Grades for every team following the MLB trade deadline
The trade deadline has come and gone, kicking off the home stretch of the 2019 MLB season.
Each team had specific goals and needs, and while some made off like bandits, others failed to address their biggest weaknesses. With no August waiver trades this year, this is it.
Here's how we assessed each team's moves - or lack thereof - at this year's trade deadline.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Dealing Zack Greinke was the trade of the day. The D-Backs reloaded their farm system despite not getting either Kyle Tucker or Forrest Whitley from the Astros. Houston's paying the bulk of Greinke's remaining salary, too, giving Arizona extra flexibility. Additionally, flipping top prospect Jazz Chisholm to the Miami Marlins for rookie right-hander Zac Gallen might be a solid move. Chisholm has struggled at Double-A, while Gallen has acclimated himself well in his first taste of the majors (2.72 ERA, 10.65 K/9). However, holding onto southpaw Robbie Ray and acquiring Mike Leake were puzzling moves. A-
Atlanta Braves: The Braves cut it close, but ultimately added Shane Greene from the Detroit Tigers and Mark Melancon from the San Francisco Giants before the deadline. Greene, Melancon, and Chris Martin - acquired from Texas on Tuesday - should help solidify a bullpen that blew a ninth-inning save opportunity against the Nationals on Wednesday. A solid starter would've been ideal, but the Braves addressed their biggest issue. B+
Baltimore Orioles: Only outfielder Trey Mancini and reliever Mychal Givens were expected to be dealt Wednesday. Alas, nothing was meant to be, with Andrew Cashner being the Orioles' lone move during deadline season. They're years away from contention and were under no pressure to make a deal. There's still a chance Mancini can improve his value even further, and he's not slated to hit free agency until 2023. C
Boston Red Sox: It was a disappointing deadline for the defending champs. They failed to add reinforcements to a struggling bullpen despite a ton of relievers changing teams. It looks like it might be the Darwinzon Hernandez show the rest of the way. D+
Chicago Cubs: The deadline was a bit slow for the Cubs before they snagged Nicholas Castellanos at the last minute. Otherwise, they added depth options in Tony Kemp, David Phelps, and Derek Holland. It's not terrible, but it may not be enough to win the NL Central. The biggest acquisition for Chicago is still closer Craig Kimbrel, and how far the team goes will largely depend on how he finishes off games. So far, his 6.75 ERA and 6.75 BB/9 haven't been encouraging. B-
Chicago White Sox: Very quiet deadline for the South Siders. It became fairly obvious that Jose Abreu wouldn't be moved despite his pending free agency. They did move injured reliever Nate Jones to the Rangers for a couple of pitching prospects. However, Alex Colome staying put is a head-scratcher. B-
Cincinnati Reds: Trevor Bauer will help solidify an already impressive rotation for the 2020 season. Yasiel Puig's impending free agency made him expendable for a team fading out of the playoff race, but losing Taylor Trammell in the deal is a tougher pill to swallow. However, Trammell's struggled during his first taste of Double-A and the Reds later got center field prospect Jameson Hannah from the Oakland Athletics. Bauer only having one more year left before free agency creates an awfully small window for the Reds to rebound. B
Cleveland Indians: Cleveland addressed its biggest issue - outfield hitting - by acquiring legitimate impact bats in Franmil Reyes and Puig. All the Indians had to give up was a mercurial starter who, though elite at times, wasn't indispensable with Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and Danny Salazar all coming back from injury. They also added a potential future rotation piece in Logan Allen. Wow. A+
Colorado Rockies: This season seems like a wash and the Rockies may just look to hit refresh ahead of 2020. Rumblings of a possible Charlie Blackmon trade proved false. Instead of selling for the sake of it, being prudent was the order of the day for Colorado. B-
Detroit Tigers: Detroit moved Nicholas Castellanos and Shane Greene, receiving a handful of prospects in return. Mission accomplished, even if it further signifies how far away from relevance the Tigers are. They also didn't budge from their asking price for lefty Matthew Boyd, which could prove to be a great decision if he shows his breakout season isn't a fluke. B
Houston Astros: They waited until the very end, but the Astros came up big. Acquiring Zack Greinke to join Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole in the rotation makes them immediate World Series favorites. And - with Cole an impending free agent - it relieves some of the pressure this offseason. They also dealt outfielder Derek Fisher - whom they weren't using - to Toronto for Aaron Sanchez, Joe Biagini, and prospect Cal Stevenson. Lost in all the commotion is the fact they re-acquired catcher Martin Maldonado. Great deadline. Best deadline. A+
Kansas City Royals: It's kind of surprising Ian Kennedy or Billy Hamilton didn't get traded, but the Royals were never earmarked for a busy deadline day. They moved Jake Diekman and Homer Bailey leading up to the trade deadline, which is fine. Ho-hum, the rebuild marches on. C
Los Angeles Angels: Other than getting catcher Max Stassi from the Astros, it was a near-nothingburger of a deadline for the Angels. A lack of prospect capital prevented them from landing major-league pieces that could put them over the top in the wild-card race. C
Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers' biggest acquisitions in July were Tyler White, Jedd Gyorko, and Adam Kolarek. They've practically won the NL West, so major changes weren't necessarily in order. However, the bullpen isn't as sharp as it could be, which may be a problem in the playoffs. Kolarek won't be enough. There's no margin for error in L.A. this season after losing back-to-back World Series. Anything less than a championship will be a disappointment, and if the Dodgers fall short again, their lack of movement at the deadline will come under even more scrutiny. D-
Miami Marlins: Great day for the Marlins. Getting two top offensive prospects in Jesus Sanchez - from the Rays - and Jazz Chisholm - from the D-Backs - is a major win, even if it cost them some talent. Ryne Stanek is also a fine bullpen arm who could be a trade chip next year, if not their closer. Not being able to find suitors for Starlin Castro or Curtis Granderson docks them a bit. A-
Milwaukee Brewers: Jake Faria is a fine addition, even if it cost 2018 All-Star Jesus Aguilar. Though he's struggled this season, Aguilar has been better of late. The Brewers also sent one of their top remaining prospects in Mauricio Dubon to the Giants for lefty Drew Pomeranz and reliever Ray Black. Faria and previously acquired Jordan Lyles provide rotation help, but neither fully addresses the team's ineffective starting pitching. D
Minnesota Twins: Sergio Romo and Sam Dyson could help a roughed-up bullpen. However, with no additions to the rotation, this has to be viewed as a disappointing trade deadline for the Twins, as the Indians have aggressively added reinforcements. C+
New York Mets: Adding Marcus Stroman should be viewed as a coup, but the Mets' real victories are the moves they didn't make. Keeping Noah Syndergaard and Edwin Diaz represents cooler heads prevailing, which hasn't always been the case in Queens. Even holding onto Zack Wheeler makes sense if they're serious about making a push toward the wild card. They have the NL East's best rotation by a wide margin. B+
New York Yankees: An unwillingness to part with top prospects or outfielder Clint Frazier prevented the Yankees from obtaining any significant upgrades. That may prove costly with Luke Voit hitting the injured list for an extended period and Giancarlo Stanton apparently no closer to a return. The rotation has been a bit of a mess, and yet the Yankees stood pat on the hope that Luis Severino will be ready and effective for the postseason. It's a massively underwhelming deadline for New York. F
Oakland Athletics: The A's started early, adding minor pieces in starter Homer Bailey and reliever Jake Diekman in separate deals with the Royals. Their biggest pickup is right-hander Tanner Roark. With so much young pitching on the horizon, these seem like temporary moves despite the team being in the heat of the wild-card race. B
Pittsburgh Pirates: Holding onto Felipe Vazquez is smart considering how team-friendly his contract is. Moving veteran Corey Dickerson makes sense, even if the return was relatively negligible. C-
Philadelphia Phillies: They didn't do much, but the Phillies addressed their outfield issues by adding Corey Dickerson from the Pirates. Jason Vargas being the lone rotation addition is underwhelming, especially after the Nationals and Braves both addressed their biggest weaknesses and the Mets decided to hold onto all their star pitchers. C+
San Diego Padres: Adding Taylor Trammell isn't bad, but the cost is curious. Franmil Reyes has hit 43 home runs since the start of 2018 in only 186 games. Even with an outfield surplus, moving him and Logan Allen for Trammell seems like an overpay at first blush. If Trammell lives up to his first-round draft selection, the deal could be a boon down the road. C
San Francisco Giants: Weird day by the Bay. Neither Madison Bumgarner nor Will Smith - the most commonly mentioned names in trade rumors - changed teams. But the Giants did trade Drew Pomeranz, Mark Melancon, and Sam Dyson in various deals while also adding Scooter Gennett and Dan Winkler. Additionally, they picked up intriguing prospects like Mauricio Dubon, Tristan Beck, and Jaylin Davis. San Francisco also got the Braves to eat the rest of Melancon's contract, so that's a win in its own right. B+
Seattle Mariners: Moving Mike Leake, Roenis Elias, and Hunter Strickland makes a bunch of sense, even if it's unclear what the returns will provide long term. After all the noise general manager Jerry Dipoto made in the offseason, it was unlikely Seattle was going to be as active at the deadline. C
St. Louis Cardinals: Jedd Gyorko is gone, and that's about it. The Cardinals have needs in the bullpen, rotation, and maybe offensive depth, yet they mostly stood pat despite being in the NL Central lead by a smidge. Inactivity has become the standard for St. Louis at the deadline in recent years, which has to be disappointing for fans of the club. Granted, they could've been forced to deal prospects like Dylan Carlson and/or Nolan Gorman for an impact player, which wouldn't have been palatable. Even still, this is a fanbase that's understandably growing more impatient. F
Tampa Bay Rays: Adding Jesus Aguilar provides the Rays needed right-handed power, even if he is having a down season. They also acquired quality depth in Eric Sogard, who can play all over the place and is in the midst of his best offensive season. Nothing earth-shattering, but these are understandable moves. B
Texas Rangers: Sending reliever Chris Martin to the Braves for Kolby Allard is a nice move with some upside. Martin wasn't a long-term option, and Allard - a former first-rounder - is only 21 and could be a rotation piece going forward. Neither Mike Minor nor Lance Lynn got moved, but both are under contract beyond this season. More curious was the Rangers' inability to trade either Hunter Pence or Asdrubal Cabrera, but the market just may not have been there. B+
Toronto Blue Jays: It's a total reset for the Blue Jays as they dive deeper into a rebuild. Trading Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman signifies a massive shift from the previous regime. Moving Eric Sogard, David Phelps, and Daniel Hudson for literally anything is a win, though, considering the team's limited investment in them. Not moving Ken Giles - due at least in part to injury - limited the overall haul the Jays could've gotten. C-
Washington Nationals: After the Tigers insisted on getting Carter Kieboom for closer Shane Greene, the Nats pivoted toward Blue Jays right-hander Daniel Hudson and Mariners relievers Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland for considerably lower acquisition costs. With the offense and rotation in decent shape - assuming Max Scherzer can return at full strength - shoring up the relief corps was paramount. B-