One big question for each American League team, 5 hours before the trade deadline

New York Times

2 days ago

Here are the most pressing questions as the time ticks down on the trade deadline.
How many moves can they make? The Orioles have already traded three relievers and a third baseman, but their roster is still littered with pending free agents. Could they still trade all of Ryan O'Hearn, Ramon Laureano, Cedric Mullins, Zach Eflin, Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton? What about Trevor Rogers and his one remaining year of control?
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Will Craig Breslow do better than last summer? In his first year as head of baseball operations, Breslow made a series of ill-fated deadline deals that did nothing to keep the Red Sox in contention. It didn't cost him a ton, but the additions fell flat, and the Red Sox missed the playoffs. So far this year, he's added swingman Seth Lugo and remains in the market for a starter and a first baseman. Can Breslow make a move that gets the Red Sox to October?
Should they jump into the relief pitcher fray? The Yankees acted early to address their infield issues, and they grabbed a right-handed hitter to solidify their outfield, but the Yankees still need help in the bullpen. Some of the biggest deadline deals have been for closers. Will the Yankees get in on the action (in a kind of re-do of their offseason deal for Devin Williams)?
Will they trade an infielder? The Rays have swapped one catcher for another, and they've tapped into their rotation depth to send Zack Littell to the Reds. They're considering whether to trade closer Pete Fairbanks. But would they trade either second baseman Brandon Lowe or first baseman Yandy Diaz, because those two fill holes where the market is a bit thinner?
What would it take to be the team to beat in the AL? The Blue Jays reached the trade deadline tied for the most wins in baseball. They've climbed to the top of the AL East and FanGraphs gives them a 95.9 percent chance of making the playoffs with a 7.3 percent chance of winning the World Series. That's the seventh-best World Series odds in baseball and fourth-best in the American League. After adding a starter (Shane Bieber) and a reliever (Seranthony Domínguez), can the Blue Jays make the kind of addition that leaves them as the overall favorite in the American League?
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How much can they get for Adrian Houser? Pulled from a scheduled start earlier this week, it seems clear that Houser is readily available for teams looking to add rotation depth. But what's a breakout season worth? Houser has a 2.10 ERA through 11 starts with the White Sox. It's a career year (though he was also pretty good with the Brewers in 2021). How much can the White Sox get for such a pitcher, especially with so many starters still on the market?
What would it take to move Steven Kwan? If Shane Bieber can go, why not Kwan? Obviously Kwan's younger with more years of control, but that only raises his value in a market that's relatively light on offensive impact. Guardians fans recognize that the team is in a rebuild. Kwan's a tough piece to trade — it would be another blow after the Emmanuel Clase news and the Bieber deal — but it's possible a needy team could convince the Guardians to make the move to rebuild with force.
Are they going to make a splash? The Tigers made an early move for back-end starter Chris Paddack (basically replacing injured Reese Olson), and they've since added a couple of veteran middle-inning relievers. But the Tigers have not added to the roster in a way you'd expect for a team that, for a while, had the best record in baseball this season. The Tigers added Kyle Finnegan, a second or third-tier closer. But is there a major upgrade coming, or are the Tigers simply reinforcing their depth?
What's the plan? With a losing record and 12.4 percent playoff odds on FanGraphs, the Royals don't seem to be going anywhere this season. Yet, their biggest moves of the past week have been to extend 35-year-old Seth Lugo and trade for 33-year-old outfielder Randal Grichuk. Are they buying? Are they treading water? Are they trying to thread the needle?
How far will they go? Trading Paddack was one thing (a back-end starter heading for free agency isn't hard to deal), but trading closer Jhoan Duran put the Twins among the deadline's most aggressive sellers. They could still easily trade outfielder Harrison Bader, infielder Willi Castro and reliever Danny Coulombe — all potential free agents at the end of the year — but could they be tempted to stay aggressive with a compelling offer for either Joe Ryan or Pablo López?
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Wow. Now what? Trading Mason Miller and JP Sears was bold. Granted, the prospect package was enough to blow them away, but still, the Athletics committed to a something more than trading some pending free agents. Can they do more? Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs stand out as obvious trade chips, but what about controllable left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, who's blocked at his two best positions? This market is screaming for offense, and Soderstrom is a 23-year-old with 19 homers.
Could they actually bring back Carlos Correa? A move for a starting pitcher feels more likely — maybe Dylan Cease or even Sandy Alcantara — but that's been the thinking for a while. The really fascinating wild-card developing the past few days is the possibility of a trade for Correa. This one is a long shot, but it's the kind of long shot that sticks in your head this time of year.
Are they really buying right now? FanGraphs gives the Angels a 3.2 percent chance of making the playoffs, yet their only move so far is to trade for two relievers in their mid to late 30s. In a market light on right-handed bats, are they really going to keep Taylor Ward? In a market desperate for relievers and team control, are they really not going to sell high on Reid Detmers? Is there any value at all in keeping 35-year-old Tyler Anderson?
Can they add a finishing touch? The Mariners have addressed their primary objective. They've successfully improved their lineup by trading for two of the best corner infielders on the market, getting both Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez from the Diamondbacks. Those were their weakest positions, and they've strengthened them quite a bit. Now, can they add a relief pitcher and maybe a bench bat to really solidify things for a late-season run?
Texas Rangers
Are they going to get in on the action? For much of the season, the Rangers were trending toward another disappointment, but they've most recently played their way right into the thick of the wild-card race. They could get some reinforcements as various players come off the IL, but the Rangers are one of the few teams that hasn't made a move this week. Was their recent surge enough to become buyers, or was it simply enough to keep the front office from selling?
(Top photo of Steven Kwan: Daniel Bartel / Getty Images)