Grading the biggest moves from MLB’s trade deadline

With so many MLB teams in the hunt for the playoffs, it was thought that the trade deadline might be quieter than usual, with fewer obvious sellers. The complete opposite took place, as a whirlwind of trades was made right before the deadline. We’ll analyze and grade some of the biggest swaps that went down. All statistics are sourced from Baseball Reference.

Flaherty has been viewed as one of the grand prizes during this edition of the trade deadline, and he switched uniforms right before the buzzer. He has been one of the best pitchers in the American League this season, pitching to a 2.95 ERA in 18 starts with the Detroit Tigers.

“You look at the guys that were moved throughout baseball, and he’s pretty much at the top of the food chain as far as starters,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the New York Post about Flaherty. Los Angeles always seems to have a never-ending stock of prospects to part ways with, and Flaherty should make a huge impact to a banged-up rotation.

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After a disappointing 2023 campaign, San Diego is looking to make amends this season by making a strong push for a Wild Card spot. They moved aggressively to acquire Scott, who made his first career All-Star appearance this season with the Miami Marlins.

CBS Sports scouted Scott before the trade deadline, saying that “his fastball-slider pairing is capable of missing bats and barrels alike, resulting in one of the lowest average exit velocities against batters in the majors.” They also noted that his walk rate is somewhat high, which might be something to keep an eye on down the stretch.

First year manager Stephen Vogt seems to have pressed all the right buttons this year in Cleveland, and Guardians fans hope that his magic touch will continue with the usage of Cobb. There’s just one detail that needs to be mentioned first; Cobb has yet to pitch in MLB during the 2024 season.

Cobb has been solid in his last three major league seasons, but it’s anyone’s guess as to whether he can get healthy and return to form down the stretch. Cleveland’s city website noted that Cobb is still working his way back from left hip surgery, and is also dealing with a sore right shoulder.

Once upon a time, Jimenez was viewed as one of the next potential superstars in MLB. His career hasn’t quite unfolded that way, as his time with the Chicago White Sox has been plagued with ineffectiveness and injury.

With that said, Jimenez is still just 27 years old, and he’ll join an Orioles lineup that is loaded from top to bottom. The pressure for Jimenez to deliver prodigious numbers won’t be as high, but he will need to contribute to a Baltimore team looking to make a deep run in October. Yahoo Sports points out his right-handed power, which complements Baltimore’s predominantly lefty lineup.

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The Mets were hoping they didn’t have to make a blockbuster trade for a starter at the deadline, considering that Kodai Senga was scheduled to return from a shoulder injury. The only issue was, he returned for one game, and suffered a season-ending calf strain in that contest. New York then moved to nab Blackburn from the Athletics to cover their bases, pun intended.

Blackburn’s numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, but he might be revitalized by a pennant race. The New York Post said that the Mets’ moves weren’t exactly splashy, but Blackburn’s addition to the rotation should help eat the innings Senga was initially slated for.

In addition to taking a swing on Jimenez, Baltimore also brought in Rogers from the Miami Marlins in hopes of giving their pitching staff a shot in the arm. Rogers’ contract isn’t exorbitant, so the Orioles took a chance, believing that a change of scenery might do him some good.

Baseball America wrote that this trade is not as simple as it seems. Rogers has looked like a below average pitcher for a few years, which might lead fans to wonder what Baltimore was thinking. However, Baseball America made the argument that the Orioles are looking to win now, and that holding on to prospects who may or may not pan out might not be the correct formula.

It happens more often these days, but the intra-division trade between Milwaukee and the Cincinnati Reds raised a few eyebrows. Pitching in a very friendly hitter ballpark in Cincinnati, Montas logged an ERA over five during his Reds stint this season. He’ll hope for better fortunes with the Brewers.

Reactions to this deal are all over the map. The New York Times called this move a head-scratcher for Milwaukee, calling this move “goofy”. However, Just Baseball’s website believes that the trade was a win-win for both teams, as both the Brewers and Reds filled respective needs.

The Cardinals, Dodgers and Chicago White Sox made a complicated three-team trade that could probably be an article onto itself. One of the most notable moving pieces was Fedde, who went from Chicago to St. Louis in the swap. Fedde has a solid first half with the White Sox, pitching to a 3.11 ERA.

This is arguably as well as Fedde has ever pitched, so the Cardinals are hoping that he’s turned over a new leaf. CBS Sports wrote, “Give Fedde credit for reinventing himself in South Korea after washing out with the Washington Nationals, and give the White Sox credit for buying in over the offseason.”

“To be part of the history of the New York Yankees is one of the sickest things anybody in baseball can hear,” Chisholm told the Yankees TV network. It’s safe to say that the former Miami Marlins star is happy to be wearing pinstripes, and he has made the most of his opportunity thus far.

Early returns have been about as positive as possible for Chisholm in the Bronx. He’s found his power stroke during his first few games with the team, which had been badly needed for the Yankees over the last month. It’ll be interesting to see where Chisholm slides in consistently in terms of where he hits in the order.

The Mariners have been in a dog fight for much of the 2024 season, as they look to hold off stiff competition in the American League West. It seems like the stretch run of this campaign will play out very much like last year, where playoff spots were earned on the final weekend of the season. Arozarena’s arrival helps Seattle believe they’ll be the last ones standing.

This might go down as one of the best moves of the deadline if Seattle can qualify for the postseason. ESPN’s Jeff Passan said about Arozarena, “He is not scared by spotlight. He is not scared by important games. He is not scared by anything.” It’s an approach that has been sorely needed with the Mariners as they look to get over the hump.

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