6. Tanner Roark
The Boston Red Sox got a jump on the mid-rotation starter market by acquiring Baltimore Orioles right-hander Andrew Cashner. With Cashner struggling in his first few starts with the Red Sox, perhaps they should have waited out the Cincinnati Reds and made a run at veteran Tanner Roark. The 32-year-old continues to be one of the most dependable innings eaters in baseball.
Roark meets no one’s definition of “ace,” but he continues to deliver steady performances year after year. He is 6-6 with a 3.95 ERA through 20 starts with the Reds and is 70-60 with a 3.63 ERA over the course of his seven-year MLB career. The right-hander has handled the Reds hitter-friendly park quite well and can be counted on to keep his team in the ballgame every fifth day.
The Reds took an interesting approach to continue their rebuilding process last winter by acquiring a handful of veterans with the hope of flipping them at the deadline. Roark appears to be the most likely to bring back a solid return, but Yasiel Puig should also draw some interest. The Reds could also shop Sonny Gray, who they have on a cheap four-year contract, but will probably hold onto him for now.
There are flashier trade candidates, but Roark is a fit for contenders who don’t have great prospects or a team closer to the bottom of the Wild Card pack who still wants to try and make a run at a playoff spot without mortgaging their future. He has been through the rigors of a playoff race several times with the Washington Nationals and has always held up well in the second half, where he has a career 3.17 ERA in 443 innings.