Fansided

MLB power rankings: Each team’s post-All-Star outlooks

By Sean Sears

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 04: Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a solo home run in the sixth inning off the game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on July 4, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 04: Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a solo home run in the sixth inning off the game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on July 4, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 15
Next
CLEVELAND, OHIO – JULY 09: Daniel Vogelbach #20 of the Seattle Mariners participates in the 2019 MLB All-Star Game at Progressive Field on July 09, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO – JULY 09: Daniel Vogelbach #20 of the Seattle Mariners participates in the 2019 MLB All-Star Game at Progressive Field on July 09, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

26. Seattle Mariners, 39-55, last in the AL West

Expect trades. GM Jerry Dipoto loves to trade players and he’s got a handful of guys he’d be smart to move now to get something of value back. Starter Mike Leake had a nice bounce-back start before the All-Star break after posting back-to-back poor starts allowing five runs or more in each start. But the 31-year-old Leake seems like a guy who should/will be moved before the deadline.

Veteran INF/OF Dee Gordon could also make sense in trade scenarios, with his blazing speed and ability to play serviceable OF along with his reliable defense at 2B. But his poor slash line, .267/.297/.358, doesn’t translate to slam-dunk deal despite the pedigree Gordon has established as one of the elite base runners in baseball. But if he can’t get on base, he’s essentially a Terrance Gore-type player who’s only purpose is base running. But with the Mariners going nowhere this year, Dipoto might just want to remove some of the Vets to make room for future prospects.

25. Toronto Blue Jays, 34-57, 4th in the AL East

Vlad Jr. put on a freaking show at the Home Run Derby earlier this week, smashing 91 dingers. Folks, the kid is special. However, Toronto is not and the majority of July is going to revolve around whether or not the Blue Jays want to part with ace Marcus Stroman. If he’s made available, he’s the best starter option on the trade market, hands down. He had a somewhat down month in June, with a 4.04 ERA, allowing five home runs in his six starts last month. But his 3.18 ERA and 1.261 WHIP are still impressive, combined with his proven track record and team control through 2020 his still attractive option at the deadline.

But beyond trading Stroman, the Blue Jays are just going to be hoping for some positive trends from their young players like Guerreo Jr., Lourdels Gurriel Jr., Cavan Biggio, etc. For a team that’s stuck in a division with three of the top 10 teams in the league, the Blue Jays know that they’ll need to restock and retool to truly be considered threats in the AL East.

Home/MLB