AL East contenders now have another star pitcher to fight over at trade deadline
By Curt Bishop
The San Francisco Giants have fallen to 5.5 games out in the Wild Card race and are now six games below the .500 mark at 49-55. With their recent slide, it seems likely that San Francisco will ultimately be sellers at the trade deadline. According to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, left-hander and former Cy Young Blake Snell could be one of the Giants' biggest trade chips.
The trade deadline is four days away, and the Giants appear to be falling out of the mix. But there are a few teams in the American League East that could use a top arm like Snell.
AL East teams have a new top arm to fight over
The AL East is a tightly packed three-team race at the moment. The Baltimore Orioles are at the top of the division with a two-game lead over the New York Yankees and a 6.5 game lead over the Boston Red Sox. Baltimore needs a top starter to go with Corbin Burnes, especially with all the injuries they are dealing with.
New York and Boston could also use some help in their rotation. Both Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are struggling this season, and Boston doesn't have a true ace to go at the top of its rotation, even with pitchers such as Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford leading the way.
The 31-year-old left-hander has not pitched well this season. In just nine starts, he's 0-3 with a 5.83 ERA. He'll pitch next on Saturday when the Giants play a doubleheader at home against the Colorado Rockies, and Baggarly reports that by then he'll be one of the most scouted players in the big leagues.
Of all three AL East contenders, Baltimore and Boston could probably use Snell the most. While the Orioles have Burnes, they are without John Means, Tyler Wells, and Kyle Bradish, who are out for the season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Boston signed Lucas Giolito in the offseason, but he is also on the shelf for the season after undergoing a brace procedure on his elbow in the spring. It will certainly be interesting to see how Snell's market develops and if he'll be on the move.
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