MLB Week in Review (July 21-27)
It’s that time of the year again as the MLB is in the thick of the trade deadline where teams determine where they will be going in the second half.
In every league, the trade deadline is essentially the symbol for the start of the playoff race.
It is the time when teams really decide whether they are headed for a playoff run or they are ready to pack it in for the year.
They will either trade away top veterans to get prospects for the future or they load up on veterans for their run towards the postseason.
The MLB is no different as the trades have already been going on with prospects changing hands and bigger names headed to playoff teams.
Rumours continue to build as some teams seem like they’re ready to sell everyone and start completely over with a new team for the rest of the year.
There are other teams clearly willing to spend to get the guys that they want for their postseason run.
The interesting part about this year’s trade deadline though is the amount of big names that are seemingly dangling out there for teams to take.
Names like Justin Verlander and Yu Darvish are out there along with other former stars like Sonny Gray are all available.
The Detroit Tigers are seemingly ready to blow up their team and begin a rebuild after years of being one of the top teams in the league.
The Rangers don’t seem to be ready to make a serious run at the title and so they are looking to unload Darvish before his contract is up and they get nothing from him.
There are plenty of other names out there to be traded and there are sure to be a few more before the trade deadline ends.
The issue with these big names is that they rarely move at the deadline with teams a lot less desperate to make that big move.
A rental player like Verlander or Darvish can certainly add to a team as they get ready for a run into the postseason.
They can add that extra arm that many teams need and for some teams they can be that essential replacement for an injured star.
The problem with these names is that their price is so high that it makes them very tough to move.
Teams trying to move them are not going to let them go easily and often they depend on a little bit of desperation from others.
If they wait long enough a team might just get desperate enough to sell the farm system and get one of the big names.
It has happened plenty of times before as teams have pulled the trigger on deals that were not very good for the future of their team.
It is becoming less and less as teams are a lot more aware of where they are in the league and where their farm systems stand.
For so many in the past, it was all about winning right now as getting that rental player was fine as long as it got them into the postseason.
They reached the postseason and then if they fell short of the World Series title they were left trying to pay for the big contract of the rental player or left without him altogether.
They are also left without their top prospects for the future leaving them in a really tough place.
It might be worth it if they can bring a title home but only one team gets to do that and the rest are left trying to pick up the pieces.
Teams know this all too well and so the panic button isn’t hit nearly as often as it used to be making it tougher for those big names to get traded.
They are simply not willing to sell their entire future to win right now and many of those teams are already on their way to the postseason.
They can continue that run with the players they have now and not add another rental veteran in order to get them there.
Some teams are still desperate enough to get that last minute deal and make a massive trade right before the deadline.
Some teams might be in that situation as there are a few teams out there with some issues in certain positions.
They might just believe that adding a big name could solve their issues and they might be willing to give up more to win right now.
Decisions will be made and the postseason run will begin but the big question will be whether or not someone gives up more to get one of the big names.
Extra Innings
Kershaw Sidelined
Injuries can really sink a team’s run at the postseason if they come at the worst time in the season. The Dodgers are experiencing that right now as they just lost their ace pitcher possibly right until the end of the season as Clayton Kershaw will be out for 4-6 weeks. He hopes to be back in September but by then their run could be over depending on how they manage. He may return just in time for the final stretch but the loss of Kershaw isn’t going to help them.
Beltre Moving Up
Adrian Beltre is on the edge of joining an elite club in the MLB that is simply one of those numbers that everyone aims to reach. He is only a few hits away from joining the 3,000 hit club to become the 31st person to achieve that goal and tying Roberto Clemente on the all-time hit list. He almost got there earlier in the week if it wasn’t for a bizarre moment where he was tossed from the game while warming up in the on deck circle.
Record Day for Miami
The Miami Marlins are a team that has looked good at points and not so good at others as they continue to rise and sink through the standings. Some believe they are about to be sellers at the trade deadline but if they do lose some big names they may have gone out with a bang. They scored a franchise record 22 runs against the Texas Rangers this week including a collapse by Jason Grilli who allowed a big home run by Giancarlo Stanton.
The Sport Addiction 