Brewers erased what was a five-game deficit in the NL Central standings on Sept. 1 to force Game 163 Anthony DeSclafani Jersey , and they've been playing great baseball down the stretch.NL MVP favorite Christian Yelich (NL-leading .323 BA, .997 OPS, 36 HR, 109 RBI) and breakout star Jesus Aguilar (.893 OPS, 35 HR, 108 RBI) paced an offensive attack that slugged 218 home runs (fourth in MLB) on the year.The resurgence of Ryan Braun (8-for-22, five homers in six games last week) could wind up being a major storyline in October.It's an unheralded starting staff that raises some red flags.Chase Anderson (30 GS, 9-8, 3.93 ERA), Wade Miley (16 GS, 5-2, 2.57 ERA), Jhoulys Chacin (34 GS, 15-8, 3.56 ERA) and Gio Gonzalez (5 GS, 3-0, 2.13 ERA since atrade from Washington) will likely make up the postseason rotation.Luckily, that group is backed by a dynamic relief corps.Jeremy Jeffress, Josh Hader and Corey Knebel form an exceptional trio at the back of the bullpen that stacks up to any trio of relievers in baseball. Rookies Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff are also capable of providing multiple innings, which takes further pressure off the starting staff.This is just the fifth time in franchise history that the Brewers are in the postseason, and while they're an underdog of sorts, their roster is well-designed for Ocotber success.Projected Playoff RosterStarting LineupCF Lorenzo CainLF Christian Yelich1B Jesus Aguilar2B Travis ShawLF Ryan Braun3B Mike MoustakasC Erik KratzSS Orlando ArciaBenchC Manny PinaIF Jonathan SchoopIF/OF Hernan PerezOF Keon BroxtonOF Domingo SantanaPitching StaffSP Chase AndersonSP Wade MileySP Jhoulys ChacinSP Gio GonzalezRP Brandon WoodruffRP Xavier Cedeno (L)RP Dan Jennings (L)RP Corbin BurnesRP Joakim SoriaSU Corey KnebelSU Josh Hader (L)CL Jeremy JeffressNotable Exclusions:RHP Jacob Barnes, RHP Zach Davies, OF Curtis Granderson, RHP Freddy Peralta, 1B/OF Eric Thames, RHP Taylor Williams3. Cleveland Indians (91-71, AL Central Champions)8 of 10Francisco Lindor and Jose RamirezGregory Shamus/Getty ImagesPostseason OutlookLast 30 Games:16-14The 2018 Cleveland Indians became the first team in MLB history to have four pitchers reach the 200-strikeout mark in the same season.Corey Kluber (33 GS, 20-7, 2.89 ERA, 222 K), Trevor Bauer (27 GS, 12-6, 2.21 ERA, 221 K), Carlos Carrasco (30 GS, 17-10, 3.38 ERA, 231 K) and Mike Clevinger (32 GS, 13-8, 3.02 ERA, 207 K) will form a postseason rotation that's as good as any in baseball.Meanwhile, the bullpen that had been such a major strength in recent years struggled for much of the year, though the deadline trade to acquire Brad Hand and Adam Cimber helped, as will the ability to use rookie starter Shane Bieber in a multi-inning relief role.The offense got big seasons from Jose Ramirez (.944 OPS, 39 HR, 106 RBI), Francisco Lindor (.871 OPS Adam Duvall Jersey , 38 HR, 92 RBI) and Edwin Encarnacion (.810 OPS, 32 HR, 107 RBI), and August waiver acquisition Josh Donaldson (60 PA, .920 OPS, 3 HR) is starting to look like his pre-injury self.An ultraweak AL Central and a 23-31 record against teams with a winning record will be easy fodder for the detractors.It's hard to look past that starting rotation, though. If they all pitch up to their potential, this team is going to be awfully tough.Projected Playoff RosterStarting LineupSS Francisco LindorLF Michael Brantley2B Jose RamirezDH Edwin Encarnacion3B Josh Donaldson1B Yonder AlonsoRF Melky CabreraC Yan GomesCF Jason KipnisBenchC Roberto PerezIF Erik GonzalezIF/OF Yandy DiazOF Greg AllenOF Brandon GuyerPitching StaffSP Corey KluberSP Carlos CarrascoSP Trevor BauerSP Mike ClevingerRP Shane BieberRP Dan OteroRP Oliver Perez (L)RP Adam CimberSU Andrew Miller (L)SU Brad Hand (L)CL Cody AllenNotable Exclusions:OF Rajai Davis, LHP Tyler Olson, RHP Neil Ramirez, RHP Josh Tomlin2. Boston Red Sox (108-54, AL East Champions)9 of 10J.D. Martinez and Mookie BettsBillie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty ImagesPostseason OutlookLast 30 Games: 18-12The Boston Red Sox set a franchise record with 108 wins this season as baseball's best offense paved the way.With MVP candidates Mookie Betts (1.078 OPS, 32 HR, 80 RBI) and J.D. Martinez (1.031 OPS, 43 HR, 130 RBI) leading the way, the Red Sox led the majors in runs (876), batting average (.268) and OPS (.792).While those two were the clear standouts, an excellent sophomore season from Andrew Benintendi (.830 OPS, 41 2B, 16 HR, 87 RBI) and a career year from Xander Bogaerts (.883 OPS, 23 HR, 103 RBI) are also worthy of mention.On the pitching side of things, Chris Sale (27 GS, 12-4, 2.11 ERA) was his usual stud self, while David Price (30 GS, 16-7, 3.58 ERA) returned to front-line form. Rick Porcello will fill the No. 3 starter spot ahead of either Nathan Eovaldi or Eduardo Rodriguez, and that group might be the deciding factor in whether this team contends for a title.The emergence of Ryan Braiser (34 G, 10 HLD, 1.60 ERA, 0.77 WHIP) has been a huge boon to the bullpen, and knuckleballer Steven Wright (16 G, 29.2 IP, 1.52 ERA) has also taken to a relief role. Those two will be counted on heavily to help bridge the gap to closer Craig Kimbrel.The Red Sox were the best team in baseball during the regular season, but the back end of their starting rotation and an inconsistent bullpen are enough to knock them out of the No. 1 spot heading into the postseason. Still, that offense alone could be enough to win atitle.Projected Playoff RosterStarting LineupRF Mookie BettsLF Andrew BenintendiDH J.D. MartinezSS Xander Bogaerts1B Mitch Moreland3B Rafael Devers2B Ian KinslerCF Jackie Bradley Jr.C Christian VazquezBenchC Sandy LeonC/OF Blake Swihart1B/OF Steve PearceIF Brock HoltIF Eduardo NunezPitching StaffSP Chris Sale (L)SP David Price (L)SP Rick PorcelloSPNathan EovaldiRP Eduardo Rodriguez (L)RP Steven WrightRP Heath HembreeRP Bobby Poyner (L)SU Matt BarnesSURyan BraiserCL Craig KimbrelNotable Exclusions:LHP Brian Johnson, RHP Joe Kelly, IF Tzu-Wei Lin1. Houston Astros (103-59, AL West Champions)10 of 10Justin VerlanderMark Cunningham/Getty ImagesPostseason OutlookLast 30 Games:22-8The Red Sox might have wrapped up the regular season with the best record in baseball, but the defending champion Houston Astros are again the team to beat.The pitching staff led the majors in team ERA (3.11), team WHIP (1.10), starters' ERA (3.16 ERA), quality starts (104) and bullpenERA (3.03).Justin Verlander (34 GS, 16-9 Michael Lorenzen Jersey , 2.52 ERA, 290 K), Gerrit Cole (32 GS, 15-5, 2.88 ERA, 276 K), Charlie Morton (30 GS, 15-3, 3.13 ERA) and Dallas Keuchel (34 GS, 12-11, 3.74 ERA) will make up a formidable and battle-tested postseason rotation, while Lance McCullers Jr. shifts to the bullpen.Roberto Osuna (23 GS, 12/12 SV, 1.99 ERA) has shored up the closer's role, and fellow trade pickup Ryan Pressly (26 G, 13 HLD, 0.77 ERA, 12.3 K/9) might be the best pitcher you've never heard of.All that and we still haven't mentioned an offense that scored 4.92 runs per game.Alex Bregman (.926 OPS, 31 HR, 103 RBI, 105 R) has taken his game to another level and should show up on quite a few MVP ballots.The biggest concern has to be the struggles of Carlos Correa since returning from a back injury that cost him more than a month. He's hitting just .180 with a .517 OPS in 153 plate appearances since the All-Star break.That said, there's an awful lot to like about this Astros team as it sets out to defend its title, and its lights-out starting staff and strong lineup are enough to earn Houston the No. 1 spot in our pre-playoff power rankings.Projected Playoff RosterStarting LineupCF George Springer2B Jose Altuve3B Alex BregmanLF Marwin GonzalezSS Carlos Correa1B Yuli GurrielDH Tyler WhiteRF Josh ReddickC Brian McCannBenchC Martin MaldonadoOF Tony KempOF Jake MarisnickDH Evan GattisPitching StaffSP Gerrit ColeSP Justin VerlanderSP Dallas Keuchel (L)SP Charlie MortonRP Lance McCullers Jr.RP Brad PeacockRP Will HarrisRP Collin McHughRP Tony Sipp (L)SU Ryan PresslySU Hector RondonCL Roberto OsunaNotable Exclusions:RHPChris Devenski, RHP Josh James, RHP Joe SmithAll stats courtesy of Baseball Reference andFanGraphs, unless otherwise noted, and accurate through Sept. 30. Major League Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline has passed with the biggest story of the day being a move that didn't happen.After reportson Monday that the Washington Nationals were making Bryce Harper available in a trade, general manager Mike Rizzo squashed any hope opposing teams had about acquiring the 2015 National League MVP."Bryce is not going anywhere," Rizzo told Chelsea Janes of theWashington Post. "I believe in this team."While the Nationals are fighting for their playoff lives, the surging Pittsburgh Pirates used this opportunity to boost their starting rotation by acquiring Chris Archer from the Tampa Bay Rays, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of thePittsburgh Post-Gazette.Per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the Rays are receiving outfielder Austin Meadows and right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow in the deal.The Pirates have gone 16-9 in July to get within 3.5 games of the second wild card spot in the National League. Archer is their big play to make up that deficit and lead their starting rotation for the next three years if Pittsburgh exercises his team options through 2021.Those were the top stories of the non-waiver trade deadline, but playoff contenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks all made deals before the 4 p.m. ET cutoff.Pirates Use Strength to Fill Weakness in Rotation with ArcherEven though the Pirates are very much in the thick of the NL playoff race this season, Archer's contract made him a perfect trade target for the small-market franchise:Joel Sherman Joelsherman1Archer is signed for 3 yrs at $27M 2019-21 (counting options). So even if #Pirates cant make up the gap for wild card or NL Central this year, they have a good starter under team-friendly deal going forward.While Archer remains a solid starting pitcher,Baseball America's JJ Cooper noted things have changed for all parties involved in the trade:JJ Cooper jjcoop36The idea of trading Glasnow and Meadows for Archer two years ago would have also made sense also. All 3 have seen their values diminish somewhat over past 2 years.Archer does have a 4.31 ERA through 17 starts this season, but he's averaging 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings with aFIPof 3.62, perBaseball Reference. The 29-year-old's upside in Pittsburgh's rotation made him too enticing to pass up in what has been a swift turnaround for the franchise.Colin Dunlap colin_dunlapIn a 13 day span, the Pirates went from seeing what they potentially could possibly get for David Freese to potentially buying Chris Archer.Like, what. the. hell.Andrew Fillipponi ThePoniExpressKela. Check.Archer. Check.Kept Keller. Check.Neal Huntington, we are not worthy.Great Job Pirates.Mike Petriello mike_petrielloI am very interested to see how this Archer trade works out because right now it seems like PIT might be giving up more to get Archer than they got back for Cole, and that seems... not right.ESPN Stats amp; Info ESPNStatsInfoHow does a change of scenery sound for Chris Archer?He has a 4.02 career ERA against the AL East (4.89 ERA this year), but a 3.40 career ERA vs all other divisions MxZjXPxOlFAfter tradingGerritCole to the Houston Astros in the offseason, the Pirates needed to add a starter with swing-and-miss stuff. Their rotationranks23rd in MLB with 7.41 strikeouts per nine innings.Archer's ability to miss bats will be critical for Pittsburgh. Getting out of the American League East can only help improve his numbers.The Pirates were trading from an area of strength becauseGlasnowwas pitching out of the bullpen because of his inability to throw strikes consistently. The 24-year-old has issued 91 walks in 141.1 innings in his MLB career http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic-cliff-pennington-jersey , including 34 in 56 innings this season.When Corey Dickerson returns from his hamstring injury, Meadows doesn't have a spot on Pittsburgh's 25-man roster. Starling Marte and GregoryPolancoare secure in center field and right field.The Pirates have been waiting years forGlasnowand Meadows to hone their talents and become key contributors at the MLB level. The chance to acquire Archer pushed them to finally move them.The Rays, who are always operating under strict financial constraints, can afford to wait forGlasnowand Meadows to put everything together. A change of scenery could serve both players well at this stage of their careers, because they know an opportunity to play regularly will be available.Nationals Place Risky Bet on Future by Not Trading Bryce HarperThe Nationals moved all of their chips to the center of the table, hoping they will be able to make up a 5.5-game deficit in the National League East and wild-card races in the season's final two months.Grant Paulsen granthpaulsenThe Nationals should not sell any key pieces. They arent far enough out of the race and the teams in front of them arent good enough to run away from them. They also shouldnt give anything up to add rentals. Not good enough to do that.Harper is eligible for free agency this offseason and could price himself out of Washington, though there may have been other factors at play for the team in potential trade discussions:Jon Heyman JonHeymanrivals continue to believe bryce harper is long shot to be traded. nats are only 5.5 games out amp;amp; theyd risk fan revolt. also, they wouldnt get haul as rental. os did well getting yusniel plus 4 for machado. but market is better for a ss/3B amp;amp; manny was hitting 100 points higherPerJeffPassanof Yahoo Sports, the Nationals have been a mess behind the scenes this season with manager Davey Martinez making some players feel "marginalized" in the organization:"One recent example, [sources] said, was following Saturday's loss to Miami. J.T.Realmuto, the Marlins' All-Star catcher and a player coveted by the Nationals all winter, blooped a bases-loaded single down the right-field line for a walk-off victory.Harper's response after the game: 'If that guy was on our side, itwouldn't have happened. Tough luck.'""A number of people inside the organization saw Harper's comment as unprofessional and potentially divisive among his teammates, according to sources. Though all acknowledged the seed of truth in it, they also wondered why the Nationals would needRealmutoto win when they haven't done so with a surfeit of talent already."Based on their current place in the standings, the Nationals are in the thick of the NL playoff race. They've just struggled to play up to their potential after winning 97 games last season.If the Nationals miss the postseason in 2018, they risk losing Harper with their only compensation being a draft pick who might contribute to the franchise years down the line.Wide-Open NL Playoff Race Created Trade FrenzySticking with the National League, the current playoff picture created a flurry of activity at the deadline with teams trying to gain an edge.Here's a rundown of the key moves from NL clubs currently fighting for one of the five available postseason spots:Jeff Passan JeffPassanSource: Brian Dozier is headed to the Dodgers. jcrasnick had it done and Ken_Rosenthal close. Dodgers are sliding just under luxury tax, as Doziers AAV is only $5M per year.Robert Murray ByRobertMurray#DBacks acquired Jake Diekman from #Rangers in exchange for Wei-Chieh Huang, source tells The Athletic.Ken Rosenthal Ken_RosenthalSource: #Brewers get Schoop from #Orioles.Jon Morosi jonmorosi#Cubs have acquired Brandon Kintzler from #Nats, source confirms Ken_Rosenthal and sahadevsharma report. MLB MLBNetworkJon Heyman JonHeymansources: braves have deal for gausmanJeff Passan JeffPassanSource: Wilson Ramos has been traded to Philadelphia.The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks, currently separated by one loss in the National League West, played a game of one-upmanship by addressing areas of need.Dodgers second basemen were hitting a collective .211/.309/.315 with seven homers this season. Brian Dozier is having a down season by his standards with a .224/.305/.402 slash line, but his track record suggests he could be in line for a strong final two months:ESPN Stats amp; Info ESPNStatsInfoThe Dodgers just keep adding power.In the last 5 seasons, Brian Dozier has 143 HR, 38 more than any other 2nd baseman EQv8fnsE4eThe Diamondbacks countered Los Angeles' move by adding JakeDiekmanto their bullpen in a trade with the Texas Rangers.CJ Nitkowski CJNitkowskiJake Diekmans splits with the Rangers:Home: 21G, 18IP, 17K, 18BB, 7.50ERARoad: 22G, 21IP, 31K, 5BB, 0.43ERAHes been dealing lately, FB has been 95-98. ARI goes to TEX for two games later this month but otherwise he avoids GLP the rest of the season. Nice add by ARI.One team that seemed primed to add a starting pitcher was the Milwaukee Brewers, though they decided to take a different approach at the deadline.Milwaukee's rotation ERA has been solid at 3.85, butJhoulysChacinand Freddy Peralta are the only members of the group with aFIPunder 4.10.Rather than pursue a big-time starter, the Brewers added JonathanSchoopto their lineup after previously acquiring MikeMoustakasfrom the Kansas City Royals.Bob Nightengale BNightengaleThe #Brewers, who seemingly opened the year with too many outfielders and first basemen, now have 2 third basemen or 2 second basemen with Jonathan Schoop traded from #OriolesThe Philadelphia Phillies made a bold move to acquire Wilson Ramos from the Tampa Bay Rays. The All-Star catcher is currently on the disabled list with a hamstring injury, but his bat will be a huge upgrade in Philadelphia's lineup when he returns:ESPN Stats amp; Info ESPNStatsInfoThe Phillies are receiving a major upgrade at catcher with Wilson Ramos. Ramos has provided greater results than all of the Phillies catchers combined this season. swEBfLS4qlCompared to the American League, where four of the five playoff teams appear to be locks at this point, the NL remains wide-open.The top seven teams are all within four games of each other. Four other teams are within 5.5 games of the second wild-card spot.Keep in mind, though, that teams can still make deals through Aug. 31 on the waiver market. Even though some teams sat things out today, there will be plenty of chances to make a move that can shift the balance of power in the playoff races.
