7 burning questions sparked by the Trade Deadline

Questions, questions. You got ‘em, we got ‘em. This Trade Deadline answered a few. Almost as many went unanswered, and that’s why we’re here. As happy as some team executives were on Wednesday, others had tougher explanations.

No worries, folks. These things almost never work out the way we think they’re going to. The Astros and Braves won the Trade Deadline, but that guarantees them nothing in October.

Let’s take a stab at seven pressing questions in the wake of the Deadline:

1) Do the Dodgers have internal fixes for their bullpen?

They certainly think so. Otherwise president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman would have surrendered the club's No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, infielder Gavin Lux, for Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez. The Dodgers will start by adding top pitching prospect Dustin May, who is set to debut on Friday at home against the Padres. And in October, the Dodgers may do what the Red Sox and Astros did the past two postseasons in shifting starters into relief roles. So look for Julio Urías, Kenta Maeda, Ross Stripling, and possibly May to do that. The Dodgers still also have Pedro Báez, Joe Kelly and Kenley Jansen in their bullpen. Will it work? Friedman’s track record says it just may.

2) Will the Yankees regret not overpaying for a starting pitcher?

Possibly not. Let’s say they do get Luis Severino back in time to pitch Game 1 of the postseason and that they can line up Domingo Germán and Masahiro Tanaka for Games 2 and 3 while hoping that James Paxton, J.A. Happ or CC Sabathia can contribute. General manager Brian Cashman decided that was a gamble worth taking after walking away from the ridiculously high prices for starting pitchers that might have been only a modest upgrade. Given Cashman’s track record on these things, it would be a mistake to bet against him.

And don’t be surprised if Severino ends up in the bullpen along with Dellin Betances (who is also on the injured list) come October. As we’ve seen the last couple of Octobers, teams are not afraid to get unconventional in the playoffs with their pitching.

3) Has the Mets' postseason run already begun?

Shock the world! Didn’t you like this team on Opening Day? Sure, you did. Don’t you like it even more now with Marcus Stroman in the rotation and Pete Alonso bashing home runs? The Mets have won seven straight and 13 of 17, and according to FanGraphs, their odds of making the postseason have risen from four percent to 21 percent. We may look back and see that their postseason run started here.

4) Are the Red Sox correct in thinking they can smash their way back to the postseason?

Probably not. But if any team could, it’s this one. The Red Sox lead the Majors in runs, doubles and on-base percentage, and are second in OPS. They will need all those runs and then some thanks to a rotation that has a 5.35 ERA since the All-Star break and a bullpen that sits at 5.12 in that stretch. The Red Sox were constructed around a great offense and a rotation that expected dominance from Chris Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello. If they don’t get it, the inability to land an impact reliever may not matter much, and Boston will be in a dogfight for one of the two American League Wild Card spots.

5) The Nationals upgraded their bullpen, but when will Max Scherzer return?

No National League player is more important to his team’s playoff hopes than this one. Scherzer has pitched once since July 6, and he’s on the injured list for a second time with pain in his shoulder and neck area. The Nationals continue to express optimism that he’ll return at some point this month. His absence is a huge factor for a team that has made a remarkable turnaround, and with Wednesday’s bullpen additions, seems capable of challenging the Dodgers and Braves in October.

6) What do the Astros expect from Aaron Sanchez this season?

Sanchez will make his Astros debut Saturday against the Mariners as his new organization works to get him back on track. The Astros believe he’s still capable of greatness despite a 6.07 ERA this season. How they get him back on track is what they’re discussing. His fastball still touches 95 mph regularly, and his curve and change have worked well for him in the past. Sanchez is exactly the kind of pitcher the Astros have had success with in the past.

7) Are the Cubs still the NL Central favorites?

Yes. They were the best team on Opening Day, and none of the three most serious contenders -- Reds, Cardinals and Brewers -- made the kind of trade that would separate themselves from the pack. The Cubs are still the team with the fewest holes, and if they get Cole Hamels and Ben Zobrist back for the final two months, they’re probably a bit better than their division foes.