The MLB trade deadline looms large this week, with a number of legitimately big names potentially on the move as teams assess how close they are to competing for a World Series title. Of course, there's a big difference between what's going to happen and what we think should happen, so we asked ESPN.com's Bradford Doolittle and Dave Schoenfield to figure out the best possible trades for eight of the biggest names on the market.
The Chicago Cubs should trade Craig Kimbrel to the ...
Doolittle: The Philadelphia Phillies' bullpen has been a yawning chasm for a couple of years. Just over the past month, they've led the majors in blown saves, so it's not a problem that appears to be getting better. And yet the Phillies have gradually improved their playoff odds with each passing week, to the point that they are in a legit, three-team race with the Mets and Braves. Giving Joe Girardi the luxury of penciling in Kimbrel to protect ninth-inning leads would at least give the manager the chance to focus on bridging the matchups between the starters and Kimbrel. As good as Kimbrel is, as a short reliever on an expiring contract, his trade value should be somewhat limited. Yet teams will be after him, so the Phillies might have to overextend in terms of prospect quantity. Given the past decade or so of Phillies baseball, it's the least they can do for their fans.
Schoenfield: The Houston Astros were No. 3 in this week's Power Rankings, with an argument to be No. 1, but adding Kimbrel to the back of the bullpen might make them the team to beat in October. Their lineup is as good as anybody's -- even without Alex Bregman for more than a month -- and their rotation goes seven deep with quality starters. Rookie Luis Garcia, by the way, has been crushing it, with a 2.49 ERA since the middle of May. Closer Ryan Pressly has been dominant (1.35 ERA, one home run allowed), but good luck beating the Astros in the late innings if you slide Pressly into the setup role with Kimbrel as closer. The Astros ranked just 28th on Kiley McDaniel's preseason farm system rankings, but they do have some power arms the Cubs could roll the dice on (although don't expect Houston to trade Hunter Brown).
The Cubs should trade Kris Bryant to the ...
Schoenfield: This has to be the New York Mets, right? They need a hitter, they could use Bryant's versatility at third base or in the outfield and they have an owner who should be aggressive enough to take on Bryant's remaining salary and give the Cubs a prospect in return. The Cubs know they can get a compensation pick for Bryant in next year's draft if he leaves as a free agent, so they're not going to give him away. The Mets and Steve Cohen have incentive to get something done, with the Phillies, Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals all closing in.
Doolittle: I think the Mets are the team, but Dave beat me to the punch on that, so I'll take a Chicago-centric view of this and say the Chicago White Sox, and I'm not even joking. It would be epic. Bryant would give the South Siders a big-time bat for right field and a major source of schadenfreude for their fans if they got to see Bryant celebrating a World Series clincher at Guaranteed Rate Field. The recent era Cubs have proved willing to deal with their Windy City counterparts -- see Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease on the ChiSox roster -- so why not? In reality, I'm not sure I see a great match in terms of talent going to the Cubs. It would have to be a fairly large group of players for an expiring-contract guy and would have to include someone the White Sox really want to hang on to, such as Jake Burger. But, man, that would be a fun transaction.
The Colorado Rockies should trade Trevor Story to the ...
Doolittle: The Cincinnati Reds have been trying to navigate a major league season without an actual everyday shortstop since the offseason. Yet they remain one hot streak away from putting some real pressure on the Brewers in the National League Central. Story would be a terrific addition for them on both sides of the ball. And if there is one place where his offensive numbers (expected, not actual, 2021 results) could be expected to hold up outside of Coors Field, it's Great American Ballpark. Maybe they could dangle Nick Senzel as a change-of-scenery candidate along with a couple of pitchers from the low minors. Senzel is a bit on the old side for the kind of player the Rox should be pursuing, but you never know.
Schoenfield: Story hasn't had a great walk year, with an OPS+ below league average, and he'll be due nearly $6 million over the final two months, so you're asking a team to buy Story's numbers from 2018 to 2020 if you swing a deal. That's reasonable, but the money complicates things a little bit. But what's money to Jerry Reinsdorf? The White Sox are built to win now, and even though they'll be getting Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert back to bolster the lineup, why not add Story, as well? Leury Garcia has played well replacing the out-for-the-season Nick Madrigal at second base; but Story could be a huge power upgrade, and he shouldn't have issues sliding over from shortstop.
The Texas Rangers should trade Joey Gallo to the ...
Schoenfield: The Milwaukee Brewers, especially if they think Gallo can handle center field (which he has in the past). The Brewers' top home run hitters are Avisail Garcia, Luis Urias and Willy Adames -- not exactly Murderers' Row, even if Adames has been terrific since coming over from the Tampa Bay Rays. All three also hit right-handed, so getting a lefty masher -- given Christian Yelich's lack of power this year -- would be big. The bonus is that Gallo is under team control through 2022. The Brewers might not have the farm system talent to get Gallo, but this could be the best Brewers team since Harvey's Wallbangers in 1982. Give up some talent and turn Milwaukee into the city of champions.
Doolittle: The New York Yankees. I don't even know if it's a good idea for New York, but I just want to see Gallo's swing in that ballpark for an extended period of time. If Dave can put Gallo in center field for the Brewers, New York can stick him there at Yankee Stadium. And people would freak out, because it's another big, powerful, high-strikeout, low-contact guy for a team that has gotten hammered for having too many players like that. This has got to happen.
The Washington Nationals should trade Max Scherzer to the ...
Doolittle: I don't know if the St. Louis Cardinals can afford to pursue Scherzer after this season, so this is their chance to provide some rocket fuel to their injury-riddled rotation and give St. Louis fans a chance to see the native of St. Louis County work for them instead of against them. The Cardinals have underachieved, in my opinion, though others might say they are doing about what they figured to do. But they are still in range, and they could enter the stretch run -- and October, if they get really hot -- with a one-two punch of Scherzer and Jack Flaherty. St. Louis could build a trade offer around an upper-levels pitching prospect -- maybe Zack Thompson, who is having a terrible season in Triple-A.
Schoenfield: Well, I don't think they'll trade him, but ... gulp ... the Dodgers? Trevor Bauer might not pitch again this season, Clayton Kershaw is still out with a forearm strain and David Price hasn't necessarily inspired a lot of confidence. Could the Dodgers actually need a starting pitcher? Should we remind them that a championship in a 162-game season is better than one won in a 60-game season? Given the importance of finishing in first place and avoiding the wild-card game, Scherzer might be the Dodgers' ticket to passing the San Francisco Giants. Speaking of, maybe the Giants are the answer here.
The Rangers should trade Kyle Gibson to the ...
Doolittle: Both starting pitchers in our scenarios today are Mizzou products, and if Scherzer makes sense for the Cardinals, so too does Gibson. But I'll go with the Rays, who could use a starting pitcher to go with their big acquisition of Nelson Cruz. And goodness knows, Tampa Bay has the prospect depth with which to nudge out any suitors the Rangers might be entertaining for Gibson's services. This might be the last piece of the puzzle for Tampa Bay to solidify the Rays as the American League favorite entering the postseason tournament. They might be that anyway.
Schoenfield: The Toronto Blue Jays need some rotation help, and while they might be acquiring high on Gibson's first half, he is under a reasonable contract for next year ($7 million), as well, so at least you're getting him as more than a rental. The Jays have a deep system with upper level talent close to the majors that should be of interest to the Rangers.
The Miami Marlins should trade Starling Marte to the ...
Doolittle: With Ronald Acuna Jr. and Marcell Ozuna out, and with Cristian Pache trying to find himself in the minors, the Braves need more outfield help than Joc Pederson can provide. Marte would give the Braves' as-is lineup some needed dynamism for the stretch run. Atlanta and Miami don't seem to get along very well with each other, but that shouldn't preclude the front offices from coming to an accord on a fair offer. Miami will surely get some strong proposals for Marte, but I'd like to see the Braves put their best foot forward, while their current window of contention remains open. Freddie Freeman is still an elite player, but as good as he is, he can't be that forever.
Schoenfield: Turn this into an intradivisional bidding contest between the Braves and Phillies, both in need of a center fielder. The Braves have a much better farm system, but the Phillies might be more desperate.
The Kansas City Royals should trade Whit Merrifield to the ...
Doolittle: The White Sox are a perfect fit for Merrifield's skill set, especially with Nick Madrigal out for the season. I've been throwing the name Adam Frazier out every chance I get as the guy Chicago should target, but that's not happening now. Still, Merrifield has the same qualities, though he's a righty hitter and the White Sox could use a lefty bat to balance their lineup. (Hence Frazier.) Still, Merrifield's high-contact game and ability to steal bases would be a great fit for Tony La Russa. The White Sox have several decent outfield prospects, which the Royals could use, so maybe a player like that along with a pitcher could get it done.
Schoenfield: Imagine what the Royals could have gotten for Merrifield after the 2019 season, coming off two straight .300 seasons when he led the AL in hits, with a team-friendly contract that ran through 2023. The contract is still team-friendly, and Merrifield is still a good player; but now he is 32, and the contract is just two more seasons instead of four. The Mariners could use him; maybe they're a long shot to catch the A's for the wild card. But Seattle needs a second baseman, and Merrifield is a long-term investment for the next two seasons.