The MLB trade deadline is over, and the last 24 hours have been spent dissecting what happened – or didn’t happen – among baseball’s 30 teams.
Tarik Skubal, as expected, was traded. Reid Detmers, surprisingly, was not, nor were Zach Neto, Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Hunter Goodman, Shea Langeliers, Tyler Stephenson, Brady Singer and other big names. But there was still plenty of action, and perhaps the move that drew the biggest reaction around the league was the trade that sent Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox and Anthony Eyanson, Enddy Azocar, Kyson Witherspoon, Carlos Narvaez and a player to be named later to the Baltimore Orioles.
“Holy sh*t,” one American League evaluator said of the trade.
“Overpay,” another executive said.
But there was plenty of praise for Craig Breslow and the Red Sox front office for their aggression and boldness. It’s to be determined how the move will age, but Boston prioritized getting Rutschman and paid an in-division tax to get the deal done. While they came up short in their pursuit of a shortstop, they left the trade deadline with what they believe is a franchise catcher and an immediate upgrade to their lineup. And if it works how they plan, few will look back and scoff at the price.
In my eyes, the Red Sox are an obvious trade deadline winner. Let’s dive into some other trade deadline winners and losers.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: The Dodgers adding Tarik Skubal further bolsters an already strong case to three -peat as World Series champions. It was a tremendous addition, and they didn’t need to part with any of their top four prospects to get it done. The Detroit Tigers, meanwhile, feel good about the haul and got the pitching they desired in a Skubal trade.
On River Ryan: Plenty of teams have asked the Dodgers about Ryan in the past and have been told no. He’s currently on the Injured List with a glute and hamstring issue, but a source said he should be ready to go in Detroit by the end of the month.
Philadelphia Phillies
After I reported that the Phillies were interested in Luis Arraez, a number of texts came in from rivals across the league. All asked the same thing: Where would Arraez play? The answer is second base.
While Arraez has improved tremendously as a defender, he was arguably the best bat on the market. He leads the National League with a .324 batting average, and he's only struck out 21 times in 464 plate appearances. His impact offensively will be felt immediately, and he’s slotting into the cleanup spot in his first game with the Phillies on Tuesday night.
How the defensive gymnastics pan out with moving three regulars to different positions in the middle of the season remains to be seen. It was a massive risk; the Phillies know that. But in adding Arraez, they think it was well worth it. I agree.
Tampa Bay Rays
In addition to landing Freddy Peralta, Erik Neander and the Rays front office also added Liam Hicks, who was highly coveted across the game. They tried for Luis Arraez before he went to Philadelphia. They are clearly one of the best teams in the American League and have a realistic chance of going to the World Series. Really smart deadline.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs made it clear that their deadline was going to be about pitching, pitching and more pitching. They did exactly that.
Kevin Gausman was their first move and instantly added a dependable veteran to the rotation. They then traded for Clay Holmes from the New York Mets, who had widespread interest throughout baseball. They also added Ryan Zeferjahn, a reliever from the Los Angeles Angels who was on the radar of teams all over the league — including some in Chicago's own division. Braxton Garrett was also acquired in a trade with the Miami Marlins.
Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins should feel very good about their deadline haul. They gave up plenty, but their roster is meaningfully better than it was a few days ago. They now have the pitching capable of making a deep postseason run.
Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland's aggression shocked executives across baseball. Usually not known for big, bold moves, the Guardians first traded for outfielder Jo Adell and then added Foster Griffin, one of the best stories of the season, in a trade with the Washington Nationals. And they topped it off with Reds first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.
The Guardians understood that the American League is wide open. They decided to try and go for it, and they did so without surrendering any of their top prospects. Job well done.
San Diego Padres
About 48 hours before the deadline, I was receiving texts that AJ Preller was “grinding” and being aggressive on the phones. Which, well, it’s Preller. What else do you expect?
The moves the Padres ultimately made were to reinforce their rotation, adding Robbie Ray from the Giants and Casey Mize from the Tigers. Both are rental options, but folks across the game had plenty of praise for San Diego's deadline.
From a rival National League evaluator: “He’s constantly hustling and trying to find a way to get better or cut his losses. I don’t know him, but from what I hear he has a high bar and wants accountability. When something is short of his standards he wants answers and holds people to those standards. Always looking for an edge. His style is entertaining. San Diego used to be a mid-market and now they have one of the best fan bases in baseball because of the product he has put on the field and the excitement he has caused.”
Pittsburgh Pirates
There has been a lot of praise in league circles for what the Pirates did this deadline, and rightfully so.
Luke Weaver was the best reliever on the market and Pittsburgh landed him for prospect Sammy Stafura, with one rival evaluator texting immediately: “If that is truly the only piece the Mets got for Weaver that is absurd. What an unreal trade for the Pirates.”
Pittsburgh prioritized adding to the bullpen this deadline and also acquired Kirby Yates, Lake Bachar and Camilo Doval in three separate trades. Ben Cherington deserves to be commended for a really smart deadline that puts this team in a better position to advance to the postseason.
Milwaukee Brewers
Okay, okay. Let me explain here.
The Milwaukee Brewers did not land Tarik Skubal. But they tried — really hard. Their offer for Skubal was strong and competitive, according to sources. It was not a “look, we tried” type offer. The Brewers genuinely attempted to acquire Skubal and recreate the magic that came with their 2008 run after they brought in CC Sabathia.
The Tigers ultimately chose the Dodgers' offer. The attempt, and that level of aggression, should be commended rather than bashed. And the other moves that the Brewers made — Dustin May, Antonio Senzatela and JoJo Romero — were strong and required parting with prospects the organization really liked. But right after the Brewers acquired May, one baseball source texted: “May might be superhuman with them.”
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