Steven Urena
By Steven Urena
Trade Deadline
The deadline is Friday, July 30, 4 p.m. ET. If my calculations are correct, we are about to see some serious…you know.
If the Dodgers, Giants or Padres land Max Scherzer, look out. Rumorville says he prefers a West Coast team. Why wouldn’t he? At 37, Scherzer wants to win and he wants to make as much money as possible. All three teams have the money and the prospects to acquire the veteran with tons of playoff experience. Right now, he’s the difference maker. The puzzle piece that fits any team and makes them instant favorites for a magical October run.
With Bauer’s future uncertain (and it’s not looking good), you would think LA will do whatever it takes to put Scherzer in Dodger blue. Keibert Ruiz and Josiah Gray will definitely be in the trade talk. If not, the Dodgers have a few other prospects that can get the job done. There’s Bobby Miller (RHP), Cody Hoese (3B) and even Jacob Amaya (SS). At this point, the Dodgers are under the gun. Aside from Ruiz and Gray, they’ll do whatever it takes to repeat.
The Padres have shown some serious guts when it comes to making moves. They’ve called the flop, the turn and now comes the river. Don’t count Slam Diego out. They may have an ace up their sleeve. I don’t expect the Pads to sit this one out.
In my opinion, the Giants seem the least likely to make moves. You never know but they may dance with the ones that brung them. They have the best record in baseball and have been killing the Dodgers. After they get some pieces back, the playoffs can’t come soon enough for the Giants. They could do without those hideous orange uniforms the rest of the season.
Other big names out there are Kris Bryant, Craig Kimbrel, Joey Gallo and Trevor Story. The Cubs look ready to dump and sell high. Bryant would fit right in the middle of the order for most teams. He’s still relatively cheap ($19 million). Kimbrel would fit in nicely on any team, even those who already have a closer. He’s having a great year and has had October success. Joey Gallo has pop. Everyone, especially chicks, dig the long ball. He’s a possibility for most teams, except the Dodgers. Trevor Story is a little checked out. You can’t blame him. Colorado has been a snoozefest. Because his production is a little down this year, he may not get the huge payday he was looking for but make no mistake he’s still a great ball player. If he finishes the season in Colorado, it will be his last.
The Rays traded for Nelson Cruz but with their low payroll, I don’t see much else happening in Tampa Bay. The Padres traded for Adam Frazier. Not a bad move. He can play multiple positions and is an all-star this season. The Mets acquired Rich Hill. He’s a crafty veteran but not someone to lean on.
Lost Angeles
Another day, another Giant loss. Cody Bellinger should not have thrown that ball away. Max Muncy needs to move out of the way. Bottom line…we need to be able to score more than one run. Outside of the walks, our pitching has been great. Our hitting, eh, not so much. Let’s be honest, guys like Billy McKinney, Luke Raley, Sheldon Neuse, Zack Reks and DJ Peters are not going to get it done. We need Corey Seager and Mookie Betts to get healthy. We need Bellinger to stop looking like a minor leaguer. Lastly, we need to be consistent. At the start of the season we looked like a modern day Murderer’s Row. Now, we are hurt, struggling and struggling to score runs.
Small Ball continues to come up. It’s not so much that I want to see bunts or steals. I just want to see the hitters have better plans at the plate. You can’t always control whether or not you get a hit but you can control your approach. At times, we look lost. Hacking away up there like we got 10 strikes. It can be frustrating. Simplify your approach, stick to the basics and play with guts. Easier said than done, I suppose.
Usually, I am behind Kenley Jansen. I’m about 20 steps behind him, but I am there. It’s time to tinker with the bullpen. I know Dave Roberts is a players coach and I’m glad he has his boys back but it’s going to bite us right in the behind in October. Make the change now! If the other guys can’t get it done, then go back to Kenley and hold onto your hats and sunglasses. It’s gonna be a wild ride!
Outside Looking In
Teams like the A’s, Braves, Yankees, Mariners, Phillies and Brewers have just about been forgotten. They’re still more pretender than contender but that’s the beauty of the trade deadline. Anything can happen. If they’re willing to spend the big bucks and give up the farm, you could see them getting hot at the right time and making a push. Just like with everyone else, the key is power pitching, good hitting and a solid bullpen.
The Art of War
“If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected .” -Sun Tzu
If you are a coach, read The Art of War. Especially my football coaches.
I think of this quote when we play the Giants. We were so worried about San Diego that we let San Francisco creep up on us. Every time I think we have them, they seem to wiggle out of the situation and come up with some clutch hitting or pitching.
They got us again. They are usually calm and maintain a focused intensity. If one guy goes down, the next steps up. I hate to say it but we could learn a thing or two from them this season. When us, the defending champs, should be pulling off close wins and letting the pressure get to the other team, the Giants are calmly doing that to us. Ouch!
The Urena Express appears every Wednesday at JoeTorosian.com
Contact Steve Urena at:
Email: theurenaexpress@gmail.com
Twitter/IG: @theurenaexpress
