RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 4 sourcesIt’s just one game out of 162 and does not take on do-or-die connotations. Those showdowns will come very late in September.
Yet once the final out is recorded Sunday, Aug. 2, baseball executives will return to their bunkers, pore over reports, analyze playoff odds and even consult their guts a little bit.
Buy or sell?
Well, the results of Sunday’s games will only account for the smallest percentage of that decision for teams as they approach the Aug. 3 trade deadline . Yet the margin between buying or selling remains so razor-thin for so many teams that every last data point will be scrutinized before GMs make franchise-altering decisions.
As the last day of action before Monday’s deadline unfolds, USA TODAY Sports breaks down the key games that may determine which side of the fence teams will fall:
Phillies (RH Zack Wheeler) at Orioles (RH Kyle Bradish), 1:35 p.m. ET
Records : Phillies 58-53, Orioles 54-57
League position : Phillies second in NL East, eight games behind Atlanta, one game lead over San Diego for final NL wild card. Orioles 9th in AL, trail Minnesota, Cleveland by 1½ games for final wild card.
Outlook : Not much drama for the Phillies: It’s buy-buy-buy , or, as club president Dave Dombrowski joked Saturday as he emerged from manager Don Mattingly’s office, “I just told him about the four trades I made.” Not much levity for the Orioles: They’ve probably played well enough to avoid a sell-off, yet could use a W in this battle of aces to convince club president Mike Elias to lean more toward buying mixed with a little selling (extra starter Dean Kremer was dealt Friday). A series win might make Adley Rutschman’s next 24 hours feel a little lighter.
Nationals (RH Cade Cavalli) at Braves (TBD), 1:35 p.m. ET
Records : Nationals 55-57, Braves 66-45
League position : Nationals 10th in NL, three games behind Philadelphia for final wild card. Braves lead NL East by eight games over Philadelphia.
Outlook : Decision Weekend for the Nationals couldn’t have gone worse; they’ve lost the first three games of this series at first-place Atlanta, extending a losing streak to four and reinforcing the notion their surprise run to contention isn’t sustainable. Cavalli will try to avert a sweep but may not be able to prevent at least a partial sell-off for a team not far out of playoff position yet way ahead of schedule.
Cardinals (LH Adam Liberatore) at Blue Jays (RH Max Scherzer), 1:37 p.m. ET
Records : Cardinals 54-57, Blue Jays 52-59
League position : Cardinals 11th in NL, 3½ out of final wild card; Blue Jays 12th in AL, four games out of final wild card.
Outlook : An uncomfortable season for Toronto has given way to a strangely timed three-game winning streak; the Blue Jays can equal their longest streak of the season by completing a sweep Sunday. So now what? The Blue Jays already issued Kevin Gausman a goodbye standing ovation, but what if they’re just three games out of a playoff spot? The Cardinals have never been serious about contending this season, yet until recently losing eight of 11, they were right there.
Diamondbacks (RH Merrill Kelly) at Guardians (RH Gavin Williams), 1:35 p.m. ET
Records : D’backs 59-52, Guardians 56-56
League position : D’backs hold second NL wild card spot, with 1½-game lead over No. 4 San Diego; Guardians three games behind White Sox in AL Central, tied with Minnesota for final wild card spot.
Outlook : Just a huge weekend for Arizona, solidifying its wild card position for the moment and breathing life into several fading AL wild card contenders. How much do the Guardians care to add after losing eight of 10? They’re alive in two races yet will slip under .500 for the first time since May 19 with a Diamondbacks sweep.
Rangers (RH Kumar Rocker) at Astros (RH Peter Lambert), 2:10 p.m. ET
Records : Rangers 55-56, Astros 57-55
League position : Astros lead AL West by 1½ games over Rangers; Rangers trail Twins, Guardians by a half-game for final wild card spot.
Outlook : The Texas Boot is lit this year, folks. Houston clinched the season series by winning the opener of this series and can push its lead to 2½ with a sweep. Astros GM Dana Brown seemingly manifested his club into contention, insisting the Astros were going to be buyers despite such a terrible start. Now, he’s poised to strike for a long-needed outfielder. The Rangers are expected to remain aggressive, but losing six of eight right before the witching hour would be a terrible look.
Tigers (RH Keider Montero) at Athletics (LHP Gage Jump), 4:05 p.m. ET
Record : Tigers 53-58, A's 45-66
League position : Tigers fourth in AL Central, 5½ games behind Chicago, eighth in AL, 2½ games out of final wild card.
Outlook : It’s almost a Major League remake here: The Tigers scratched Casey Mize for trade purposes, then their players went out and won a bullpen game Friday anyway. Then they beat the A's again literally while their front office was trading Tarik Skubal . Now, a sweep in Yolo County can possibly get them within two games of an AL wild card spot. Yet they sold Skubal? This game is stupid.
Twins (RH Taj Bradley) at Mariners (RH George Kirby), 4:10 p.m. ET
Records : Twins 56-56, Mariners 54-58
League position : Twins tied for second in AL Central, three games behind Chicago and tied for final AL wild card berth; Mariners third in AL West, three games out of first, 10th in AL, two games out of wild card.
Outlook : It’s been a highly entertaining game of Survivor this weekend in Seattle, with the Mariners squaring the series on Cal Raleigh’s walk-off fielder’s choice as they try to hang on in two races. The Twins are intent on not selling; the Mariners already dealt Luis Castillo , could deal another pitcher and perhaps Randy Arozarena but could use positive reinforcement to make clear their defense of the West title is still worthy.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB trade deadline makes these 7 games must-watch
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