The 2020 Major League Baseball trade deadline passed on Monday at 4 p.m. ET. Since of the coronavirus shutdown and shortened 60-game season, teams just had 5 weeks to assess to their lineup, and there are just four weeks remaining before the playoffs. There was very little time to make choices and there will very little time to enjoy the benefits of those choices.
Like last year, this season will not a feature a waiver-wire trade duration following the deadline. Monday was the last day to make trades and improve lineups, either short-term (purchasers focused on this year) or long-term (sellers looking at the future) or both.
The last couple of days were relatively slow on the trade front with the exception of the San Diego Padres, who struck again on Monday morning by getting right-handed starter Mike Clevinger from Cleveland in exchange for a six-player package that includes outfielder Josh Naylor, right-hander Cal Quantrill, and shortstop Gabriel Arias.
Fortunately, the trade deadline activity got Monday. Heres the full list of significant trades from due date day:
Former Marlins president David Samson broke down Mondays deadline on the most recent Nothing Personal with David Samson. Listen listed below:
Braves: Mike Soroka and Cole Hamels are injured, and Mike Foltynewicz, Sean Newcomb, and Kyle Wright were demoted.
With the understanding that the best-laid plays dont constantly exercise, here are our big winners and losers from the trade deadline. Feel to bookmark this post for future mocking purposes.
Winner: The Padres
The clear No. 1 winner at the 2020 trade deadline. GM A.J. Preller acted decisively and addressed his groups weak points at catcher (Jason Castro and Austin Nola), at the DH spot (Mitch Moreland), in the bullpen (Austin Adams, Dan Altavilla, Trevor Rosenthal, and Taylor Williams), and in the rotation (Mike Clevinger). He did all that without compromising his top prospects and without subtracting much from his MLB roster. San Diego has the highest-scoring offense in baseball and can now trot out Clevinger, Dinelson Lamet, and Chris Paddack in a brief postseason series. Big upgrades at sensible rates. Smart, practical, and impactful moves all around for the Padres.
Loser: Contenders that stood pat
Yes, the Braves included Tommy Milone and the White Sox added Jarrod Dyson, however neither moves the needle all that much. These are 5 competitors with apparent requirements that went unaddressed at the deadline.
Yankees: Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, and James Paxton are injured and weeks away from returning.
Rays: They have 11 pitchers on the injured list, consisting of 10 with arm injuries, 5 of which are season-ending.
We were with you the entire day providing trade due date updates and analysis below.
I expect we might lump the Dodgers in here too due to the fact that all they did on due date day was send Ross Stripling to the Blue Jays for two potential customers. Those other 5 teams are all postseason favorites and World Series competitors, but did little to nothing at the deadline.
Winner: The Blue Jays.
No, their moves were not almost as fancy as San Diego, however the Blue Jays resolved weaknesses in the rotation with Taijuan Walker, Robbie Ray, and a late trade for Ross Stripling, and they generated infield depth in Jonathan Villar. Villars flexibility indicates there will be ways to get him into the lineup even after Bo Bichette gets healthy, and Stripling is versatile enough to be a bullpen alternative. Ray has had a hard time all season, but there is upside there, and hes as efficient in going on a month-long hot streak as any pitcher in the video game. Toronto sits easily in the No. 8 area in the expanded American League postseason field and these moves are as much about making a run in October as they are acquiring wins in the routine season. Very good due date for heaven Jays, if not subtle.
Loser: Rentals on teams out of the race.
Specifically Asdrubal Cabrera and Howie Kendrick (Nationals), Austin Romine and Jonathan Schoop (Tigers), Kevin Gausman and Drew Smyly (Giants), Andrelton Simmons (Angels), and Jackie Bradley Jr. (Red Sox). I think its unfair to say any team runs out the race in the broadened postseason era, though these clubs are on the outside looking in right now, and those gamers were not traded at the due date. There will be no ring chasing this year. And hi, possibly theyre great with that. Who wants to change groups during a pandemic? From a pure baseball viewpoint, spending the rest of your complimentary agent walk year with a group outside the postseason race is no fun.
Winner: The Red Sox.
The Red Sox traded away approaching complimentary agents Mitch Moreland, Kevin Pillar, and Brandon Workman, as well as Heath Hembree, who is under control through 2021. Folks within baseball love pitching possibility Connor Seabold, the headliner in the Hembree/Workman trade with the Phillies, and prospects Hudson Potts and Jeisson Rosario are strong rolls of the dice. Overall, brand-new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom did well cashing in his trade chips.
Loser: The Brewers.
Milwaukee is one game out of the postseason spot and the teams only move was sending reputable reliever David Phelps to … the Phillies? The group theyre chasing after for the No. 8 area? Okie dokie. Christian Yelich is the only Brewers regular with an above league average OPS– the Brewers are balancing 3.91 runs per game, 2nd least in baseball– and they did not resolve the offense at all. Theyre counting on the gamers already on the lineup to turn their seasons around. “Thats the bet were making,” supervisor Craig Counsell told reporters, consisting of Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel, following the deadline. A little more urgency wouldve been cool.
Winner: The Reds.
In spite of being 1.5 games out of a postseason area, the Reds went for it at the due date and included high-leverage reliever Archie Bradley and underrated outfielder Brian Goodwin in separate trades. The bullpen has actually been a major aching spot all season and Bradley provides supervisor David Bell another alternative in the late innings alongside Lucas Sims, Amir Garrett, and Tejay Antone. Shogo Akiyama has actually underwhelmed in his first MLB season and, even if he turns it around, Goodwin can slot perfectly into left field. These moves provide Cincinnati a much better chance at the postseason and let me tell you, if they slip in, nobody is going to wish to deal with Sonny Gray, Trevor Bauer, and Luis Castillo in a short series.
Loser: The Royals.
Hes had a splendid season and rebuilt value, and they turned him into two prospects, consisting of outfielder Edward Olivares. Thats all they did though, and that was quite much the bare minimum. They kept fellow reclamation task Greg Holland, didnt seem to seriously think about a Whit Merrifield trade (once again), and didnt capitalize on a weak beginning pitching market by peddling Danny Duffy or Brad Keller or Jakob Junis.
Winner: The fans.
No group desires to take or trade prospects on money, and that pointed to a potentially sluggish deadline. Whatever chose up over the last 48 hours or so, and we had some enjoyable trade due date action, consisting of the Clevinger nine-player hit. Baseball is the entertainment business and trades and trade reports are entertaining.
The 2020 Major League Baseball trade deadline passed on Monday at 4 p.m. ET. Like last year, this season will not a feature a waiver-wire trade duration following the due date. I think its not fair to state any group is out of the race in the broadened postseason age, though these clubs are on the outdoors looking in right now, and those gamers were not traded at the due date. No group wants to take or trade prospects on money, and that pointed to a possibly sluggish due date. Baseball is the home entertainment company and trades and trade rumors are entertaining.
Astros: Justin Verlander is harmed, the No. 5 rotation area is uncertain, and there are seven rookies in their nine-man bullpen.
White Sox: The Gio Gonzalez, Carlos Rodon, and Aaron Bummer injuries have produced holes in the pitching personnel.
