Five down, one more to go after this one. Just a few weeks ago, all five teams in the National League East were neck and neck. Right now it looks like it’s going to be the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets battling it out until the final week, and the Florida Marlins and Washington Nationals ready to sell off now.
Buyers
Atlanta Braves
The Braves have already started their shopping with the recent acquisition of right-handed hitting shortstop Alex Gonzalez. We heard on Saturday that some officials of the Braves liked Milwaukee Brewers’ Corey Hart. If Matt Diaz starts to hit and Nate McLouth recovers from concussion-like symptom, the Braves may not need Hart. Unless something seriously falls apart for Atlanta such as an injury, I wouldn’t expect the Braves to do much more by July 31.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies will likely be a little more active than the Braves. The Phillies need infielders, a middle-of-the-rotation starter and bullpen help. The Phillies were rumored to be going after Baltimore Orioles’ Ty Wigginton or Miguel Tejada, but as of Saturday, all talks between the O’s and Phillies were dead.
The Phillies would love to have Dan Haren, but Haren hasn’t been performing up to par lately. Haren is tied for the Major League lead with 21 home runs allowed and his ERA is 4.60.
Philadelphia could also sell off outfielder Jayson Werth since he is a free agent after the year. It’s a double-edged sword since he can can hit and help the Phillies make a run at the postseason, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. may play it conservatively and get a guaranteed return by moving Werth now as opposed to letting him walk away in free agency.
New York Mets
The Mets are very focused on getting a starting pitcher. They have been interested in left-handed pitcher Ted Lilly of the Chicago Cubs. Lilly could be considered a poor man’s Cliff Lee. He is owed $6 million for this season, and the Mets likely won’t have a problem taking that payroll on. The issue – he may not be much of an upgrade to Hisanori Takahashi, and the Cubs may want a big prospect in return.
Sellers
Florida Marlins
While the Marlins haven’t officially put up the white flag, it’s starting to look that way. It’s believed that their current 10-game homestand will determine whether the team is a buyer or seller by July 31st. Several names that could be sold off include infielder Jorge Cantu, outfielder Cody Ross, infielder Wes Helms, second baseman Dan Uggla and closer Leo Nunez.
The Yankees have been mentioned as possible suitors for Ross, Helms and Nunez. Nunez would be a good fit as a setup man for the Yankees, but the Marlins would want a lot in return because Nunez is under club control through the 2012 season.
The Rockies could be buyers for Cantu and Uggla since their starting shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is out with a broken wrist.
Washington Nationals
The Nationals two big trading chips are first baseman Adam Dunn and outfielder Josh Willingham. On Saturday we heard that Nationals GM Mike Rizzo was not happy with any offers for Dunn so far, so it’s unlikely Dunn is going to be traded. Dunn is also a fan favorite and he enjoys the city of Washington D.C. If the Nats change their mind, the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels will be interested in acquiring the big first baseman.
Willingham is solid offensively and is under team control though 2011, so he’s very attractive to many teams. The Tampa Bay Rays were mentioned as possible suitors for Willingham. The Nationals want to keep Willingham long-term, but this is a business, and if given the right prospect or prospects, then GM Mike Rizzo will pull the trigger.
Related posts:
- National League West buyers and sellers
- Ken Rosenthal on the National League buyers and sellers
- National League Central buyers and sellers
- American League West buyers and sellers
- American League Central buyers and sellers
