2023 MLB Trade Deadline Buyers-Sellers: NL East Edition
The MLB Trade Deadline is less than two weeks away. Forcing teams to make the yearly decision of if they are going to buy or sell at the deadline. In this series, I will attempt to determine if each team will buy or sell and more importantly who they will buy or sell. Today, we start first with the NL East.
Braves: Buy but sparingly
The Braves don’t really need to add too much right now. As it stands, it’s more than good enough to win a championship. They sit at 61-33 and have been one of the best teams in all of baseball from the beginning of the season. The Braves don’t really need anything so if I’m them I’m not making a deal unless it’s truly an upgrade at a position. They maybe could use another starting pitcher, but with Max Fried to return soon, they may not even need that.
Marlins: Buy
For the first time in seemingly forever, the Marlins should and likely will be buyers at the deadline. The issue is so are a lot of teams and it doesn’t seem like a very buyers-friendly market, which could make it hard for the Marlins to bring back the value they would want. The pitching has been good for Miami but some help in the lineup could go a long way. A name like Lane Thomas could be one of the Marlins’ targets. He’s slashing .289/.337/.482 and would be a huge offensive upgrade for this Marlins team.
Phillies: Buy
Just like last year, the Phillies should 100 percent be buying at this year’s deadline. After another slow start, the Phillies have gotten hot in June/July and find themselves with a 52-43 record and a real possibility of securing another wild card spot. The Phillies’ biggest need right now is still a No. 5 starter–the same thing they tried to address last year by bringing in Noah Syndergaard. With Andrew Painter now set to miss the rest of the year, the Phillies desperately need to go out and bring in another quality starter. A name like Lucas Giolito, or even Josiah Gray, would be a huge addition to this Phillies team and give that rotation some much-needed depth.
Mets: Do nothing, I guess
The Mets are one of the weirder teams on this list. They are certainly wanting to at the very least make the playoffs, but right now that’s not seeming like it’s going to happen. Leading many to believe the Mets will continue to buy during this year’s deadline. The only issue is, I don’t know how much more the Mets can really buy. Steve Cohen has already sold his soul for this team and they already have the highest payroll in all of baseball. They just need their star players to play at the level they are expected to and a turnaround is possible. But I don’t think throwing more money into this team is magically going to make it better. If a deal is right and makes sense, do it, but if you’re the Mets, don’t just make a trade to say you did.
Nationals: Sell Sell Sell
Now we make it to our easiest entry to come from this division. To nobody’s surprise, the Nationals should be selling at this deadline. It’s going to be quite the rebuild over in Washington. While it can’t truly start until after you get rid of those Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin contracts. They can still sell high on some guys they have and continue to bolster up their farm system. Thomas is a name they will likely move off of. Josiah Gray could be moved, but Jeimer Canderalero is the name most likely to be moved this year. He’s slashing .259/.334/.485; it’s been a bit of a breakout year for the 29-year-old. Nobody on this Nationals team is safe. Anybody can be traded, especially if it’s for the right haul of prospects.
With that we have the NL East completed. In such a competitive division, it’s no surprise that a majority of these teams are going to be buyers at the deadline. The Braves seemingly have the division secured, but there is still plenty to play for in terms of Wild Card spots.
Expect the NL East to be very active at the trade deadline in the coming weeks. The Marlins and Phillies have needs that can be addressed through trade, so expect at the least to see that. But then again, I could be totally wrong here.
What do you think about the NL East for the trade deadline? Will the teams I listed actually be sellers? Or do you disagree and believe a team will go the other way instead? Let us know in the comments below!
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