Around The Horn

Jim Bowden recently ranked hist top ten players to be traded by the deadline. He lists the usual suspects of Zack Greinke, Matt Garza, Carlos Quentin and others.  Of note, Bowden connects the Dodgers to Shane Victorino and Ryan Dempster.  

On Victorino:  The Phillies are so far apart in their negotiations with Victorino that it is a given he will test the free-agent market in the fall. Therefore, Philadelphia likely will move him by the deadline. The Los Angeles Dodgers have legitimate arms in Double-A and can afford to move one of them in a Victorino deal. An outfield of Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Victorino would give the Dodgers a big offensive bump that could help keep them in contention through September. Cincinnati is a dark horse as well. 

On Dempster: The Dodgers have been considered the front-runners for Dempster, but don’t count out the Braves if they can’t get Greinke or Garza. Dempster’s leadership skills, intangibles and competitiveness are just as impressive as his ERA and WHIP this year. He is on the DL with a sore lat, and once he's activated, he’ll need to put together a couple of good starts to prove he’s healthy before being moved.

In a separate article, Buster Olney ranks the second-half schedules for National League contenders. Olney claims the Reds and Pirates have the two easiest schedules going forward.  As for the NL West,

3. San Francisco Giants 

Home/away: 39 of their last 76 games are at home.

Games left against teams over .500: 27.

Schedule notes: Depending on how Arizona plays in the second half, the Giants could have an incredibly easy September. After having series with the Astros and Cubs at the end of August, the Giants have 13 games in September against the Padres and Rockies. San Francisco has three separate series with the Diamondbacks, who are currently under .500.

The Big Finish: The Giants' final six games are on the road -- at San Diego and at Los Angeles.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers 

Home/away: 38 of their last 75 games are at home.

Games left against teams over .500: 36.

Schedule notes: As the trade deadline nears, the Dodgers have a challenging 10-game road trip that will take them through New York, St. Louis and San Francisco.

The Big Finish: The Dodgers will close out their regular season with six home games -- three against Colorado and three against the Giants.

8. Arizona Diamondbacks 

Home/away: 37 of their last 77 are at home.

Games left against teams over .500: 39.

Schedule notes: If the Diamondbacks can fight their way back to the top of the division, their late-season slate is something you can only dream of, with 13 of their final 16 games against the Rockies, Cubs and Padres.

The Big Finish: The D-backs end their season with six home games versus the Cubs and Rockies, at a time when the Giants and Dodgers are going head-to-head.

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