i think I might throw Gallardo out of the pen the rest of the year. He was a rock in that role. As far as the WC is concerned, the best thing we have going for us is the fact that all the other teams in the WC hunt are more deeply flawed than we are:
KC is running on Vargas fumes right now. Duffy, Hammel and Kennedy are a combined 16-24 this season, although their BP has been lights out. Hosmer, Merrifield and Moustakis have been great all year. They are good but slumpable. TBR has Archer, Cobb and bupkis in the rotation. They do bring a 4-potent bat lineup, with Morrison, Souza, Dickerson and Longoria. But they play in the dod-eat-dog East. A tough road, late in the season. Ditto Baltimore. Add the fact that Wade Miley is their #3 and that the legal firm of Schoop & Mancini are leading the offense and you don't tremble when you look at them. Were Machado to go nuts, they would have a better shot, but that is true if you talk about Cruz, Seager or Cano going nuts.
The WC race promises to be, well, wild. The Mariners have holes, but perhaps not as deep as TBR or Balt. KC's pen (natch) and the big three bats make them a tough nut, but they may well watch their chances crumble as the starters wear out the pen.
the M's addition of a big vR bat at 1B gives perhaps gives us a turbo boost opportunity. Valencia has been beating up LHP all year. It is his calling card. But he's sub-.700 vs. RHP. tough to get that variety production out of 1B. Now we have an .850+ bat to fill that role.