Team-By-Team Notes
After almost striking a deal Saturday and having it fall apart, the Royals completed a trade for Johnny Cueto on Sunday afternoon, landing an ace from the Reds in exchange for left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed. It was exactly what Kansas City needed, even if the effects of trade deadline deals are almost always overblown. Let’s not forget, it was the Tigers and A’s who looked like the big winners last deadline day, with the Royals and Giants remaining quiet.
The only concern with Cueto is the two recent elbow hiccups he’s had. He missed a start in May and had another one pushed back last month. He’s looked plenty strong on the mound, particularly in throwing eight scoreless innings in Coors Field on Saturday. He’s one of baseball’s 10-best pitchers, and while his ERAs have been aided by the Reds’ strong up-the-middle defenses, he’s going to pitch in front of another outstanding group in Kansas City.
This almost certainly amounts to a rental for the Royals. While they could conceivably pay Cueto this winter, they can’t really tie up that much of their payroll in a pitcher with Alex Gordon in free agency and their young hitters due to get more and more expensive in the coming years. Even with the long-term concerns about his health, Cueto figures to command at least $25 million per year for five or six seasons this winter. It’s why he’s no longer a Red, and it’s why his stay in Kansas City will be short. Only a large-market team can take that kind of risk.
American League Notes
Baltimore: The Orioles are stuck in no man’s land with a few days to go before the deadline, and while they can hardly be ruled out as a postseason team, they have enough teams between them and the wild card that selling has to be considered. There is no shortage of tempting pieces. Matt Wieters, Chris Davis, Wei-Yin Chen, Darren O’Day and Tommy Hunter are all set to become free agents. Also, Ubaldo Jimenez has pitched well enough that the team might be able to shed most of his contract in a deal. It’d be a shame to see the Orioles break up a group that’s still competitive, but since Wieters, Davis and especially Chen appear likely to leave in free agency anyway, it would make some sense to cash them in now in order to rebuild the system. … I’d still rather see the Orioles add a bat and stay in the race. There’s been some talk of using Kevin Gausman for those purposes, but I wouldn’t go that far, unless it’s a young guy who is going to be around a while (Gausman for Corey Dickerson? Something along those lines).
Boston: While the Red Sox would seem to be firmly positioned as sellers after a horrible week and a half, they’re still clearly in the mix for Cole Hamels, who seems like a better fit for them than any of this winter’s free agent starters. It still doesn’t sound like Koji Uehara will exit, in part because the relief market is fairly well stocked and he probably wouldn’t bring a bundle in return. Mike Napoli and Alejandro De Aza are the two players most likely to be moved. Napoli should remain available into August and the Red Sox don’t have anyone they’re looking to break in at first base, so there’s no urgency for a deal there. De Aza would be a fine fourth outfielder for a contender, and moving him would allow the Red Sox to give Jackie Bradley Jr. an extended look in right field. … Shane Victorino is another possibility for an August deal, with the Red Sox paying most of his salary in order to move on. … Even with a De Aza trade, Rusney Castillo wouldn’t seem to be a threat to join the Red Sox before September. He’s hitting just .269/.329/.333 with one homer in 78 at-bats since being sent down to Triple-A.
Chicago: The White Sox have held out some hope of getting back into the race, but they’re still expected to move Jeff Samardzija, likely opening up a rotation spot for Erik Johnson. Johnson was expected to be a rotation mainstay for several years after be handed a job headed into 2014, but he was terrible in the majors and even worse back in Triple-A, posting a 6.73 ERA and a 63/54 K/BB ratio in 105 2/3 innings. This year, he’s been in Triple-A all year long and amassed a 2.59 ERA and a 105/30 K/BB ratio in 94 innings. His stuff isn’t all that great and he’ll be pitching in front of one of the game’s weakest defenses, so he’ll only be an option in AL-only leagues. … Alexei Ramirez’s extreme struggles this season have taken a heavy toll on his trade value, so he’ll probably stick around. If not, the White Sox could move Carlos Sanchez to short and put Micah Johnson back at second. Giving Johnson another try should be a priority anyway. He’s hitting a robust .329/.379/.486 with 24 steals in 255 at-bats in Triple-A.
Cleveland: What seemed likely to be a snoozer of a trade deadline for the Indians picked up with the news that Carlos Carrasco might be available. Carrasco, though, would require a whale of a package. He has a 4.26 ERA this season, but the Indians know that’s largely the result of their poor defense. His 133/26 K/BB ratio in 118 1/3 innings is more telling. I doubt anyone meets the Indians’ demands there, so they’ll likely work around the margins. Free agents to be David Murphy and Ryan Raburn are the top candidates to go. Lonnie Chisenhall should also be available if anyone wants to take a chance on him. … Michael Bourn was benched against three straight lefties over the weekend, and it might not be long before he’s sitting against righties, too. Tyler Naquin has been outplaying Tyler Holt for Triple-A Columbus lately, potentially putting him in line for a callup if both Murphy and Raburn go. … Nick Swisher (knee) is 2-for-10 with three walks on his rehab assignment. His playing time post-return will likely hinge on a Murphy deal.
Detroit: I can’t believe that the Tigers would really sell. Things are still too wide open in the American League, and this is a team capable of making plenty of noise in the postseason if it gets there. It’s not going to cost them much to add a back-end starter to replace Shane Greene and a setup man to pitch in front of Joakim Soria, and that’s all they really need to do to give themselves a shot. … If I’m wrong and the Tigers do sell, it starts with David Price and Yoenis Cespedes, obviously. They can move Soria, too. They don’t have anyone interesting to replace Price in the rotation (or he’d already be in there in Greene’s spot), but maybe they’ll get someone back in a trade. Anthony Gose and Rajai Davis would both be better plays in mixed leagues if Cespedes goes, though Tyler Collins would also be a factor in left field. As for a closer in Soria’s place, I assume it’d be a free-for-all with Neftali Feliz, Al Alburquerque, Bruce Rondon, Alex Wilson and Blaine Hardy all involved. I’d just give Alburquerque the job until Rondon shows he’s ready, but Brad Ausmus has never showed any real faith in him. Wilson has been the Tigers’ best reliever, but since he hasn’t pitched in those kinds of situations at all, he’d be a long shot for saves.
Houston: Scott Kazmir probably lost a smidgen of trade value with the trade from Oakland to Houston, but it’s hardly worth being concerned about. It’s all about health for him, and I’m still not particularly optimistic that he’ll avoid the DL the rest of the way. Unfortunately, that move is going to knock Vincent Velasquez out of the rotation for now. Under other circumstances, Scott Feldman’s 4.54 ERA might have caused him to get bounced. Feldman, though, has the same sort of peripherals he did in posting a 3.74 ERA last year and he’s actually throwing a bit harder this season. … The Astros still might add another outfielder to help out with George Springer (wrist) on the shelf. Ideally, it’d be a center fielder to take time away from Jake Marisnick. … Jed Lowrie (thumb) began his rehab assignment Wednesday and is 2-for-7 so far. To no one’s surprise, he’s played third base all three games. Once activated, he’ll get the starts there against lefties and push Luis Valbuena for playing time against righties.
Kansas City: The Royals wanted to do what was best for Yordano Ventura, which was recalling him to the majors one day after they thought it was for the best that they sent him to Triple-A. Of course, that was a result of Jason Vargas’s latest elbow injury. Now the Royals have Cueto and could send Ventura back down, though Ventura made a strong case to stick around with a fine effort Sunday against the Astros. Ventura’s struggles were overblown anyway; his peripherals were decent all along. He’s not nearly the ace the Royals want him to become, but he is one of their five best options in the rotation and one of the four guys they’re going to need to rely on come the postseason.
Los Angeles: The Angels moved quickly to replace the injured David Freese (hand), picking up the DFA’d Conor Gillaspie from the White Sox. He’s a better solution as a stopgap than Kyle Kubitza, though Kubitza has managed to hang around for now as a part-time left field option. The most likely scenario has the Angels grabbing another left fielder this week, with Matt Joyce probably getting DFA’d in the bargain. Gerardo Parra rates as the most likely possibility. Ben Zobrist would be pretty great here, too, and we know the A’s don’t mind trading within the division. The Angels, though, don’t have as much to offer up as other suitors. … Matt Shoemaker isn’t headed to the bullpen without a fight; he pitched six scoreless innings and struck out 10 last time out. It likely had some influence on the Angels’ decision to hold Jered Weaver (hip) back for five more days rather than activate him to face the Astros this week. I’d take Shoemaker over Weaver (hip) for the rest of the season, but there’s little chance the Angels do the same. It still seems likely that Weaver’s return comes at Shoemaker’s expense.
Minnesota: It’s hard to see the Twins keeping pace with the Royals’ acquisition of Cueto, but they need to do something in the hopes of maintaining their lead in the wild card race. Catcher remains their biggest need, though they don’t seem to realize it. A shortstop would also be ideal, but there just isn’t much out there. They’re aiming for a setup man first, and it doesn’t appear that they’ll get a rotation upgrade. … Oswaldo Arcia might be their biggest piece of bait in a deal, and he’s someone who could suddenly have significant fantasy value in the right situation. His Triple-A homer binge ended with the All-Star break, and he’s cold again of late. However, he’s a major league hitter in need of a chance to show it.
New York: It’s been a while since the Yankees have made a big move at the deadline. That could change this year if they’re willing to move Aaron Judge or Luis Severino as part of a Hamels trade, but they’re not getting mentioned in connection with Hamels as often as other potential suitors. Perhaps that’s just because they’re better at keeping it on the down low. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see them wind up with Hamels or Price if he becomes available. Samardzija and Mat Latos could also help, though they’re not at the same level. … Second base would also be nice to address, but there just isn’t much out there apart from Zobrist, who I think is more valuable as an outfielder at this point. The contracts of Aaron Hill and Brandon Phillips are big liabilities. They could reacquire Martin Prado, but he’s weak defensively. My thought would be to wait and see what happens with Chase Utley after he returns next month.
Oakland: I didn’t like Oakland’s decision to send Drew Pomeranz to the pen in the first place, but once they did it, I think they should have left him there. Instead, he was named Kazmir’s replacement last week. This going back and forth is just likely to result in another arm problem for him. There’s the chance Pomeranz will have a little mixed-league value now that he’s back in the rotation -- assuming the A’s haven’t changed their minds again -- but he’d have to look good in his next couple of outings while he gets stretched back out to be worthy of a pickup. He seemed more interesting for fantasy purposes as a closing option with Tyler Clippard still likely to be traded. … Given the recent bullpen usage, it seems like Edward Mujica will be the short-term favorite for saves if Clippard goes. Fernando Rodriguez remains a sleeper there, since Mujica will probably either struggle or pitch well enough to generate a little August trade value. Sean Doolittle (shoulder) remains hopeful of returning in late August. … The Pomeranz move meant no immediate callup for Barry Zito. A Jesse Chavez trade remains a possibility, and that would open up a spot in the rotation for Zito. … Zobrist remains nearly certain to go. That’ll probably mean more at-bats for Eric Sogard, which isn’t very exciting. Maybe the A’s will find themselves another second-base option in one of their trades.
Seattle: Unable to gain any momentum since the All-Star break, the Mariners aren’t in a position to buy this week, unless they happen to land a catcher on the cheap. They probably won’t do a whole lot of selling either, at least not beyond Hisashi Iwakuma. If I’m the Mariners, I’d at least try to sign Iwakuma to another bargain extension before making a deal, but if he’s not interested, he’d be a nice pickup for some team, particularly since he won’t command the same kind of return as Samardzija. … If anyone wants Logan Morrison, he should be available for next to nothing. The Mariners need to give Jesus Montero a look in order to decide whether he should be in their plans for 2016.
Tampa Bay: The Rays are yet another AL team caught in between. It’s not worth buying, but a hot streak to move to the forefront of the wild card race can hardly be ruled out. With no big free agents, the Rays aren’t under any pressure to sell anyway. David DeJesus remains available, just as he has been all year. Asdrubal Cabrera should be available, but he’s still on the DL with his strained hamstring. He could be an August move. More interesting is whether the Rays would trade one of their top two relievers, Brad Boxberger or Jake McGee. Either could appeal to more contenders than most of the available closers. McGee, who has a 1.14 ERA and a 32/3 K/BB ratio in 23 2/3 innings since coming off the DL, could be this summer’s Andrew Miller, and since his salary will jump to $5 million or so in arbitration, he’s more likely than Boxberger to go, particularly since Boxberger is under control through 2019. McGee’s fantasy value probably wouldn’t be helped by a trade, since he’d be less likely to earn the occasional save.
Texas: The Rangers continue to hang around, putting them in a very difficult spot. They appear less talented then the teams they’re up against, but they’re far from out of it. I still believe selling is the right plan, although that wouldn’t necessarily preclude them from landing Hamels. Yovani Gallardo could bring back something shiny with his 3.19 ERA. Colby Lewis would be a back-end rotation option for the Tigers or Dodgers. Steve Tolleson continues to pitch well enough to draw interest as a setup man. And while Leonys Martin isn’t going to be looked at as a solution for a contender, there should be clubs willing to take him on with the Rangers having soured on him. The Brewers should give him a spin if they trade Carlos Gomez. … More likely than not, Tolleson will stick around; the offers probably won’t bowl the Rangers over and they don’t have anyone else they want to plug into the closer’s role right now. Keone Kela is the heir apparent, but there’s no good reason to rush him into the job.
Toronto: The Blue Jays will end the week with a new starter, whether it’s Samardzija or Mike Fiers or Gallardo or Latos. They’ve already cleared the way by bringing back Aaron Sanchez as a reliever in the hopes that he’ll turn into the legitimate setup man in front of Roberto Osuna. They could also get another reinforcement with Miguel Castro healthy and effective of late. He’s pitched scoreless innings in his last four appearances for Triple-A Buffalo. … Another outfielder would also be ideal, though Dalton Pompey is quickly reemerging as a possibility for left field. Pompey had five hits Saturday and is batting .432 in nine games since returning to Buffalo’s lineup. He spent the previous six weeks excelling in Double-A. It’s probably worth picking him back up in any AL-only leagues in which he was dropped.
National League Notes
Arizona: The Diamondbacks aren’t likely to acquire that prime starter speculated about after the Bronson Arroyo salary dump. They probably won’t do much of anything this week. No one is going to take Hill’s salary, and most of the younger regulars aren’t getting talked about. Cliff Pennington and Oliver Perez could go in minor deals. … Zach Godley, a surprise choice to make Thursday’s spot start, pitched six scoreless innings against the Brewers in his major league debut, striking out seven and walking none. Godley had spent most of this year in high-A ball, making just three starts in Double-A before getting the call. Despite the lack of high minors experience, he’s already 25 years old, having come over from the Cubs in the Miguel Montero trade. His go-to pitch Thursday was his 89-92 mph cutter that appears likely to generate plenty of grounders. His curve also looked pretty good. Still, he is going to walk some batters going forward. I wouldn’t expect him to be much of a factor in NL-only leagues.
Atlanta: The Braves have done well with their moves so far, and they’ll likely keep subtracting this week, with Jim Johnson, Cameron Maybin and A.J. Pierzynski most likely to go. … The closing matter once Johnson goes comes down to whether the Braves want Arodys Vizcaino closing at this stage of his career. He’s being treated as the eighth-inning guy now, and he’s looked very good. He’s certainly the top talent in the pen. For financial reasons, I think it makes sense to leave him in the eighth-inning role and close with Jason Frasor or David Aardsma. But at this point I’m guessing they’ll just go with Vizcaino anyway; he’s the one to pick up in mixed leagues. Presuming that Vizcaino is unavailable, I would go with Frasor over Aardsma in NL-only leagues, since he’s gotten holds in two of the last three wins and Aardsma hasn’t been used in any of them. … Top prospect Jose Peraza was seeing some time in center earlier this year, but he’s been used strictly at second base this month. He’s also picked it up some offensively. The possibility exists that he’ll get a look at second in mid-August or September, with Jace Peterson sliding over to third. Alternatively, the Braves could reverse course and put Peraza back in center if they trade Maybin. … Cuban defector Adonis Garcia is currently getting a look at third with Juan Uribe gone, but he’ll be a problem defensively and he isn’t all that likely to hit anyway. His short-term value in NL-only leagues is pretty modest.
Chicago: The Cubs want that top starter, and the ideal would be if they could pry away that Hamels guy who no-hit them Saturday. Such a trade could be built around Javier Baez, who would quickly become a mixed-league option in Philadelphia or wherever else he might end up. Or maybe the Cubs should give Baez their own shortstop job, since Starlin Castro is doing less than nothing with it. Baez, who missed six weeks with a broken finger, is 4-for-12 in three games since returning to Triple-A Iowa’s lineup. … The Cubs are exceedingly willing to part with Castro, too, but that seems more likely to happen this winter. The one in-season possibility I can see there is a trade with the Padres involving Castro and James Shields or Castro plus Baez for Tyson Ross or Andrew Cashner. … Jason Motte’s blown save Friday might have opened the door for Hector Rondon a sliver, but it’ll probably take another bad outing before anything changes. The Cubs could trade for a closer, too, but only if one falls into their laps. I still don’t think Rafael Soriano will factor in much at all.
Cincinnati: The Reds got a fair return for Cueto, but I wish they had aimed for more upside than what Finnegan, Lamb and Reed possess. I’m not sure whether Finnegan is a starter or a reliever, though at least if he’s a reliever, he should prove to be a very good one. Lamb’s stuff isn’t what it was pre-Tommy John surgery, but he’s had a terrific year in Triple-A anyway. Reed probably projects best as a reliever, though he’ll continue to start for now. Both Finnegan and Lamb should finish the year in the Reds rotation, which will likely soon subtract Mike Leake. Lamb will probably get the first shot, since Finnegan isn’t stretched out. They could have some late NL-only value. … J.J. Hoover remains in line to close if Aroldis Chapman is traded this week. I think it’s going to happen. … Marlon Byrd is more likely than Jay Bruce to go, though both are available. The Reds don’t have any ideal replacements for a corner outfield spot in the event of a deal, but maybe they’ll pick one up in a trade. Otherwise, Yorman Rodriguez, who is hitting .269/.308/.429 with 10 homers and four steals for Triple-A Louisville, could get a shot.
Colorado: It doesn’t look like the Rockies are trading Troy Tulowitzki. It doesn’t look like they’re trading Carlos Gonzalez. And I’m not sure the haul they’ll get for Drew Stubbs will really kickstart their rebuilding efforts. On the plus side, the Phillies’ surge has opened up the possibility that the Rockies could land the first pick in next year’s draft. … John Axford has a 6.43 ERA and two blown saves in five chances over the last month, so his trade value is dwindling. I don’t think he really had much in the first place. My guess is that he stays put. If not, then it’s likely LaTroy Hawkins’ job. At this rate, Hawkins might win it back anyway.
Los Angeles: The Dodgers will get at least one starter this week and probably two. Hamels or Price would be ideal, of course, but they might instead try for two of the free agents to be from the group of Samardzija, Gallardo, Leake, Iwakuma, Latos and Dan Haren. A reliever would be nice, too. …. While Corey Seager was trying to fight off an illness in Triple-A, Jimmy Rollins homered in three straight games against the Mets last week. Seager did return to the lineup Saturday after missing a week, but any chance of him getting promoted with the next couple of weeks would seem to be gone.
Miami: The Marlins will almost certainly shed Latos this week. Haren will likely exit, too, and Tom Koehler and David Phelps would also become available if there’s the right kind of demand for their services. The Marlins could finish out the season with Justin Nicolino, Adam Conley and Jose Urena all occupying rotation spots. Nicolino is the most interesting guy in that group, but I wouldn’t expect him to have value in mixed leagues. … It’s past time for the Marlins to bring back Marcell Ozuna; he’s hitting .345/.379/.618 with three homers in 15 games since his demotion to Triple-A, and the Marlins could certainly use him in their lineup. That they haven’t suggests his demotion was really about trying to keep him from gaining super-two arbitration eligibility at season’s end. He was sure to qualify if he spent all year in the majors.
Milwaukee: The hot-hitting Parra continues to get plenty of play in trade talks, and there’s no doubt that he’ll be moved. The speculation involving Gomez has been much quieter, but he remains available. The surprising name to emerge these last few days is that of Fiers. He makes the minimum and he won’t even be arbitration eligible until 2017, so the Brewers didn’t have him on the block. Still, if the price is right, they might as well move him. He hasn’t looked like much more than a middle-of-the-rotation guy this year, in spite of his 116 strikeouts in 112 innings, and he remains an injury risk. The Brewers aren’t contending next year anyway, and they need all of the young pieces they can get. … Interest in Francisco Rodriguez appears limited, in pat because of his contract. Plus, more contenders want setup men than closers. I think he stays. If not, Jeremy Jeffress still looks like the top candidate to close over Jonathan Broxton and Michael Blazek. … Adam Lind remains a prime trade candidate as long as this new back issue is nothing significant. Jason Rogers is probably next in line at first base. … Hernan Perez and Hector Gomez are picking up Aramis Ramirez’s at-bats, but they don’t have much to offer fantasy leaguers. Matt Dominguez will factor in there if he gets hot in Triple-A, but he’s currently hitting an unimpressive .264/.321/.372 in 32 games at Colorado Springs.
New York: It’s too bad the Mets didn’t just get Uribe from the Dodgers a couple of months back, but better late than never. If I’m Terry Collins, I play Uribe at third regularly, leave Ruben Tejada at short and go to a strict platoon of Daniel Murphy and Wilmer Flores at second, with Flores facing the lefties. Kelly Johnson in left field would have made a lot of sense, except the Mets just called up Michael Conforto the day before and Conforto seems worthy of a shot. As a result, I’d keep Johnson on the bench most days for now. As for what the actual Collins will do, well, he had Johnson at second and Uribe on the bench against back-to-back righties this weekend and the Mets won both games. I don’t know that any of the above will have any value in mixed leagues with playing time up in the air. I don’t think Conforto is truly ready for the majors; he still has too many issues with breaking balls. I’d say he’s currently a .240-.250 hitter with 15-homer power batting in the bottom half of a rather unproductive lineup. I wouldn’t drop a productive outfielder to make room for him in mixed leagues.
Philadelphia: There’s plenty of Hamels talk, but little involving Jonathan Papelbon at the moment. The Phillies could facilitate a trade by offering to pay off that $13 million option that appears nearly certain to vest, but they’re still going to want some real talent in return and there just isn’t a big market for closers. I’m beginning to think that he stays put, at least into August. That’d be quite the bummer for Ken Giles owners. … Ben Revere remains likely to depart. The Angels kicked the tires there before and could do it again, though they’d rather add someone with power. The Blue Jays could do worse. … Jeff Francoeur might actually bring back a prospect, too. He has five homers in 42 at-bats over the last month.
Pittsburgh: First base was supposed to be the position the Pirates would target in trade talks, but priorities shifted after Josh Harrison (hand) and Jordy Mercer (knee) landed on the DL, leading to the Aramis Ramirez reacquisition last week. That immediately led to speculation over whether Ramirez would move to first base -- a position he’s never played -- following Harrison’s return. Harrison, though, is still at least a month away. I think it might be more likely that Harrison plays second and Neil Walker goes to first if Pedro Alvarez is still struggling heading into September. Of course, the Pirates still could make another trade to render Alvarez obsolete before then. Napoli is of some interest. And the Pirates could always use Harrison over Gregory Polanco or simply put him in a super-utility role if they need to. Ramirez probably lost a little fantasy value with the trade, mostly because PNC Park is a very tough park for right-handed power hitters. That’s somewhat mitigated by the Pirates’ decision to shove him right into the cleanup spot behind their two best hitters, so he’s still an option in mixed leagues.
St. Louis: I liked the decision to roll the dice on former Marlins closer Steve Cishek; his velocity has come back some since April and his recent results have been just fine. It’s easy to see him getting some key outs against right-handed batters in the postseason. … There isn’t a whole lot else for the Cardinals to do this week. They have the artillery to pull off a major deal, but they’re strong enough all-around to stay the course. … Giving Stephen Piscotty a look at first base was a smart move. He should outproduce Mark Reynolds provided the chance, though his opportunity in week one was limited by a poorly timed neck problem. Piscotty isn’t worth the mixed-league pickup unless he starts playing regularly, but the situation should be monitored closely. … Jaime Garcia (groin) will come off the DL and start Tuesday. He should be activated in mixed leagues.
San Diego: Justin Upton should be one of the most popular names out there right now, but with so much focus on the pitching market, he’s not getting a whole lot of attention. The Padres have so many names in play, with James Shields, Ian Kennedy, Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, Craig Kimbrel, Joaquin Benoit, Shawn Kelley and Will Venable all getting talked about. I’m not sure I’d blow up the pitching staff if I were them, but they might need to in order to bring in more talent and free up more money for next year’s offensive facelift. One possible plan would be to get infielders who can hit and outfielders who can field. … My guess is that Upton, Kennedy, Benoit and Venable go. Rymer Liriano can come up to help out in the outfield, giving him some NL-only value. … Wil Myers had a setback with his wrist, so Yonder Alonso is safe for now.
San Francisco: Tim Lincecum’s unfortunate hip condition excepted, the Giants are getting healthy. There’s really nowhere for them to upgrade around the margins this week, unless maybe it’s to land a better utilityman to protect against infield injuries. Like everyone else, they’d certainly have use for a top starter and Ben Zobrist. But it’s probably not going to be worth paying the price to get them. Also, they don’t have an obvious hole in their rotation that would make a Leake or a Latos trade worth doing. … Nori Aoki (leg) is set to come off the disabled list Monday, though whether he’ll hit leadoff right away is up in the air. Mixed leaguers with strong outfields could choose to keep him reserved for his first week back.
Washington: The same sort of goes for the Nationals. Their injuries have taken more of a toll than San Francisco’s, but now Anthony Rendon is back and Jayson Werth (wrist) and Ryan Zimmerman (foot) will soon follow, with Denard Span (back) and Stephen Strasburg (oblique) also due back sometime in August. With no obvious holes to fill, speculation has centered on the Nationals acquiring a closer, probably Chapman. It’s not that they need to replace Drew Storen, but they could definitely use the eighth-inning help and Storen probably wouldn’t raise too much of a stink about sliding back into a setup role. Alternatively, they could just go get Clippard or Benoit to pitch the eighth. Still, if I’m a Storen owner, I’m sweating the Chapman/Kimbrel possibility all week.
