The July 31st trading deadline is fast
approaching here for the 2018 MLB season, so let’s take the chance to post a
few bold predictions for every team in the American League Central before the
deadline next Tuesday. Enjoy, and leave your comments and thoughts below in the
comments section.
The Chicago White Sox
will trade Jose Abreu, James Shields, Joakim Soria (traded to Milwaukee after this was written), and Avisail Garcia. The day
the White Sox move Abreu will be a sad day for all their fans involved as he
has become a fan favorite of the fans for his tenure with the team. Chicago is
in the midst of a rebuild though and there are plenty of teams looking for
first base help making a trade to a contender likely. While there are many
teams that are looking for help at first there are even more teams looking for
help with their pitching staffs, specifically in the starting pitching variety.
James Shields won’t net the White Sox a Top 10 prospect by any means, but he
could be a good consolation prize for the team’s that miss out on Chris Archer,
Jacob deGrom, JA Happ (Yankees) or any other pitcher that could possibly be moved. Teams
are always looking for bullpen help and Soria, a proven veteran closer, will be
dealt to a contender either as a closer or as a setup man (ultimately went to the Milwaukee Brewers). The Boston Red Sox
and Los Angeles Dodgers could be in on Soria’s services. Avisail Garcia is
unlikely to be moved as many teams are set on outfield help, but the White Sox
will most certainly be fielding calls and offers for him in the meantime.
The Cleveland Indians
need an outfielder and a fifth starter, and it makes you wonder if two names I
just mentioned would interest them, Avisail Garcia and James Shields. While
both names would make sense on paper I cannot see the Indians settling with
James Shields in a potential playoff rotation. Instead I could see Cleveland
going after Zach Wheeler of the New York Mets to fill their void. Wheeler will
likely cost the Indians a Top 10 prospect or more but would propel the team
into the American League pennant conversation along with the Boston Red Sox,
Houston Astros and the New York Yankees. Cleveland could also take a waiver on
Garcia of the White Sox, but it seems more likely that the team would go
outside the division and acquire someone like Curtis Granderson from the
Toronto Blue Jays instead. That seems like a similar deal to the Jay Bruce deal
that the Indians pulled off with the New York Mets circa 2017.
The Detroit Tigers
could trade Nick Castellanos, Mike Fiers, Shane Greene or Leonys Martin as we
inch towards the July 31st trading deadline. Greene, the team’s
closer, is fresh off the disabled list and will likely come attached to many
doubts as to if he can hold up for the rest of the season, but ultimately a
team like the Atlanta Braves or the Philadelphia Phillies will likely take a
waiver if the price is right. I am leaning towards Castellanos remaining with
the Tigers past the July 31st trading deadline, but I would not put
it out of the realm of possibilities to see him traded before the August 31st
waiver wire trade deadline. Fiers and Martin will be moved in lesser deals, but
Michael Fulmer will remain with the organization at least through the end of
the season after landing on the disabled list earlier this month.
The Kansas City
Royals will trade Mike Moustakas, Whit Merrifield and Danny Duffy before
the trade deadline as the team continues to revamp their farm system and
rebuild from within. Moustakas could draw trade interest from any team that
needs either third base or first base help and, in my opinion, will ultimately
end up with the Colorado Rockies as a first baseman. Meanwhile, any team who
needs bench and utility help will likely be in the market to acquire a player
like Whit Merrifield. Teams that come to mind include the Boston Red Sox, the
Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies to name a few teams. Duffy has not
been stellar, but I truly believe the Royals will benefit from the lack of
strong starting pitchers in this year’s market. Duffy will be a team’s second
or third option, but a switch to the National League and a switch to a pitcher
friendly ballpark like the one out in Arizona could make all the difference for
both the Diamondbacks, and for Duffy himself.
The Minnesota Twins
will trade Brian Dozier, Kyle Gibson, Fernando Rodney and Zach Duke. I already
predicted that the New York Yankees would acquire Gibson, but there would be
plenty of teams lining up for his services and his extra year of team control
if he were to be made available like we are hearing. Dozier is a true rental
and a veteran second baseman that most teams would like on their team for the
playoff stretch run, but ultimately, I see the Los Angeles Dodgers winning in a
bidding war for his services. Every contender for the most part needs bullpen
help, and I can see a veteran like Fernando Rodney helping a young team in the
National League, see the Atlanta Braves or the Philadelphia Phillies as good
examples of potential landing spots, while Duke, a left-handed reliever, could
land with a team like the Chicago Cubs.
Disclaimer: BOLD predictions are meant to be BOLD for a
reason. Keep that in mind before directing hate mail towards me or any of my
writers on the blog or on Twitter. Thanks in advance.
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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)