Buster Olney at ESPN speculates the trade market for Colorado Rockies closer Brian Fuentes could be torpedoed by the availability of Oakland A's closer Huston Street and Baltimore Orioles closer George Sherrill. Unlike Fuentes, neither pitcher is a free agent at season's end. In fact, Street won't be a free agent until after the 2010 season. Sherrill won't test the market until the 2011 season finishes.
Mr. Olney offers his assessment of who are the best fits for Street and Sherrill.
On paper (and to be clear, what follows is pure speculation), the Orioles would seem to have a great potential fit with the Dodgers, who need a closer, or the Angels, who will need a closer next season if Francisco Rodriguez leaves and could use a lefty now. The Red Sox would probably love to land Sherrill and have a wide array of prospects to offer, but the question remains whether the Orioles would close a deal over such a significant piece with a division rival. The Brewers could be a match for either Street or Sherrill.
I don't quite see the pressing need for either L.A. club, especially the Angels. Pre-emptively acquiring a reliever when Fuentes can be signed in the off-season doesn't jibe with the team's inability to trade any of their prospects. The inability to deal prospects also applies to the Dodgers although strengthening the 7th and 8th innings can be argued with the promotion of Jonathna Broxton to the closer's role.
What I find interesting is debating whether the Boston Red Sox will attempt to deal for another closer at the deadline after the debacle of last year's Eric Gagne trade. Can they risk seeing three more players from their organization thrive for another team while a middle reliever disappoints?