Winners and losers from MLB Trade Deadline

Winner: Oakland A’s

The Oakland A’s really only made one move during the trade deadline, but it’s one that has a chance to really move the needle. Mike Minor was really good for the Texas Rangers last season, but his counting stats this year look really bad. He has zero wins, five losses, a 5.60 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Those are obviously bad statistics to add to a team pushing for a pennant like the Oakland A’s, but when looking deeper it’s clear Minor is much more than that.

His 4.83 FIP isn’t great, but it’s much better than his ERA. His last outing was the stuff of legends if the Rangers were in a playoff race. They are not, so it didn’t get a lot of play. A three-hit shutout of the Los Angeles Dodgers over six innings of work. The Rangers ended up winning the game in the later innings, but Minor gave them everything they needed to win, which they did.

Minor has the propensity for a stinker. He’s allowed 5+ earned runs in three of his seven starts. However, this is a player who brings veteran leadership to the Athletics rotation. They have Mike Fiers at the top, but young hurlers Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas could use another guy to help them push for the playoffs and beyond.

The Athletics move might not move the needle for most, but it’s a clear upside move. They likely didn’t give up much (neither team has officially announced terms), and this is a player that pitched more than 200 innings last season. In the playoffs, he could be an arm that gives them a spot start, or that anchors a rotation in need of a reliable arm. Minor might be working out some kinks this year, but more signs point to him playing better than worse.

A couple days ago, they added some infield depth from their division rival. The Angels traded them Tommy La Stella. La Stella could actually take the starting role at second base from Tony Kemp. It was a weekend of high-upside deals for an A’s team that could end up in the World Series if everything goes right.