The Moonshot: AL frontrunners, Dodgers–Braves and more MLB Trade Deadline reactions
Well, we believe in exit velocity, bat flips, launch angles, stealing home, the hanging curveball, Big League Chew, sausage races, and that unwritten rules of any kind are self-indulgent, overrated crap. We believe Greg Maddux was an actual wizard. We believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment protecting minor league baseball and that pitch framing is both an art and a science. We believe in the sweet spot, making WARP not war, letting your closer chase a two-inning save, and we believe love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.
The Dodgers were playing 3D chess at the trade deadline; the Braves were playing ________.
Scott Rogust: The “repeat song” button. The Braves have gone for the nostalgia strategy at the trade deadline, acquiring Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson from the San Francisco Giants, two players from their 2021 World Series championship roster. Other than that, the Braves are running with the roster they have the rest of the way.
Zachary Rotman: Scott is right on the money here. The main reason that the Braves chose to pull off the trade that they did has to have been because it worked in the past. Jorge Soler has not had a great year and is not a great fit on this team when taking his poor defense into account with Marcell Ozuna locked in as the team’s DH. The Braves are even leading Soler off, which is what worked for them in 2021. Even Luke Jackson hasn’t had a good year, yet he was involved in the deal and is set to work out of their bullpen. They’re simply hoping this trade works out with the logic of it working in the past at the forefront.
Terrence Jordan: The Braves are playing Red Light, Green Light, only they don’t realize that everyone else in the National League is quietly sneaking up on them. Whereas the Padres, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, and even the Mets made an effort to improve (to say nothing of the Phillies and Dodgers separating themselves even further from everyone else), Alex Anthopolous was too busy trying to recreate the Wolverine meme with Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson. On one level it makes sense, as losing Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr. should be too much for one team to overcome. On the other hand, it was only three years ago that the Braves won it all with Acuna on the shelf. There were moves to be made without sacrificing the future, but the Braves chose instead to close their eyes and hope for the best.
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Which AL front-runner improved most before the trade deadline — Orioles, Yankees or Guardians?
Scott Rogust: There were no true “Earth-shattering” moves to put any of the AL front-runners ahead above the rest. The Baltimore Orioles were by far the most active, but none really make them substantially better (not a fan of the Trevor Rogers trade). By default, I would say the New York Yankees, mostly because of Jazz Chisholm Jr. The Yankees desperately needed a bat to add to the lineup, and he’s been everything they could have hoped for through four games. So yeah, the Yankees improved the most so far, but will that lead to a World Series appearance? Not necessarily.
Zachary Rotman: It’s easy to buy into Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s hot streak and say that the New York Yankees improved the most, but I’m going to go with the Cleveland Guardians. In dire need of outfield help, Cleveland acquired Lane Thomas, one of the best outfielders available. His numbers don’t look as impressive as they were when he broke out last season, but he had an .833 OPS in 55 games since being activated off of the IL in late May before the trade. He can be an impactful piece. The Guardians also didn’t have to give much up at all to acquire Alex Cobb, a pitcher who should help their rotation sooner rather than later. Those could prove to be two major additions to an already formidable team.
Terrence Jordan: I’m going with the Yankees. This is a team that desperately needed the All-Star Break to reset after a pretty brutal month, and adding Jazz Chisholm Jr. is the perfect move to change the vibe in the clubhouse. Chisholm seems thrilled to be on a contender, and that enthusiasm should be contagious to the rest of the roster. Brian Cashman went out and proved that he still believes in this team, so while the Orioles are going to give the Yankees everything they can handle in the race for the A.L. East crown, New York has no one to blame but themselves if they can’t rediscover what made them the best team in baseball through the season’s first two months.
If you’re a White Sox fan, what are you gorging on today to fill the deep well of sadness inside you?
Scott Rogust: I don’t know, your already-scheduled meal for the day? The Chicago White Sox are a disaster and have been so ever since after making the postseason in 2020. Fans should be numb to the ineptitude. The fact that they couldn’t get substantial returns on any of their trades made, and the fact that Garrett Crochet, their best player on the roster not named Luis Robert, remains on the roster is unfathomable. Yes, the reports of contract demands going public certainly couldn’t have helped matters. But there is no hope for the White Sox for the rest of the season or for the foreseeable future.
Zachary Rotman: Are White Sox fans still fully invested in their 27-84 team right now? If so, I sincerely apologize. Scott’s answer is again right on the money. The organization has been a mess for years now, and things only got worse when they traded Erick Fedde, Tommy Pham, and Michael Kopech without receiving much to get super excited about in return. They should be able to get hauls for Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. to help them rebuild, but the longer they wait, the smaller that haul will be. White Sox fans should get used to this brutal reality if they aren’t already, because there isn’t much hope right now.
Terrence Jordan: If I’m a White Sox fan, I’m spending all day on the couch with nothing but a bottle of Malort and my feelings, killing time until the Bears play the Hall of Fame game tonight. With Caleb Williams and Connor Bedard set to usher in a new era of prosperity in Chicago sports, I don’t know why I would spend any time even thinking about the White Sox, let alone watching them. The present is awful, and the future doesn’t look much better. This season can’t end soon enough.
Which trade deadline deal will have the greatest impact on a playoff race?
Scott Rogust: Tanner Scott to the Padres. Credit to the Padres and general manager A.J. Preller for always going for it at the expense of their farm system. But landing arguably the best closer available should help the Padres keep pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers and possibly help them make a deep run in the postseason with a stacked bullpen.
Zachary Rotman: The Philadelphia Phillies fell short in the NLCS last season in large part because Craig Kimbrel blew a pair of games they had in the bag. The Phillies let Kimbrel walk over the offseason and didn’t replace him fully until the deadline when they acquired Carlos Estevez. No, he’s not quite Tanner Scott, and the Phillies had to pay a big price to get him, but Estevez can be the lockdown closer that they need. He had a 2.38 ERA in 34 appearances for the Angels, issuing just five walks in 34 innings of work. He’s made two appearances for the Phillies since the trade, retiring all six batters he has faced. Their rotation is loaded, their lineup is lethal when healthy, and now they have one of the best-performing closers this season. They might’ve been the favorites before this deal, and adding a lockdown closer could be what pushes this team over the top in October.
Terrence Jordan: I don’t think the Cardinals are going to the World Series or anything, but I really liked their three-way trade with the Dodgers and White Sox that landed them Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham. Fedde has resurrected his career after a season pitching in South Korea, and he’s one of the few starting pitchers moved at the deadline that could actually make a difference in a playoff race. Then there’s Pham, who wasted no time continuing his annual tradition of changing teams and turning into Babe Ruth by hitting a grand slam (with a curtain call for good measure) in his first at-bat back in St. Louis. Pham is like one of those Pokemon that can only evolve when it’s traded, and despite my skepticism about the Cardinals all year, I now think that they’ll claim one of those National League Wild Card spots when the dust settles.
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