MLB Trade Rumors 2014: Top 5 Teams That Could Trade for Chicago's Jeff Samardzija
Pitching is one of the most important (maybe the most) factors when trying to improve a team. It's nearly impossible to win the World Series without a good pitching rotation and an average bullpen.
The pitcher who has been in a lot of trade talks recently is Chicago Cubs' own Jeff Samardzija. Samardzija is having a great year so far which consists of a 2.54 ERA, 67 strikeouts, and just 23 walks. There's only one problem, the Cubs haven't benefited from Samardzija one bit and have the worst record in all of baseball. In Samardzija's 12 starts, the Cubs are just 1-5.
Keeping Samardzija may be a waste because the Cubs offense is so bad and they don't have enough pitching depth to win in the long run. Trading him away could be very favorable because of the value he could bring back. It's somewhat similar to Herschel Walker with the Cowboys. Why keep an elite player when you're not winning with him, anyway? You may as well get value for that player while he's still young.
Having said that, here's five teams that could make a run for Samardzija.
New York Yankees
I know, shocker, right? The Yankees are always in the market for the next big thing and with no salary cap in place, why not throw in a bid. The Yankees also have some pitching issues, which rank 20th overall in the league. Michael Pineda has been dealing with injuries and Iván Nova has undergone Tommy John Surgery. Masahiro Tanaka can't do everything. The Cubs could get some valuable pieces and money from the Yankees if they were to make a trade.
Baltimore Orioles
Sticking with the American League East, the Orioles could make a trade for Samardzija. The Orioles are one of the best power hitting teams in the league and could use a pitcher like Samardzija. Orioles have hitters like Nelson Cruz, Chris Davis, and J.J Hardy. Even Adam Jones would be a good fit in Chicago. The Orioles ranked 25th in runs against, but are still in the hunt.
Arizona Diamondbacks
It's been a rough start for the Diamondbacks, who are in last place in the National League West. The Diamondbacks have the worst ERA in the entire league at 4.43. Trading for Samardzija won't immediately fix the problem, but it will somewhat stop the bleeding. This is a young team that isn't ready to win now, so a move like this would clearly be building for the future.
Philadelphia Phillies
This may seem surprising because the Phillies have Cliff Lee. However, Lee is just 4-4 this season in 10 starts and is 35 years old. It might be time for the Phillies to start thinking younger. The Phillies are currently dead last in the National League East; yes, even behind the New York Mets. If Lee can stay solid for the next few years with a Samardzija combination, that could make things very interesting down the road.
Texas Rangers
This might be the most logically possible scenario for a number of reasons. One, the Rangers play in the American League, so no harm no foul for the Cubs who play in the National League. Two, the Rangers rank 28th overall in runs against, so it's obvious they need pitching. And three, the team is still very much in contention. The Rangers are presently 29-29 with the bats of Adrian Beltre and Shin-Soo Choo leading the way. Prince Fielder is still expected to miss the entire season after neck surgery, so the pitching is going to have to improve. Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish has been playing great, but he's going to need more support from others if the Rangers are going to make the playoffs.
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