The World Series can be won in July, not just October. With the right move at the MLB trade deadline, a team can go from World Series hopeful to eventual World Series champions if the right piece is added to the fold.
The deadline is always full of surprises, and this year should be no different. Several prominent names are on the trade block and there inevitably will be unexpected names that join the fray.
So what if the deadline gets truly wild? Of course, we want to remain in the realm of possibility, so you won't see any Aaron Judge trades in this article. But if the deadline does take a massive left turn, there are some truly wild moves that could happen.
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Padres flip Dylan Cease for Jarren Duran
Dylan Cease is a free agent after the season and the Padres are reportedly open to trading him if the team can add pieces that help a playoff push. If there is anything the Red Sox would look to add in a Duran trade, it's frontline starting pitching.
A Cease-for-Duran package is a great starting point for both teams. The Padres get a young All-Star with multiple years of team control while the Red Sox get an overqualified No. 2 that the team can look to lock down for several years.
Cease alone probably isn't enough to convince the Red Sox to part ways with Duran, even with there being a logjam in the outfield. San Diego would likely have to throw in a prospect or two, which we know the team has no problem doing.
It would be such a Padres move to essentially flip one star-caliber player for another. General manager AJ Preller has been the most active GM in baseball the last few years and this would be yet another example of him taking a big swing.
Tigers go all-in, trade for Eugenio Suarez and Merrill Kelly
Arizona Diamondbacks teammates Eugenio Suarez and Merrill Kelly make up two of the best trade targets on the market. Suarez is one of the best power-hitting bats in baseball while Kelly has re-established himself as a reliable, above-average arm.
Both players are entering free agency, so they do not represent a long-term investment for whoever adds them. If there was ever a time for a small-market team like the Tigers to go all-in on a two-for-one, it's now.
The Tigers don't have to worry about paying either player in the future and can get the tandem for a price that won't derail things moving forward. Detroit is loaded with young talent and has one of the best farm systems in baseball. With two top-10 prospects and five top-100 prospects in the system, per MLB Pipeline, the Tigers have the means to take a swing.
Suarez would slot into the middle of the order as the every-day third baseman, allowing Zach McKinstry to move around the diamond. Kelly would slot in as an extremely overqualified No. 4 starter for the team's playoff rotation.
The Tigers have established the foundation to make a legitimate run at the World Series. Now the team just needs to add the final touches.
Dodgers become sellers ... to the Yankees?
The Los Angeles Dodgers are always going to be considered trade deadline buyers because, well, they are the Dodgers. However, while the Dodgers are always looking for areas to improve, the team has more fat to trim than anything at the deadline.
The Dodgers are getting healthy at the right time, and with the starting rotation starting to take shape, young flamethrower Dustin May has emerged as someone who may be on the market. After all, once Blake Snell returns, there really is no room for May in a playoff rotation.
May is a free agent after this season and the only move the Dodgers may make at the deadline is trading away one of their starting pitchers. The New York Yankees should undoubtedly be interested in May, as they could use another arm for a potential World Series push.
The Dodgers are known for their spending power, but Andrew Friedman knows when to sell high. Years ago, he traded away Yasiel Puig and Alex Wood for prospects that helped land Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and Max Scherzer. Last offseason he sold high on Gavin Lux. It may be time to sell high on May.