The July 31st trade deadline is fast approaching, and after next week's All Star festivities are complete, all of MLB will be focused on that date. Teams on the fringe are looking to make the move that will push them up to the next level and first place teams are looking to make a move that keeps them ahead of the competition or completes their team to help them run away from the rest of the pack. With that deadline right around the corner one team in first place doesn’t have a lot of glaring holes, but every team could use help to move to the next level. That team is the Oakland Athletics, and these are five players that should be on their radar.
Chase Utley - Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies may or may not be sellers. They are hovering right around .500 and this could be their last season under the guidance of Manager Charlie Manuel. They are currently sitting two games under .500, 7.5 games back in the division and 6.5 in the wild card. They are close enough to where one good streak could put them right back in the mix, but even with that chance rumors are swirling that Cliff Lee, Michael Young and Utley are on the block.
Honestly, any of those three would be huge for the A’s to go out and get. Lee is one of the best pitchers in the league, and getting him would make sure the Rangers do not get him while Young brings the experience and consistent bat that the A’s need, all while playing all infield positions. The real target, though, should be Utley. Utley is the middle of the order hitter that can protect Josh Donaldson or Yoenis Cespedes and he plays the position that has eluded the A’s since the gamble on Jemile Weeks failed last season. Utley is almost a carbon copy of the current A’s starting second baseman, Eric Sogard, except for the power categories, and although the A’s have plenty of power hitters, Utley is just what the A’s need.
The A’s are in the middle of kicking the tires on ‘09 first round pick Grant Green to see if he can bring the power and consistent bat to the second base position. If Green doesn’t show signs of what he has done in AAA this season in his test drive, expect the A’s to make the call on Utley. The Phillies could demand a lot back in return for Utley, but knowing Billy Beane, if he makes this deal you can expect him to keep his top prospects in the deal.
Matt Garza - Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are not going to sell Garza low to anyone. Before joining the Cubs, Garza was one of the most consistent pitchers in MLB. Since his time on the Cubs, Garza has battled with injury after injury and has still been one of the most sought after starting pitchers available at the deadline. This season Garza has returned from injury and has looked like his old self again. He is currently 5-1 with a 3.22 ERA on one of the worst teams in the league. Imagine if you put a pitcher like that a team as good as the A’s?
That has to be what is running through Billy Beane’s mind right now. The A’s have a lot of great young pitching at the big league level, and a few at the AAA level as well. The problem is they have all that youth and not a lot of veterans who have been there before. Garza has pitched in a World Series and could bring a leadership that this team needs. The A’s also need a pitcher like Garza because of all of the uncertainty around the two veteran pitchers the A’s currently employ. Brett Anderson is currently trying to come back from a foot injury while suspicion of involvement in the biogenesis lab swirls around Bartolo Colon.
The only issue with the A’s going after Garza is the Cubs. They are not going to be as willing to let the A’s take Garza without involving Sonny Gray, Michael Choice or Dan Straily in the deal, and it is hard to believe that Billy Beane will be willing to part with any of those three for what could end up being a three month rental. Although I don’t see Beane making the deal, expect to hear them in on Garza till the very end.
Ryan Webb - Miami Marlins
Of all the players the A’s could possibly trade for, this one could be the cheapest and most likely. Webb is a solid right handed relief pitcher with a career 3.42 ERA. Relief pitching might not jump right off the page as a big need for the A’s. They have right and left handed specialty guys in Pat Neshek and Jerry Blevins and the back end of the bullpen is almost automatic with Sean Doolittle, Ryan Cook and Grant Balfour, but those guys have worked an awful lot in the first half of the season. If the A’s trade for Webb he could fit in and be a guy who could give Cook or Doolittle a night off, or fill in for one of them if they have to fill in for Balfour and close one night.
The best part about Webb is that he could come cheap. The Marlins started a fire sale last season and it is continuing this season. The Marlins have already shipped off their best starting pitcher, Ricky Nolasco, for three minor leaguers. It is easy to see Beane pull off this deal, help an overused bullpen, and give up almost nothing in return. The best part about it, Webb is the under the radar kind of guy who would fit in perfectly with Oakland.
James Russell - Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have made it very clear, Russell is not on the block. So why is he on this list? Because every team has Russell in their sites, and when every team is asking about someone eventually the right deal will come along and change their minds about trading Russell. I think Beane is that guy. He has all the pieces in AAA that the Cubs could want and then some. But do the A’s really need a left handed relief pitcher?
No, the A’s don’t need a left handed relief pitcher, they have Doolittle and Blevins in the pen, but the A’s do need an extra arm and Russell is just that good that they might go after him anyway. He has gone from lefty specialist in the past, to a solid set up guy this season, and a pitcher like that could be just what the A’s need when one of the big three at the back end of the A’s rotation are not available for one reason or another. So, while the A’s don’t necessarily need a left handed pitcher, his 2.94 ERA in 33.2 innings while being under control for the future could be too good for Beane to pass up.
Bud Norris - Houston Astros
Now that Nolasco is off the block, Norris is going to be the most sought after starting pitcher available on the block. Garza’s numbers are better, and he’s a more established pitcher, but Norris is young, under team control for two more seasons and has an amazing upside. It might not sound like a good idea to pull the trigger on Norris over Garza because of the lack of experience, but it seems like more of a Beane move than going for the home run on Garza.
Everyone knows how good Norris is, he holds a 3.63 ERA on a team that isn’t very good all around. If he pitches that well on a team full of youngsters, imagine how he would do with an outfield that can run down and catch just about everything that is hit in their direction. Throw in the fact that Norris wants to come to the Bay Area, where he is from (even though he was hoping for the Giants), and you’ve got a recipe for success. The icing on the cake, though, is that the Astros are looking to overstock their system with young arms to build for the future, and the A’s have just that. The A’s could possibly make this deal without giving up Straily or Gray, and still give the Astros what they’ve been looking for.
Knowing Billy Beane, the A’s won’t make any of these moves and he’ll pull something out of nowhere that surprises us all, but don’t be surprised if these guys are all tied to the A’s in rumors. No matter who they add, or if they add no one at all, the A’s are primed and ready to make the next step.