Who’s a Seller Now?

After all, if they’re no longer in the cellar, they shouldn’t be sellers…right?

This was really my point when I wondered why people were so eager to define this team. Why did we need to decide their fate on July first? Why did they need to decide if they were buyers or sellers a month before the deadline? Who knows what will happen by then?

And, we still don’t. We’re less than two weeks from the deadline, but I don’t know if a five game winning streak should change any plans. At least, it shouldn’t if they had the right plans to start with.

I’ve been saying for quite some time that the Sox should be buyers and sellers. Their farm system allows them to do exactly that. Does a NL team really want Jake Peavy? He can be moved, and the Sox have the prospects to fill in for him. Even during a pennant race. So, sell. But, does Giancarlo Stanton finally become available? The Sox can certainly part with some prospects to get that deal done. So, buy.

Frankly, there’s only one problem with the combined approach. The teams who want to buy what you’re selling are very likely the people you’ll be competing with the rest of the season. It would be tricky to make a trade sending Peavy to Baltimore, for instance, even though they might be in the market for a veteran starter. Baltimore is a team you’re hoping to pass on the way to the division. Even an NL team, like the Dodgers, could end up haunting you. Usually when you’re a seller, the other teams don’t concern you as much.

But, they can still make it work. They can find destinations for their spare parts. There might even be upgrades available at positions where they need them. Frankly, they have so many prospects that they need to do something. They can’t fit Victorino, Nava, Gomes, Bradley, Holt, Carp, and Betts in their outfield. They have two young catching prospects, and five infielders. They need to package them to get something back. Even if it’s just an all-star, instead of a legend. They need to pick prospects to keep, and trade the rest to get some quality.

Quality would be helpful during a playoff hunt.