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Crowded NL wild-card hunt puts teams in tricky trade deadline position
From left: Pitchers Zack Wheeler (Mets), Madison Bumgarner (Giants) and Raisel Iglesias (Reds) could be attractive targets for buyers at the MLB trade deadline.  USA Today Sports: Jon Durr | Kelley L. Cox | Eric Hartline

Crowded NL wild-card hunt puts teams in tricky trade deadline position

When Major League Baseball added a second wild-card playoff team in each league ahead of the 2012 season, the goal was to keep more teams and fan bases engaged for the duration of the season. How the senior circuit has played out in 2019 is precisely what former commissioner Bud Selig had in mind.

Following play this past weekend, 11 of the 12 non-division leading teams were within seven games of a playoff spot, with only the woeful Miami Marlins out of the race. While competitively that's obviously good for the game, the trade deadline of July 31 puts the race's participants in a difficult spot.

Some of the 11 aforementioned teams must take a look at the reality of their situations and understand even making the one-game playoff is a long shot. And the reward for potentially winning that game is an unenviable five-game series with the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers. With that in mind, we will unquestionably see teams essentially drop out of the race by trading some of their assets for young prospects. The teams with the faintest heartbeat in the race, the New York Mets (45-54) and Cincinnati Reds (45-53), seem to fit this bill.

New York has starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (6-6, 4.69 ERA) in a contract year, and the hard-throwing righty represents a potential difference-maker for contenders down the stretch. Fellow starter Jason Vargas (4-5, 4.29 ERA) would not command quite the return Wheeler would, but in three starts against the Yankees and Twins, he threw well, unquestionably getting the attention of other American League teams.

Cincinnati could ask for a heck of a lot for right-handed closer Raisel Iglesias (2-8, 4.60 ERA, 17 saves), but all indications point to it holding on to the young reliever. Fellow Reds pitchers Tanner Roark (5-6, 3.97 ERA) and Jared Hughes (3-3, 2.93) could help other teams, and don't be surprised if those two are calling new cities home in just a couple weeks.

The Colorado Rockies (47-52), San Diego Padres (47-52) and Pittsburgh Pirates (46-53) are in slightly better positions than the Mets and Reds, but they face long odds themselves. Those teams appear to be prime candidates to stand pat, as it would be hard to justify an all-out pursuit of improvements that would cost significant minor league talent. None of those teams has difference-makers that other teams are lining up to trade for.

The most interesting team before the trade deadline is the Giants, who are loaded with pitchers other teams covet, from starter Madison Bumgarner (5-7, 3.65 ERA) to relievers Will Smith (2.55 ERA, 24 saves), Sam Dyson (2.57 ERA) and Mark Melancon (3.83 ERA). Up until the All-Star break, the Giants (51-50) represented the clearest seller in the National League, and they appeared poised to be the team set to acquire the most upper-echelon, young talent. But a furious run over the past two weeks has them back above .500 and positioned a couple of games out of a playoff spot. A big sell-off now would be a disappointing message to a surging clubhouse, and San Francisco's front office is wrestling internally about which path to pursue for the season's final months.

The Diamondbacks are another club nobody expected much from in 2019. But entering play Tuesday, they also are 51-50 and find themselves in a similar situation as the Giants. Arizona must be skeptical about its chances of securing a postseason berth, but it also sends a bad message to its team and fans to sell off assets with a wild-card game potentially in reach.

The Brewers (53-49)  and Cardinals (52-47) find themselves locked in not only a crowded wild-card hunt but also within just a handful of games of the Cubs in the NL Central. With a potential division title still in reach, they represent the most likely buyers of any of these 11 teams.

Philadelphia entered this season with incredibly lofty expectations after an offseason in which it added Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Andrew McCutchen, Jean Segura and David Robertson. But the first four months have not gone the way the Phillies (52-48) planned. Injuries and underwhelming performances by Harper (17 HRs, .258) and Realmuto (11 HR, 45 RBI) have crippled the Phillies' hopes for a division title. But Philadelphia still has a shot at a wild-card berth. The Phillies have the talent to make a run, and given ownership's all-out attitude over the winter, it should be a given they will look to add help.

After a pitiful first third of the season, the Washington Nationals (52-46) have been among the best teams in baseball over the past two months. Washington has used its furious run to put itself in position to host a potential wild-card contest. The Nationals will certainly be in the market for help, especially in the bullpen.

The full scope of the National League wild-card race will be better understood once we see what the participants' rosters look like after the trade deadline. But you can count on front offices around the league working feverishly over the next week-plus to do what's best for their organizations for not only the rest of 2019 but also for the long term as well.

Buckle up, the National League is certainly putting the wild in wild card.

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