Winners and losers from MLB Trade Deadline

Biggest losers of MLB trade deadline

San Diego Padres

Let’s preface this by saying that this is not meant to discredit what the San Diego Padres have done heading into the trade deadline. They got arguably the hottest hitter on the market in Adam Frazier from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The thing is, the Padres could have done so much more.

It appeared as though San Diego had a deal in place to acquire Scherzer from the Nationals, only to be stiff-armed by the rival Dodgers, who got both the ace and the shortstop in Turner. Even after that move, many felt that general manager A.J. Preller was ready to make a huge splash.

That did not happen, as they saw the likes of Berrios, Baez and Bryant all end up on other teams by the deadline on Friday. While the Padres are still in great shape heading into the postseason, it is unknown if they will be able to top the Dodgers after their blockbuster trade went through.

Washington Nationals fans

Speaking of the Nationals, let’s pour one out for their fanbase. Back in 2019, the Nationals defied the odds by winning the World Series in seven games against the Houston Astros after looking as though they were destined for the NL East basement earlier that season. Entering the 2021 trade deadline, the Nats were falling further and further out of contention, and decided to hit the sell button, thanks in part to some extraordinary offers from teams.

Nationals fans saw Scherzer and Turner head to the Dodgers, Daniel Hudson moved to the Padres, Josh Harrison and Yan Gomes traded to the Oakland Athletics, Schwarber flipped to the Red Sox, Hand sent to the Blue Jays and Jon Lester acquired by the St. Louis Cardinals.

While it means that the Nationals are headed towards a rebuild, they are set to be in fantastic shape in the near future. It may be a tough watch for quite some time, but there is promise, Nationals fans.

Chicago Cubs fans

We pour yet another one out for a fellow National League team in the Cubs. Things appeared to be going great for the Cubs at the start of the season, but an 11-game losing streak forced the organization to change course and sell at the deadline.

While the likes of Kimbrel and Pederson being moved were expected, the fanbase had a tough time dealing with the trades of Rizzo, Baez and Bryant. Those three players played integral parts in the team winning its first World Series in 108 years back in 2016, and with free agency looming for them this winter, the Cubs decided to trade them for assets.

Even though it is painful to see all of those star players leave the Cubs, the team did get a solid haul of prospects and pro-ready players in exchange for everyone they traded. It may take a while, but the Cubs should be in good shape in the coming years.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies‘ start to the trade deadline did not go off as planned. Earlier in the week, it appeared as though the team had been close to acquiring Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Tyler Anderson. However, the deal was held up due to an issue with one of the two players set to be moved to the Steel City. Hours later, the Pirates pulled the plug on the deal and opted to send Anderson to the Seattle Mariners.

On Friday, the Phillies redeemed themselves by acquiring starter Kyle Gibson, reliever Ian Kennedy and No. 9 prospect Hans Crause from the Texas Rangers. It was a very solid move on their part. What makes things worse for the Phillies, however, is the rest of the division improved. The Mets got Baez and Williams, while the Braves managed to secure Miami Marlins outfielder Adam Duvall, Pirates closer Richard Rodriguez and Kansas City Royals outfielder Jorge Soler.

Again, Philadelphia’s trade with the Rangers was solid. The problem is that the Mets and Braves improved their roster heading into the final months of the 2021 campaign.

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds had the opportunity to add some pieces at the trade deadline, as they are in striking distance of both the Padres and Dodgers in the Wild Card standings. Instead, they opted against making a huge move on Friday.

Earlier in the week, the Reds did acquire reliever Mychal Givens from the Colorado Rockies as a good rental piece for the remainder of the season. Additionally, they acquired relievers Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson from the Yankees in exchange for a player to be named later.

While the moves are not necessarily terrible, the rival Brewers drastically bolstered their roster by adding infielder Eduardo Escobar and pitchers Daniel Norris and John Curtiss ahead of the deadline. Not exactly ideal for the Reds.