The Rays made a somewhat unconventional trade Wednesday, shipping right-hander Aaron Civale to the Brewers in exchange for infield prospect Gregory Barrios. Tampa Bay had the luxury of moving a current member of its rotation despite the fact that the team is still in the Wild Card race and still harbors postseason aspirations. That’s due primarily to the organizational depth in the rotation, which was thin earlier in the season but is deepening as the year wears on and as injured arms like Shane Baz, Jeffrey Springs and (eventually) Drew Rasmussen reenter the fold. Baz will step into the Rays’ rotation in Civale’s place this Friday.
Most teams don’t have that type of cushion. Starting pitching is always at a premium, and starters — particularly those with multiple years of club control remaining — tend to be the most coveted asset at nearly every MLB trade deadline.
And yet, the Rays aren’t the only club that’s poised to operate in this capacity over the next 27 days. There are a handful of teams who could walk the line of dealing from the big league roster — specifically the rotation — despite hoping to find themselves playing a prominent role in October baseball. Let’s take a look at some possibilities.
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