We recently examined some of the key questions facing American League clubs as we head toward the Trade Deadline, but that only covered half of the teams.
National League squads have just as many questions with about four weeks remaining until July 31, so let’s dig in on some of the issues facing key clubs in the Senior Circuit.
How will the Phillies address the bullpen?
Philadelphia’s rotation has covered up some of the warts in the bullpen, whose ERA ranks near the bottom of the NL. If the entire rotation is healthy, one or two of the starters might have to shift to the bullpen at some point, but the Phillies could still use another high-leverage arm or two for the later innings.
José Alvarado will help down the stretch after he returns from his suspension, but he won’t be eligible for the postseason, when the Phillies will need him most. David Robertson remains available as a free agent, though there are sure to be a number of quality relief options available on the trade market as we move into mid-to-late July.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is never shy when it comes to making deals, so expect him to do what is necessary to fix the bullpen in the coming weeks.
Will Nolan Arenado still be a Cardinal on Aug. 1?
Arenado was one of the focuses on St. Louis’ offseason, and the Cardinals had a deal to send him to Houston before the third baseman declined to waive his no-trade clause. The 34-year-old wound up opening the season with St. Louis -- an upset in the eyes of many -- and although he’s no longer the offensive player he once was, Arenado has played excellent defense at the hot corner.
Then again, this was supposed to be a transition year for the Cardinals, but St. Louis has exceeded most expectations with its play during the first half of the season. Might the front office keep the team together -- or even add to it? -- if things keep going well, or would a bad few weeks prompt the Cardinals to become a seller?
If it’s the latter, there are a number of teams in the market for a third baseman -- namely the Yankees and Tigers. Would the Cardinals move Arenado, and, more importantly, would the eight-time All-Star agree to a trade? Stay tuned.
Can the Braves afford to wait until late July to add a starter?
Atlanta continues to try to scratch and claw its way into the playoff picture, but with Chris Sale out until August with a fractured rib cage, A.J. Smith-Shawver out for the season following right elbow surgery and Reynaldo López out indefinitely with a right shoulder issue, the Braves’ rotation depth is being challenged.
Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder are holding down the top four spots in the rotation, but 20-year-old Didier Fuentes doesn’t look ready for the Majors after allowing 10 runs over 8 1/3 innings in his first two big league starts.
The mere fact that Fuentes was called up with only six career starts above High A is evidence of the lack of starting pitching options in the organization. If the Braves hope to extend their postseason streak to eight straight seasons, they may need to add a starter before it’s too late.
Do the Cubs need to add a third baseman?
Chicago’s third basemen rank last in the NL in home runs and OPS, so while the Cubs’ offense has been one of the most productive in the league, the hot corner hasn’t been so hot on the North Side.
Matt Shaw had a solid stretch after returning from Triple-A (.879 OPS in 17 games), but he’s reverted to his early-season form since then, dealing with the type of learning curve young hitters often face. His hard-hit and exit velocity rates put him near the bottom of the league.
Given the Cubs’ designs on making a deep run into October, adding an established third baseman would seem to be in play. Among the options are Colorado’s Ryan McMahon, Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez and the Angels’ Yoán Moncada.
How will the Mets’ rotation evolve over the next month?
New York has remained in a battle with the Phillies atop the NL East despite a brutal 3-10 stretch last month, but if the Mets don’t stabilize their banged-up rotation soon, they could find themselves fighting for a Wild Card down the stretch.
Sean Manaea should be back soon after missing the first three months, but he’ll be pitching with a loose body in his elbow, raising questions about how effective he will be. There are no clear timetables for Kodai Senga (right hamstring strain) or Tylor Megill (right elbow sprain) to return, while Griffin Canning sustained a left Achilles rupture last week, dealing another blow to the rotation. While Clay Holmes and David Peterson have been solid this season, the rest of the rotation has major questions.
Given the investment owner Steve Cohen has made in this team, it won’t be a surprise to see president of baseball operations David Stearns look to add a starter or two to help right the ship until there’s more clarity on the team’s injured arms.
Do the Dodgers actually need starting pitching?
On paper, the Dodgers’ list of starters appears to be an embarrassment of riches. Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Clayton Kershaw and Shohei Ohtani would seem to be more than enough, but Yamamoto is the only one of that group with more than eight starts this season.
Snell and Glasnow have combined for seven starts, while Ohtani is just working his way back after returning to the mound in June following a 22-month layoff. Glasnow (right shoulder inflammation) should be back soon, but the timetables on Snell (left shoulder inflammation) and Sasaki (right shoulder impingement) are unclear.
Tony Gonsolin (right elbow discomfort) is also on the IL, leaving Yamamoto, Kershaw and Dustin May to hold down the fort, with Emmet Sheehan due back soon. Depending on what the medical outlook is for their injured arms, Los Angeles could very well scour the market for rotation help in its effort to become the first repeat World Series champions since the 1999-2000 Yankees.
Can the Diamondbacks survive without Corbin Carroll?
Every time it looks like the Diamondbacks are ready to make a run, they seem to get dealt another crushing blow. First, it was Corbin Burnes’ season-ending right elbow injury, which was followed by a similar injury to Justin Martinez.
Now it’s Carroll, who sustained a chip fracture in his left wrist after getting hit by a pitch June 24. It’s unclear how long Carroll will be out, but mid-to-late August would seem to be the best-case scenario.
Arizona remains in the Wild Card race, but without Carroll, the lineup faces an uphill climb in July. If the Diamondbacks can stay afloat, will general manager Mike Hazen make some additions in an effort to bolster the roster? Or might a bad few weeks cause Arizona to sell off any or all of its expiring contracts? That group that includes Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Suárez and Josh Naylor, players who would certainly pique the interest of several contenders.
Will the Brewers trade another starting pitcher?
The arrival of rookie Jacob Misiorowski has Milwaukee buzzing, and while his workload figures to be monitored very closely, the Brewers have enough rotation depth to move one of their arms to address another area.
Milwaukee has already moved Aaron Civale, but with Brandon Woodruff and Nestor Cortes due back soon from the injured list, they’ll be added to a crop of starters that includes Misiorowski, Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers, Chad Patrick, Quinn Priester, Jose Quintana and Logan Henderson.
Peralta might be the odd man out simply due to his $8 million salary -- the third highest on the club -- and an $8 million club option for 2026, which could be appealing to potential buyers. Cortes is earning $7.6 million in his final year before free agency, but he’s unlikely to bring back a big return after missing three months.
Do the Giants still need another bat?
San Francisco made a big splash with the Rafael Devers trade, but given the tight race in the NL West and Wild Card races, adding another bat might be necessary if the Giants want to play meaningful games into the fall.
Even with the recent addition of Devers, the Giants’ offense has scuffled more often than not. Matt Chapman’s return from right hand inflammation should help the lineup, shifting Casey Schmitt to second base. (Schmitt was placed on the IL on Monday with left hand inflammation, but his MRI came back clean and he could return in a matter of days, per manager Bob Melvin.) The Giants could look to upgrade at catcher, where they have the lowest OPS of any team in the NL, or in the outfield, where a right-handed platoon partner to pair with Mike Yastrzemski might be beneficial.