Some Hypothetical Trades Before the Deadline

If you have been living under a rock, you may not have realized that the trade deadline is at the end of this All-Star break. Amidst all the glitzy and exciting exhibition games currently running their course, GMs are hard at work deciding what they may need for a playoff push, or what they can sell for a rebuild. 

Below are a few trades I've conjured up that GMs may like to make, perhaps to get more discussion brewing in regards to the upcoming deadline. 

Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees

CLE receives Tara Dactyl, 2 draft picks
NYY receives Artanis Jones, Dane Konrad

A reunion may be in order. Despite the miserable Indians season, I have previously ranked their pitching staff pretty high considering the circumstances. Jones has been an ace for them since his arrival in Cleveland, and with the unfortunate performances in recent time for the Yankeess, they may have a lot of uses for him. The Indians, who are out of playoff contention, simply do not. 

The Yankees could trade Dactyl and a few picks to solidify a top-of-the-line AL East contending staff, especially with stars such as Ed Turner and Tanner Hendrix down in Tampa Bay. I am not sure of any personal reasons that may have gone into Jones's initial departure, but practically this could make a lot of sense.

Milwaukee Brewers and Montreal Expos

MIL receives Benjamin Abenduct, 2nd round draft pick

MTL receives Dog Man, Coco Watanabe

It's no secret that Benjamin Abenduct is a reliever on that loaded Expos rotation, one of the rare five-pitcher teams in the league. With the start he's had and the talent he's shown, I feel he could use a chance to pitch complete games, and Milwaukee could be the perfect place to get this. With the Brewers vocally shopping Anderson before the trade deadline, they could need a pitcher to close out their season, and Abenduct could be a deal.

Meanwhile, the Expos only have one catcher on their roster, and he is not very good. Dog Man has had a very solid season and could bolster an already fantastic Expos lineup. For good measure, and to get the Brewers another pick out of this, they could get Coco Watanabe as an extra bat and depth piece, as well as a badass name. The Brewers could definitely afford this with their influx of catchers and the recent signing of Patrick Doyle.

Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels

ARI receives Indy Sayne, draft pick

LAA receives Assassin Panda

I've been proposing many rebuild/contender trades, but they can really help both parties well. The Los Angeles Angels have a very weird outfielder situation, with both their primary OF bats doing... okay? They have plenty of secondary OFs, but getting a primary who is an expert in his position and who can hit well would help propel them in that tough American League.

That's where the Diamondbacks could come in. Likely out of any playoff contention, Arizona could use a draft pick to try and reform in the 2019-20 season. They, meanwhile, could also use a good catcher with first base depth, both of which they don't have much of. The Angels have two catchers who are hitting well, and could sacrifice one with a pick for an All Star. Panda has been on the Arizona roster for a long time, as have Sayne in his organization, but sometimes deals have to be made.

Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays

DET receives Quentin Adams, Ryan Gasting

TOR receives Merodach Baladan

Let's face it. In Toronto, Mylo Grams is the only catcher they need. With the season Adams is having, he deserves to find a team that has more use for him. In comes the Detroit Tigers, whose only catcher is hitting below the Mendoza Line and has auto-K'd twice. Adams could be a godsend for the Tigers, but we need to formulate what they could theoretically give up.

Merodach Baladan would be a tough pill to swallow. The Tigers could hypothetically do it, however, with some second base depth in their ranks. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, would probably consider shortstop their most shallow position, so this could help them out. To make the deal sweeter for Detroit, they could receive Ryan Gasting in an end-of-the-season reclamation project. As a former Pitcher of the Year contender, it would be monumental for the Tigers if he did well and re-signed for the 2019-20 season. He could probably do well to leave Toronto and receive a change of scenery. 

I may do another one of these before the deadline, depending on how well this is received. I encourage other writers to make these too, they're fun.