Two days left until the non-wavier trade deadline passes. This year has been all about pitching and finding that extra bat to help contribute down the stretch to make a push into the playoffs. Teams need to focus on defense rather than that extra bat that could or could not work out.

The Chicago White Sox have a huge hole at third base. Right now, rookie Dayan Viciedo is starting there for the Sox while Mark Teahen is on the DL with a fractured right middle finger. Veteran leader Omar Vizquel has one of the best gloves to ever play the game but his bat is so weak that they can take a chance with Viciedo. Unfortunately for the Sox, there aren’t many third basemen out there for sale. Jorge Cantu is their best bet who is known more for his bat rather than his defense.

The Houston Astros were reported to be shopping Jeff Keppinger by ESPN.com baseball columnist Ben Jelovec. Keppinger is very versatile in the infield (he has played SS and 2B this year). Not only can Keppinger play the infield but has put up solid numbers in the past with Cincinnati before injuries and has had a decent year this batting .283 with 4 HRs, 34 RBIs and 42 Runs.

Since there are few defensive minded position players on the market the next direct way to make a trade would be to get a pitcher. The problem with trading pitchers is that they are so anal about their daily routines, a trade could mentally mess with a pitchers head.

A great example of a pitcher that had a great start to the year with one team, got traded and then fell apart would be Jarrod Washburn of the Detroit Tigers. Last year, Washburn started the year with the Seattle Mariners winning 8 games with a 2.64 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 20 starts. He was then traded to the Tigers before the non-wavier deadline. In Detroit, Washburn started 8 games going 1-3 with a 7.33 ERA while giving up 35 runs (7 less than in Seattle with 20 starts under his belt).

Washburn is a fly-ball pitcher that had a great outfield defense in Seattle (Ichiro Suzuki and Franklin Gutierrez). Not to mention Safeco Field is a pitchers park due to the dimensions of the homerun wall.

The Astros defense is so bad that it is hurting 3-time All-Star Roy Oswalt’s trading value. This year marks Oswalt’s first losing season (6-12). Oswalt isn’t the groundball pitcher he uses to be a couple of years ago meaning he has to figure out ways to use his 92 mph fastball with his overhand curveball.

The Boston Red Sox addressed their defense and pitching this offseason rather than going after a bat. But this season the Red Sox disabled list has been longer than the list of guys who have dated Paris Hilton. The Sox’s signed Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro this past summer and they have not disappointed. However, the outfield has been full of disappointment due to injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron. This is why the Red Sox are in 3^rd place seven games back of their rivals, New York Yankees. Rather than trading for outfield help the Red Sox have decided to wait for their players to get healthy which will save the Sox money in the end.

History suggests that good defenses win championships more than big bats, but a big bat never hurts. Adam Dunn is the biggest bat out there on the trade market. He has crushed 23 HRs and has driven in 63 RBIs while hitting .278 which is .027 higher than his career average.

The New York Yankees have recently demoted their babied set-up man, Joba Chamberlin. Their best option to replace him in the 8^th inning would be to peruse Scott Downs of the Toronto Blue Jays, who has been on everyone’s radar. Downs has 2.45 ERA with only 10 walks in 42 1/3 innings. The pitching staff of the Yankees has been struggling as of late. Injuries to Andy Pettite, Alfedo Aceves and Damaso Marte have put a damper on their starting rotations and bullpen. The Yankees front office lost the trading war for All-Star starter Cliff Lee and Dan Haren. They might be tentative in making a deal because the Yankees still have the best record in baseball (63-36) despite all the pitching owes. \

With three days left, pitching and defense will be addressed the most. Jason Werth, Dunn, Ty Wigginton and perhaps Jose Guillen will be the only bats you will hear in trade rumors. Werth’s trade stocked dropped two nights ago when the Phillies put CF, Shane Victorino on the DL with a strained oblique.

*Oswalt has been trading to the Phillies (waiting for his approval due to his no-trade clause in his contract)

Cash Scott for Citadel Digital © 2010