The Race to the World Series Begins!

Cespedes (top left), Cueto (top right) and Price (bottom) are three All-Stars who were dealt at the deadline to help make a postseason push.

By: Lamar "L.A" Smith

The World Series is a stage MLB players dream about in bed as kids and constantly during a grueling 162 game season once in the majors. As the season progresses GMs move at a feverish pace to improve the rosters each team has in attempt to play in the Fall Classic. The trade deadline in baseball is more unique than any other in sports. Teams trade franchise players in return for young prospects, dump a variety of players to save money in salary and rent some of the best players in the game in an attempt to win a championship or retool a roster.

The Giants, Royals, Dodgers, Astros and Nationals are all championship contenders who made moves at the trade deadline. The Giants picked up starting pitcher Mike Leake (9-6, 3.52 ERA) from the Cincinnati Reds for a pair of  prospects. San Francisco gets a strong starter on a a low salary to strengthen the back end of the team's pitching rotation. The Royals who are the reigning AL champs acquired Johnny Cueto (7-6, 2.70 ERA), Kansas City is near the bottom or at the bottom of all major statistics for starting pitching staffs. Cueto was acquired to hopefully fulfill the role current San Diego Padres starting pitcher James Shields held for the Royals last October.

The Dodgers needed starting pitching depth after losing newly acquired Brandon McCarthy for the year who tore his UCL and have Hyun-Jin Ryu out as well. The team already has two aces in Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw who both have recently put up at least 37 scoreless inning streaks recently. Mat Latos (4-7, 4.29 ERA) traded from the Cincinnati Reds and Alex Wood (7-6, 3.54 ERA) traded from the Atlanta Braves look to give the Dodgers the starting  pitching depth the team needed. The Astros needed another ace pitcher and another bat so the team got Scott Kazmir (6-5, 2.10 ERA) and Carlos Gomez (8 HRs, 45 RBIs). 

The Nationals have been famous for squandering late leads in the team's last two postseason appearances, once against the St. Louis Cardinals and once again versus the World Series winning San Francisco Giants last year. Therefore getting 6-time All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon (18 saves, 1.55 ERA) was a must. Papelbon is a World Series champ with a 1.00 ERA throughout his playoff career. In contrast to former closer Drew Storen (29 saves, 1.64 ERA) who has a 8.44 ERA in the postseason including a collapse in the 2012 NL Divisional Series in which he blew a save and cost the Nationals the deciding Game 5 at home.

The rest of the season should be interesting. The New York Mets acquired Yoenis Cespedes (18 HRs, 61 RBIs) in hopes of adding a strong hitter to help win the NL East division versus the reigning NL East champ the Washington Nationals. The Toronto Blue Jays who are six games behind the New York Yankees for the AL East division lead and one game behind the Minnesota Twins for the second wild card spot. Toronto picked up two All-Stars in shortstop Troy Tulowitski (13 HRs, 57 RBIs) and David Price (9-4, 2.53 ERA). Price is the most important pick up because he gives a weak starting pitching rotation a true ace to go along with the best offense in the majors (1st in runs scored).

The acquisition of Price should help Toronto end the longest playoff drought (21 years) in baseball. The Blue Jays last appearance in the playoffs saw Toronto win the World Series in 1993.

The winner at the deadline is something one can only answer once the season ends. Although, between Cueto and the Royals, Kazmir and the Astros, Cespedes and the Mets and Price and the Blue Jays the MLB trade deadline did not disappoint.