los Angeles willing to move both in order to upgrade the staff.

The Angels want pitching,and sources say they’ve indicated a willingness to other teams to trade Peter Bourjos or/and Mark Trumbo to get it.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 29, 2013

Trumbo, a notoriously streaky slugger, has racked up 95 home runs over the past three seasons. The hope is he’ll be able to increase his on-base percentage, which is a tick below .300 for his career, as he enters his peak years to provide a little more production beyond the homers.

Injuries and a lack of a defined role have prevented Bourjos from making a major impact with the Angels. In 2011, the only season where he received a full compliment of at-bats, he hit .271 with 49 extra-base hits and 22 stolen bases.

Bourjos’ season came to an early end due to a wrist injury. Other teams will obviously want to make sure he’s making progress in his recovery before making any type of serious offer for him.

That said, both players should carry solid value on the trade market. Whether it’s enough for the Angels to make any major improvements to their rotation or bullpen is unclear. But at the very least it’s a starting point heading into the offseason.

Upgrading the pitching staff is crucial for the Angels to bounce back in 2014.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As of August 30, 16 major league teams either hold a playoff spot or are within 6.5 games of one and could be looking to improve their playoff chances by making a waiver-wire deal by tomorrow’s deadline to add players who will be eligible for a playoff roster.

Eleven August trades have happened thus far:

• The Texas Rangers acquired outfielder Alex Rios from the Chicago White Sox for prospect Leury Garcia.
• The Kansas City Royals picked up utility infielder Jamey Carroll from the Minnesota Twins and utility man Emilio Bonifacio from the Toronto Blue Jays, both for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
• The Tampa Bay Rays acquired lefty reliever Wesley Wright from the Houston Astros for cash considerations.
• The Washington Nationals acquired outfielder David DeJesus from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later.
• The Oakland A’s acquired catcher Kurt Suzuki and cash from the Nationals for minor league pitcher Dakota Bacus.
• The Rays acquired outfielder David DeJesus from the Nationals for a player to be named later or cash considerations. 
• The Pirates acquired catcher John Buck and outfielder Marlon Byrd from the Mets for minor league second baseman Dilson Herrera and reliever Vic Black.
• The Indians acquired outfielder Jason Kubel from the Diamondbacks for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
• The Cardinals acquired reliever John Axford from the Brewers for a player to be named later.
• The Orioles acquired first baseman/outfielder Michael Morse from the Mariners for outfielder Xavier Avery.

With a few trade possibilities still lingering, here’s all of the latest waiver-trade buzz from around the league.

Nationals Resurgence Taking Dan Haren Off the Market?

As Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported earlier in the week, there hasn’t been strong interest in Nationals right-hander Dan Haren, who has a 2.53 ERA in his past 53 innings pitched. But could it be that the Nats just aren’t that interested in dealing him now that they’ve closed to within striking distance of a wild-card spot. 

With 14 wins in their past 19 games, the Nats have improved their record to 68-65. While they’ve gained just 2.5 games in the wild-card standings over that span—they’ve moved from nine back to six-and-a-half back—it’s close enough to where it’s a realistic possibility. After failing to live up to very lofty expectations all season long, trading one of their best starting pitchers at a time when things are finally clicking on all cylinders just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Red Sox Could Add Bullpen Help

Tim Britton of the Providence Journal notes that the Red Sox could use another right-handed reliever. While manager John Farrell says he’s not too concerned—Ryan Dempster, who was the Cubs‘ closer from 2005-2007, will likely move to the bullpen once Clay Buchholz returns from the disabled list—it sounds like he’s at least open to a deal if one made sense. 

Junichi Tazawa, who is currently the lone right-handed setup man in the Sox’s bullpen—Matt Thornton and Craig Breslow are the primary left-handed options—has had a terrific season (2.75 ERA, 59 IP, 9 BB, 63 K, 20 holds) but has allowed runs in consecutive appearances.

The 27-year-old has bounced back from bad outings before, which is why he’s starting to be considered one of the top setup men in the league, but it would benefit the Sox to have another right-hander late in games to face tough right-handed hitters.

One option could be Matt Lindstrom (pictured), who would be the third White Sox player to be acquired by Boston this season—Thornton and Jake Peavy are the others. The 33-year-old right-hander, who cleared waivers earlier in the month, is holding right-handed batters to a .588 OPS. Overall, he has a 3.04 ERA with 17 holds and only one homer allowed in 53.1 innings.  

The Justin Morneau Watch

It appeared that Justin Morneau (pictured) was giving the Twins a very nice going-away present in the form of an increased trade value after he started the month with 27 hits in 89 at-bats (.303 BA), including seven homers, seven doubles and 19 runs batted in. That value might have deflated some, however, during his current 1-for-23 slump. 

Small samples usually don’t sway a player’s value one way or another during the season, but when a team is making a trade specifically for a small sample of the season—in this case, it would be about 30 games and possibly the playoffs—it would make sense to acquire a player when he’s on a hot streak. 

On the other hand, Morneau’s price tag could’ve dropped just enough for a team like the Pirates to swoop in and pick him up for the stretch run without giving up any prospect of significance or taking on much of his remaining salary. The Bucs have shown interest in the past, and Rosenthal recently tweeted that they may be one team that is currently interested. 

Two teams that may have been interested—Baltimore and Cleveland—can probably be ruled out of the mix after they recently acquired Michael Morse and Jason Kubel, respectively. 

Other Last-Minute Trade Possibilities

A few interesting names that haven’t popped up in the rumor mill, mostly due to these players being on the disabled list until recently, are Angels starter Jason Vargas and Mariners outfielder Franklin Gutierrez. 

Vargas, who has made four starts since returning from a disabled list stint due to a blood clot in his armpit, has allowed just one earned run over 13.1 innings over his past two starts. The 30-year-old lefty was placed on waivers on August 19, according to Rosenthal, but there was no word on whether he cleared or not. 

The likelihood is that he did pass through unclaimed, given his salary (still due close to $1.5 million) and the fact that he didn’t pitch well in his first two outings (9.2 IP, 7 ER) after returning. If this is the case, contending teams looking to upgrade their rotation will be interested in striking a deal by tomorrow, especially after what he did versus the Rays on Thursday (7 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 7 K).

In the case of Gutierrez, there is no question that he is a huge injury risk, so giving up any prospect or taking on any salary will be viewed as a questionable decision. But in between all the time he’s spent on the disabled list this season, he’s been a very productive hitter and has always been good against left-handed pitching (.833 career OPS vs LHP), in particular. His three-hit performance on Thursday, which included his second homer in two games, could open some eyes. 

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported in early July that teams were calling about the 30-year-old, although he was out at the time and ended up missing more than two months with a hamstring injury before returning on Monday.

If a contending team is willing to take a chance and the M’s will pick up some of the remaining $1.5 million in salary (approximately $1 million in 2013, $500K buyout in 2014), Gutierrez could be a difference-maker for a contending team down the stretch.  

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