Go big at the Deadline? These 6 teams have the prospects to do it
The 2023 Trade Deadline is fast approaching. Whether your team is in contention and potentially looking to add some new pieces to win now or they’re potentially looking to add talent for the future, it's a time full of excitement for baseball fans.
As teams determine whether they want to be buyers or sellers, our own Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo discuss a few teams with organizational depth that could make a splash come August 1st on this week's edition of Pipeline Podcast.
In making their decisions, the crew borrowed from the 20-80 scouting scale to come up with a "likelihood" factor, with 20 being little to no chance of a trade being made and 80 being a lock that a trade is imminent.
Rangers
Top 100 prospects: 6 | Top 30 list
Likelihood: Callis - 60; Mayo - 60
Callis: Things are going great for them right now. It's not just that they're going to make the playoffs this year, they look like a team that could win the World Series. They have a chance to go on a roll in the postseason, so I could see them making a major move. … They've got a ton of outfielders in the Minors. … You even have some guys who are in the big leagues who have trade value and are young and are somewhat blocked, so I think they could do something.
Dodgers
Top 100 prospects: 8 | Top 30 list
Likelihood: Callis - 55; Mayo - 60
Callis: I just don't think anybody does a better job of winning at the big league level while also acquiring talent ... and developing and making guys better at the Minor League level ... than the Dodgers. I don't know that anybody's done it as consistently well. ... I think between the talent [they have], and the money to resign people, I think they're better positioned than anybody to go get anybody they want, and keep them long-term potentially as well.
Rays
Top 100 prospects: 4 | Top 30 list
Likelihood: Callis - 55; Mayo - 55
Callis: I'd be afraid of trading with the Rays if they're trading prospects because they always seem to come out ahead in most of the trades they make. It seems like a never-ending supply of prospects. Right now, the system's overflowing with infielders. … They're not afraid to move young big leaguers. They're a very creative team, they're always in the thick of things. … They’re like a shark, they can't stand still. They're always on the move trying to grab talent and I just think it's their nature.
Orioles
Top 100 prospects: 8 | Top 30 list
Likelihood: Callis - 50; Mayo - 50
Mayo: They're not quite as deep overall as the Dodgers and they do not have -- or they do not choose to have -- the financial wherewithal to jump into the trade waters as much as the Dodgers have, but they certainly have the personnel. [There’s] outfielders you could trade -- Colton Cowser is in the big leagues, but he has some cursed stats since arriving from Triple-A. You've got middle infield depth for sure. … I'm very curious to see what appetite [Orioles general manager] Mike Elias and company has to try to bring someone in, even if it's for a couple of months to make a run here.
Reds
Top 100 prospects: 4 | Top 30 list
Likelihood: Callis - 45; Mayo - 50
Mayo: The Reds still have four [prospects] on the Top 100 and a lot of really good young talent in the big leagues now. I think they're more likely to continue to go that route. That doesn't mean that they wouldn't consider trading Edwin Arroyo or any of those guys. … I don't know if they would trade for a guy for two months or make a huge trade. I also don't think that their system is quite as deep. There's a bit of a drop off, especially with the graduations that they've had.
Twins
Top 100 prospects: 2 | Top 30 list
Likelihood: Callis - 45; Mayo - 45
Mayo: [The Twins'] system always tends to be good, but maybe not fantastic. They've got two Top 100 guys in Brooks Lee and Emmanuel Rodriguez [but] I don’t see them trading Lee. With what they’ve done, they’re always willing to make trades. Look at last year: they traded Spencer Steer and they traded Christian Encarnacion-Strand, but they were not as highly regarded at the time. Obviously they've gotten much better. … They're willing to trade from their prospect stable, but it's usually not their top-level guys.