With the trade deadline one week away, a number of teams are looking to make a deal that will help propel them into the playoffs and beyond. On the other hand, some teams are fed up with untradeable players and just need to make minor moves to improve their roster in the meantime or for the future.
On Wednesday night the Philadelphia Phillies benched Ryan Howard in favor of Darin Ruf. Originally believed to be a routine day off, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly reported that Howard's future with the team is in serious question due to his recent performance. The Phillies' first baseman is batting .224 with 15 home runs and 60 RBIs through 97 games. It was reported earlier today that Howard will also not be in Thursday's lineup against the Giants.
It remains to be seen if Howard is garnering any trade interest due to his poor numbers and large salary (he's owed $25 million next year), so if there aren't any takers, the Phillies are contemplating buying out his contract to move on and rid the dues. Reports have also surfaced that the team could call up 21-year-old Maikel Franco from the AAA Lehigh Valley, who is batting .232 with six homers and 46 RBIs. The Phillies are dead last in the division trailing by 13 games, so there's no better opportunity to bring up a young prospect to give him major league experience.
On the West Coast, the Athletics and Dodgers are having some issues with pitchers. The Athletics designated reliever Jim Johnson for assignment today, which was perhaps long overdue. Johnson posted a 6.92 ERA this year with the A's in 40.1 innings. Over that time span his ERA never dipped below 5.14 and he gave up at least two runs in nine relief appearances. The Marlins expressed interest in Johnson earlier this week, according to the Miami Herald, but nothing is imminent right now. "The A's would prefer to deal the righty for some return, but they might not be able to -- and may need a fresh arm as soon as Thursday," writes Jane Lee of MLB.com.
In southern California, the Los Angeles Dodgers are unsure of starting pitcher Dan Haren's status. In 21 starts, the 12-year veteran has gone 8-8 with a 4.49 ERA, surrendering 20 runs in his past four outings. If Haren pitches 58 more innings this year, the Dodgers will be financially committed to pay him $10 million in 2015. Marc Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles reported that Haren will miss his next start while the team contemplates moving him to the bullpen to keep his innings count down, of course, if there are no potential suitors interested in a trade. The Dodgers have in-house options to fill Haren's starting rotation spot, but they'll need to ensure it's fortified if they want to win the NL West. They've shown to be precarious with money, so why not send some prospects over to Tampa for David Price?
As the deadline gets closer, big deals might be negotiated in the immediate future. For now, you can take a look at ESPN's MLB Rumors blog for more information.
