So, the trade deadline turned out to be kind of a bust. Anytime when the highlight of deadline day is all the puns that came from the Orioles trading L.J. Hoes is a pretty good sign that nothing exciting happened.
Fortunately for those of us who love our trade porn, the August waiver period should be much more active as all the pretenders in the division and Wild Card races should finally begin to see the light while those in the thick of the race should grow more desperate to bolster their roster to improve their chances of securing a playoff spot. There is a very good chance that the August trade period could be much more exciting than the deadline was. Or at least let's hope that's the case because some of us around here root for teams with very large payrolls that flamed out in a big way and we need something to keep us distracted.
Alex Rios, White Sox – Well, well, well. It seems that the White Sox might have overplayed their hand a bit with Rios at the trade deadline. Seeing the error of their ways and the $12.5 million that Rios has coming to him in 2014, there is a good chance that Rick Hahn will wise up and find a way to get Rios to one of the many teams that coveted him at the deadline.
Michael Young, Phillies – Oh, Phillies. What are we going to do with you? There is no good reason for the Phillies to have held onto Young, especially with many contenders being interested in him. Rumors before the deadline had Young finally relenting and saying he would approve trades to the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies but somehow that led to Ruben Amaro forgetting to actually trade Young. Oops! With all the money that Young is making, he is a mortal lock to make it through waives unclaimed, so it should only be a matter of time before Ruben Amaro wakes up from whatever coma he was in yesterday and sends Young out.
Justin Morneau, Twins – Morneau isn't the player that he used to be or anything even close, really. But teams do have a tendency to get desperate for a potential power bat this time of year. The Pirates, Rangers and Yankees all could make a run at Morneau and the Twins should be more than happy to oblige if it means getting out from underneath a large chunk of the nearly $20 million he has remaining on his contract.
Erik Bedard, Astros – He's an Astro. He's healthy for the time being. He's going to get traded. Such is Erik Bedard.
Jason Vargas, Angels – Vargas may very well have been moved at the deadline, but he is still recovering from recent surgery to remove a blood clot from his shoulder. Once he proves he is healthy, which should be in the next week or two, he could be a sneaky acquisition for a team looking to bolster the back of their rotation. He won't come cheap though as the Angels do like him and might be content to hold onto him and re-sign him instead.
Joe Saunders, Mariners – Saunders got moved to Baltimore via a waiver trade last season and he may pull off that same feat again this year. There are rumors that Baltimore is at least considering him, but if any other team loses a starting pitcher to injury, they could come calling for the ever-durable Saunders.
Michael Morse, Mariners – As you may have heard, Morse was very available at the deadline. So unbelievably available. Desperately, desperately available. While the Mariners may have not found a new home for him yesterday, there is little doubt that they will keep shopping him around in August because, seriously, he is so available that his parents probably need to talk about him about having some pride and self esteem.
Javier Lopez, Giants – As the token best lefty specialist on the market, it was something of a surprise that Lopez didn't get moved on the deadline. While teams may have been reluctant to trigger big deadline deals, there was a fair amount of movement with relief pitchers. That should continue into August, especially when some unlucky contender loses their LOOGY to injury.
Kevin Gregg, Cubs – How embarrassed must Kevin Gregg be? The Cubs were trading anything and everything that wasn't bolted down and somehow Gregg didn't get traded. That will surely change when a contender suffers an injury to a key late inning reliever. Then they'll be embarrassed that they had no other recourse than to trade for Kevin Gregg.
Marlon Byrd, Mets – Why the Mets saw fit to hold onto Byrd defies explanation. Perhaps they are hoping for the Biogenesis suspensions or injury to create more of a market for Byrd. It would be utterly senseless if the Mets don't find a way to get even a little something for Byrd in the next few weeks. Then again, these are the Mets we are talking about.
