MLB trade deadline review: Which teams' moves have worked out the best and worst so far?
Four weeks after the deadline, let's check in
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5 min read
Today may seem like just another Thursday on Major League Baseball's calendar. It's not. Today represents the unofficial midway point between the July 31 trade deadline and the end of the regular season. Four weeks ago, teams were applying finishing touches to their deadline hauls. Now those same additions are determining what comes next: the postseason or the offseason.
Count the San Diego Padres among the teams benefitting from their July dealing. The Padres were one of the summer's most aggressive clubs, adding outfielder Ramón Laureano, designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn, high-leverage reliever Mason Miller, and catcher Freddy Fermin (among others) to an already good roster. Those four have each paid immediate dividends: Laureano and O'Hearn have both provided above-average offense; Fermin has represented an upgrade behind the plate; and Miller has shown why the Padres were OK parting with one of the game's top prospects in order to supplement their impressive collection of late-inning arms.
| Player | Position | Notable stat with Padres |
|---|---|---|
Ramón Laureano | OF | 162 OPS+ in 25 games |
Ryan O'Hearn | DH | 124 OPS+ in 23 games |
Freddy Fermin | C | 75 OPS+ in 20 games |
Mason Miller | RHP | 246 ERA+ in 10 games |
The Padres are 15-10 in August as a result. They'll enter the season's final month with a legitimate opportunity to win their first National League West crown since 2006. Should that come to fruition, the Padres may view general manager AJ Preller's deadline maneuvering as the key.
Below, CBS Sports has highlighted two more teams who must be thrilled with how their deadline hauls have performed so far, as well as two others who can only hope that better days await. As always, do note that this exercise is more descriptive than predictive in nature, and that there were more than a couple of teams considered for both tiers.
Encouraging deadlines so far
The Royals need to make up about a game per week in order to reach the playoffs for a second consecutive year. Stay tuned on that front, but Kansas City being (for now) the first team out on the American League side of the ledger can be credited to their deadline adds.
Remember, it wasn't clear heading into the mad season if the Royals would even buy -- there were, at the time, rumors they could sell. Instead, Kansas City extended ace Seth Lugo and added a handful of players to their collection through various trades: outfielders Mike Yastrzemski and Randal Grichuk, infielder Adam Frazier, and pitchers Ryan Berget, Bailey Falter, and Stephen Kolek. Those additions haven't all paid off to date, but Yastrzemski, Frazier, and Berget sure have.
The Royals have set a new season high in runs scored in a month in August, and you can draw a straight line from that statistic to another: Yastrzemski and Frazier upping the number of Kansas City hitters with an OPS+ above 100 from four to six. Berget, by the way, has helped stabilize the Royals rotation that lost Kris Bubic and Cole Ragans to injury over the summer by surrendering two runs or fewer in each of his first four starts.
Admittedly, this wasn't the most exciting deadline from a name-brand perspective. But it's worked out well for the Royals, and it might result in another run in October if they finish strong.
Whereas the Royals' deadline lacked big-name additions, the Phillies added a few familiar names who have thrived since their arrival: outfielder Harrison Bader and closer Jhoan Duran. (They also signed reliever David Robertson in the late stages of July, if you feel so inclined as to include him.)
Bader has hit .288/.386/.441 and provided his usual brand of good defensive work in center field. Don't overlook the cascading effect that his presence has had, either, since it's allowed manager Rob Thomson to slide Brandon Marsh to left field and limit the club's overexposure with Weston Wilson and Max Kepler. As for Duran, he's allowed two earned runs and zero walks while striking out nine batters over the course of his first 10 appearances.
The Phillies had an obvious need for outfield and bullpen help all year long. They didn't make a ton of additions at the deadline, but they've made up for the lack of quantity with quality.
Disappointing deadlines so far
1. Chicago Cubs
It's become easy to forget that the Cubs entered August a game back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. Four weeks later, they're essentially a non-factor in the division race. To some extent, that's a credit to the Brewers catching fire. But it's fair to note the Cubs didn't do much to help themselves at the deadline, adding only starting pitcher Michael Soroka, utility player Willi Castro, and relievers Taylor Rogers and Andrew Kittredge.
The early returns from that quartet haven't impressed. Soroka made a single start before hitting the injured list, where he remains with a shoulder injury. Castro has been unproductive, posting a 32 OPS+ in his first 17 games with Chicago. Rogers and Kittredge have combined to surrender 10 earned runs in 18 ⅔ innings. (Most of that damage was against Kittredge.)
The good news for the Cubs is that they're going to make the playoffs anyway -- even if their fan base is left wondering if a more aggressive deadline would've left them in better standing.
The Yankees had a good deadline on paper. It hasn't worked out so nicely on the diamond -- at least not yet.
Third baseman Ryan McMahon appeared to be a great fit for Yankee Stadium's hitter-friendly dimensions. He's underperformed at the plate so far, though, with his strikeout rate swelling to nearly 33% since changing clubs. High-leverage relievers Camilo Doval and Jake Bird were two of three closers New York obtained in July, but Doval has been walk-happy and Bird was banished to the minors after three appearances. Outfielder Austin Slater, meanwhile, hasn't made much of an impact because he's been on the injured list for nearly the duration of his Yankees tenure.
To be fair, some of New York's moves have paid immediate dividends. Utility player José Caballero looks like a nifty addition who has recently received more burn at shortstop. The other closer the Yankees added, David Bednar, has actually performed like a legitimate high-leverage ace.
We'll see what the rest of the season -- and, indeed, the postseason -- holds for McMahon and company. For now, it's fair to write that the group as a whole hasn't lived up to expectations.
