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Dodgers, Yankees lead the pack of teams that crushed it at the trade deadline

By Rucker Haringey

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 30: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman look on during batting practice before the start of MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on March 30, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Aaron Boone;Brian Cashman
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 30: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman look on during batting practice before the start of MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on March 30, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Aaron Boone;Brian Cashman /
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Fortune favors the bold in MLB. These five teams deserve a lot of credit for making big moves to strengthen their present and/or future.

The smoke of the trade deadline is starting to clear and it’s time to take stock of where each team currently stands. Some really made a mess of things while other teams have done wonders to upgrade their outlook.

This piece will focus on the five biggest winners from the trade deadline. Mostly, this list will feature teams who made big moves to prepare themselves for serious baseball in October. That doesn’t mean sellers can’t be winners, but no one really stood out in that regard this season.

We start the list with a team that is locked in a vicious race to win the NL East.

5. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies currently enjoy a .5 game lead over the Braves atop the division. Their front office correctly surmised that changes needed to occur to strengthen their position. As such, they acquired three proven veterans to help boost their club down the stretch.

The most impactful deal was the one that happened last. Stealing All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos away from the Rays for a player to be named later might be the best deal of July. Obviously, no final conclusions can be drawn until the name of the player heading in the other direction is revealed, but Ramos will do wonders for the Phillies lineup.

The subtle acquisition of Asdrubal Cabrera can also pay serious dividends for the Phillies. No one is having a great season for the Mets this season, but Cabrera has been hitting the ball pretty well. He’s lost a lot of his defensive ability due to age, but he can still mash.

Adding lefty Aaron Loup is the weakest of the three moves, but having a quality southpaw out of the bullpen is never a bad thing. At the very least, he gives his team more options in the late innings.

Adding two likely position starters in July is an excellent return. If the Phillies experience success in October, they’ll look back to this week as a big reason why.

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