Now that you’ve had time to catch your breath after the MLB trade deadline, are you feeling better, worse or about the same about your team’s moves?
This chaotic trade deadline will be most remembered as one in which sellers received strong prospect packages for proven, controllable veteran players. Asking prices were high and contending teams were — for the most part — willing to pay the bill.
The Mariners made the loudest noise on the offensive side, the Phillies and Mets cornered the bullpen market and the Padres did some of both.
Each year, after sharing my trade deadline grades for all 30 teams, I cap off my coverage with this column on deadline superlatives. Here, just for fun, are my picks for the best, worst and everything in between from this year’s trade season, starting with the best and worst trades of the deadline.
Best trade: The Blue Jays’ acquisition of Shane Bieber from the Guardians for pitching prospect Khal Stephen. Bieber has looked spectacular in his rehab starts as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. The 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner, who has a career record of 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA, could be a difference-maker this October — if all goes well. In addition, Bieber gives the Jays another strong starter for 2026, though he could decline his player option. This was a steal.
Worst trade: The Reds’ acquisition of Ke’Bryan Hayes from Pittsburgh for reliever Taylor Rogers, shortstop Sammy Stafura and cash. I respect Hayes’ Gold Glove defense, but the Reds took on his entire contract, which includes approximately $38 million through 2029. That’s a lot of money and a long-term commitment for a small-market team, especially given Hayes’ struggles at the plate. Over his last 1,000 at-bats, Hayes has been a .230 hitter and averaged just three home runs a year.
Best buyers: The Mariners and Padres helped themselves the most. The M’s added two big bats, Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez, for their infield corners, along with lefty Caleb Ferguson for more bullpen depth. The Padres added another dominant closer, Mason Miller, along with a solid back-of-the-rotation starter in JP Sears and two bats that fit perfectly in left fielder Ramón Laureano and DH Ryan O’Hearn.
The Padres made a statement trade in adding Mason Miller to an already strong bullpen. (Orlando Ramirez / Getty Images)
Best sellers: The Orioles and Twins. Baltimore was able to get a solid return in every trade it made. Minnesota traded nearly its entire bullpen, a solid starter (Chris Paddack), the face of the franchise (Carlos Correa) and a valuable utility player (Willi Castros), among others, landing 13 players, including a pair of top prospects for closer Jhoan Duran, in return.
Best job of standing pat: The Marlins. They listened to inquiries on controllable starters Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, but didn’t get an offer they liked enough to make a trade now. The suddenly surging Marlins know they still have the option to trade those pitchers in the offseason or at next year’s trade deadline, and waiting was probably the right call, because I think they’ll get more later, especially for Alcantara, if he can regain his past form.
Worst job of standing pat: The Angels. They acquired two veteran relievers (Andrew Chafin, Luis García) from the Nationals and a backup infielder (Oswald Peraza) from the Yankees, but that’s basically standing pat in this day and age. Regardless, they were a team that should have been sellers in this market. Closer Kenley Jansen and left fielder Taylor Ward could have been used to net strong prospect returns, helping expedite their path to contention. The Angels are not good enough to make the playoffs this year.
Weirdest trade: The Red Sox acquiring lefty Steven Matz from the Cardinals for first-base prospect Blaze Jordan. I just didn’t understand the move for Boston: adding a 34-year-old failed starter-turned-reliever who is making $12.5 million (and will be a free agent at season’s end) for Jordan, who has slashed .304/.373/.486 between Double A and Triple A this year.
Biggest overpay: The Mets trading prospects Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert and reliever José Buttó to the Giants for Tyler Rogers. Trading three future major-league players (Buttó joined the Giants and is controllable through 2030) for a two-month rental seemed like an overpay, especially if Gilbert develops into an everyday player. I thought dealing two of those three for Rogers would have been fair.
Best position player traded: Rafael Devers, whom the Giants acquired on June 15 in the blockbuster trade with the Red Sox. Eugenio Suárez, who trails only new teammate Cal Raleigh, Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber and Aaron Judge in home runs this season, was the best position player traded in July.
Best starting pitchers traded: Shane Bieber, even though he hasn’t thrown a single pitch in the majors this year. Merrill Kelly was the second-best starter traded. Landing Kelly was a shrewd last-minute acquisition by the Rangers.
Best relievers traded: Mason Miller, who went from the Athletics to the Padres, and Jhoan Duran, who was acquired by the Phillies from the Twins.
Most “under-the-radar” reliever traded: Lefty Danny Coulombe, who has posted a 1.09 ERA over 42 appearances this season and can get both right-handed and left-handed hitters out. The Rangers got him from the Twins.
Best prospect traded: Leo De Vries, the headliner for the A’s in the Mason Miller trade with the Padres. The Athletic’s Keith Law ranks De Vries as the No. 13 prospect in the game.
Best reunion: Carlos Correa, who headed back to Houston in an emotional return trade that has fired up Astros fans. They remember Correa’s contributions over the years, including with the 2017 World Series team, as he kept pointing to his wrist yelling it’s his time as he rounded the bases on his clutch home runs in the postseason.
Carlos Correa is back hitting homers and making plays for the Astros. (Winslow Townson / Getty Images)
Best duo lineup additions from the same team: The Mariners landing Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks in separate deals, and the Padres adding Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn from the Orioles in the same trade. Huge boosts for both lineups.
Most creative executive: Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who once again won a three-way trade, this time with the Rays and Reds, that netted Los Angeles lefty Adam Serwinowski, righty Paul Gervase and catcher Ben Rortvedt.
“Best job” of dumping an entire bullpen: I don’t think I can remember a team basically trading its entire bullpen — OK five relievers, four of whom had additional years of control — but that’s what the Twins did in trading away Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Brock Stewart, Louis Varland and Danny Coulombe in separate trades.
Front office that asked for too much in trades: The Red Sox, at least according to several opposing general managers.
Front office that made too many trades: I understand being a seller, taking advantage of the market, building for the future. But you can alienate a fan base if you overdo it, and that’s what the Twins appear to have done in trading away 11 players at this deadline.
Player who should have been traded but wasn’t: Joe Ryan, the Twins’ All-Star pitcher. I know I just got done saying they made too many trades. But if you’re going to shed that many key pieces of your pitching staff, you might as well trade a top-of-the-rotation arm, especially in a seller’s market with many contenders interested in him.
The Twins traded away 11 players, but hung onto Joe Ryan, who is under team control for two more years. (Justin Edmonds / Getty Images)
Player who was acquired but should not have been: Bryan Baker, whom the Rays got from the Orioles before the All-Star break. I don’t understand why Tampa Bay gave up a competitive balance draft pick (No. 37 overall) for a reliever, especially a team like the small-market Rays that relies so much on building through the draft.
National League fan base that popped the most champagne: The Padres. Mason Miller … plus JP Sears, Ramón Laureano, Ryan O’Hearn and Freddy Fermin, among others. Enough said.
American League fan base that popped the most champagne: The Mariners. Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor and Caleb Ferguson. Jerry Dipoto delivered.
The fan base that heard crickets: The Red Sox. The front office publicly built up their trade deadline, but then didn’t make any trades to move the needle in their quest to beat out the Blue Jays and Yankees. That said, give them credit: The Sox have won five in a row and own one of the best records in baseball since June 1.
The team that added too much quantity, but not enough quality: The Tigers did a good job of adding two back-of-the-rotation starters in Charlie Morton and Chris Paddack as well as four relievers to improve their bullpen depth. However, they weren’t able to acquire a higher-caliber reliever or a quality right-handed hitter they needed to help them win in October.
The team that’s best move was extending an executive: The Cubs were smart to extend the contract of president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer. It was well-deserved and long overdue. However, as much as I like the Cubs’ acquisitions of reliever Andrew Kittredge and utilityman Willi Castro, they didn’t make a more significant trade, which I think was needed to best the Brewers in the NL Central race.
The trade I wish we’d seen:
Red Sox get — RHP Joe Ryan
Twins get — OF Jhostynxon Garcia, LHP Payton Tolle and SS Dorian Soto
The person most excited for next year’s trade deadline? Once again, it’s me. I can’t wait!
(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Steph Chambers, Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images; Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images; John Froschauer / Imagn Images)
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