The New York Mets are six games out of the NL East race, and if they can turn things around by the trade deadline, there are plenty of worthwhile additions they can make without breaking the bank.
One of those could be Zach Jackson of the Oakland Athletics. Jackson is one of the better relief pitchers in the American League, and he's still in his pre-arbitration years, which makes him inexpensive for Steve Cohen. Jackson could cost a significant amount in prospect capital. He has several years left on his contract and the A's need to sell. As the Athletics head to Vegas (or stay in Oakland, depending on who you ask) they want someone to market. Jackson won't be it.
If the Mets feel confident enough in their bullpen as-is without Edwin Diaz, then perhaps Matt Duffy makes sense. Duffy can play second base, third base or the outfield. As the poor man's Jeff McNeil, Duffy has played in 21 games and hit rather well. This Mets team lacks depth, and that's exactly what a player like Duffy can bring them at a rather cheap rate. FanSided's John Frascella outlined this need just a few weeks ago:
"The Mets' depth is currently shallow, so Duffy looks like a potential fit in more ways than one, especially with his ability to plug into virtually any lineup on a given day at a variety of positions."
Clearly, the Royals will be selling.
The Boston Red Sox lack pitching, even with the recent resurgence of Chris Sale. Assuming Boston can maintain its relatively surprising status in the American League Wild Card race, Lucas Giolito is a popular trade target for a team that needs high-end pitching. FanSided's Cody Williams laid out the argument in trading for Giolito:
"In eight starts, Giolito already has five Quality Starts to his credit while posting a 3.59 ERA and 1.11 WHIP on the year. He's looked back in All-Star-caliber form but has just been saddled with a Chicago team that just looks lost.
If the Red Sox can offer some high-end prospects for Giolito, he would be a phenomenal fit in the rotation, especially if Chris Sale can continue on the uptick as he has been recently. That's a fantastic 1-2 punch that would answer a ton of questions about Boston's ceiling in the 2023 season."
Any trade for Giolito would include some near-MLB ready prospects. In mock trade packages earlier this week, I suggested the Braves trade young shortstop Vaughn Grissom, as an example. FanSided's Robert Murray considered Giolito as "likely" to be dealt earlier this week given the White Sox current struggles. He's on an expiring deal, also.
Dylan Cease is the shiny toy most teams will be distracted by at the deadline, but Giolito is the more cost-effective option. Boston should take a swing while they can.
A few days ago I floated Eduardo Rodriguez as a likely trade target of the St. Louis Cardinals. He very well could be, but let's pretend John Mozeliak wants to aim higher. The Chicago White Sox are expected to at least take calls on ace Dylan Cease, though it seems unlikely that they'll find fair value. FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray discussed the possibility of a Cease trade earlier this week:
"With Cease under contract for two more arbitration seasons, any potential acquiring team would have him under contract for at least three postseason runs. As one of the best young pitchers in baseball, it would take a substantial haul to pry him out of Chicago."
That substantial haul would start with some of the Cards top prospects, such as Jordan Walker and Tink Hence. St. Louis has a strong enough system to land Cease for those three playoff runs, and the Cardinals are lacking a true ace. However, Cease has struggled so far this year, which is worth watching.
Just a season after finishing second in AL Cy Young voting, Cease has a 4.86 ERA in nine starts. His numbers have looked a little better of late, perhaps suggesting a turnaround. His most recent start against the Oakland Athletics was a scoreless outing.
"Finally, I think some of the work going into it paid off. Any time you get a win and hold them scoreless, it's fantastic," Cease said. "Just working on some mechanical stuff to help me execute more consistently.
The better Cease pitches, the greater his trade value will be. It's unclear if the Cardinals are willing to meet the asking price.