The Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies can be fixed, but it won't be easy.
MLB Rumors: Cardinals should trade for Shane Bieber
The common take on Shane Bieber is simple — the Cleveland Guardians don't view him as an ace-level talent, and neither do many front office executives around baseball. This makes one of the best pitchers in the American League the last few years — statistically at least — available for an affordable asking price.
Per Zack Meisel of The Athletic, the Guardians primary needs are on offense, so they don't mind dealing Bieber considering the young pitching already on their roster and coming up through the minor-league ranks:
"The Guardians' primary needs are glaring. They rank at or near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories. Any young hitter with the ability to rack up extra-base hits would be welcome. The two logical avenues to acquiring such a player: package prospects or trade Bieber. It might even behoove the Guardians to do both.
As is customary, the Guardians boast plenty of starting pitching depth, with rookies Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee asserting themselves as reliable, big-league options. Triston McKenzie and Aaron Civale returned from the injured list last weekend. Gavin Williams, a consensus top-50 prospect, has fared well in seven starts for Triple-A Columbus."
Still, a front-office executive quoted by Ken Rosenthal suggested the Guardians won't find a thriving market for Bieber, at least not at their current asking price. The Cardinals, while one of the worst teams in the National League as of this writing, aren't in a position to rebuild. If they're smart, they will retool around a pitcher like Bieber, who would immediately become one of the top two pitchers on their staff.
St. Louis has the young, polished hitters the Guardians are looking for, specifically in their outfield with Tyler O'Neill and Dylan Carlson.
MLB Rumors: Cubs should trade for Jose Cisnero
The Chicago Cubs have one of the worst bullpen ERAs in baseball, making it obvious what their biggest weakness is entering mid-June. While the Cubs could easily sell at the deadline — with the likes of Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman already discussed among MLB pundits — they'd be smart to try and acquire a reliever or two. Building a bullpen from scratch isn't easy, and right now David Ross doesn't have much to work with.
The Detroit Tigers, meanwhile, are clear sellers. They've fallen out of the AL Central race of late, and Scott Harris knows his team is still a few years away from contention. With that in mind, he'd be smart to trade proven assets in a contract year, such as Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Lorenzen, and even Jose Cisnero.
Cisnero has been one of the best relief pitchers on the team this season, with a 2.55 ERA in 28 appearances. While Detroit hasn't played with the lead all that much this year, Cisnero has been dependable when called upon, and would immediately slot in towards the back of the Chicago bullpen, just as he has in MoTown. It's a role he's familiar and comfortable with.
The Cubs and Tigers have traded with each other previously, in deals for Michael Fulmer and more. That familiarity should aid any move down the line.
MLB Rumors: Phillies should trade for C.J. Cron
C.J. Cron has been sidelined for the majority of the season, suffering back spasms in the middle of May. He hasn't been able to resume baseball activities just yet, but the Rockies are hopeful he will return to the major-league squad by the end of the month.
Assuming Cron is healthy — and that's a rather large assumption given his current status — he's a powerful pull hitter and a decent defender at first base. The Phillies need both of those things — more pop in the lineup and a first baseman who care replace the likes of Kody Clemens and Darick Hall. Rhys Hoskins is on the 60-day injured list.
Cron should be affordable given his numbers are down on the year — he's slashing just .228/.277/.426 in 36 games. However, Cron is just a year removed from far better statistics, including 29 home runs. He was a run-producer in Colorado last season, and with the right lineup around him, can be a solid middle-of-the-order bat when called upon.
Philadelphia has a tough decision to make come late July. Dave Dombrowski is not known for selling, and the Phils are less than a year removed from a World Series appearance. Trading away pieces from a contending team would be deflating for a fanbase that has supported them through it all. Perhaps a minor addition, like Cron, could be enough to sneak into an NL Wild Card spot. Most importantly, the Phillies cannot and should not trade away Aaron Nola.
MLB Rumors: Mets should trade for Eduardo Rodriguez
Detroit Tigers ace Eduardo Rodriguez has been out for a few weeks now due to injury, but when he returns, he should be one of the top trade commodities in what's been a relatively weak market so far. The Tigers are clearly selling, and Rodriguez, given his current numbers, is likely to opt out at the end of the season in search of a larger contract.
Because of this, Detroit general manager Scott Harris would be wise to move Rodriguez while he still can. Given the current status of the team, doling out the money necessary to re-sign E-Rod seems unlikely. The Tigers are still several years away from winning.
The NY Mets, while still several games under .500, could turn it around at any moment. They have the highest payroll in the sport for a reason, and if that talent starts to kick in, watch out. Should that occur, Steve Cohen would be wise to direct Billy Eppler to acquire another ace-level pitcher by any means necessary. Cohen has claimed he won't "blow things up" despite his starting staff's struggles this year. Adding, technically, is not blowing it up. It's merely helping out a group that looks a little overmatched.
"When things get really bad, I'm not going to blow up," Cohen told the New York Post. "I don't think that's the proper response. I don't think it solves anything, other than it gives people a one-day story. But it doesn't really solve anything."
Cohen took blame for the team's current roster construction, which as of just a few days ago, included a pitching staff with the fifth-worst team ERA in the majors. This is despite having Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander on the roster. Combined, those two veterans will make nearly $100 million this season alone.
Rodriguez will be expensive, but he's also the kind of starting pitcher the Mets need to hold this thing together.