http://gty.im/1012090768 Trades came to a stop this past July 31st as the MLB non-waiver trade deadline arrived. More than a few names were on the move during the last day of non waiver transactions. The last day of July left us with some good trades and some bad ones. Take a look at the highlights:
Archer To Pittsburgh
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Chris Archer was traded from the Rays to the Pirates in what was certainly a blockbuster deal. It was a well executed move by both organizations. On one hand, the Rays disposed of unnecessary wages since the team is out of contention. They also got pitcher Tyler Glasnow, a decent middle reliever. As for the Pirates, a consistent pitcher such as Archer is a step in the right direction towards rebuilding.
Ramos To Phillies
Wilson Ramos was sent to the Phillies organization in another blockbuster from the deadline. The All Star catcher was also traded from Tampa for future considerations. It is another good trade by the red pinstripes, as they solidified their defense with experience behind the plate. The transaction seems a little unfair for the Rays.
Schoop To Milwaukee
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The Brewers made another move on the infield as they acquired second baseman Jonathan Schoop from Baltimore. In return, the Orioles received Jonathan Villar and two top prospects from the Brewer farm. Schoop could turn out to be a valuable asset for years to come playing for the brew crew since his $8.5M salary should be easy to match if they choose to resign him. Back at the East Coast, the trade seems to work as the Orioles are in need of both prospects and decent Major League personnel.
Trade Winners
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Pittsburgh Pirates
The Bucs surprised everyone by acquiring a top target during the deadline. More importantly, Archer could prove to be a cornerstone for the Pirate rotation.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies made a good trade by getting a hold of Ramos as previously mentioned. They also got the services of Asdrubal Cabrera from the New York Mets. The Phillies finished their trade season by bringing some help for their bullpen in the form of Aaron Loup.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers did not mess around all that much when it comes to trades. They traded for Manny Machado after the All Star break. L.A. then acquired veteran Brian Dozier from the Twins and reliever John Axford from the Blue Jays. Los Angeles made trading look short, sweet, and simple.
New York Yankees
Pitching was the name of the game for the Yankees. They traded for former blue jay J.A. Happ. He has not had the best of season so far (11-6, 4.05 ERA), nonetheless, he adds experience and even more depth to their rotation. The same can be said for the newly acquired Zach Britton coming from Baltimore. They were not the flashiest of trades, but they could be productive given their low cost.
Trade Losers
San Francisco Giants
The Giants have been hit by injuries all throughout the season. Most recently, Johnny Cueto will need Tommy John surgery and will most likely be out for the season. It was imperative for San Francisco to trade someone in order to plug in their constant holes due to injuries. Not much happened, as they clearly lost this trade season.
New York Mets
Holding on to Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard was not a good idea. The Mets held on to their two aces despite being out of contention. Half of the league salivated at the possibility of getting a hold of any of those arms, and the Mets did not even flinched. They lost a valuable opportunity to get a good trade. Add to that the fact that injury is always a risk at Queens. Do not damage your only goods New York.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles are set to rebuild with a strong team for the future. Unfortunately, the bird ended up plucking off all of its feathers while trying to do so. Baltimore went on a fire sale, as a bunch of names left the team during July. They now have no foundation to their roster other than Villar. This set of moves is so bad it is worthy of an article of its own.