5 winners from MLB trade deadline

3. Arizona Diamondbacks

The news that the Arizona Diamondbacks had traded All-Star right-hander Zack Greinke to the Houston Astros broke a few minutes after the official 4 pm deadline, meaning the talks that led to this deal really went down to the wire. The Diamondbacks had been looking to get out from under Greinke’s massive six-year, $206-million contract almost from the moment he signed it — not that he didn’t live up to his billing as a future Hall of Famer.

Greinke’s tenure with the Diamondbacks ends with a 55-29 record, a 3.40 ERA and three All-Star appearances. He also helped lead them to a playoff appearance in 2017, but the contract hamstrung Arizona and played a contributing role in the team’s inability to keep star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

Leading up to the deadline, it was obvious the Diamondbacks were interested in trading Greinke, but it looked like a longshot that they would get a deal done because of the financial constraints that come with dealing a pitcher owed over $70 million. If the Diamondbacks were going to get prospects, it appeared they would have to trade younger left-hander Robbie Ray.

The Diamondbacks were able to find a way to move the contract and acquire three of Houston’s top-five prospects. Getting the Astros to take on over $50 million of Greinke’s salary without sacrificing the quality of the return makes this an absolute slam-dunk for Arizona.