If Terrell Owens says “get the popcorn ready,” then Brian Cashman says “get the coffee ready.” We are now in the home-stretch as teams have less than 24-hours to sneak a deal in before MLB’s trade-deadline at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Jon Lester
The big-fish right now is Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester who is 10-7 with a 2.52 ERA on the season, according to BaseballReference.com. Sometimes big-names get dangled out there for the mere discussion of interest, but this is hardly the case. The Red Sox have been known to be a franchise always willing to let their own guys go (see Jacoby Ellsbury, Johnny Damon, Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez). They are proactive in this regard.
The Dodgers, Cardinals, Pirates, Orioles, Brewers and now all of a sudden the Oakland A’s have expressed interest in acquiring the lefty, according to CBSSports.com. The Cardinals just acquired Indians SP Justin Masterson which might take them out of the running. The A’s seem to have the top rotation in the game, but nobody expected the Jeff Samardzija trade either.
Marlins and Blue Jays looking to upgrade rotation
Baseball’s hottest team right now is the Miami Marlins. This is despite losing stud Jose Fernandez to Tommy John surgery. Like previously mentioned, Boston has Lester on the market, but is also throwing John Lackey out there. It does not seem Miami will bit though as their interest is peaking in the direction of Arizona’s Wade Miley and Oakland’s Tommy Millone.
The Blue Jays are finally in position to make the playoffs for the first-time since 1993. Pictures of Joe Carter rounding the bases are Toronto’s last memories of October baseball. The Jays are also looking to upgrade their starting-staff.
Emilio Bonifacio
The Chicago Cubs did not place Emilio Bonifacio in the lineup on Wednesday, perhaps a sign of things to come. The Orioles, Giants and Reds are all interested in the speedy utility-man, as it seems he is mostly likely gone come tomorrow. A speedy lead-off hitter can prove valuable to any contending team.
Yankees and John Danks
It appears the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox are still far apart as it concerns the Yanks acquiring starter John Danks. On the season, the lefty Danks has a 9-6 record with a 4.40 ERA.
The question remains what the Yankees actually have to give up to the Sox in return. The White Sox are a young team looking to continue their rebuilding plan, and New York has very few young, valuable pieces in the system.