The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the market for one more frontline starter in advance of the 2015 MLB trade deadline, and Cincinnati Reds flamethrower Johnny Cueto could be just the man for the job.
According to his recent article for ESPN.com, Jayson Stark believes Cueto will be wearing Dodger blue a few days before the deadline at the end of July.
Cueto threw a scare into the pre-deadline shopping crowd by missing a start last month with a tender elbow. But he has a 2.84 ERA in four starts since, with a 26-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. So if he keeps that up for the next month, he'll be a huge attraction with the rent-an-ace crowd.
A bunch of teams that have checked in report the Reds are hanging on to Cueto and their other prominent trade chips until the All-Star Game has come and gone. But after that, they're looking for what one NL exec described as "big-time, top-of-the-heap prospects" in return. And given that the Rays didn't even get that sort of haul last year for David Price, who had a season and a half of control remaining, it'll be interesting to see if someone is willing to pay that freight.
Our prediction: Cueto lands with the pitching-hungry Dodgers on July 28.
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