Who needs a blockbuster trade when you can “acquire” a star player simply by activating him from the disabled list? Some teams are hoping to get a boost from key contributors who have been absent for weeks (see: Blue Jays 3B Josh Donaldson, Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes).
But several impact players have yet to play at all this season, and are oh-so-close to debuting. Four such examples:
David Price, SP, Red Sox
The big lefty was good but not great – his latest postseason clunker put a damper on his entire season – in his first year in Boston, and there was fear that his elbow injury this spring would require Tommy John surgery.