Hopes for an exciting MLB trade deadline are fading fast. With just over 24 hours to go before the final bell rings on 2019 deals, not even the rumors are all that interesting. Oh, things will happen. Tepid as this year's free-agent class might be, there are some players who will be moved because their continued existence on non-contenders just doesn't make sense. At some point, the asking prices on some of these guys will drop and come in line with what the numerous contenders across baseball are willing to give. Mostly likely, that will involve a lot of very young players mainstream fans have never heard of.
In the meantime, we're left to debate and to dream. We see possible deals to be made, trades that make sense on paper. If the decision-makers who actually get to pull off these swaps were listening, we'd have plenty to tell them. But they don't listen and the current mechanisms that trigger interesting baseball transactions feel more mysterious than ever.
As we wait, here are two ideas for deals that might spice up this increasingly underwhelming benchmark on the MLB calendar.
FROM THE REALM OF THE POSSIBLE
Cardinals acquire Zack Wheeler and Edwin Diaz from the Mets for Harrison Bader and a package of pitchers from the high minors.
It seems a safe bet that the New York Mets will move another starting pitcher, and now that Jason Vargas is a Phillie, the identity of that pitcher will likely be either Wheeler -- a free-agent-to-be -- or Noah Syndergaard, whose name has bubbled up on the whisper wire for months. Syndergaard has two more years of team control left after this season, which drives up his asking price. The Mets are looking to contend in 2020 and possibly even this season. Thus you'd figure they would be looking to add big-league-ready talent, the kind that contenders don't typically part with at this time of the year. While some team could get creative in pursuit of Thor, that makes Wheeler the more likely candidate to be dealt.
The list of contenders who could use a midrotation starter like Wheeler is as long as the list of contending teams. So the question is:
What do the Mets need back to address their goal of remaining competitive in the near future? Well, there is always a need for relief pitching, an area where there is a tremendous shortage at the moment and, likely, for the foreseeable future. The Mets have an elite closer in Diaz, who has not been elite this season but has underlying metrics that suggest his underlying skills largely remain intact. Diaz is a possible trade candidate, given his team-friendly contract and the widespread need for relief help.
Voilà! The Mets can package Wheeler and Diaz, set up the rotation and lineup for next year and focus on rebuilding the bullpen this winter.
If this train of thought aligns with the thinking of Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen, the best fit out there for a trade partner is St. Louis.
The Cardinals, in prime position to win the NL Central, could build a package around young center fielder Harrison Bader, who was recently demoted to Triple-A because of his struggles at the plate. However, Bader is a defensive stud with upside as a hitter who would give the Mets a long-term solution at one of the biggest positional holes in the organization. St. Louis could add a couple of arms from the high minors to bolster New York's depth in that area, guys such as Austin Gomber and Genesis Cabrera.
The Astros seem to be emerging as the favorites to land Wheeler, but it's hard to see how Houston can fulfill New York's need for a starting center fielder. St. Louis can afford to part with Bader, especially given the rise of prospect Randy Arozarena, who has a 1.011 OPS at Triple-A Memphis. (And, by the way, if the Mets won't bite on Bader, perhaps they would on Arozarena.)
FROM THE REALM OF THE FANTASTICAL
Angels acquire Zack Greinke and Robbie Ray from the Diamondbacks for Jo Adell and a package of minor league pitchers.
Angels GM Billy Eppler has done yeoman's work in building up the once-barren farm system of the Angels, and we're already starting to see that pay dividends at the big league level. Prospect Matt Thaiss has come up and early on looks like he's capable of plugging a hole in the infield. Overall, L.A.'s offense has mostly been potent in the second half of the season.
The Angels' rotation, however, remains well shy of playoff-caliber. Last weekend, with a chance to really insert themselves into the playoff conversation, L.A. flopped at home against the woeful Orioles, losing three of four while giving up 31 runs. On Monday, the Angels lost at the Big A 7-2 to the even-more-woeful Detroit Tigers. With a tough road trip looming with stops in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Boston, it looks like yet another season of Mike Trout's career will end with no October baseball. And because Trout is having yet another career season, that is a loss for us all and an unfortunate set of circumstances for MLB.
So ... go all-in, Angels. No, I wouldn't want to ship away prized prospect Jo Adell ... but I might if I thought it would end Trout's postseason drought. I'd also be willing to part with a couple of my top-10 prospects. I fully realize that it's borderline indefensible from a value standpoint, but the Angels are still only 5½ games out of a wild card. Let's get in a couple of arms and see if we can catch lightning in a bottle.
My targets: Greinke and Ray. For this, you're talking a massive payroll expansion given Greinke's contract, and you'd probably have to persuade him to waive his no-trade clause. And you'd probably have to give up Adell while adding at least one of your best pitching prospects. You're risking an even worse version of last year's deadline deal in which Pittsburgh sent Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow to the Rays for Chris Archer.
But you'd have Greinke for two more seasons after this one, and Ray is under control for 2020. By that point, Shohei Ohtani will have returned to the rotation and the starters begin to look like a major strength. Even with this deal, a Trout October appearance this season remains a long shot. But L.A.'s chances for 2020 and 2021 would look that much brighter. Rational? No. But when you're talking about a top-10-ever player in his ninth season still looking for his first postseason win, irrational thoughts emerge.