MLB Rumors: Who could the Phillies trade?
At 26-31 on the season, the Philadelphia Phillies enter a critical stretch as their front office decides who to trade, and who to hang on to for a possible stretch run. The NL East is no division for cupcakes, and that's exactly what the Phillies have played like so far this year.
Aaron Nola, the team's ace, is likely the most intriguing trade target of opposing teams. Nola is in the final year of his deal and would be acquired as a rental. He's still expensive, however, given he can lead just about any rotation to a pennant, if not more. Nola's had a down season by his standards, but with a fresh start, who knows what he's capable of?
Beyond Nola, however, the Phillies could trade any number of players, including Seranthony Dominguez and Craig Kimbrel, per That Ball's Outta Here's Justin DiVirgilio. Kimbrel, while having an up-and-down season, still offers a lot to a contender, per DiVirgilio:
"Kimbrel has looked revived in certain aspects. His fastball has somewhat returned to the form of his prime with a high velocity, movement, and break on the pitch. The fastball being reinvigorated makes his funky slider that drops off the table harder to hit. It would make sense for the Phillies to take what they can get in a trade for an expiring contract who is a reliever with closer experience in the postseason."
As for Dominguez, that would serve as a more devastating loss for the organization. Dominguez is also under club control through the 2024 and 2025 seasons, making it all the more unlikely that the Phillies feel inclined to trade him now.
Nola, as well as Kimbrel, are assets the Phillies should use to repair their farm system if they fail to improve prior to the deadline.
MLB Rumors: Red Sox media turns on Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers stat line is concerning in the respect that his on-base percentage remains below .300. While Devers has plenty of power (13 home runs) and is hitting .241 (bad, but not terrible), he's failing to make the impact that his record contract suggests.
NBC Sports Boston's John Tomase wrote that fans have come to expect more out of Devers. Now that he's being paid like the face of the franchise, he needs to deliver:
"Take away his two-homer game in San Diego a couple of weeks ago, and the last month has basically been a wasteland. Devers isn't hitting velocity, he isn't hitting for power, and he isn't hitting right-handed pitching. He swings at everything, he rarely walks, and he's not delivering in the clutch.
Add five errors and average defensive marks, and you've got a player who's not pulling his weight in a Red Sox lineup that desperately needs him to be David Ortiz."
Tomase is right in the respect that Boston is falling behind quickly in a crowded AL East. There isn't much margin for error, and the Red Sox have needed their best hitter to perform for the better part of a month-plus now. Yet, his struggles remain, and fans are frustrated.
"I need to obviously control the strike zone," Devers said. "I'm not the kind of hitter who's going to see a lot of pitches. I'm very aggressive, that's the kind of baseball player that I am. But I know that I need to take some walks when I need to and I'm working on it."
Devers gets it. He's frustrated with himself as well, and eventually he will get it right. He's far too talented to hit like this forever.
The 26-year-old needs to figure things out quickly, though, or else the Red Sox season could be over prior to the trade deadline. As of this writing, they are 11 games back of the Rays for the AL East lead. Yikes.
MLB Rumors: Adam Wainwright preaches urgency with Cardinals
While the St. Louis Cardinals front office and John Mozeliak wanted Cardinals fans to be patient with the team earlier this season, that time has passed. Adam Wainwright is in his final season with the Cards (by most accounts), and understands time is of the essence. The longer the Cards wait to turn things around, the more likely it is that Wainwright will spend his final postseason watching from a couch far away from the action.
"I don't think 'concerned' is the right word," Wainwright said, according to the Post-Dispatch. "I think 'pissed' is the right word. I think everyone is pissed at a lot of different things. We come in here and we look around and we're like, 'What the heck?' Some things can't be explained. You've just got to go and perform."
The Cardinals are fresh off a sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. They are last place in a very bad NL Central division, and there's little hope in sight. Still, this is a team with one of the more talented rosters in baseball, making it all the more puzzling that they have under-achieved to this degree.
"More urgency wouldn't hurt," Wainwright continued.
St. Louis has lost five of their last six games and are 7.5 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. Everyone in the clubhouse was frustrated after Sunday's loss in Pittsburgh, including Oli Marmol, who may soon be on the hot seat himself.
"Not even [expletive] close," Marmol told reporters. "No, not close. It doesn't feel that way at all. In April, we handed over a lot of games in a lot of different ways. Pittsburgh beat us. That feels different than April."
The Cardinals are running out of options, and fast.