NL East At the Deadline: Phillies, Braves Buying, Everyone Else Selling

From now until at the very least the July 31st trade deadline, Carlos Beltran will know what it’s like to be the prettiest girl at the ball.

Beltran won’t win the MVP award that matters this season — that honor will go to his soon-to-be former teammate Jose Reyes — but he has officially been named the MVPATD, the Most Valuable Player Avalable at the Trade Deadline, if you will. He’s on everybody’s must have list given his solid season to date (.290, 15 HR, 61 RBI, .911 OPS) but chances are very good that a team in his own division is going to have the rest of baseball turning a shade of red with envy.

The only question is, which shade — Phillies or Braves? 

It’s no secret that the NL East is going to come down to these two teams, with the loser likely claiming the NL Wild Card title. Both need an outfield bat desperately as well. Domonic Brown may be the future in Philadelphia but he’s sure not the present. Meanwhile, Atlanta currently starts light hitting (to be generous) Jordan Schafer out in center field.

So where’s he going to wind up? Smart money’s on the Braves just because they have more to offer in terms of prospects and established veterans. Atlanta’s farm system is rife with hot young pitching prospects that likely have Sandy Alderson salivating.

Julio Teheran – more on him in a moment – is likely off limits but there’s plenty of others for Alderson to choose from. Lefty Brett Oberholtzer hasn’t put up stellar numbers at AA Mississippi (7-9, 3.81) but is believed to have a bright future as a back of the rotation starter. Likewise, Arodys Vizcaino, Mike Minor and Brandon Beachy could all be utilized to convince Alderson to part ways with Beltran.

But don’t discount the Phillies. GM Ruben Amaro and special advisor Pat Gillick have shown a willingness to make a splash at the deadline. Tim Kurkjian mentioned on Sportscenter this afternoon what just about everyone else who follows baseball already knows — acquiring Beltran would put this team over the top and make them the odds on favorite to win the World Series.

The Phillies already boast the best rotation in all of baseball, what with the vaunted three-headed monster of Halladay-Hamels-Lee plus the emergence of Vance Worley as a potential Halladay 2.0 in the making. Plugging Beltran into an outfield that already includes Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino would give the Phillies an outfield that would rank right up their with their starting pitching.

Of course an outfield bat isn’t the only need the Phillies have. Their bullpen has performed well this season, but could use some reinforcement, particularly given the fact that closer Brad Lidge is just now coming back from a shoulder injury.

Ryan Madson and company have done a solid job holding down the fort in his absence, combining to convert 27 out of 30 save opportunities, and while Lidge was a key cog in helping the Phightins’ win the ’08 World Series, he has shown himself to be shaky in the postseason in the past. Look for the Phils to make a run at Heath Bell, Mike Adams, or even possibly Kerry Wood to help shore things up down the stretch.

The Braves on the other hand remain one of the more interesting teams at the trade deadline as both buyers and sellers. Teheran’s emergence has made veteran Derek Lowe expendable…but should the Braves get rid of him in favor of giving their youngsters a shot?

Lowe has proven himself in the postseason, having tasted success as a member of the Red Sox. The Braves’ younger arms on the other hand, while exciting and loaded with potential, are still as green as the Turner Field grass, potentially lacking the mental makeup to withstand postseason pressure.

Also, the outfield’s not the only place where the Braves could use an extra bat or two. As a team they’re hitting .238. Jason Heyward is enduring a sophomore slump, hitting .229, 10 HR, 26 RBI so far, and the rest of the lineup isn’t giving any protection to guys like Brian McCann or Freddie Freeman.

Look for the Braves to take a run at Ryan Ludwick, Kosuke Fukudome, Jonny Gomes (ironically enough, Gomes’ Reds would be a natural landing spot for Lowe), or any number of outfielders that remain on the market. Also don’t be surprised to see them take a run at another infielder like a Jamey Carroll or even an Aramis Ramirez depending on how Chipper Jones recovers from his injury. 

With all that in mind, while the Braves may be the busiest at the deadline, given the Phillies’ current roster, it’s hard to imagine another team catching them for the best record in the NL. Doesn’t matter if the Mets decide to give up on Jose Reyes or the Royals on Alex Gordon (even more unlikely than option A), the Phils’ rotation has likely launched them to the top of the NL East and made them the number one seed heading in to October.

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