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Grading the Trade Deadline: MLB's Biggest Winners and Losers
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Read below for the full rundown of standouts — good, bad, and in between.
The Dodgers got the best player available ( Tarik Skubal ) for three prospects whose absence won't put a dent in their future plans. Besides replacing Shohei Ohtani in his rotation with the American League's best starting pitcher, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman kept Skubal from the only two teams better positioned to get him: the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays . Anything after that was a bonus, but Kris Bubic , Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia are useful depth pieces.
For once, the Angels picked the right direction. Could they have gotten more for Chase Silseth, Logan O'Hoppe , Jose Soriano , Brent Suter, Jo Adell , Ryan Zeferjahn and Kirby Yates? Maybe. Should they have traded Reid Detmers and/or Zach Neto too? Probably. The nitpicks miss the broader point: owner Arte Moreno finally allowed his GM (interim John Mozeliak) to prioritize building for the future, and got two preseason Top-100 prospects (Arjun Nimmala and Moises Ballesteros ) for their efforts. It's an overdue change that won't cost the Angels their stranglehold on the worst record in the American League.
The Cubs might have the National League MVP in Pete Crow-Armstrong, but badly needed starting pitching to remain relevant in the playoff race. They didn't get Skubal, but neither did the Brewers — which could be an important factor in the NL Central. Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman and Braxton Garrett are three veterans who can get the Cubs to the finish line. Zeferjahn, quietly, was one of the best relievers available. Ballesteros (traded for Zeferjahn) and shortstop prospect Jefferson Rojas ( traded for Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor ) were a high price to pay, but this was the year for President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer to go big.
Adley Rutschman is no worse than a Top-10 catcher in MLB who wasn't expected to be available at the deadline. Instead, the Orioles traded him to a division rival — at a steep price — and Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow upgraded the weakest position on the hottest team in MLB. Don't sleep on left-hander Erik Miller, the reliever acquired from the Giants in the Marcelo Mayer deal. This team might run out of time to get back to full strength. If not, look out.
Losing Skubal to the Dodgers hurt. There was an industry consensus that the Brewers had the prospect capital to compete with the Dodgers, a roster worthy of going "all-in" at the deadline, and possibly the need to keep Skubal away from their fiercest NL competitors. Instead, GM Matt Arnold kept his best prospects and banked on Dustin May continuing his season-long bounceback in Milwaukee. Is May even a Top-3 starter for the Brewers in October? If not, this deadline will go down as a missed opportunity.
Among MLB's postseason contenders, three teams — the Braves, Cubs, and San Diego Padres — were in a similar boat: they needed starting pitchers to tide over some early-season injuries, but didn't have the prospect capital to compete with the Dodgers or Brewers for Skubal. The Cubs and Padres got the assignment; the Braves got ... Tyler Mahle and Bailey Falter ? Like the Brewers, the Braves are a good enough team to reach the postseason without major help, but will similarly view this deadline as a missed opportunity if they can't get past the first round.
The Mariners bought low on Seranthony Dominguez. Outfielder Taylor Ward was also a good change-of-scenery candidate but, like many right-handed hitters, he's never hit well at T-Mobile Park (.533 OPS in 30 career games). Many expected the Mariners to win the American League West going into the season. Now, it's unclear if they expect to themselves.
The return for Skubal (outfielder Zyhir Hope, and pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith) was fairly light . Former Reds and Nationals GM Jim Bowden suggested the Tigers ought to wait until the final day to drive up the price, knowing the Dodgers weren't going to be outbid. So why didn't they ? More importantly, why did the Tigers — who are 2.5 games out of the Wild Card race — trade their two best pitchers without getting one who can help them get back to the postseason in 2026? Even for the most optimistic River Ryan evaluator would agree that's putting a lot on an injured Triple-A pitcher who hasn't thrown a big league inning in two years.
1. Toronto Blue Jays : Teams that engage in a little buying and a little selling better be spot-on in their evaluations. At 52-60, the Jays were correct in prioritizing 2027 and beyond, but were they correct in trading Nimmala , and acquiring Dasan Hill ? Check back in five years.
2. San Diego Padres : The Padres maximized their prospect capital to get Casey Mize and Robbie Ray , two of the best rental starters not named Skubal to change teams. They did so without subtracting from their deep bullpen — but do they have enough offense to do damage in October?
3. New York Yankees : Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos were smart pickups. Both should lengthen the Yankees ' lineup enough to overcome the woeful hitting from their catchers. Seeing Rutschman go to a division rival stings, however, and Aaron Judge still hasn't been cleared for baseball activities . The waiting is the hardest part.
4. Baltimore Orioles : If the Orioles were going to sell, at least they a) did it from a position of strength and b) got plenty back in terms of prospects. The hard part is seeing Rutschman in a Red Sox uniform for (at least) the next year. The fun part? Three of their top 10 prospects are pitchers, and two might debut in 2027.
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