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These MLB Players Would Make Great Trades Before This Season’s Deadline

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These MLB Players Would Make Great Trades Before This Season's Deadline


The MLB trade deadline is coming up on July 30. It’s arriving a day earlier than the typical deadline; this year, July 31 falls on a Saturday with many day games that make trades logistically tricky. A few transactions will probably filter through the league in August, but for the most part, baseball’s contending teams will see the deadline as their last chance to get their rosters situated for the pennant chase.

 

 

This year feels like a buyer’s market. Only 12 teams have 30 percent odds or better to make the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. It would seem ill-advised for any team outside that bubble to trade a valuable prospect package in exchange for major league help, especially if that help is on a contract that expires just a few months after the trade deadline. But this stretch of the season is often full of surprises, and there’s no reason 2021 should be any different.

At any rate, I’ve highlighted eight players who should, ideally, find new homes by July 30—both because baseball fans deserve to watch them play meaningful October games, and because they’re not a whole lot of use to their current (and generally bad) teams at the moment.

Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals starting pitcher

Joe Buck: What’s comin’, Xander?
Xander Bogaerts: Fastball.
Max Scherzer:
Narrator: It was not a fastball.
#Scherzday // #NATITUDE https://t.co/h0vmSYe171

The seven-year, $210 million deal the Nationals gave Scherzer before the 2015 season will go down as one of the best free agent signings any team has ever made. He has given the Nats a sub-3 earned run average over his seven seasons, he has nabbed two Cy Young Awards, and he was a dependable workhorse in the franchise’s 2019 World Series win. He has been dominant in 2021 as well.

But the Nationals are just barely on the fringes of contention, and Scherzer can only help the team once every five days. If some team wants to give the Nationals future value in exchange for Scherzer’s last few stats of the year, it’d be nice to watch him pitch in October again.

Adam Frazier, Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman

Frazier has been a breakout star this year, so much so that he earned the starting second baseman nod for the National League in this year’s All-Star Game. He was more or less an average hitter for his first five years in the bigs, but he’s turned into a hit machine this year.

Still, it’s not totally clear that Frazier’s rise is sustainable; he’s not hitting the ball much harder this season. But that’s the beauty of acquiring a player for the stretch drive: The hot streak only needs to last a few months in order for the trade to pan out well. The Pirates are one of the worst teams in the game, and Frazier would be a fun late-summer addition for a club looking for some offense. He’s also a year away from free agency, which means his time with the tightwad Pirates is ending soon anyway.

Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs third baseman

Kris Bryant on trade rumors:
“If it does happen, whatever team I do go to is gonna get a guy that’ll go out there and give it all he’s got” https://t.co/BUzJ4PvsbC

I don’t like having Bryant on this list. It’s embarrassing for the Cubs—and a snub to Cubs fans—that they haven’t already extended their former MVP and World Series hero, who remains one of MLB’s premium players. But at this point, the Cubs have chosen their path. They didn’t extend Bryant’s contract any time in the last five years; they’re probably not going to do it in the next few months. Cubs owner Tom Ricketts should be ashamed that he let Bryant get this close to departing. Internal politics aside, Bryant is a great player, and it’d be nice to watch him rake for a team that appreciates him properly.

Mitch Haniger, Seattle Mariners outfielder

Haniger has been a consistently above average hitter for the last four years in Seattle. He hasn’t been quite as good the last few years as he was in 2018, when he generated 4.5 wins above replacement and hit 26 home runs. But strictly on power terms, Haniger is actually hitting the ball harder now than he did then. He homered every 26 at-bats in 2018 and has homered about every 19 at-bats in 2021. He’s not much of a defender in right field, but a contending team could try to hide him out there or just use him as a designated hitter.

Haniger isn’t all that useful to the Mariners, who are above .500 but stuck in an American League West that is cluttered with good teams. The Mariners also have several strong corner outfield prospects coming up through the ranks.

Andrew McCutchen, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder

The 2013 National League MVP isn’t the player he used to be, but he has been a pretty good, under-the-radar hitter the last three years in Philadelphia. The Phillies gave him a three-year, $50 million deal before 2019, and that has turned out to be a decent investment.

But the Phillies’ playoff odds are hovering around 17 percent. They sit in a National League East that the New York Mets are highly likely to win, and they probably aren’t getting a Wild Card spot, either. McCutchen is one of my favorite players, and I’d like to see him get a shot at a World Series before he moves further into the twilight of his career. Given that he’s a few months from free agency, it’s possible the Phillies give him that chance by dealing him.

Eduardo Escobar, Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman

The D-backs are the worst team in baseball and look well on their way to notching over 100 losses this season. The club faces a long rebuild, and one of the first steps should be trading Escobar, who has been their most valuable position player this year while second baseman Ketel Marte has been in and out of the lineup.

Escobar is 32 and in the last year of his contract; there’s no chance he plays on the next competitive Diamondbacks team. A contending team that needs help at third base (or a utility infielder) could really put him to work, however. The Chicago White Sox would make sense and might like to play Escobar at second base, where he has experience.

Trey Mancini, Baltimore Orioles first baseman

The Orioles might not want to trade Mancini, who is both an inspirational story and under team control for another year after this one. But the Orioles are really bad. In addition, they only have so many players who’d bring back anything of real value in a trade, and it might cause an all-out fan mutiny if they traded center fielder Cedric Mullins II in the middle of an MVP-caliber breakout season.

Mancini hit 35 home runs in 2019 and might get somewhere close to that number again this year. He’s a first baseman now, but he has outfield experience and could be a designated hitter, too. Baltimore doesn’t have to move him, but it would be a lot of fun if Mancini found himself in the hunt for a pennant.

Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies shortstop

The Rockies have horribly mismanaged their roster over the last few years, squandering a promising core of young players and producing one of the worst teams in the league. It seems natural that Story joins former teammate Nolan Arenado in heading out the door while the Rockies continue their descent into ineptitude.

Story’s power has declined the last two seasons, and he is not hitting nearly up to his own standards in 2021. But he’s a great defender at a difficult position, and it’s hard to believe there isn’t any pop left in his bat. Story is a free agent after the year and deserves to ride out his contract playing somewhere other than Denver.

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10 Best Porters to Drink Right Now

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A bottle of Deschutes Black Butte Porter




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Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength

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Barbell Back Squat


The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.

“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.

If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.

Directions

Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.

Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength

Circuit 1

Marius Bugge

A. Barbell Back Squat

Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts renegade row
Marius Bugge

B. Renegade Row

Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side

Circuit 2

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing renegade row Dumbbell Bentover Row in gym
Marius Bugge

A. Dumbbell Bentover Row

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised 
Marius Bugge

B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised 

Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps

Circuit 3

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Marius Bugge

A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat

Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Marius Bugge

B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift

Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side

Circuit 4

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing pullup
Marius Bugge

A. Pullup

Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Marius Bugge

B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press

Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top.
Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps

Circuit 5

A. Dumbbell Pushup

Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop
once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps

B. Biceps Curl

Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps


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The Best Jump Ropes for a Killer Cardio Workout

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The Best Jump Ropes for a Killer Cardio Workout




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