Trade deadline

New York Mets: Zack Wheeler to Return on Friday

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Will the New York Yankees land Zack Wheeler in free agency?

The New York Mets top trade piece, Zack Wheeler, will start on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wheeler had been sidelined since July 7 because of a shoulder impingement. He threw a bullpen session Friday and live batting practice Tuesday without any issues.

Wheeler will only have one start to prove his trade worth, due to the unfortunate timing of his injury. He drew interest from multiple teams before he landed on the injured list. Throughout the year Wheeler had plenty of life on his pitches, but struggled to find any consistency. This led to a 4.69 ERA and a higher home run rate than he had in 2018.

Wheeler’s Deceiving Numbers

The interesting part about Wheeler’s season is his ERA makes it look worse than it actually is. FIP is “Fielding independent Pitching” and it only takes into account pitcher’s three true outcomes (HR/BB/K). Wheeler’s FIP in 2018 and 2019 are 3.25 and 3.67, not too much of a difference. He has allowed multiple bloop hits this year and the Mets poor defense does not turn those bloop hits into outs.

Should Wheeler put together a good start Friday, there should still be a large amount of teams lining up to acquire him. If he struggles, teams might have interest, but their offers will be significantly lower. If he puts together a strong August, the Mets could put him on waivers and deal him before the August 31 deadline. Justin Verlander was a waiver trade and it worked out perfectly for the Houston Astros.

Can Wheeler Regain His Form?

Wheeler found success in the second half of 2018, in which he actually pitched to a lower ERA than Jacob deGrom. After receiving extra rest due to the All-Star break and recovery from his injury, he should expect to return to elite form.

The Mets can extend a qualifying offer to Wheeler during the offseason if they do not trade him. Wheeler was at his peak value last offseason, but the Mets kept him in hopes of winning this season. He has never made a postseason start and his start Friday could determine if he makes his first, this year.

New York Yankees: Interests in Trevor Bauer Continue

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The New York Yankees are looking into Cleveland Indians pitcher, Trevor Bauer.

The New York Yankees and GM Brian Cashman are continuing their search for another starting pitcher. Even though things have seemed to be silent in that department, the club intends to add at the trade deadline.

It is obvious the Yankees have a clear need for a starting pitcher, and eyes are still pinned on Trevor Bauer from the Cleveland Indians. Ken Rosenthal from The Athletic said that the Yankees have sent one of their top scouts, Tim Naehring, to watch Bauer’s most recent outing against the Cincinnati Reds. This isn’t unusual at this time of the season, however, the Yankees would not have sent one of their top evaluators if they did not have a serious interest.

 

“He is a work-horse, he would fit perfectly with them (the Yankees) ” says Ken Rosenthal. “I do believe the Indians will be aggressive listeners because of [their] financial situation and the fact that they will lose him at one point as a free agent.”

Bauer has not had the same dominant season as his 2018 campaign but is still credited to a solid 3.61 ERA in 132 innings of work. Holding an 8-6 record while fanning 149, Bauer consistently goes the distance – exactly what the Yankees need.

Even though the Yankees hold a 6.5 game lead in the AL East, their pitching is nothing to brag about. Holding a 4.15 team ERA, the Bombers need to add another quality starter especially when the postseason rolls around.

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Who else are the New York Yankees interested in?

Aside from looking into Bauer, the Yankees have also been reportedly interested in pitchers Madison Bumgarner and Marcus Stroman. The former would be the better option given the inconsistencies Stroman has faced in the past, but the current Blue Jay has expressed his confidence in playing for the Bombers and why New York is the perfect fit for him.

The Yankees brass seems to be torn on the two options which is why they’ve been scouting Bauer as a potential compromise.