Bullpen Help Is A Premium As The Trade Deadline Approaches

By David
Kaye

Having a solid bridge to the end of a ballgame is imperative for every team that is in the hunt for a playoff berth. With an abundance of available relievers on the market many general managers have the undue burden of deciding what players best fit their rotation.

The Rangers Eric Gagne, the Pirates Salomon Torres, the Yankees Kyle Farnsworth and Scott Proctor, the Royals Octavio Dotel, the Nationals Chad Cordero, Luis Ayala and Jon Rauch, the Reds David Weathers, the Astros Dan Wheeler, the White Sox Matt Thornton, the A's Joe Kennedy and the Rockies Brian Fuentes are all viable options for contending teams.

Eric Gagne, Chad Cordero and Octavio Dotel are the most intriguing and coveted names, but they will come with high price tags. All three play for underachieving teams and it would only be logical to expect that management would want mid to high level prospects.