Trade Deadline Inbox: What will teams on the cusp do?

As the calendar approaches July, trade talk will become more prevalent around the baseball world ahead of the Aug 1. Trade Deadline. It seems like as good a time as any to answer some questions in my first Trade Deadline Inbox of 2023.

As always, you can send your questions to me on Twitter @feinsand.

(_Some questions have been edited for clarity_)

The Giants seem to have been having recent success (maybe getting away with it) with their heavy use of bullpen games/openers, but even when some of their injured starters return, they largely haven’t been effective. Does SF go after an SP at the deadline?

-- @ricky_g_157

Farhan Zaidi has made it clear he plans to be aggressive between now and Aug. 1, which should be no surprise to anybody who has studied Zaidi’s tendencies through the years. The rotation should be the priority for San Francisco, as the Giants have battled injuries and inconsistency in their starting staff for much of the season.

The Giants could take a big swing at a frontline starter such as Shane Bieber or Lucas Giolito, or even make a big push for a controllable arm such as Dylan Cease. Given the state of the NL West as we approach July, the division appears to be there for the taking if Zaidi makes the right moves in the weeks ahead.

Will the Yankees be aggressive in the OF market?

-- @JulianGuilarte1

Given the news that Aaron Judge has a torn ligament in his injured big toe, I would think Brian Cashman’s approach to the outfield will hinge upon how much time the team believes Judge will miss.

Harrison Bader’s return from the injured list has been a welcome sight for the Yankees, but the other two spots have been a rotating cast of role players. Even if Judge returns, left field continues to be a hole for New York, giving Cashman a clear objective leading up to the Deadline.

If Cashman doesn’t like what he’s seeing on the outfield market, he could give former top prospect Estevan Florial another shot. Florial is destroying Triple-A pitching, so perhaps he’s finally ready to make an impact at the big league level.

I could see Cody Bellinger as a potential trade target for the Yankees, who would only be on the hook for the remainder of his $17.5 million salary (plus a $5 million buyout of his $25 million mutual option for 2024). Bellinger can play any of the three outfield spots and has rebounded nicely at the plate following a pair of disastrous seasons in 2021-22.

And speaking of the Cubs …

Will the Cubs be sellers even though they’re a few games out of first place?

-- @rex03186147

Chicago’s front office has an interesting situation, though the Cubs are hardly alone. For the teams in the AL Central and NL Central, proximity to first place in their respective divisions doesn’t necessarily mean that they are legitimate contenders for a championship.

Winning a division is an accomplishment to be proud of, but what if a front office believes its roster isn’t good enough to make any noise come October? I think back to 2015, when Dave Dombrowski -- who was running the Tigers at the time -- made the difficult decision to trade David Price to the Blue Jays, even though Detroit was just a few games out of a Wild Card spot.

My guess is that the Cubs -- not to mention the Brewers, Pirates, Guardians and even the Tigers -- might wait until the final week of July before deciding whether to buy, sell or stand pat. If the Cubs decide to sell, they will have a number of players who will draw significant interest including Bellinger, Marcus Stroman, Julian Merryweather and Michael Fulmer.

Potential trade targets for the Reds? Gotta be in on almost any relievers and some solid SP I’d assume.

-- @jason_redsfan

America’s Team should be buyers this trade season, capitalizing on the energy and momentum that has enveloped the Reds in recent weeks. Cincinnati has its most exciting team in years, and GM Nick Krall owes it to the fans, the players and everyone else associated with the Reds to add to the roster.

Although adding to the bullpen falls somewhere on the list, the Reds’ rotation should be the No. 1 priority. Cincinnati’s starters rank 14th in the NL with an ERA approaching 6.00, and given the club’s top-five offense, pitching figures to be Krall’s focus as we get closer to Aug. 1.

Is there any league interest in any Rockies players?

-- @SideLine_Crowd

Colorado is having a tough season in 2023, but the Rockies have a few trade chips to cash in by Aug. 1 if GM Bill Schmidt decides to sell.

Colorado dealt Mike Moustakas to the Angels last week, while Randal Grichuk has performed well since returning from the IL, potentially setting him up to be moved. But the most attractive players all reside in the bullpen, as the Rockies could deal Brent Suter, Daniel Bard and/or Brad Hand, any of whom would improve many bullpens around the league.

Do the Brewers keep Corbin Burnes or do they become sellers?

-- @MichaelPottert2

Barring a complete collapse in the coming weeks, I can’t see the Brewers becoming a seller to the point where they would deal Burnes. The 2021 NL Cy Young winner will be arbitration-eligible for the third and final time next winter, so he’s going to be a prime trade candidate during the offseason.

Think the Mets will have a significant trade move?

-- @itsGensu

Despite the sizeable gap between the Mets and the NL East lead (not to mention a Wild Card spot), I doubt they will become sellers this summer. That goes against what I would say for most teams in their position, but this team was built to win now, so I don’t see Steve Cohen throwing in the towel. During a press conference that he arranged on Wednesday, he said he’s most likely to recommend a quiet Deadline if the Mets don’t improve.

The Mets are the type of team that just needs to figure out how to sneak into the postseason, and if Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are pitching the way they’re expected to pitch, this team can make a run in October.