Everybody exhale. After weeks and weeks of speculation, the MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and it's left a shuffled-up landscape in its wake. Some contenders got a whole lot better in their quest for the World Series, while others left fans scratching their heads. Some rebuilding teams gave their systems a shot in the arm, while others seemed to be asleep at wheel.
Now that the dust has settled, though, just how did every single Major League team fare at this year's deadline? Every front office has its own goals this time of year, but that doesn't mean we can't assess how well they accomplished them — or at least how well they seem to have accomplished them in the moment, knowing that this is far more art than science and is very much subject to change. Below, we've graded all 30 teams on their deadline performance.
Arizona Diamondbacks: D+
- Biggest move: Lars Nootbaar from the Cardinals for Daniel Eagan, Sandro Santana and a PTBNL
The Diamondbacks finally did something right at the gun, acquiring Lars Nootbaar from the Cardinals to give their lineup the additional bat it needed. That was a solid addition, but the rotation still lacks any sort of reliability beyond Eduardo Rodriguez (who is bound to regress), the bullpen lacks an established closer and they could still use another bat — particularly at first base. More needed to be done for an Arizona team that had made it clear before the deadline that it was planning on buying.
–Zach Rotman, FanSided.com staff writer
Atlanta Braves: D
- Biggest move: Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter from the Royals for Carter Holton and Lucas Braun
Lane Thomas should help the Braves against left-handed pitching, but what else did Alex Anthopoulos do to move the needle at all? Tyler Mahle is nothing more than an innings-eater, and Brent Suter is nothing more than a second left-handed reliever. The Braves did not add a postseason-caliber starter, and they watched the Dodgers, the team they should be chasing, land the best player to get dealt this summer. They got better on the margins but lost ground in their World Series hopes.
–ZR
Athletics: C
- Biggest move: Aaron Civale to the Cubs for Aiden Moffitt
The A's were among the quietest teams of deadline season, but really, it's hard to ding them too much for the inactivity. Once Shea Langeliers went down with a knee injury, there simply wasn't all that much for them to shop to contending teams. While you can make an argument they should've flipped another homegrown bat like Tyler Soderstrom for pitching, or shopped an arm like Jeffrey Springs, they largely played the hand they were dealt.
–Chris Landers, FanSided.com sports editor
Baltimore Orioles: B
- Biggest move: Adley Rutschman to the Orioles for Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar and Carlos Narvaez
On the one hand, the O's had a pretty puzzling deadline. The return for Taylor Ward, even as a rental, was pretty light considering the paucity of bats available. And once the team made the decision to sell, hanging on to other vets like Trevor Rogers was curious. But Baltimore got very, very good value from the (correct) decision to move on from Adley Rutschman, and that's doing most of the heavy lifting here.
–CL
Boston Red Sox: B-
- Biggest move: Adley Rutschman from the Orioles for Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar and Carlos Narvaez
I won't ding Craig Breslow for the Rutschman deal as much as many onlookers have. Sure, it's a lot to give up for 1.5 years of an injury-prone player who's been up-and-down as a hitter, but his elite defense offers a high floor and I understand and respect the aggression. What I really don't understand is why Boston left other holes unfilled, particularly in the middle infield, where they cut bait with Marcelo Mayer without adding anything else. I'm still not quite sure whether this lineup is good enough come October, and Erik Miller as the only relief add was a bit curious.
–CL
Chicago Cubs: A-
- Biggest move: Kevin Gausman from the Blue Jays for Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene
The Cubs parted with valuable pieces but landed real difference-makers in the process. Clay Holmes should be a perfect fit with Chicago's infield defense behind him, and Kevin Gausman is a battle-tested starter who should help them in October. Ryan Zeferjahn strikes out the world and is a really underrated addition to the bullpen. Did they overpay? Maybe, but that’s often how the deadline works. The Cubs are probably the most improved team in the NL not named the Dodgers.
–ZR
Chicago White Sox: C-
- Biggest move: Luis Castillo from the Mariners for Seranthony Dominguez, Nolan Jones and Boston Smith
I understand the logic behind Chicago's stance at the deadline. This team is well ahead of schedule, and Chris Getz was loath to push all his chips in just yet. But you never know how many chances you'll have, and all the evidence suggests that the White Sox are just a competent arm or two away from having a real shot in a wide-open American League. I would've loved to have seen some more aggression here considering that golden opportunity, and I don't have a ton of faith in Luis Castillo finding it on the South Side.
–CL
Cincinnati Reds: F
- Biggest move: Nathaniel Lowe to the Guardians for Alejandro Rivera
The Reds trading Nathaniel Lowe at the buzzer saved their grade from being an F-, but this was an inexplicably bad deadline from Nick Krall and Co. Simply put, they did not pick a direction. They did not push for the playoffs but also did not sell off nearly enough of their expiring contracts. It’s one thing to hold onto Brady Singer if the plan is to give him a qualifying offer in the offseason, but why are guys like Eugenio Suarez, Tyler Stephenson and Brock Burke still here?
–ZR
Cleveland Guardians: B
- Biggest move: Foster Griffin from the Nationals for Will Dion, Josh Hartle, Kendeglys Virguez and Nick Mitchell
I actually ... didn't hate a Guardians trade deadline? Did we fall through a wormhole or something? Sure, it's not jaw-dropping, but Cleveland was proactive for once in addressing some needs, adding two offensive upgrades in Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe in addition to a solid floor-raiser at the back of the rotation in Griffin. This remains a very winnable division, and the Guards got meaningfully better on Monday.
–CL
Colorado Rockies: C+
- Biggest move: Acquired Mark Manfredi and Juan Martinez from the Brewers for Antonio Senzatela
The Rockies got fine returns for Brenton Doyle, Victor Vodnik and Antonio Senzatela, but I felt like they could’ve done more. Now felt like the optimal time to sell extremely high on Hunter Goodman, and even if they didn’t want to make a major splash, they could have traded other players having strong seasons like Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak in a seller’s market.
–ZR
Detroit Tigers: C+
- Biggest move: Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers for Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith
Trading Tarik Skubal is an organizational failure, but don't hammer them too much for what they got in return from the Dodgers. We don't know what other offers were out there, and Hope and Ryan both have a chance to be legitimate stars. Plus, it's not like the rental market was running white-hot this year. Really, I'm dinging them because I don't understand why they didn't go all the way with it — getting top pitching prospect Kash Mayfield from the Padres for Casey Mize is good work, but why are Gleyber Torres and Kenley Jansen still on this team? What about Spencer Torkelson, in a market where teams were desperate for righty bats? It just feels slightly incomplete.
Houston Astros: D+
- Biggest move: Daulton Varsho from the Blue Jays for Spencer Arrighetti
Speaking of incomplete, boy does this feel like a missed opportunity. The Astros entered the deadline riding high atop the AL West, and yet their front office gave them very little help, not improving the hitting situation much at all while acquiring a lefty outfielder (good) who's been lost at the plate this year (not so good) in Varsho. Houston had a chance to really grab the AL by the throat, and while the lack of prospect capital likely hamstrung Dana Brown a bit, well, whose fault is that?
–CL
Kansas City Royals: D
- Biggest move: Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter to the Braves for Carter Holton and Lucas Braun
Getting a legitimate pitching prospect in Braun for a platoon outfielder in Thomas and pitching filler in Falter saves this grade, but only so much. Why weren't the Royals selling harder? Why not cash in on Michael Wacha? Kansas City felt hopelessly caught in the middle, and that's the worst place to be for a team this far from contention.
–CL
Los Angeles Angels: B+
- Biggest move: Jose Soriano to the Blue Jays for Arjun Nimmala, Eddie Micheletti and Angel Rivero
Look at John Mozeliak! Written off after being summarily dismissed by the St. Louis Cardinals last year, he reemerged as the interim GM in Anaheim and actually did a pretty decent job at the deadline. This is a healthy return for Soriano, as is Moises Ballesteros and Mason McGwire for reliever Ryan Zeferjahn. I would've liked to have seen him go all the way with deals for Reid Detmers and Zach Neto, but both can easily be revisited this winter.
–CL
Los Angeles Dodgers: A+
- Biggest move: Tarik Skubal from the Tigers for Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith
Duh. Not only did the Dodgers acquire Tarik Skubal, but the package they sent to Detroit was completely inconsequential. Zyhir Hope is obviously an awesome prospect, but he might be the fourth-best outfielder in the Dodgers’ system. River Ryan has upside, but he’s an oft-injured 27-year-old with inconsistent results in the Minors. The Dodgers bolstered their already sky-high World Series odds, didn’t have to break the bank prospect-wise and even acquired Kris Bubic and some catching depth for good measure.
–ZR
Miami Marlins: C-
- Biggest move: Jonathon Long and Jace Beck from the Cubs for Braxton Garrett
The Victor Vodnik addition is an underrated one, but I didn’t like much else that Peter Bendix did. The Braxton Garrett return wasn’t anything special (there’s a reason Jonathon Long hasn’t debuted in the Majors yet) and the Liam Hicks return, even given that he's not a good defensive catcher, was extremely underwhelming. They didn’t improve their postseason odds and didn’t make their farm that much better either.
–ZR
Milwaukee Brewers: D+
- Biggest move: Dustin May and JoJo Romero from the Cardinals for Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale
This might seem a bit harsh, but I am not a fan of the Brewers’ deadline at all. First and foremost, letting the Dodgers acquire Skubal is inexcusable. Milwaukee's consistent refusal to make a single major win-now move is infuriating. They could have landed Skubal while holding onto top prospect Jesus Made but chose not to. The best they could do is Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Antonio Senzatela? I even thought they overpaid in the May and Romero deal. This team got a bit better, but the gap between them and the Dodgers widened, they gave up promising prospects and they refused to show that they’re remotely serious about winning a World Series.
–ZR
Minnesota Twins: B-
- Biggest move: Jeff Hoffman for Dasan Hill, John Klein and Dameury Pena
Minnesota made meaningful improvements to its bullpen in Hoffman and AJ Minter, addressing by far the biggest weakness on this team. But what will it amount to, ultimately? Holding on to Joe Ryan is all well and good, but given what Boston gave up for Rutschman, what could the Twins have gotten for a half-season of Ryan Jeffers at catcher?
–CL
New York Mets: B
- Biggest move: Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to the Cubs for Jefferson Rojas
It wasn’t looking great early on, but David Stearns salvaged the deadline in the Luke Weaver and Clay Holmes deals. Jefferson Rojas, acquired for Holmes and Tyrone Taylor, is the big prize and should be an infield fixture sometime next season, but don’t overlook guys like Sammy Stafura, Emilien Pitre and Zach Franklin, all of whom have potential to be real contributors in Queens. Landing a top-100 prospect in Rojas and a bunch of toolsy prospects isn’t a bad haul at all for a bunch of expiring contracts and relievers.
–ZR
New York Yankees: F
- Biggest move: Luis Garcia Jr. from the Nationals for Yovanny Cruz, Jack Cebert, Ben Grable and Jake Bird
What are we doing here, exactly? Either Aaron Judge's injury is worse than we know, in which case giving up real value for Garcia Jr. and outfielder Heliot Ramos is foolhardy, or it's not, in which case Brian Cashman's failure to find a catching up grade and bullpen help is simply inexcusable. The Yankees may never have a more wide-open path to a pennant in Judge's prime, and they're letting it go to waste.
–CL
Philadelphia Phillies: C
- Biggest move: Luis Arraez and Caleb Kilian from the Giants for Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair
Brooks Raley fills the Phillies’ biggest bullpen need perfectly, and Caleb Killian was a good addition as well, but the rest of Dave Dombrowski’s deadline was anything but. Luis Arraez is a good player having a great year, but he’s a weird fit on this team. Additionally, the Phillies did not add a single starting pitcher, which is completely inexcusable. The bullpen is better and the lineup is a bit deeper, but Arraez isn’t going to add any thump against lefties, the rotation is in the same rough spot on the back end and moving a bunch of guys around midseason is bound to cause some problems defensively. It goes without saying that this isn’t the deadline Phillies fans were hoping for.
–ZR
Pittsburgh Pirates: B+
- Biggest move: Luke Weaver from the Mets for Sammy Stafura
Ben Cherington had one job to do: Improve the bullpen. He did that quite nicely. Luke Weaver has allowed one earned run since April. Camilo Doval is bound to pitch better in Pittsburgh than he did in New York. Kirby Yates is serviceable. Lake Bachar is underrated. The Pirates overhauled the ‘pen and didn’t need to part with any top prospects beyond Sammy Stafura. They even took on some money for next season with the Weaver deal. This is a win.Â
–ZR
San Diego Padres: B+
- Biggest move: Casey Mize and Gage Workman from the Tigers for Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf
A.J. Preller was quieter than usual for much of Monday, but he stepped up when needed most, acquiring Robbie Ray from the Giants and Casey Mize at the buzzer to give the Padres’ rotation the reinforcements it needed. All of a sudden, with Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove hoping to come back within the next month or so, the Padres have, dare I say, a quality starting staff. They will probably come to regret not adding a bat, but the rotation improvements alone should get them to the postseason. And anything can happen there.
–ZR
San Francisco Giants: A
- Biggest move: Luis Arraez and Caleb Kilian to the Phillies for Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair
The Giants were unfortunately unable to offload any of their monstrous contracts, but they were able to get good value on the players they opted to move. Ramon Marquez, Miguel Mendez and Henry Lalane, the headliners in the deals that sent Luis Arraez, Robbie Ray and Heliot Ramos to their new teams, are all exciting additions to this ascending farm system. I thought they were smart to sell high on Erik Miller and take a chance on the uber-talented Marcelo Mayer as well; if he can stay healthy, this deadline haul will look even better. I don’t know if I trust Buster Posey in free agency, but these trades proved he can orchestrate a sell-off.
–ZR
Seattle Mariners: C+
- Biggest move: Taylor Ward from Orioles for Alex Hoppe, Brock Moore and Harrison Kreiling
Adding a professional righty bat to address your biggest weakness for relative peanuts is great work. But if Seattle wanted to buy — and I understand that decision — it's disappointing that this is all Jerry DiPoto could muster. There are still serious questions about this offense and this bullpen amid an underachieving year.
–CL
St. Louis Cardinals: A
- Biggest move: Dustin May and JoJo Romero to the Brewers for Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale
The Cardinals picked a direction and did extremely well with it. They sold incredibly high on Dustin May and JoJo Romero in a deal that could very well haunt the Brewers for years to come, and while I’m not quite as excited about the Lars Nootbaar return, trading him opens the door for top prospect Joshua Baez to debut. The Cardinals bolstered an already promising farm system, and while they definitely took a step back this season, I’m not even sure it’s such a massive one given Romero’s injury and the inconsistency brought by both Nootbaar and May.
–ZR
Tampa Bay Rays: B
- Biggest move: Freddy Peralta from Mets for Aidan Smith, Emilien Pitre and Gary Gill Hill
The Rays addressed their biggest needs, adding both a starting pitcher in Peralta and a catcher in Liam Hicks. But I just don't really believe in either as true impact additions, not unless Peralta can magically find the fastball velocity that made him a star in Milwaukee. For all the talk of Tampa being among the most aggressive buyers on the market, this feels slightly underwhelming.
–CL
Texas Rangers: D-
- Biggest move: Chase Silseth and Logan O'Hoppe from the Angels for Angel Arredondo
Boy, what a confusing weekend it was in Texas. Amid a five-game losing streak that dropped them to 2.5 games back in the AL West, it seemed like the Rangers' confidence wavered, leading to reports that they were open to moving from basically every veteran on the roster. In the end, though, they decided to neither buy nor meaningfully sell, resulting in an expensive team that still doesn't project to go very far.
–CL
Toronto Blue Jays: A-
- Biggest move: Jose Soriano from the Angels for Arjun Nimmala, Eddie Micheletti and Angel Rivero
I loved Toronto's decision to buy for 2027, acquiring two potential rotation arms in Soriano and Spencer Arrighetti who are under control for years to come. The return for Kevin Gausman was a bit light, but overall the Jays positioned themselves well to compete next season if they can figure out the lineup over the winter.
–CL
Washington Nationals: C
- Biggest move: Curtis Mead to the Red Sox for Connelly Early
The Washington Nationals crushed the Curtis Mead for Connelly Early swap, but their action around the deadline left a lot to be desired. Selling high on Luis Garcia Jr. made some sense, but did they actually do that in their deal with the Yankees? Trading Foster Griffin made sense if they couldn’t extend him, but is what they got really better than what they’d get had he rejected the qualifying offer and left in free agency this winter? It feels like the Nationals were better off keeping both Garcia and Griffin if the deals they made were the best they could do.
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