Three of baseball’s best pitchers prepare to themselves for some new homes before the end of July.
By Jordan Zuniga
One of baseball’s age-old sayings is “pitching wins championships.”
So with the spike in offensive production this season, it should come as no surprise that teams have been honing in on pitchers as the trade deadline approaches.
Already this month, the Cubs made a move to bring Jose Quintana 11 miles up Lake Shore Drive, a move that has paid off early for the Cubs.
By the time the clock strikes 3 p.m. on July 31, these three starters will have left their struggling ball clubs to join a team trying to capture some October magic.
Sonny Gray
There are three teams that seem to be in the running for the Oakland Athletic ace: New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Houston Astros.
Gray has had a solid season, and he would instantly bolster any rotation he joins; so far this season, he has a 6-5 record while posting a 3.43 ERA in 16 starts. In his last three starts, he’s tossed a sterling 1.62 ERA.
The Yankees make the most sense for Gray; that trade would probably also include first baseman Yonder Alonso, a position New York desperately needs.
Also, Gray is only 27 and under team control until 2020, which would mean the Yankee’s wouldn’t give up their future.
For the A’s, trading a package means they would acquire more prospects for their rebuilding effort, and the Yankees certainly have no shortage of those.
RELATED: Cubs, finally, break out of disappointment
Yu Darvish
Texas may only be 4.5 games back in the wild-card race, but they have made it clear that their ace is available, albeit for a steep price.
With Darvish being a free agent at the end of the season, the Rangers want to cash in on his value.
Two teams that appear the most willing to acquire Darvish: Astros and Dodgers.
In the past, the Dodgers have been reluctant to make a big move at the break, but with the lack of recent postseason success, the Dodgers need to change something.
With the Dodgers also recently losing ace Clayton Kershaw to the DL, a trade for Darvish makes even more sense.
They certainly have the prospects to make Texas happy, and Darvish has put the Dodgers on his list of teams for which he is willing to waive his no-trade clause. All the Dodgers have to do is pick up the phone.
Justin Verlander
During the past decade or so, the Tigers have been an elite team that always seemed on the cusp of a World Series berth. In 2012 and 2006, they did make the Series.
Now, all their stars have either left or are getting old, and the Tigers are mired in fourth place in the AL Central.
Which means the Tigers are sellers this July, and they have told teams that longtime ace Justin Verlander is available.
Among the teams in the hunt for the 34-year-old are the Dodgers, the Nationals, and the Cubs.
Washington seems like the ideal place for Verlander to land, which will give him a chance to pitch alongside former teammate Max Scherzer.
With Bryce Harper and David Murphy becoming free agents after the 2018 season, the Nationals are in win-now mode and are probably the team most willing to take on Verlander’s enormous contract for the chance at a title this season.
