2023 MLB Trade Deadline Buyers-Sellers: NL Central Edition
Another day, another division, this time were shifting our focus to the NL Central. A division that’s open for the taking usually spells for an active trade deadline. So, which of these teams will be buyers and who will be selling? More importantly, who can we expect these teams to trade for?
Brewers: Buy some bats
It’s another season in which the Brewers have some elite pitching. They currently rank 12th in team ERA, but have seen themselves climbing up that list of late. Like most years, the Brewers also don’t have the bats to back up that great pitching. They are currently 25th in runs scored per game and, outside of Christian Yelich, there isn’t much to brag about regarding this lineup.
It’s clear that they need some significant power/offensive upgrades and overall become a more complete team. A name like Cody Bellinger could really give this offensive the boost it needs. Guys like Lane Thomas or even Brent Rooker could also serve that need.
Point is, the Brewers desperately need some offensive help. If they do that, they become a very scary team.
Reds: Buy, but sparingly
I don’t think anybody expected the Reds to be 52-46, second in the NL Central with a real possibility of being a playoff team. It just goes to show you how crazy the MLB really can be. But just because the Reds are competitive right now, it would behoove them to sell out completely for just this season.
Like the Red Sox in my AL East article, the Reds have an extremely talented farm system. The team is very young and exciting but will need some time before being a viable threat in the National League. The future looks bright in Cincinnati for the first time in a long time; don’t throw it all away for this season. If you’re able to move off some older guys and bring in some more prospects, then I don’t hate that. But I just don’t see how giving up young talent to sell out for this year benefits the Reds at all.
If the Reds did want to buy a little bit though, they could look to upgrade their pitching. As we know, there are a plethora of pitchers seemingly available at this year’s deadline. Just don’t overpay!
Cubs: Wait and see
I know this is a boring answer and one that may not make sense with the deadline quickly approaching, but I honestly don’t know what this Cubs team should do. At 45-51, the team is hard stuck in the middle of the pack. They could sneak into a Wild Card spot, but as of now, that doesn’t seem very likely. Even if that is the case, I don’t think the Cubs should entirely just tear it down and ship everyone off.
Names like Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger have been thrown around as potential trade candidates. If the Cubs do decide they don’t want to buy then those are two players you can expect to see shipped out of Chicago. Or maybe the Cubs just hold off with what they have and instead set their sights on next year. But if they do want to buy, corner infield help would be a start, plus an upgrade or two also coming to the bullpen.
Cardinals: Buy because you have to
If we were talking about pretty much any other fanbase, I would say this team should 100 percent sell. Sure, the Cardinals are just now getting good, but it may just be too little too late given their horrid start. The issue is St. Louis fans are notoriously brutal and frankly don’t allow the team to ever go under a true rebuild — which pretty much forced their hand ahead of this year’s deadline.
Team president John Mozeliak said Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt aren’t going anywhere, so it’s clear that the Cardinals won’t be sellers this year. The lineup hasn’t been an issue though, ranking 11th in runs scored per game. The big issue has been the pitching, which ranks 24th in the league when looking at ERA per game.
Thankfully for the Red Birds, pitching is the one position in plenty for this year’s deadline. The Cardinals have been active before, and I expect them to make a move to bring in a quality starter. Because if Miles Mikolas is your ace, you have some pitching problems you need to address.
Pirates: Sell
Remember when the Pirates were first in the NL Central, shocking the entire MLB world? Yeah so do I, and it was a truly crazy start to this MLB season. But in the following months, the Pirates came crashing back down to Earth and find themselves in last place with a 42-54 record.
Also familiar to the Pirates is selling at the trade deadline, something they certainly will be doing this year as well. Names like Rich Hill, Carlos Santana and even Andrew McCutchen are being thrown around in trade rumors. They are prime candidates to be traded given their age, and I just don’t see the Pirates getting a whole lot in return.
A name like Mitch Keller, though, makes this whole trade deadline potentially more interesting for the Pirates. Now, I know he is likely their best player and a potential piece to build around, but at 27 years old I’m just not sure he fits the timeline of this Pirates team. Unlike the previously mentioned names, however, Keller could actually net you a solid return, in turn allowing the Pirates to further bulk up their farm system.
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