Philadelphia players were watching in the visiting locker room at Marlins Park.“I think we all knew what was going on,” Phillies

Although the July 31 non-waiver deadline has come and gone Carlos Martinez Jersey , Major League Baseball's summer trade season will really end with Friday's waiver trade deadline.That's the last day for contenders to acquire players who will be eligible for the postseason. For that, we have a few last-minute trade predictions.We're only considering players who have passed through waivers and are thus eligible to be traded to any team. It's a relatively short list. The list of realistic trade candidates is even shorter.Nonetheless, here are five trades to watch out for.Francisco Liriano to the Mariners1 of 5Hannah Foslien/Getty ImagesAccording to Anthony Fenech of theDetroit Free Press,two prominent Detroit Tigers pitchers have cleared waivers: Jordan Zimmermann and Francisco Liriano.Between his expensive contract ($50 million remaining after 2018) and his inconsistent production, Zimmermann almost certainly isn't going anywhere. Liriano, on the other hand, is a $4 million rental who'll probably be on the move soon.The 34-year-old is far removed from his days as a top-of-the-rotation starter, and he's struggled with a 6.00 ERA in 11 appearances since returning from a hamstring strain.However, he offers versatility and an ability to slay left-handed batters. His .458 OPS against lefties is sixth-best among southpaws who've accumulated at least 90 left-on-left matchups.If nothing else, the Seattle Mariners are a probable fit for Liriano because general manager Jerry Dipoto is always a good bet to make a trade. Beyond that, their need for pitching depth is as strong now as it's been all season. That's partly because Zach Duke hasn't been the impact lefty the Mariners hoped he would be when they acquired him in July (8.10 ERA in 13 appearances).Liriano wouldn't single-handedly wipe out the Mariners' five-game deficit in the American League wild-card hunt. But it may be good enough for them that he can help.Jose Iglesias to the Phillies2 of 5Jason O. Watson/Getty ImagesAccording toFenech, Jose Iglesias is another Tiger who's cleared waivers.The 28-year-old is an affordable ($6.3 million) free-agent-to-be Lance Lynn Jersey , and he's riding one of his better seasons onto the open market. His .704 OPS is solid by his standards, and ultimate zone ratinghas him as an elite defensive shortstop. Certainly, he's always looked the part to the eye test.Of course, most contenders are already set at shortstop. The Philadelphia Phillies are the only real exception. They've gotten fewer wins above replacement out of the position than any other team.Initially, Scott Kingery and J.P. Crawford were the problem. Now it's Asdrubal Cabrera, who has just a .617 OPS since joining the team ahead of the non-waiver deadline.It's also a variation on a theme that Cabrera isn't much of a defensive presence at short. Per UZR and defensive runs saved, the position has been a black hole this season. Considering that Phillies pitchers tend to induce ground balls, that's well short of optimal.With Philadelphia having fallen behind in the National League East and wild-card races, it doesn't have much choice but to seek additional upgrades. As much as any other, Iglesias is one who can help.Curtis Granderson to the Astros3 of 5Brian Davidson/Getty ImagesThis could be the second straight August in which Curtis Granderson is traded to a contender. According to Robert Murray of The Athletic, the veteran outfielder has cleared waivers.Granderson's former stardom is long gone by now. But with a .765 OPS for the Toronto Blue Jays, he remains a productive hitter overall. As per usual http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-mark-mcgwire-jersey , he's even better when he has the platoon advantage. He owns a .792 OPS opposite right-handers. And like Liriano and Iglesias, he's a cheap rental. He's pulling in only $5 million this year.The New York Yankees are the most noteworthy of the trade fits for Granderson. A reunion with the 37-year-old would bolster an outfield that sorely misses Aaron Judge.The Yankees may not go out of their way to acquire Granderson, however. They already have a playoff spot pretty well in hand. They can also count on Judge to return from his fractured wrist eventually.This could be the Houston Astros' cue to swoop in. They face a tall task in fending off the Oakland Athletics in the AL West race, so there's no time like the present to resolve their left field weakness. Inserting Granderson to platoon with Marwin Gonzalez would be a fine way to do so.Gio Gonzalez to the Brewers4 of 5Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesThe Washington Nationals have already moved Matt Adams and Daniel Murphy. According to Jorge Castillo of theWashington Post, Gio Gonzalez, Matt Wieters and Ryan Zimmerman are three more veterans who've cleared waivers.Wieters and Zimmerman are more than likely staying put. For his part, Gonzalez's situation is complicated somewhat by his relatively expensive salary. He's earning $12 million in his final season before free agency.Still, Gonzalez has legit credentials. He's a two-time All-Star who was a sneaky Cy Young Award contender just last season. And while his ERA is up to 4.35 this year, it was 3.78 as recently as July 28.Quite a few contenders could use Gonzalez, 32, in their starting rotations. But no team seems more desperate for a starter than the Milwaukee Brewers.Although their rotation has pitched to a respectable 3.95 ERA, the Brewers lack anyone resembling a top-of-the-rotation starter. Hence why they've been a regular in trade rumors involving name-brand starters. PerJon Heyman of Fancred Dexter Fowler Jersey , their failed bid for Matt Harvey is only the latest.Assuming the Brewers are still game to make a move, they can't do any better than Gonzalez. He could only help them hold on to the NL's second wild-card spot.Andrew McCutchen to the Indians5 of 5Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesIf a contender is keen on adding a former MVP for the stretch run, there's always Andrew McCutchen.The 31-year-old isn't the same player now that he was when he captured the 2013 NL MVP as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. But with the San Francisco Giants, he can still hit. He has a .771 OPS and 15 home runs overall and a .782 OPS and six homers since the All-Star break.According to Murray, McCutchen cleared waivers Aug. 22. Now it's just a question of who wants him and who's willing to pay at least a portion of what's remaining on his $14.75 million salary.Although there are a number of contenders that could use McCutchen's bat, the best fit for him is with the Cleveland Indians.Apart from Michael Brantley, Cleveland's outfield is a puzzle the team has been struggling to solve all season. So it goes now. Leonys Martin will miss the rest of the season recovering from a life-threatening bacterial infection. And while Melky Cabrera and Greg Allen have been playing well lately, it would be best if both were confined to part-time roles.Acquiring McCutchen would allow the Indians to make that change. He would also be another weapon for October. With just a 36-37 record outside the AL Central, the Indians need as many of those as they can get.Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphsand current through Sunday's games. NEW YORK — The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets have been going in opposite directions for a month. The last chance for the Phillies to begin reversing their slide might arrive Friday night, when they visit the Mets in the opener of a three-game series at Citi Field.Phillies ace right-hander Aaron Nola (15-4, 2.23 ERA) will look to continue building his case for the National League Cy Young Award when he opposes Mets left-hander Steven Matz (5-11, 4.20).Both teams were off Thursday after playing series-deciding games Wednesday. The Phillies fell to the host Miami Marlins 2-1 while the visiting Mets beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-3.Article continues below ...The loss for the Phillies (73-66) extended their streak of series without a series victory to nine. Since a four-game sweep of the Marlins from Aug. 2-5 http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-steve-carlton-jersey , Philadelphia has gone 10-18 while losing eight series and splitting another.The only thing to go right for the Phillies over the past four weeks is the inability of the Atlanta Braves to take full advantage. The Braves, who were 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia on Aug. 5, have gone just 17-15 since. However, first-place Atlanta beat the Diamondbacks 7-6 in 10 innings on Thursday and lead the Phillies by 3 1/2 games in the NL East.With only 23 games remaining, the Phillies are running out of time, and they realized Wednesday was a squandered opportunity. The loss to the last-place Marlins came hours after the Braves blew a six-run lead in a 9-8 loss to the Boston Red Sox — a game most Philadelphia players were watching in the visiting locker room at Marlins Park.“I think we all knew what was going on,” Phillies starting pitcher Nick Pivetta told reporters after he took the loss by allowing two runs over four innings. “I think what’s more important is to focus on the game that we have at hand. They lost, that’s great. But at the end of the day, I’ve still got a job to do. We’re trying to win baseball games over here. That’s a game I personally really needed to step up, shut it down. But it’s how baseball goes sometimes.”Baseball has been going a uniquely Mets-ian way lately for New York (63-76), which has gone 18-12 while winning or splitting eight of its last nine series dating back to Aug. 6.Of course, it’s way too little Paul DeJong Jersey , way too late for the Mets, whose playoff hopes were erased during a June in which they went 5-21. But at least the late-season run is an indication New York might be laying a foundation for 2019 under rookie manager Mickey Callaway.“It’s real gratifying,” Callaway told reporters Wednesday night. “We spend a ton of time trying to work on the right things with these guys, and I think it’s all paying dividends.”Nola took the loss in his most recent start Sunday, when he allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings as the Phillies fell to the Chicago Cubs 8-1. The four runs were the most surrendered by Nola since he gave up four runs against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 17. Nola is locked in a three-way battle for the Cy Young with the Washington Nationals’ Max Scherzer, the two-time defending winner, and Mets ace Jacob deGrom, who is scheduled to pitch the series finale Sunday.Matz didn’t factor into the decision Saturday, when he allowed one run and struck out a career-high over seven innings in the Mets’ 2-1, 11-inning win over the San Francisco Giants. He has given up four runs over 19 innings in his last three starts.Nola is 5-1 with a 3.29 ERA in seven career starts against the Mets. Matz is 0-2 with a 4.97 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies.