As the grind of the long MLB regular season takes its toll and some rosters begin to wilt in the summer sun, shoring up a pitching staff can be the key to maintaining consistency and stocking away wins before the final playoff push in the fall.
When scraping out runs seems like an exhausting challenge, it's good to find a way to keep scores low and, therefore, within striking range.
A couple of steady arms on the mound are two of the latest players to generate some trade buzz as the August 1 non-waiver trade deadline approaches.
Chris Archer, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
The Los Angeles Dodgers may have all the money in the world, but it can't buy protection from the scourge of injuries. With the starting rotation depleted, snagging a pitcher is becoming a more pressing need than getting some more offense from the outfield.
According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Dodgers could be making headway toward a deal for Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer:
After making his first All-Star game last season and finishing the year with a 3.23 ERA, Archer's had a fairly disappointing encore, sporting a 5-13 record with a 4.60 ERA. The 27-year-old hasn't had too many great outings this year, but he's also done well to avoid the really ugly showings, giving up five or more runs in a start only four times this year.
Good for six or seven innings and a handful of strikeouts every time out, the Dodgers could really use Archer to soak up innings. Clayton Kershaw's back may have the season in doubt, Alex Wood is out for a couple of months and Hyun-Jin Ryu is back on the disabled list after making just one start.
The Rays are in last place in the American League East and have little reason not to sell. The Dodgers are a wild-card team right now but just four games back of the rival San Francisco Giants in the National League West.
With the Dodgers' injuries piling up and the team essentially mandated to make the postseason due to its embarrassment of riches, the Rays might get a better return from the cash-rich team from the big city than they would anywhere else.
Andrew Cashner, RHP, San Diego Padres
Keeping things out on the West Coast, the Dodgers' rival to the south, the San Diego Padres, could be offloading veteran hurler Andrew Cashner soon.
On Wednesday, MLB.com's Jon Morosi reported the Padres were looking to trade Cashner before his Thursday start against the St. Louis Cardinals:
In his article Wednesday, Morosi mentioned the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles as "teams that have shown interest."
Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal later noted on Twitter that a source told him there's a "99.9 percent [chance] nothing will happen" before Thursday. Indeed, Cashner went out on the mound and did a fine job of auditioning himself to other teams in what would turn out to be a 6-5 road loss for the Padres.
The 29-year-old righty gave up three hits and one earned run while striking out eight in 5.2 innings of work. ABC San Diego's Ben Higgins joked he pitched well enough to earn some extra time in San Diego:
Cashner managed that fine outing despite being well aware he's not long for working in America's Finest City.
"I know I'm going to be traded," Cashner said late Thursday, per the San Diego Union-Tribune's Dennis Lin. "It's just part of the game, part of where the season's at."
Cashner has been excellent in three of his four starts since coming back from a short stint on the DL. The injuries he's sustained this season and his overall underwhelming performance might've hurt his trade value at one point, but his recent form should erase that. This benefits the Padres, who are again mired in the doldrums of the National League.
While a trade has been rumored as imminent, San Diego could be dealing from a position of strength here.
There are plenty of possible suitors for Cashner's services, so the Padres might do well to try to stretch out proceedings and drive up a bidding war among teams in the playoff hunt.
Jonathan Lucroy, C, Milwaukee Brewers
We all know pitchers are hot commodities during the playoff race, but sometimes it's the battery mates who are the subject of rumors and speculation. Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy is one such player. According to Morosi on Wednesday, the Brewers are talking to multiple teams about Lucroy:
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Haudricourt added some info to the Cleveland Indians' rumored pursuit:
Lucroy wasn't in the lineup Thursday for the Brewers' 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, leading some to believe the Brewers had traded him or were on the verge of dealing him. However, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reported it was a false alarm:
Through Thursday, Lucroy boasts a .304/.361/.490 slash line with 12 home runs, 48 RBI and hey, why not, five stolen bases. He provides a rare offensive boost from behind the plate and has been doing so for several years now (when not injured).
He's also getting pretty good at mowing down would-be base stealers. The 30-year-old ranks seventh in the majors with 38 percent caught stealing, per Baseball-Reference.com.
In fact, considering how valuable he is at his position and how cheap his current deal is, The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh argues he's the prize of this year's trade deadline:
Lucroy, who won’t reach free agency until 2017, is an intoxicating combination of inexpensive and skilled. PECOTA forecasts Lucroy for roughly six WARP through next season, with one-third of that coming this year. If we assume that teams are willing to pay free agents close to $9 million per projected win, Lucroy’s remaining contributions would command more than $50 million on the open market, dwarfing the $7.5 million or so he’ll actually earn over the life of this deal. That gives him essentially the same surplus value as a top-10 hitting prospect (such as Brewers top prospect Orlando Arcia). You can see why Stearns’s asking price is so high.
With Lucroy providing fantastic value at a great price, one would think every contender seeking even a slight upgrade at catcher should be thinking about him. Of course, Cleveland could be more desperate than most, as catchers Yan Gomes and Chris Gimenez have provided next to nothing in terms of offensive production this season.
Gomes also happens to be on the DL with a shoulder injury, making the Indians' situation behind home plate even more desperate.
However, the Indians do have the best record in the American League (56-38), so they may not be quite as motivated to sell the farm for Lucroy as, say, the middling Detroit Tigers or Seattle Mariners, two teams Lindbergh notes could use some extra value at catcher.
Milwaukee is certainly dealing from a position of power, but Lucroy could have his own leverage in this situation and perhaps dictate where he might like to go. If he does, the powerful Indians give him the best chance to win right away.
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