MLB trade deadline tracker: Eric Hosmer shipped to Red Sox
The 2022 MLB trade deadline is less than 24 hours away, and a handful of squads are pursuing new life with meaningful transactions.
This year's trade deadline is a bit later than usual, as teams have until 6 p.m. ET Aug. 2 to file paperwork to the league's office to complete trades.
Here are the swaps that have happened so far, along with grades for the bigger transactions from our FOX Sports MLB writers Jordan Shusterman, Jake Mintz, Pedro Moura, Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner.
August 2: Braves trade for Angels reliever Raisel Iglesias
Key Stats: Iglesias has 16 saves with a 4.04 ERA in 39 relief outings this season.
Who else was involved: Pitchers Tucker Davidson and Jesse Chavez go to Los Angeles.
Why it matters: Iglesias was one of the top closers in baseball in recent years, but has struggled a bit this season. His high-end potential could help solidify Atlanta's bullpen though as it looks to repeat this season. As for Los Angeles, it adds another young player in Davidson.
August 2: Blue Jays trade for Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield
Key stats: The two-time All-Star has seen a dip in play at the plate this season, hitting just .240 with six homers and a .643 OPS.
Who else was involved: The Blue Jays gave up pitcher Max Castillo and Triple-A outfielder Samad Taylor.
Why it matters: Merrifield was actually unvaccinated as of early July, which meant he couldn't play in the Royals' series against the Blue Jays in Toronto. One figures he'll get vaccinated and if he does, Toronto will add a decent player off the bench.
August 2: Yankees trade pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals for outfielder Harrison Bader
Key stats: Montgomery is 3-3 with a 3.69 ERA in 21 starts this season while Bader is hitting .256 with a .673 OPS and five homers.
Who else was involved: A player to be named later or cash considerations.
Why it matters: While the Yankees gave up a starting pitcher the same day they moved Luis Severino to the 60-day injured list, they could afford to give one up after getting Frankie Montas on Monday. Bader's bat isn't terrific, but he rates as one of the best defensive center fielders in the league. The Cardinals continue to add solid starting pitching after getting Jose Quintana on Monday.
August 2: Phillies continue to add, trading for Angels starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard
Key stats: The righty's had a solid season in Los Angeles, going 5-8 with a 3.83 ERA.
Who else was involved: Outfielder Mickey Moniak, plus another prospect.
Why it matters: The Phillies have had inconsistent outings outside of their top three starters. Syndergaard can be the right fourth starter for them. The Angels continue to add young players and prospects.
August 2: Twins add another reliever by trading for Tigers' Michael Fulmer
Key stats: Fulmer has a 3.20 ERA in 41 relief appearances this season.
Who else was involved: Sawyer Gipson-Long goes from Minnesota to Detroit.
Why it matters: Minnesota adds another late-inning reliever for a low cost, as it looks to win the AL Central.
August 2: Mariners add more hitting depth, trading for the Dodgers' Jake Lamb
Key stats: The backup outfielder is hitting .239 with a .770 OPS with two homers in 25 games this season.
Who else was involved: A player to be named later or cash considerations.
Why it matters: Just like the Casali trade, adding Lamb is purely about depth, which any contending team could use.
August 2: Mariners get catcher Curt Casali from the Giants
Key stats: The backup catcher has a subpar bat (hitting .231 this season with four homers) but his defensive metrics rate him well (has a 0.8 dWAR).
Who else was involved: Double-A pitcher Michael Stryffeler.
Why it matters: The Mariners haven't gotten much production at catcher this season, so a depth addition won't hurt here.
August 2: San Diego Padres keep adding, trade for Cincinnati Reds third baseman Brandon Drury
Key stats: The 29-year-old already has a career-high 20 homers this season to go along with a .274 batting average and a career-best .855 OPS.
Who else was involved: Shortstop Victor Acosta, the Padres’ sixth-ranked prospect, goes to the Reds.
Why it matters: After giving up Luke Voit as part of the Juan Soto deal, the Padres needed to find another designated hitter. Drury can certainly do that for them and not have to be a major part of the lineup. The Reds continue to add prospects, as they’ve all but waved the white flag for 2022.
August 2: Minnesota Twins net another pitcher, deal for Cincinnati Reds' Tyler Mahle
Key stats: The talented righty is 5-7 with a 4.40 ERA in 19 starts this season. Mahle’s 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings pitched was fifth in the National League this season.
Who else was involved: The Twins will send prospects Spencer Steer (infielder), Steven Hajjar (pitcher), and Christian Enarnacion-Strand (third baseman).
Why it matters: Minnesota gets one of the top pitchers from 2021 in Mahle as it battles Cleveland for the AL Central title. The Reds get three of the Twins’ top 15 prospects, with Steer being the fourth-ranked prospect in Minnesota’s system.
August 2: Philadelphia Phillies win sweepstakes for Chicago Cubs’ David Robertson
Key stats: The right-handed reliever, who was viewed as one of the best on the trade market, has a 2.23 ERA and 14 saves in 36 appearances this season.
Who else was involved: The Phillies gave up Single-A pitcher Ben Brown in the deal.
Why it matters: Philadelphia was looking for another bullpen arm to help solidify its bullpen for a playoff run. Robertson should help them, and the Cubs get a rising prospect.
August 2: New York Mets and San Francisco Giants swap struggling hitters
Key stats: First baseman and outfielder Darin Ruf, who is going to the Mets, is hitting just .216 with a .701 OPS and 11 homers this season. Designated hitter J.D. Davis, going to the Giants, is hitting .238 with four homers.
Who else was involved: The Giants will get Single-A pitchers Nick Zwack and Carson Seymour from New York.
Why it matters: Ruf mashes left-handed pitchers (.886 OPS), which gives the Mets a strong platoon option to balance with Daniel Vogelbach at first base.
Mets trade grade: B-
It’s not the big splash that fans wanted or expected, but Darin Ruf provides a right-handed bat that can do damage against lefties. That is one of the areas the Mets needed to improve at this deadline, and Ruf’s .886 OPS in 132 plate appearances and 63 games against left-handers this season suggests he will fill in nicely in the Mets lineup in a platoon role. Ruf, 36, has split his time between first base, the outfield and DH for San Francisco this season. — Thosar
Giants trade grade: A
San Francisco got rid of Ruf, a player that didn’t have a necessary role on the roster, while getting back Davis, a player they can take a flier on. Davis, 29, is from nearby Elk Grove, and he’s under team control for another couple of seasons, set to enter free agency in 2025. The right-handed hitting Davis compiled a 122 OPS+ in four seasons with the Mets. In addition, the Giants get three prospects with untapped potential. It’s a win-win for San Francisco anyway you slice it. — Thosar
August 2: Phillies trade for Los Angeles Angels center fielder Brandon Marsh
Key stats: Marsh is a .226 hitter with eight homers this season, his second in the big leagues.
Who else was involved: Catching prospect Logan O'Hoppe, who's the third-ranked prospect in the Phillies' system, according to MLB.com.
Why it matters: Not only do the Phillies get some stability in center for the remainder of the 2022 season, Marsh is also under team control until 2028. By giving up the 24-year-old, the Angels got one of the Phillies' top prospects.
August 2: Los Angeles Dodgers get outfielder Joey Gallo from the New York Yankees
Key stats: Gallo's struggled at the plate for much of this season, hitting just .159 with 12 homers.
Who else was involved: Right-handed pitcher Clayton Beeter, whom the Dodgers selected in the second round of the 2020 draft, will go to the Yankees in the deal. Beeter was ranked as the Dodgers' 15th-best prospect prior to the season, according to MLB Pipeline.
Why it matters: Gallo's struggles at the plate pushed the Yankees to trade for Andrew Benintendi in late July. New York was looking to move Gallo following that swap, and Los Angeles gets some outfield depth with multiple outfielders on the injured list.
Dodgers trade grade: B-
It's far from the game-changing move the Padres made for Juan Soto, but it's a relatively low-risk gamble with a potentially high reward. The Dodgers were in the market for a left-handed bat with lefties Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger struggling. The one they added is searching even more at the plate. But he needed a change of scenery, and the Dodgers provided it. If they can't get him right, they still have the offense to compete for a championship. If they can, they've added one of the most powerful hitters in the game at a relatively low cost. — Kavner
Yankees trade grade: B
Just a year ago, the Yankees dealt four prospects at the deadline — three have now reached the Majors for the Rangers — for a slugger whose value was rising. That is no longer the case for Gallo. His departure, particularly once the Yankees acquired Andrew Benintendi, felt inevitable. The Yankees still got value for him in Beeter, a 23-year-old high-velocity minor leaguer with upside. How we view this deal in a few years will depend on Beeter's command and health. — Kavner
August 2: Red Sox trade for Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer
Key stats: Hosmer's a .272 hitter with a .727 OPS and eight homers in 90 games this season.
Who else was involved: At the moment, no one. Hosmer has three years and $39 million left on his contract, which the Padres wanted to get off of. San Diego will either eat a lot of the remaining salary, send a prospect, or do both to make the trade work.
Why it matters: Hosmer was originally involved in the Padres' blockbuster trade for Juan Soto, but the Nationals were on his no-trade list and he didn't approve the deal. For the Red Sox, they finally get a first baseman after getting subpar hitting and poor defensive play at the position this season.
August 2: Blue Jays acquire relievers Anthony Bass and Zach Pop from Marlins
Key stats: Bass has a 1.41 ERA in 45 relief appearances this season, while Pop has a 3.60 ERA in 18 relief outings.
Who else was involved: The Blue Jays had to give up shortstop Jordan Groshans to get the deal done. The shortstop was ranked 74th overall in MLB.com's top 100 prospect list entering the season.
Why it matters: Toronto was looking to get more relievers for late-inning situations as it holds the top wild-card spot in the American League. Miami gets a highly-regarded prospect for Bass, who could become a free agent this offseason.
Blue Jays trade grade: A
This is a really nifty pickup for Toronto, whose bullpen badly needed reinforcements as it continues to lead the AL Wild Card pack. Bass has been excellent and has a team option for next season, while Pop induces groundballs at an elite rate and is under contract through 2026 – and he's from Ontario! Trading away a relatively recent first-round pick always hurts, but the Blue Jays infield is fairly set for the foreseeable future – Groshans was clearly expendable, and hadn't been performing nearly enough in Triple-A recently to warrant keeping. — Shusterman
Marlins trade grade: C+
On its face, acquiring a former 12th overall pick who is already in Triple-A for a couple relievers is a huge win, but Groshans' star has dimmed considerably over the past few seasons. This return – a single player who the Marlins are clearly banking on rediscovering his upside – is also a fascinating contrast to the Orioles' return for Jorge Lopez earlier in the day. Rather than recoup a handful of prospects and spread out the likelihood that you eventually get a Major League contributor in return, the Marlins spend two of their trade chips on one player in Groshans. They must really still believe in the shortstop's offensive potential despite his recent struggles to produce any semblance of power in Triple-A. I don't hate the gamble, but relievers with team control are clearly valuable in today's trade market and to send out both Bass and Pop and only get one player back seems risky. — Shusterman
August 2: San Diego Padres acquire outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell from Washington Nationals
Key stats: Soto is hitting .246 with an .894 OPS and 21 homers this season. Bell's hitting .301 with an .877 OPS and 14 homers.
Who else was involved: Washington will receive pitcher MacKenzie Gore, outfielder Robert Hassell III, shortstop C.J. Abrams, outfielder James Wood, and pitcher Jarlin Susana. Eric Hosmer was initially a part of the package heading east, but he has the Nationals on his no-trade list and has reportedly vetoed his inclusion. Instead, the Padres will send first baseman Luke Voit, who's hitting .225 with 13 homers this season, to the Nationals.
Why it matters: The trade bolsters the Padres' lineup as they gear for a deep playoff run in 2022, but that isn't the reason why this is such a huge deal. A player like Soto getting traded is unprecedented. Soto, 23, is the first player ever to earn multiple All-Star selections and change teams before turning 24, per the Elias Sports Bureau. Soto's also been historically dominant, posting a career OPS+ (160) that's better than Hank Aaron and Joe DiMaggio.
Padres trade grade: A
If you live in or root for San Diego, how could you not be delighted with this trade? Josh Bell would have been a great deadline addition on his own. The Padres acquired him and, in Juan Soto, added one of the best baseball players to ever live. Yes, they parted with a number of prospects that would have helped them years from now, but the next two-plus years figure to be quite fun in San Diego. — Moura
Nationals trade grade: C
Over the last two deadlines, the Nationals have now traded away Juan Soto, Trea Turner and Max Scherzer, arguably three of the 10 or so most valuable players in baseball. Yet in exchange for that trio, they did not net a single top-10 prospect, the sort of talent who has a chance to one day become as good as those three. The Soto trade wasn't a fleecing; it's an acceptable package Washington received. But when you're surrendering one of the best ballplayers ever, you'd like to see more top-end potential than 19-year-old outfielder James Wood, probably the included prospect with the best chance to truly become a star. — Moura
August 2: Minnesota Twins acquire right-handed reliever Jorge Lopez from Baltimore Orioles
Key stats: Lopez has a 1.68 ERA over 48.1 innings with a 10.1 SO9 ratio.
Who else was involved? Baltimore received LHPs Cade Povich and Juan Rojas and RHPs Yennier Cano and Juan Nunez
Why it matters: The Twins hold the slimmest of margins in the AL Central over the Guardians and White Sox. Their All-Star acquisition upgrades a bullpen that will need to be better to earn a postseason berth, much less take down one of the two heavyweights in the AL.
Orioles trade grade: C-
I'm generally cool with selling high on relievers, but this one is tough to swallow. Trading Trey Mancini, whose contract expires at the end of this season, is one thing. But there wouldn't appear to be any urgency moving their lone All-Star in Lopez, who is under contract through the 2024 season. Maybe the Orioles weren't going to be legit playoff contenders this season, but their success this year suggests they may be closer to being good than we originally thought – Lopez could have easily been a big part of the next good Orioles team. Instead, he follows Mancini out the door to a real contender in exchange for four pitching prospects, none of which are especially highly regarded. — Shusterman
The only reason I won't grade this any lower is because A) once Mancini was moved, this felt like a much more legitimate possibility, so it didn't catch me too off-guard; B) relievers are fickle and it may be foolish to assume he will be exactly this effective for the next 2.5 years, and; C) I do like Povich and I can at least appreciate that these two trades – as bad as the optics are – have added six arms to a farm system that badly needed more pitching depth to balance out their impressive stockpile of position players. — Shusterman
Twins trade grade: A
Relievers are fickle, and Lopez himself has struggled as of late, but this is still an All-Star addition for a Minnesota team badly in need of arms if they are to stave off Cleveland and Chicago in the AL Central race or have any hope at a deep postseason push come October. Jhoan Duran has done the bulk of the heavy lifting in the Twins' bullpen this year as a rookie, but he can't be the only shutdown late-inning arm manager Rocco Baldelli can turn to. This is a win-now move, but if Lopez's breakout this season is sustainable, the Twins have him under contract for another two seasons after this one, so this could also turn out to be an exciting long-term investment as well. — Shusterman
August 1: Atlanta Braves acquire starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi from Houston Astros
Key stats: Odorizzi is 4-3 with a 3.75 ERA in 12 starts this year.
Who else was involved? The Astros got back veteran lefty reliever Will Smith.
Why it matters: It's a swap between former All-Stars, neither of which are having strong seasons. Smith lost his closer role in Atlanta but can play a key role in a Houston bullpen that is heavy on right-handers. Odorizzi provides options for one of the best starting staffs in baseball, including managing the workload of young starter Spencer Strider.
August 1: Atlanta Braves acquire Robbie Grossman from Detroit Tigers
Key stats: Grossman is slashing .205/.313/.282 on the season.
Who else was involved? The details of the trade package aren't immediately known.
Why it matters: Just a year ago, Grossman swatted a career-high 23 home runs. He serves as possible insurance for a lineup that has been beset by injuries at various points this season.
August 1: Milwaukee Brewers acquire reliever Matt Bush from Texas Rangers
Key stats: Bush has a 2.95 ERA in 40 appearances with an 11.0 SO9 ratio.
Who else was involved? The Rangers got infielder Mark Mathias and left-handed pitching prospect Antoine Kelly.
Why it matters: Now 36 years old, the former No. 1 overall pick has performed well in the pen and as a spot starter. Milwaukee is buying and selling as it holds a narrow lead in the NL Central.
August 1: St. Louis Cardinals acquire LHP Jose Quintana from Pittsburgh Pirates
Key stats: Quintana is 3-5 with a 3.50 ERA, 89 strikeouts and 31 walks allowed over 20 starts (103.0 innings) this season.
Who else was involved? The details of the trade package aren't immediately known.
Why it matters: The Cardinals conceivably bolster their playoff rotation with a veteran starting pitcher who's having a quality season, while the Pirates will recoup value for a player on an expiring contract.
Cardinals trade grade: A-
The Cardinals needed to bolster their rotation at the deadline, and the options after Luis Castillo and Frankie Montas weren't particularly thrilling. Quintana was one of the top left-handers available and offered a step forward for a rotation that featured all righties following Steven Matz's injury. After a down year between the Angels and Giants, Quintana has enjoyed a resurgent season at age 33 with a 3.50 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Whether or not the 2016 All-Star keeps it up will impact the NL Central race. — Kavner
Pirates trade grade: B-
The Pirates had no reason to hold onto Quintana, a rental this year, and he nets them two young Cuban players in pitcher Johan Oviedo and infielder Malcolm Nuñez, who immediately becomes their top corner infield prospect. Nuñez was the Cardinals' No. 10 prospect as ranked by MLB Pipeline and has mashed 17 home runs at Double-A this year. Oviedo has already helped the St. Louis bullpen this year and is under club control another four years. Still, given the scarcity of starting pitching options — particularly left-handed options — available at the deadline, and what Castillo and Montas went for, it stood to wonder if Quintana could have commanded any more. — Kavner
August 1: Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox swap LHP Jake Diekman for catcher Reese McGuire
Key stats: Diekman is 5-1 with a 4.23 ERA, 51 strikeouts and 30 walks allowed over a team-high 44 appearances covering 38 1/3 innings this season. McGuire is batting .225/.261/.285.
Who else was involved? The White Sox reportedly get veteran left-hander Diekman, 35, from the Red Sox in exchange for McGuire, 27, and a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Why it matters: Boston is able to shed salary, while Chicago fills a need in its bullpen.
August 1: Red Sox acquire outfielder Tommy Pham from Cincinnati Reds
Key stats: Pham, 34, was hitting .238 with 11 home runs and 57 runs scored in his first season in Cincinnati.
Who else was involved? The details of the trade package aren't immediately known.
Why it matters: Boston has dropped to 51-52 and into last place in the AL East entering Monday. The Red Sox are just 3.5 games behind the final AL wild card spot, however, and Pham could provide a needed boost.
August 1: Houston Astros acquire catcher Christian Vázquez from Red Sox
Key stats: Vázquez is slashing .282/.327/.432 this season.
Who else was involved? Boston is reportedly sending Vázquez to Houston for two minor league prospects.
Why it matters: Vázquez, who will provide much-needed backstop depth for the Astros, was the longest tenured member of the Red Sox and Boston's starting catcher when they won the 2018 World Series title.
Red Sox trade grade: B-
Vázquez was a vital part of Boston’s clubhouse, but the Red Sox never seemed too concerned about the possibility of carrying on without him; and that was before they were free-falling out of playoff contention. The Red Sox were close to acquiring Gold Glove catcher Jacob Stallings this past offseason, per multiple reports, apparently ready to move on from Vázquez before he wound up putting together an All-Star-worthy season for them.
The 31-year-old Vázquez had expressed, multiple times, his desire to finish his career with the Red Sox. The catcher spent nearly 15 years in Boston, dating back to being drafted by the club from Puerto Rico in the ninth round in 2008. But, no matter how much the 2018 championship winner wanted to retire as a homegrown talent, the writing was on the wall when the Red Sox entered trade deadline eve sporting a 51-52 record. Vázquez is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so the Red Sox preferred to trade him and accumulate assets rather than potentially lose him for nothing in the winter. It’s a move that will be sure to rock Boston’s clubhouse. — Thosar
Astros trade grade: A-
Houston was not going to rest until they upgraded at backstop, with reports that the Astros were interested in Willson Contreras or Vázquez. The Astros, on Monday, made a hard push for the latter, and they will be better off for it. Vázquez has been one of the top offensive catchers in the league since mid-May. The veteran is slashing .282/.327/.432 on the season, with eight home runs, a career-low 16% K rate, 42 RBI, 18 walks, 20 doubles and a 111 wRC+ across 84 games. — Thosar
Astros catchers Martín Maldonado and Jason Castro have struggled at the plate all season. Maldonado — batting just .173/.239/.342 — is still expected to receive plenty of starts behind the plate, as Houston likes his game-calling and relationship with the pitching staff. But the Vázquez pickup provides some pop to an Astros catching unit that has the second-worst OPS (.525) in baseball, behind only Mets catchers’ (.524). Houston, leading the AL West as usual, is clearly stacking up its roster depth in a smart way for the final two months of the season before the playoffs. — Thosar
August 1: New York Yankees acquire starting pitcher Frankie Montas and reliever Lou Trivino from Oakland A's
Key stats: Montas, 29, has pitched 104.2 innings of 3.18 ERA ball with 109 strikeouts, 28 walks and 12 home runs allowed this season. Trivino, 30, is 1-6 with a 6.47 ERA and 10 saves this season.
Who else was involved? The A's are receiving left-handers Ken Waldichuk — the fifth-highest ranked prospect in the Yankees' farm system, per MLB.com — and JP Sears, right-hander Luis Medina and second baseman Cooper Bowman from the Yankees.
Why it matters: The Yankees have solidified a strong rotation and bullpen with the acquisition of Montas and Trivino after recently picking up veteran outfielder Andrew Benintendi and rookie reliever Scott Effross.
Yankees trade grade: A-
Montas is not quite the pitcher Luis Castillo is. Their track records tell that story. But the 29-year-old is good enough, with enough potential remaining, that this trade looks like a steal relative to what Seattle surrendered to acquire Castillo. Montas was a Cy Young candidate last season. When he has been healthy this season, he has been just as effective. He just returned from a shoulder injury, so his health is no guarantee, but the potential here is huge. The Yankees might have found their Game 2 starter without parting with any of their top four prospects. And they get to keep him – and lottery-ticket reliever Trivino – for 2023. — Moura
A's trade grade: C+
If this is the best package Oakland could have obtained for Montas, perhaps they should have given more consideration to trading him last offseason. The A's never intended to contend in 2022, so what exactly was the point of retaining him until now? They're not selling as high as they could've done nine months ago. Left-hander Waldichuk, the prize here, is an exciting prospect with potent stuff, but the Mariners might have received two prospects better than him in exchange for Castillo alone. — Moura
August 1: Astros acquire first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini from Baltimore Orioles
Key stats: Mancini, 30, is hitting .268 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs this season. He has a .270 average, 117 home runs and 350 RBIs in 701 career games.
Who else was involved? The deal is reportedly a three-team, five-player swap including outfielder Jose Siri heading to the Tampa Bay Rays, pitcher Jayden Murray going to Houston and pitchers Seth Johnson and Chayce McDermott landing in Baltimore.
Why it matters: The Astros gain an experienced bat and all-around player in the 30-year-old outfielder, DH and first baseman.
Astros trade grade: B
I thought Houston would be an ideal landing spot for a guy like Josh Bell, but instead the Astros decided to pay a modest price for Mancini, who should immediately slot into this lineup nicely and should be peppering balls into the Crawford Boxes in no time. With Jake Meyers and Mauricio Dubón in the fold, Siri appeared to be expendable, and likely won't be missed too much. Dealing McDermott from a relatively thin farm system isn't great, but the Astros have shown a propensity for continuing to find and develop arms from all levels of their system, so he could reasonably be replaced in short order. Mancini helps now, and as always, the Astros are pushing for a World Series. Anything to help that goal is probably going to be viewed as a victory. — Shusterman
Orioles trade grade: B+ (Orioles fans: D-)
First and foremost, I feel for my Orioles fan friend Jake Mintz who has to watch one of the faces of the franchise dealt away at a time when the team is actually in striking distance of a postseason spot. Even as a neutral fan, it's impossible to deny what Mancini has meant to the Orioles since debuting in 2016, missing an entire season due to cancer, and then returning to the field without missing a beat as the Orioles have slowly started to come out of their rebuild. It's been incredible to watch.
That said, as someone without much emotional attachment to this deal, I really dig the two pitching prospects acquired by Baltimore here. For a farm system teeming with hitters, adding Johnson and McDermott — two righties with legitimate swing-and-miss stuff as starters – is a really keen move for GM Mike Elias, as much as it may pain the Orioles fans to witness in the short term. — Shusterman
Rays trade grade: C
C for ... confused. This is an odd one. I've learned to trust that Tampa Bay knows what it's doing, and I do quite enjoy watching Siri play baseball. I also understand that Johnson is about to undergo Tommy John surgery and would be difficult to add to an already-crowded 40-man roster this winter if he is to miss all of next season. But I'm just having a hard time believing they see Siri, currently rocking a .542 OPS, as their solution in center field with Kevin Kiermaier out for the year. I support acquiring the electric 27-year-old as a developmental project of sorts, but not as an immediate plug-and-play option in the outfield as the Rays try to stay in the AL wild-card mix. As always with the Rays, though, I'm prepared to be extremely wrong. — Shusterman
August 1: San Diego Padres acquire reliever Josh Hader from Milwaukee Brewers
Key stats: In 37 appearances, he's amassed a 4.24 ERA (97 ERA+) and a 4.92 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Who else was involved? Milwaukee will receive Taylor Rogers, Dinelson Lamet and prospects Robert Gasser and Esteury Ruiz in the deal.
Why it matters: Hader, 28, was set to qualify for free agency after next season, therefore, the Brewers were more open-minded about moving him and felt that they could get similar production from Rogers, who will be a free agent after this season — a year earlier than Hader.
Padres trade grade: B+
Outside of a few catastrophic outings in early July, Hader has been his usual All-Star self this season and remains one of the more intimidating ninth-inning presences in the entire league. GM AJ Preller has obviously had a knack for acquiring big names at both the deadline and during the winter in recent years, and Hader fits the bill as one of the premier closers in baseball. We're still waiting to see if Preller can pull off a Juan Soto blockbuster, as offense — especially in the outfield and at DH — has actually become much more of a priority to upgrade for San Diego than improving the bullpen. Hader is certainly a step-up over Rogers, and he's under team control for next season as well, so this does indisputably make the team better. That said, I'm generally wary of investing too much via trade or free agency in essentially any reliever, as the volatility can be unpredictable. As good as Hader is, it would seem foolish to act like we know exactly what he is going to be over the next year and a half, and trading away even two legitimate prospects for that -- albeit not ones seemingly required for a Soto trade -- is still somewhat questionable. — Shusterman
Brewers trade grade: B-
The optics here — trading one of the best closers in baseball while you are still in first place — are a bit odd, but I can see the logic if we step back a bit. My gut reaction is that it feels awfully Rays-y to dump one of your most recognizable and productive players at the peak of his value (like they did with Blake Snell) just because the return is so significant. So is that really a bad thing? I can understand being content downgrading from Hader to Rogers in order to add two legitimate prospects in Gasser (a lefty starter with mid-rotation upside) and Ruiz (a super speedster having a monster season in the minors who also helps address a positional need in center field). Lamet has showcased some otherworldly stuff when healthy, which hasn't been very often. He feels like a significant wild card for next season, but it's hard to count on him much in the short-term. On the whole, and ignoring the context of what the Brewers are trying to achieve this season, it's a reasonably strong return.
The "minus" in the grade here is based on the fact that Rogers feels like a real downgrade for this season — a season in which the Brewers appear primed for a fifth straight postseason appearance and should be making a real World Series push. Add in the fact that they moved Hader to a team they could conceivably be competing against at some point during this postseason, and I'm even more uneasy with it. On the whole, I understand it, and I like Gasser and Ruiz a good bit, but this could bite them in the short term. — Shusterman
August 1: Los Angeles Angels won't trade Shohei Ohtani
Despite hearing offers from several MLB teams around two-way sensation Ohtani, the Angels are reportedly taking their phenom off the block. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Monday that the Yankees, Padres and White Sox were among the teams making a strong push for him.
Ohtani, whose contract expires at the end of 2023, made noncommittal comments about his future with the team last week.
"Regardless of where I'm playing, I'm going to give it my all and try to win that ballgame in front of me," Ohtani said. "I'm with the Angels right now, and I'm very thankful for what they've done. I love my team and my teammates. Right now I'm an Angel, and that's all I can focus on."
Angels (non)trade grade: C+
It was unlikely the Angels would find a package they deemed worthy of dealing the extraordinary superstar. Still, it's hard to come up with a grade other than average for this non-deal, given the state of things in Anaheim. The Astros are again World Series contenders. The Mariners' deal for Luis Castillo makes them better this year and next. Meanwhile, Ohtani's unprecedented two-way talents are being utilized on a 43-59 club on its way to a seventh straight losing season after a month of July in which the Angels posted a franchise-worse .199 batting average. Ohtani sounded non-committal at best when asked if he wanted to stick around long-term, and his value is as high now as it will be at any point before he becomes a free agent in 2024. By keeping him, the Angels must also prepare to do more to commit to contending with him next season. — Kavner
July 30: Philadelphia Phillies acquire IF Edmundo Sosa from St. Louis Cardinals
Key stats: Sosa has struggled as the plate, hitting just .189/.244/.270, striking out at a 29% clip in 2022.
Who else was involved? The Cardinals got left-handed reliever JoJo Romero in return for Sosa.
Why it matters: The Cards and Phillies were tied for a wild card spot heading into Saturday, and though division foes don't generally swap players, both players filled specific needs for each squad. Sosa will join a packed middle infield that includes Bryson Stott, Didi Gregorius and the injured Jean Segura. Gregorius has struggled this year, so Sosa's addition eases the team's tensions as it preps for a heated final stretch.
Phillies trade grade: B
Sosa is an intriguing addition, a stellar shortstop defender who appeared to show flashes of offensive production last season but whose bat cratered badly in 2022. I'm most interested in how much they see Sosa contributing in the short-term considering Segura is reportedly returning from the IL in the near future, Gregorius appears to still have the shortstop job, and manager Rob Thomson is still trying to find consistent playing time for young infielder Stott. If anything, Sosa is a strong depth addition that can provide defense and speed late in games as a replacement — I'm just curious if the Phillies view him as a possible long-term starter at either second or short with Segura and Gregorius coming off the books this winter. — Shusterman
Cardinals trade grade: C+
In Romero, the Cardinals get an intriguing lefty reliever who is coming off Tommy John surgery and clear the way for the return of Paul DeJong to the infield mix, who has been in Triple-A for several months after a horrific start to the season. I don't particularly love this, considering Sosa's age and what he looked like he could be during his strong season in 2021, but Romero can probably help more now at a position of need while other players like Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman are more clearly entrenched in the Cardinals' plans moving forward. — Shusterman
July 30: Rays acquire David Peralta from Arizona Diamondbacks
Key stats: A Silver Slugger award winner in 2018, and Gold Glover in 2019, Peralta is hitting .241 with 12 homers, and 41 RBI in 87 games played. He's third all-time on the D-backs' leaderboard in games played, at-bats, plate appearances, hits and total bases.
Who else was involved? Arizona receives highly-touted catching prospect Christian Cerda, who's currently batting .315 with the FCL Rays.
Why it matters: The Rays have been consistently average against right-handed pitchers this season, and Peralta has been stout in that category, posting a 267/.325/.498 average against righties this year, and a .295/.351/.492 mark over his career. His presence in the outfield will also be a valuable plus, as Tampa has seen Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot and Harold Ramírez all miss time with injuries thus far.
Rays trade grade: B+
The Rays have quietly been hanging around the AL Wild Card race despite dealing with a myriad of injuries on the offensive side of the ball, most notably star shortstop Wander Franco. The lineup has been buoyed by a career year from Yandy Díaz and breakouts from Isaac Paredes and Ramírez, but they badly need another sturdy offensive performer and Peralta can be exactly that. I love this. — Shusterman
D-backs trade grade: C+
This isn't quite the same situation as Mancini because the Orioles are much closer to a playoff spot than Arizona, but I have a similar reaction in the sense that it's never fun to see a player who has been on one team for so long get traded, even if it might be the right baseball move. Peralta's career arc from minor league pitcher to Gold Glove outfielder is sensational, and he's been a fixture in the D-backs lineup for nearly a decade. Who knows what 19-year-old Cerda will be — he's been having a strong summer in the Florida Complex League — but it's always hard to celebrate a trade of such a familiar face like Peralta too much. That said, I'd expect Arizona to continue being active in off-loading veterans wherever possible. — Shusterman
July 30: Los Angeles Dodgers acquire Chris Martin from Chicago Cubs
Key stats: The 6-foot-8 right-hander sports a 1-0 record with a 1.34 WHIP, and a 4.31 ERA in 34 appearances this season. He’s also struck out 30.1% of the 133 batters he's faced thus far, and walked just four.
Who else was involved? The Cubs received utility man Zach McKinstry in the deal.
Why it matters: The Dodgers' lineup is one of the most dynamic in baseball, and though the team's bullpen has the sixth-best ERA in the majors at 3.37, it's dealt with a number of injuries. Those include setbacks to Blake Treinen and Tommy Kahnle, plus a season-ending ACL tear for Daniel Hudson. Martin's acquisition adds depth for a team hoping to make another World Series run.
Dodgers trade grade: B-
It would be stunning if this was the only move the Dodgers made before Tuesday's deadline, so we'll just consider this a standard depth addition, as the super-tall Martin has been a fairly reliable middle-inning reliever for several years now. It's also not hard to imagine the Dodgers extracting a bit more out of him than the Cubs or even the Braves did. It ain't much, but it ain't nothing. He'll almost certainly be on the postseason roster if he's healthy. — Shusterman
Cubs trade grade: B+
While we all wait for some of the Cubs' bigger potential trade chips like Willson Contreras, Ian Happ and David Robertson to move, Jed Hoyer and Co. decided to offload one of their older relief pieces in exchange for a 27-year-old in McKinstry.
McKinstry, a former 33rd-round pick, is one of the many developmental success stories in the Dodgers organization who could never quite find his way into regular playing time with the big-league club. He is currently raking in Triple-A for the second year in a row, and it'd be awesome to see him get a more extended run at the big league level with the Cubs should some more playing time open up post-deadline. I dig this addition a lot. — Shusterman
July 29: Seattle Mariners acquire Luis Castillo from Reds
Key stats: At the time of the trade, the 29-year-old Castillo was 4-4 through 14 starts with a 2.86 ERA and 90 strikeouts. He was named an All-Star this season for the second time in his career.
Who else was involved? Noelvi Marte, Levi Stoudt, Edwin Arroyo and Andrew Moore will land with the Reds.
Why it matters: The Mariners own one of the two AL wild card spots as of Friday, and their pitching staff is fifth in the league in ERA and ninth in wins. What's that mean? They are going for it all by acquiring Castillo.
Mariners trade grade: A++
The Mariners haven’t made the playoffs since 2001. It’s famously the longest drought in American professional sports. This season might be the best chance this franchise has had to end that streak in quite a while.
Acquiring Castillo, easily the top pitcher available at the deadline, is a clear message from Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto: This is the freakin’ year. They gave up quite a haul to get the deal done, but Castillo is a true frontline guy that any team would love to have start Game 2 of a postseason series. He’s been at his rip-roaring best of late, posting a 2.62 ERA in 9 starts since the beginning of June.
This is as close to a "pushing the chips in" moment as we’ve ever seen from this Mariners regime. The Yanks and Rangers were reportedly heavily interested in Castillo and the Ms straight-up outbid them. For a team that’s been vacationing in October for the last two decades, that aggressive approach is a welcome sight. — Mintz
Reds trade grade: A-
If you accept that the Reds had to trade Castillo (I kind of do, more on that in a moment), then this was a phenomenal package to get back.
Getting a top-10 prospect like Marte is extremely hard to do, even though the top-end talents in the minors right now aren’t at Adley Rutschman/Julio/Bobby Witt Jr. levels anymore. Noelvi is a 20-year-old shortstop with precocious pop who scouts believe has a decent chance to stick at the position. How much he’s able to hit for average, keep his Ks down and get on base will dictate his overall value, but this is a great prospect.
Arroyo, at least right now, is essentially a younger version of Marte, except slightly worse at everything. His power isn’t quite as good and there’s more doubt about his future defensive home. Stoudt is a small-school 2019 draftee with great command of a fastball/slider combo, but not much else. He likely ends up as a solid bullpen arm. Moore throws really hard and walks a lot of guys, so he’s the biggest flyer of the group.
Considering where the Reds are right now as a franchise getting a package like this back for Castillo looks great. They leveraged a few teams against one another and squeezed out as much talent as they could.
But my problem is the assumption that the Reds had to do this move. Based upon where they are as a franchise — bad right now, probably bad next year too — this move makes sense. But Cincy is in a bad situation entirely of its own making. Last year this club had a real chance at a wild card spot and fell just short. But instead of improving their roster and running it back, ownership slashed payroll, dealt away a cadre of talented dudes and now the team stinks. Castillo could have been the ace of a team fighting for a postseason birth — I guess now he will — instead of a valuable trade chip. The Reds did well here, but that they were in this spot to begin with is a shame. — Mintz
July 27: Yankees acquire Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals
Key stats: Through 93 games, Benintendi was hitting .320/.387/.398 (.785 OPS), with three home runs and 39 RBIs.
Who else was involved? The Royals acquired three pitching prospects in TJ Sikkema, Chandler Champlain and Beck Way.
Why it matters: The trade will beef up the Yankees' current roster, while the Royals will be able to add some promising young talent into their pitching staff that has been among the worst in the league in 2022.
Yankees trade for Andrew Benintendi
Yankees trade grade: A-
Benintendi has established himself as a high-contact, slightly above-average hitter with a good walk rate and middling power who can provide sufficient defense in a corner-outfield spot. More solid than spectacular this season despite an All-Star selection a few weeks ago, Benintendi will provide the Yankees' lineup with a somewhat different look upon his arrival. He’s not a game-changing, season-altering player by any means, but there’s real value in having a high-contact, left-handed stick, especially with Giancarlo Stanton hitting the IL this week. — Mintz
Royals trade grade: B+
With Benintendi due to hit free agency this winter, it makes complete sense that the Royals dealt him to a contender for a trio of pitching prospects: Sikkema, Champlain and Way. None of these three is a paradigm-shifting talent, but there’s a good chance at least one of them becomes a solid big-league contributor. — Mintz
July 23: New York Mets acquire Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates
Key stats: At the time of the trade, Vogelbach was batting .228 with 12 home runs, a .769 OPS and a 117 OPS+ this season. He was batting .260 with all of his homers, an .896 OPS and a 153 OPS+ against righties.
Who else was involved? The Mets added much-needed DH help after acquiring left-handed-hitting slugger Vogelbach for rookie reliever Colin Holderman.
Why it matters: In 124 plate appearances at the time of the trade, lefty Mets DHs were batting .152 with a .458 OPS — the lowest of any team with 50 plate appearances by lefty DHs — and just one home run.
June 27: Mariners acquire Carlos Santana from Kansas City Royals
Key stats: Santana was hitting .216/.349/.341 (.690 OPS) with four homers and 21 RBIs in 52 games at the time of the trade.
Who else was involved? Seattle added the veteran DH/1B by dealing right-handed pitchers Wyatt Mills and William Fleming to the Royals.
Stay tuned for more updates.
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