As the MLB postseason is now only two months away, the league’s top teams have bolstered their depth in preparation for a run at a World Series, while teams who are at the bottom of the standings are willing to trade away their stars and build for the future.
One team who has proved they’re ready for a run at a world title is the Chicago Cubs. After falling in the NLCS last year, GM Theo Epstein added another arm to their bullpen by acquiring Aroldis Chapman. They lose reliever Adam Warren, outfielder Billy McKinney, and 19 year old shortstop Gleyber Torres. A very poor decision by the Cubs to involve Gleyber Torres, the team’s top prospect, in a trade that gets them an elite pitcher that is a free agent at year’s end. This is a big move by the Yankees who also acquired outfielder, Clint Frazier as a piece in what they got for Andrew Miller. Brian Cashman did a good job at this year’s deadline. The Yankees in my opinion should continue to trade their talented veterans on the club to get young prospects who will blossom into stardom over the next few years. I think the Yankees should continue to sell in preparation for the 2018 offseason when Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Jose Fernandez will all be Free Agents.
The Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t strangers to October baseball as well as making moves at the deadline. They were able to acquire Josh Reddick and pitcher, Rich Hill from the Oakland Athletics without having to trade any of their top four prospects. It was a good move for the Dodgers to acquire Hill as they have lost Clayton Kershaw to the DL. Reduce on the other hand has already seen more of the bench due to his inability to hit left handed pitchers. But with acquiring Reddick, the Dodgers have shown that they are ready to move on from the Cuban slugger, as he will likely be traded this offseason.
The San Diego Padres are continuing to rebuild as they’ve traded three of their starting pitchers, Melvin Upton, and recently Matt Kemp. The Padres have been shopping Kemp due to his expensive contract he signed with the Dodgers after 2011 when he hit 39 Home Runs and finished second in the MVP voting. The Padres traded Kemp to the Atlanta Braves for outfielder Hector Olivera with the motivation of saving money. The Padres DFA’d Olivera when the deal was official, meaning he will likely be released. Olivera will be paid $28.5 Million when he is dropped, but it will save the Padres around $25 Million. With the season Kemp is having, the Padres could’ve received another young prospect similar to when the Padres got 18 year old pitcher, Anderson Espinoza for Drew Pomeranz days after he pitched for the Padres in the All Star Break. In his time as GM, AJ Preller has done a good job building up a depleted farm system as well as getting more value. Although it is a good move to save money and not have to pay a demanding salary, Kemp has played more like his 2011 self. It’s a big miss that Preller wasn’t able to reel in any prospects in a deal for the new Atlanta Brave.