Flipping Fields

It's a marathon, not a sprint. The Major League Baseball season is not for the faint of heart. From March to November, encompassing nearly three-quarters of the calendar year, baseball is all about the long run. So, you can't blame fans if they fall into mid-summer lulls while waiting for the playoffs to heat up. The All-Star game is a nice temporary pick-me-up, but the biggest way to add spice to the season is the trade deadline. At this point, it's clear which teams are going to be buyers and sellers. With the deal D-day just a week away on July 31, it's time to speculate where some of the big names in the game will be moving. Let's countdown the top candidates who could be switching jerseys come August.

1.) Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies, SP- One position that every team can never have enough of down the stretch is a starting pitcher. No SP has GM's salivating like Ubaldo Jimenez. With the Rockies looking like playoff long shots, Jimenez has a great shot of swapping cities. Colorado has said that they will definitely be looking at offers for their ace. Although it will likely be extremely costly to acquire last year's breakout pitching star, that won't stop big market teams from offering up the farm for him.


Most Likely Landing Spot, NY Yankees- What you were expecting someone else? Of course the Yanks are players in the trade market every year, and it's no surprise why. The Bombers are always at or near the top this time of year. Although, they have had luck with some of their marginal starters this year like Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, they'd still love to upgrade their rotation for the stretch run.

2.) Carlos Beltran, NY Mets, CF- The Mets' 119 million dollar man is finally starting to live up to his ridiculously expensive contract...well maybe not. The fact is, Beltran has been a hugely disappointing considering his price tag. Injuries have sapped much of the promise that the star Center Fielder had. This year though, Beltran has reminded everyone of how talented he was back in 2005 when he signed his most recent deal. Thanks to the solid recent play, Carlos has become a hot commodity once again. With the Mets struggling to compete with the Phillies and Braves in the NL East, it doesn't look like an if, but a when he'll be traded.
Most Likely Landing Spot, Atlanta Braves- Upon first glance, the Mets divisional rivals would seem like an odd trading partner for the Mets, but NY clearly isn't going to be a factor this year, and they want to get something good before they lose Beltran. Atlanta would seem to be a compatible place for him to go. While Atlanta is having a very good season, their Outfield has been an Achilles heel. When you're trotting out black holes like Jordan Schaefer and Nate McLouth everyday, an energy boost is necessary. The 8th highest scoring NL team would love to get their hands on an offensively potent Beltran to pair with RF Jason Heyward.

Hunter Pence, Houston Astros, RF- You gotta feel bad for Pence. He's been stuck on a horrendous Houston club for his whole career. The Astros haven't been a factor since making the World Series in 2005, and Pence wasn't a part of that club. Although not as high profile as the previously mentioned Beltran, Pence is more than holding his own among National League outfielders. He's always been a power source with three straight 25 HR seasons as well as hidden speedster with double digit steals each year. This season, he's added batting average to his repertoire with a .316 mark. I think he could be a major asset to a contender.
Most Likely Landing Spot, San Francisco Giants- The defending champs are leading the NL West and a WS repeat looks like a distinct possibility. As usual, their pitching staff is stacked, but their offense leaves much to be desired. Trading for Pence would be a big coup for San Fran. Ranking 25th in runs and 26th in BA aren't going to get it done. Pence would automatically make the OF relevant.

by Andrew Adamson