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MLB News and Notes

The American League won yet another Midseason Classic on Tuesday night, and now as we move into the second half of the season, teams will be jockeying for position as they determine whether they will be buyers or sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the division races.

National League East

In the NL East, the Atlanta Braves currently have a firm grasp on the division lead as they sit six games ahead of the Washington Nationals. Still, the Braves, Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies are right in the thick of postseason runs as both the Nationals and Phillies sit in Wild Card spots at the time of this writing. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be shocking to see any of the three of these teams as buyers over the next few weeks.

For the Mets and Miami, they will have to take a long hard look at possible trade chips as the Mets sit 13.5 games out of first and the Marlins 19.5. Look for Zack Wheeler to be one of many names to surface in trade talks when it comes to the Mets.

National League Central

The NL Central is shaping up to be the most entertaining of all of the divisions as we come down the stretch. As we currently sit, all five teams sit within 4.5 games of one another, and four of the five teams sit within 2.5 games of one another. The current leaders, the Cubs, start the second half with a crucial stretch against the Pirates and the Reds (a stretch that could certainly determine the fate of these teams as buyers and sellers).

The next few weeks will be paramount for all of these teams as there have even been rumblings of the Cubs making changes if things go south. For this division, sit back and buckle up because it is going to be a fun and bumpy ride.

National League West

Unlike the NL Central, the NL West is pretty much set in stone. The Dodgers sit a whopping 13.5 games ahead of the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks. While the Diamondbacks, Padres, and Rockies sit within just a couple games of a Wild Card spot, these teams definitely sit on the bubble of being buyers and sellers.

The one likely seller in this division is the San Francisco Giants. Look for names like Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith to dominate the trade market rumor mill for the next few weeks.

American League East

Despite the multitude of injuries that they have had to deal with, the New York Yankees have created some separation in the AL East. They currently sit 6.5 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays and nine games ahead of the defending champion Boston Red Sox. The Rays and Red Sox are still very much alive, though, in the Wild Card race so all three teams will look to make a push for the postseason in the second half.

For the Blue Jays and Orioles, they are likely hitting the phone lines to get the best deal for some of their trade chips. Expect names like Marcus Stroman and Ken Giles to be on the move, and there have even been rumblings that the Orioles could dangle Trey Mancini if the package were right.

American League Central

The Minnesota Twins have dominated the AL Central for most of the season, but the Cleveland Indians are trying to make a run at it. At the time of this writing, the Twins lead the division by 5.5 games, but the Indians sit in the second Wild Card spot. It is still possible to see the Indians move someone like Trevor Bauer if they can get a good return for him as they face the reality of a financial crunch moving forward with the righty. The White Sox sit 12.5 games out but could look to buy and sell at the deadline. They have some chips, like Alex Colome, that could return them a nice piece, but as they are a team on the rise, they could also look to trade for a pitcher that is under team control for a few years with an eye on the future.

The Royals and Tigers seem like sellers, but the question is, what do they have to sell? Names like Matt Boyd, Shane Greene, and Whit Merrifield could dominate the trade market buzz moving forward.

American League West

The Astros seem on track to win another AL West crown, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have work to do. They sit 7.5 games ahead of the second-place A’s, but the Astros will look for rotation and possibly bullpen pieces at the deadline. For the A’s and Rangers, they are both within three games or less of the second Wild Card spot, so look for them to try to make a run this month.

The Rangers start with a pivotal four-game series against the Astros to start the second half. For the Angels (6.5 games back of the Wild Card) and Mariners (14 games back of the Wild Card), they could look to be sellers if they can find the right deal to make.

Mets’ Syndergaard On The Block?

While Zack Wheeler seems like the obvious trade choice for the Mets given that he is a free agent at the end of the year, another interesting name is coming up in trade discussions with the Mets is Noah Syndergaard. That’s right, Tim Healey of Newsday reports that the Mets have had discussions with at least six teams about the availability of the righty. Reports indicate teams like the Padres, Brewers, Yankees, and Astros could be some of those interested teams.

For the Mets, who are in no hurry to trade their righty, they will look to take advantage of the heavy interest to try to drive prices up if they do decide to move him. On the season, Syndergaard is 6-4 in 17 games with a 4.68 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and opponents are hitting .261 against him. In 105 2/3 innings, he has allowed 105 hits, 55 earned runs, 14 home runs and has struck out 101 versus 30 walks. With New York sitting 13.5 games behind the Braves in the NL East and seven games back (with eight teams ahead of them) of the second Wild Card spot, it would probably behoove them to at least listen if they can get a package they deem suitable for Syndergaard.

Peacock Could Return Soon For Astros

It is a double-edged sword for the Houston Astros right now. On the one hand, they have the advantage of being 7.5 games up in the AL West. On the other hand, they really only have three set starting pitchers right now in Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Wade Miley. While it is well-known that they are perusing the trade market for a starting pitcher, they may get some help returning soon in the form of righty Brad Peacock.

The Astros righty started a rehab assignment Wednesday and could be back as soon as Monday when the Astros start their series against the Los Angeles Angels. On the season, Peacock is 6-6 in 17 games (15 starts) with a 4.13 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and opponents are hitting just .229 against him. In 85 innings, he has allowed 73 hits, 39 earned runs, 13 home runs and has struck out 89 versus 25 walks.

Cervelli To Find A New Position

In some sad news, Francisco Cervelli has announced that he is giving up his catching spot due to ongoing concussion issues. While he would like to continue playing baseball, he has indicated that he has had enough of the concussion issues as he has been on the IL with his sixth concussion in his career. Cervelli has played 34 games this season and hit .193/.279/.248 in 109 at-bats.

On his career, Cervelli has hit .269/.358/.376 with 36 home runs, 261 runs batted in and 267 runs scored. While his bat has always been good enough, it will be interesting to see if the Pirates will be able to find a spot beyond catcher for him in the field and if his bat can warrant the play there. Additionally, at 33 years old, it will be interesting to see how the veteran can transition to a completely new position.

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