The 2013 Trade Deadline looks as busy as ever. Top talent, sleepers, and and many other players will be moved within the course of 24 hours. Who will be the winners in the Trade Deadline? Who's going to lose? Who's getting traded? Who's going to stay? I'm going to break it all down.
Winners:
Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee looks like he's going to be the top hurler, and possibly the top player in this year's market. Although Ruben Amaro Jr. has stated that he's not going to be trading Lee, the Phillies are just not playing good enough baseball to keep him in the fold. If that changes, however, Cliff may still be pitching for a contender. I forgot to mention that he's under contract until 2015, so money is not an issue.
Ricky Nolasco
Anyone pitching for the Marlins would love to go to a contender. It seems like the Dodgers would like Nolasco, who are still sitting in the basement of the NL West. He could also be moved to San Franciso, or plenty of other teams that need cheap starting pitching. But, he could only be a three month rental, as he's in a contract year.
Matt Garza
Garza is on a Cubs team who will not be contenders for a while. His contract will be up in 2014, and pitching is always a need, as you can never have too much depth. Garza has only made seven starts this season, due to his lat injury that kept him from pitching for awhile.
Losers:
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have plenty of moveable pieces, while Jonothan Papelbon and Cliff Lee seem to get the most attention. The reason they are losers is because I believe Ruben Amaro will hold true to his word and not trade their big stars, as they continue to lose value in the upcoming years. Trade now Amaro, and you won't be in trouble. Trade later? Amaro may be out of luck.
Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates
The Royals and Pirates have shown that they will contend all the way down to the wire. Both of them have excellent pitching staffs, but are lacking the offense needed to win in the long run. This Deadline isn't chalk full of bats, as teams like the Royals and Pirates will need to be on their horse looking for the top available.
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