As the Major League Baseball trade deadline closes in, and the amount of ace pitchers dwindle, many teams will be looking at solid, mid level arms to fill holes in their rotation.
Now that Jeff Samardzija has been dealt from the Chicago Cubs to the Oakland Athletics, really the only true aces left on the market are David Price, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels, but all three may not actually be traded before the deadline.
So a lot of contenders with rotation issues are looking around for a dependable starter who can help them weather the war of attrition that the long summer brings, and hopefully find one with some 'clutch' for the postseason, too.
Jake Peavy from the Red Sox has seen his trade stock rise in the last few weeks, and Ian Kennedy from the Padres is getting more attention, too.
The Padres, at 41-54 right now, are looking to make some deals to start rebuilding. Their National League West rival Colorado Rockies are a game behind them, and have started to accept the fact their season is going no where, also.
According to Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports, many teams are interested in acquiring the talented lefty Jorge De la Rosa, and the Rockies are trying to decide if they want to keep him, or let him go.
His stock has gone up due to the demand for pitching, and the limited supply, and it's rumored the Rockies want a young prospect pitcher in return for the 33 year old. Right now he is 10-7 and has 73 strikeouts over 102.2 innings, with a 4.56 ERA. He usually gets it done on the road and at home, and he has twice won 16 games for the Rockies.
Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun reports that the Baltimore Orioles have their eye on De La Rosa, and are considering a trade.
The Orioles are out in front in the American League East, but the race is competitive with the Blue Jays and Yankees still in it. The Orioles also have hot pitching prospects in Kevin Gausman, Chris Tillman, Dylan Bundy, so they could work a deal if they are desperate enough.
New York and Toronto have both tried to bolster their rotations, and more deals are supposedly in the works.
If Baltimore wants to keep their lead, then they need to help out their rotation, as well.
Everybody knows those hot bats will go cold eventually.
