The MLB Trade Deadline made some teams better, but others missed the boat
It was another wild MLB Trade Deadline day. A lot of deals came down to the wire, and even more than that just never came to fruition. Some of the usual suspects were quieter than usual, while other surprise teams spent big to get some major names in unusual places. That’s what makes this year’s trade deadline fun.
With an eight-team playoff in each league, it was hard to tell who was a buyer or seller. Some teams actually did both (and one did it very well). Even after the official 4 p.m. deadline, there were multiple deals still becoming official. Teams got better. Others did not. It was your typical MLB Trade Deadline.
The 60-game season makes this a weird one, but the worry there might be a lack of bad teams to sell off pieces just didn’t happen. There were a lot of trades over the past three days, with players of all kind getting dealt. There was one team that felt like a clear winner.
Winner: San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres were clear winners at this year’s MLB Trade Deadline. They went all in over the weekend, trading for catcher Jason Castro, relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal, catcher Austin Nola, and first baseman Mitch Moreland. Then, on trade deadline Monday, they made their biggest move, sending five pieces to the Cleveland Indians for Mike Clevinger (among other, much smaller pieces).
This shows the Padres are looking to make a real push for the NL West crown. For years, the Padres were making big moves that weren’t working. They won the Manny Machado sweepstakes last offseason. The year before, they gave the then-biggest contract in franchise history to Eric Hosmer (beaten by the Machado deal). Going all the way back to 2014, the Padres traded for Wil Myers (a deal that famously had Trea Turner technically as a PTBNL).
For all these major moves, the Padres haven’t made the playoffs since 2006. They haven’t won a playoff series since they last made the World Series. That was the Tony Gwynn-led team in 1998. That was the last time this franchise won a playoff series.
The postseason drought is going to end this season. They are currently third in the National League with a 21-15 record. Things are going very well for the Padres, and they want more than just to end the drought. They want to make noise in the National League. That makes them the clearest winner of everyone in the league.
They also traded for Seattle Mariners’ reliever Taylor Williams at the buzzer just to cap off a great deadline.
Loser: New York Yankees
This one is obvious as well. The New York Yankees are lucky the New York Mets are the biggest flop in the Big Apple, or they could be staring a nine-game losing streak in the face with the Tampa Bay Rays looking to give them a final blow. They’re still 3.5 games behind the AL East-leading Rays, with less than half the season to go.
Here’s who is sitting on the injured list for the Yankees right now: Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, James Paxton, Zach Britton, Kyle Higashioka, Tommy Kahnle (out for season), and Luis Severino (out for season). That’s a team that could make the playoffs sitting on the injured list for the Yanks. Yet, they stood pat at the deadline for the second-straight season.
This was the season for the Yankees to make a push. Judge and Stanton will hopefully come back for the postseason. Their rotation has the feel of a playoff winner with Masahiro Tanaka holding it down and the obvious Gerrit Cole leading the pack. This is the Yankees we’re talking about. They shouldn’t be in talks to trade for Starling Marte and lose to the Miami Marlins. They should be sending the right deal to get Francisco Lindor (theoretically). This is a team that gets the stars when the team is close to the championship level.
This team should be pushing for the top seed in the league. Instead, they seem content with being at the middle of the playoff pack. This team is not good enough to win it all in October unless they miraculously get healthy. Maybe that’s what the Yankees and Brian Cashman are hoping for, or maybe they don’t want to spend more money with no fans in the stands. Either way, it makes them the biggest loser of the 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.
Loser: Tampa Bay Rays
Speaking of teams that could be in the World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays are currently leading the American League. Sitting at 24-11, the Rays had ties to all the big names on the market. They did… nothing. They do have the best record in the AL, which was already mentioned, and they have Brendan McKay and Charlie Morton returning from injury this week, but it just seemed like the right time for the Rays to finally make a “win-now” move.
Pieces were going for cheap at the deadline, with a lot of PTBLN in the return column. This is usually where the Rays make their living, taking chances on solid veterans that cost barely anything. Instead, the Rays decided to stay put.
The Rays actually ended up selling a player, trading Jose Martinez to the Chicago Cubs for two players to be named later.
Hunter Renfroe, Yoshi Tsutsugo, and Mike Zunino are struggling mightily at the plate, all falling below the Mendoza Line. There were multiple catchers on the move at or near the deadline. It would make a lot of sense to find someone who could bring the kind of impact that Travis d’Arnaud did last season. Zunino shouldn’t be their one and only option in the playoffs.
Only two regulars have a .600+ slugging percentage on the Rays. They could have used some power once the playoffs start. It’s great they are getting their arms back off the injured list, but the way they are hitting could get cold at the worst time. They could have used another bat in the worst way.
Winner: Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins were both buyers and sellers at the MLB Trade Deadline. Seemingly at the same time, they traded for Starling Marte, star outfielder of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and sent second baseman Jonathan Villar to the Toronto Blue Jays.
First, let’s look at the Marte trade. The Marlins sent pitchers Caleb Smith and Humberto Mejia to the D-backs for Marte, who will become a free agent at the end of the season. It was a surprising turn of events for a surprisingly competitive Marlins team. They were sending assets away for a player that can help them now. Smith is 29 years old, so his contributions to the Marlins were short-lived, but Mejia is 23 years old and still has some upside.
Then, they traded Villar to the Blue Jays. Villar might have rumors swirling about his “fit” in the organization, but the real reason for this trade was need. Well, more like lack of a need. Villar is soon going to be an extra piece for the Marlins because of their extremely talented Isan Diaz. He originally opted out of the season but is reportedly waiting for reinstatement after changing his mind. This makes Villar an extra that was going to leave in free agency after the season.
Can you guess who the Marlins wanted from the Blue Jays? None of the than the son of “Mr. Marlin” himself. Griffin Conine is the son of Jeff Conine, who spent two stints with the Marlins, won the Rookie of the Year, and was an All-Star twice. Griffin Conine is one of the Blue Jays top-20 prospects, shows a ton of power from the left side, and could be a really good piece in a year or two.
So basically, the Marlins moved Jonathan Villar, got a better player in Starling Marte, moved middling pitchers, and got a really good hitting prospect. This is a major win for Derek Jeter’s squad.
Loser: Texas Rangers
Things look a little bit better for the Texas Rangers after their buzzer-beating move to send Robinson Chirinos and Todd Frazier to the New York Mets, but it’s still a loss overall. They were reportedly looking to move big pieces like Joey Gallow and Lance Lynn, but they put a huge price tag on both pieces and got nothing for each of them. There were deals out there that could have helped them in the long-term, but the Rangers ended up taking the low-hanging fruit.
In exchange for Chirinos, Frazier, and cash considerations, they got two players to be named later. In the trade that sent Mike Minor to the Athletics, they got two players to be named later. This isn’t exactly going to get the fanbase excited. The only thing fans like about being sellers at the trade deadline is researching these prospects they get in these deals. Rangers fans now try and talk themselves into getting some of the miracles in PTBNL lore.
Lynn was reportedly going to get them a haul, and he should have with an extra year on his deal. He’s been pitching very well for the Rangers, and sometimes a team isn’t smart to just give assets away, but there was so much hype around Lynn’s impending deal. For it to fall apart at the last minute when so many teams were in it just feels like fans were cheated of a huge get.
The Rangers had a chance to put together the future of their franchise. Now, they have a bunch of literal question marks. Not a great day for a team that hasn’t had a lot to root for this season.