A look back at the MLB trade deadline by Marc Griffin

The trade deadline is now a thing of the past. Always a pleasure to cover this kind of event by trying to anticipate what the teams will do, but in the end, the pleasure is also to evaluate which teams have improved significantly, which have added depth or even those who watched the parade go by.

The big winners

Unsurprisingly, the Padres hit the jackpot! They add to their formation Juan Soto, Josh Hader, Josh Bell and Brandon Drury. With Fernando Tatis Jr soon to return and another superb season from Manny Machado, the attacking role is of very high quality. Josh Hader will be even better in San Diego if possible. It was very expensive in terms of young future players, but to see a small market wanting to win at all costs is very refreshing. No doubt the Padres now have the roster to compete with the Dodgers in the National’s West Division.

Much improved

The Twins! By getting starting pitcher Tyler Mahle who had a good season with the Reds, reliever Jorge Lopez from the Orioles and Michael Fullmer from the Tigers, we’re not talking about just adding depth here. Three pitchers who will play a crucial role by the end for the Twins.

The Phillies! Although Noah Syndergaard is no longer throwing strikeouts like he used to be, he’s still a great option as a starter. David Robertson was among the most coveted relievers and the addition of Brandon March as an outfielder and Edmundo Sosa suddenly greatly improves this team on defense.

The Astros! Trey Mancini will be a top addition to this team and Christian Vazquez is filling a huge hole as an offensive receiver. The reliever Will Smith adds an excellent left-handed arm of experience among the Astros relievers.

Much better

The Yankees! Frankie Montas comes to replace Luis Severino in a beautiful way. Andrew Benintendi will make Joey Gallo forget and I like the arm of Scott Effross. Not convinced Lou Trivino will have a big impact. Harrison Bader could be a nice surprise and replace Aaron Hicks, but that’s still a possibility and not a guarantee.
The Mariners! Luis Castillo was among the most coveted starting pitchers. His mere presence in the rotation makes the Mariners better. Jake Lamb, Curt Casili and Matt Boyd add great depth.

Correct

The Jays! I love the coming of Witt Merrifield. Versatile, he can hit the front row of the role and an experienced player. He fills a need, but another right-handed hitter! Reliever Anthony Bass is having a good season and will help the reliever staff. Canadian reliever Zach Pop can help, but not sure yet what kind of impact he will have. Mitch White could be a nice surprise. He can act as a starter and as a reliever. Good for the Jays to secure a playoff berth, but is it enough to eventually eliminate the Yankees or the Astros?

Dishes! Already a good team, the Mets are adding depth with Tyler Naquin and Darin Ruf and right-handed pitcher Mychal Givens. The good news does not come from a transaction, but the return of Jacob DeGrom is more important than the latest changes.

The Rays! Jose Siri will become an excellent center fielder and David Peralta will help on offense at the end of the season. Not a bad change, but not better equipped to outrank the teams ahead of them in the standings.

A good bet

The Cards! They were in for Juan Soto, but ultimately the Cards got two good starting pitchers in Jordan Montgomery and Jose Quintana. Two southpaws that give the Cards a much better rotation.

The brave! Always watch out for Alex Anthopoulos on the trade deadline. Without fanfare, the Braves add a starting pitcher in Jake Odorizzi, an excellent reliever in Raisel Iglesias and a veteran outfielder in Robbie Grossman.

The Dodgers! All of a sudden Joey Gallo regains some of his touch he had with the Texas Rangers? An interesting bet that does not cost much. Chris Martin adds depth to an already well-stocked reliever staff. Not a ton of change in a team that didn’t really need it.

I wonder

The Brewers! How to let Josh Hader go in the middle of the race for the first place in the central division of the National? Not just on the pitch, but what is the message to the players? We tried to fill in with Taylor Rogers, Matt Bush and Trevor Rosenthal, which is far from bad, but it seems like a huge gamble!

Red Sox! In which direction are we going? Do we sell or do we buy? Place for young people or not? Eric Hosmer ends up in Boston because he didn’t want anything to do with going to Washington. Tommy Pham? Reese McGuire? Why part with Christian Vazquez in this case? There is certainly a plan behind all this, but I admit I don’t understand it yet.

The Cubs! It seemed obvious that Wilson Contreras and Ian Happ were going to be traded in a market where the price for these players was very high. Contreras becomes a free agent at the end of the season. The Cubs will therefore receive a compensatory choice for him. It seems to me that we could have had a lot more on the market, but hey!

What influence will all these changes have on the rankings?

In the American League, it is especially in the central division that it could influence. The Twins have significantly improved their chance of finishing first. The White Sox, who only added Jake Diekman, will have to weigh in on the throttle and the Guardians will have to hope their young starting pitchers hold on until the end of the season. However, if the Jays, Mariners and Rays maintain the same pace in the last two months of the season, they will be the three teams drafted in 2022. With their changes, the Yankees and Astros have confirmed their top position. The question now is which of the two is the better team.

In the National, no doubt the Padres and Braves are positioned advantageously for their place in the series, with the Braves who will fight for the first place in the East with the Mets. The fight will be mainly in the central and among the teams drafted. The Cards are only two games behind the Brewers for the lead, but the Cards and Phillies are tied for the third team drafted. If I go by the latest trades, the Brewers may regret parting with Josh Hader.

The betting is now done. There are exactly 9 weeks left of the 26 in the regular season. Good end of season to all!