A Look At Every MLB Team’s Trade Deadline Strategy: AL East Edition

In today’s episode of the Exit Velo Podcast, Curt Bishop examines where each team in the American League East is, and what they may do at the trade deadline. Will they buy, sell, both, or hold pat? Hear Curt’s thoughts and takes on what will happen. Listen to the podcast here or read the full transcript below.

MLB Trade Deadline: AL East

Good afternoon baseball fans, this is Curt Bishop and you are listening to the Exit Velo Podcast, where we talk all things MLB. Today we’re going to be breaking down each team’s trade deadline strategy.

Recently I saw an article on MLB.com that predicted what each team will be doing at the trade deadline, and we will evaluate whether or not what they predicted will come to pass. Now with 30 teams in the league we’re not going to break down every single one in just a single podcast, so we’ll split this up by division and do each division over a span of days. Today we’ll be doing the AL East.

Now this is an interesting division as always. A lot of weird things have happened this year that nobody would have ever expected. Of course we’ve got Boston leading the East just a game and a half ahead of the defending AL Champion Rays. I think a lot of people thought this would be a throwaway year for the Sox after trading Mookie Betts last year and doing the same with Andrew Benintendi this past offseason. But lo and behold here they are atop the East. We’ve got Toronto and the Yankees neck and neck in the middle of the pack roughly 7 games back. The Yankees are actually in fourth in the East and I think a lot of people probably expected them to be at the top right now, especially with all the talent they have. Of course, they’ve had tons of injuries and recently had a couple players go on the COVID list, including Aaron Judge. Then of course you’ve got the Orioles at the bottom who are well out of the race and don’t have any realistic hope of getting back into it. So now let’s get into what MLB.com thinks each team will do at the deadline and whether or not I agree with that take.

Starting with the Red Sox. MLB.com predicts Boston will buy at the deadline, and I think I agree with that. The article talks about how last year they sold off a few pieces to get some quality prospects in return, which was a good strategy for Chaim Bloom. The article also mentions how if they’re going to buy, they’ll need a lefty bat who can play first and probably a starting pitcher too, even with Chris Sale on track to return soon. I did read an article last week from a Red Sox blog that threw out the idea of them acquiring Anthony Rizzo from the Cubs, and I could honestly see that happening. He’s kind of struggled over the past few seasons so his stock may be going down, but with the Cubs selling, I could see this happening. Rizzo also does have good career numbers at Fenway so he could make himself right at home there. A lot of teams are after starting pitching so that’s easier said than done, but with Sale coming back they should get somewhat of a boost there, but it wouldn’t hurt to have someone else added like a Kyle Gibson. It’s also worth noting though that they shouldn’t go into complete sell-out mode and trade away top prospects just to try and win this year since they’re trying to build for the future and nobody expected them to be where they are now.

Moving on to the Rays. Now MLB.com has them as solely a buyer, and while I think they will do some buying, I don’t think that’s all they’ll do. Because think about it, they already traded Blake Snell this past offseason and then dealt off Willy Adames to the Brewers earlier in the season, which of course cleared the way for guys like Wander Franco to make an impact. The Rays are obviously a small market team and often times deal away major league talent for prospects so they can keep the payroll low. So I find it hard to believe that they won’t potentially try to sell some pieces too. Now I don’t know who they would sell but with the Rays you’ve always gotta expect the unexpected because that’s just how they work, and almost every deal seemingly works out for them regardless of who they get rid of.

Next we have Toronto. Now they’re quite a ways back of Boston but right in the thick of the Wild Card race. MLB.com has them as buyers, and I agree with that. The last time they really went for it at the deadline was in 2015 when they added David Price. They’ve already done some of that by acquiring Corey Dickerson and Adam Cimber from the Marlins. The article mentions how they really need pitching. Cimber helps with that but they could really use someone to go along with Ryu atop that rotation.

Now we look at the Yankees, who have had quite a disappointing season thus far. The article talks about how Brian Cashman has wanted to be a buyer this deadline and also predicts that the Yankees will do just that. I’m not so sure that’s the best approach for the Yankees given the type of season they’ve had, but I think it’s most likely that they do take that approach. Aside from Gerrit Cole, the rotation has been disappointing. Jameson Taillon has had a bad year and Luis Severino and Corey Kluber can’t stay off the IL. I think if they’re going to buy, they would need both a starting pitcher, like the article says, and a bat. Aaron Hicks has been out for a while, and like we mentioned earlier, the Yankees have tons more injuries, as well as now having Aaron Judge on the COVID list. Luke Voit is also out, so the Yanks could use a guy who can play first and the outfield. I think Trey Mancini might fit that mold. As for starters, I could see them potentially making a run at Kyle Gibson. He’s really the best available guy on the market right now, so to have him alongside Cole would really give New York a boost. I think they could even try to go after someone like Jon Gray. They don’t necessarily need an ace per se, but just someone to go alongside Cole and cover some innings.

Finally we have Baltimore. The article has them selling and I think I speak for everyone when I say I agree. The article does talk about how it depends on how aggressive they are with certain players. I find it unlikely that they trade John Means. He’s really the hope for the future of this team, and he’s still young, so I think it would be wise to hold onto him. Trey Mancini is another player that was mentioned, and I do think he could fit somewhere like New York with the Yankees. There’s also Cedric Mullins, who was an All-Star this year and is certain to be highly coveted. If the return is right, then it’s not too much of a stretch to assume that these guys might be dealt. It certainly couldn’t really hurt them that much more. They’re already well out of the playoff race, and there’s no reason to hold onto these guys if they can land some prospects for them.

That’s it for today. Thanks so much for tuning in. We’ll be back at it tomorrow with the AL Central. Once again, I’m Curt Bishop and you have been listening to the Exit Velo podcast.

Listen to the Exit Velo Podcast:

For more MLB coverage, click here.