Sizing up division races after final deadline
Yankees, Indians, A’s make moves in AL• Brewers and Dodgers look to keep playoff hopes alive in NL
The lines have been silenced, the cell phones turned off, the last trade deadline expired, and now the postseason picture comes into focus.
The American League playoffs are going to be an absolute bloodbath, with the Cleveland Indians as powerful as any team in the land after grabbing Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson. The National League now is a quagmire, with the Milwaukee Brewers acquiring a starter, reliever and outfielder in three separate trades to make sure they’re part of the drama.
The Indians and New York Yankees made the biggest trades by acquiring former MVPs before the midnight deadline for players to be eligible for postseason rosters, but the Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers made the biggest moves for survival.
Now, with playoff rosters frozen, let’s take a peek at where each division stands heading into baseball’s final month:
AMERICAN LEAGUE AL East
The Yankees, with no timetable for Aaron Judge’s return and their right fielders hitting .179 in his absence, grabbed Andrew McCutchen from the San Francisco Giants. It’s too late to catch the Boston Red Sox, who didn’t need to do a thing with their 7½-game lead, but the Yankees needed help to assure they could seize at least the top wild-card spot.
“I think this is something that just really helps us here and now,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “And even when Aaron comes back, it’s another really good player to give us options and just bring another really good player in the fold.”
New York also grabbed invaluable infield depth by trading for shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
AL Central
This race was over by tax day, with Cleveland cruising with a 14-game lead. Yet, if the Indians want to get to the World Series for the second time in three years, they needed firepower. That comes with Donaldson, who hasn’t played since May 28 with a strained left calf, but now they have a month to get him ready for October.
“Hats off to the front office,” Cleveland closer Cody Allen told reporters. “For the last few years, they have done everything in their power to try and put this team in the best position to win baseball games. They haven’t failed yet. Every guy that’s set foot in this clubhouse at the deadline has come in and produced in big ways.”
AL West
Come on, you didn’t expect the Oakland Athletics to let the deadline pass without grabbing yet another reliever. They traded for veteran Cory Gearrin of the Texas Rangers, joining newcomers Jeurys Familia, Fernando Rodney and Shawn Kelley. The A’s bullpen is so deep their starters can go three innings for a quality start. The Houston Astros stayed pat, believing they are a better team than last year’s World Series champion, but hanging on for dear life to hold off the A’s.
“To be able to go over there and be part of that bullpen,” Gearrin told reporters, “I feel like it’s going to be something special. They’ve really been investing in their bullpen, so I have an opportunity to go over there and be a part of something special there in the back end. Or maybe in the front.”
NATIONAL LEAGUE NL East
The Washington Nationals, who waved the white flag two weeks ago, are the team that keeps on giving, sending veteran reliever Ryan Madson to the Dodgers and starter Gio Gonzalez to the Brewers. No one else did anything in the division with just two games separating the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
NL Central
Hello Cubs and Cardinals, it’s the Brewers, and they’re not going away. They opened the day by grabbing reliever Xavier Cedeno from the Chicago White Sox, then moved onto Gonzalez for their starting rotation, and then finished their day by grabbing yet another power hitter in Curtis Granderson.
By nightfall, the Brewers had climbed within four games of the Cubs for the division lead, and a halfgame behind the Cardinals for the top wild-card spot.
“It’s all hands on deck,” Brewers assistant GM Matt Arnold told reporters after the final trade.
NL West
The Dodgers, whose bullpen is in disarray, pulled off the trade they had to make. Madson, despite a 5.28 ERA, should not only help solidify the
bullpen, but take the burden off closer Kenley Jansen. They also brought some valuable depth to the lineup by acquiring Pirates third baseman David Freese, who should certainly be a threat off the bench. The Colorado Rockies picked up veteran backup catcher Drew Butera from Kansas City, keeping pace with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who grabbed their fourth catcher in Chris Stewart a day earlier. Just two games now separate these three evenly-matched teams.
“The numbers aren’t indicative of the stuff,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts of Madson’s ERA. “For us, we’re betting on the stuff and the person.”
So, there we have it, 30 days to go, 14 teams still alive, and no trades left to be made.
Gentlemen, start your pennant race.
(USA Today/TNS)