A number of big trades went down before the 2012 MLB trade deadline as big names went from struggling teams to teams that are in contention in the playoff races.
These deals could help shape the results that we see throughout the rest of the season. There were certainly a number of winners and losers from the 2012 MLB trade deadline.
The following analysis is for the biggest deals that went down on July 31st.
Major League Baseball’s trade deadline always brings its fair share of surprises and game-changing moves, and this year was no different.
Several contenders picked up some prime additions, including by two bitter divisional rivals.
Other teams, on the other hand, didn’t get what they needed or didn’t get rid of all their excess baggage.
Here’s a look at the winners and losers of MLB‘s trade deadline on Tuesday.
Winners
San Francisco Giants
On Tuesday, the Giants acquired outfielder Hunter Pence from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for outfielder Nate Schierholtz, catching prospect Tommy Joseph and Class A right-hander Seth Rosin.
Pence, 29, is hitting .271 with 17 home runs, 59 RBI and 59 runs this season. He represents a big upgrade at right field for the Giants, who were starting Schierholtz and Gregor Blanco at the time of the trade.
While Pence’s average has dipped overall this season, he’s a two-time All-Star who hit .324 with 11 home runs, 35 RBI and 35 runs in 54 games with the Phillies last season. He’s a high-caliber player who should significantly help the Giants’ offense down the stretch.
The Giants had to give up Joseph, their No. 5 prospect according to MLB.com, but it may be well worth it, especially because there’s a chance they keep Pence after this season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers not only picked up a steady veteran in outfielder Shane Victorino for the stretch run, they also added Seattle Mariners right-hander Brandon League.
Victorino has batted .261 with nine home runs, 46 runs, 40 RBI and 24 stolen bases this season and should be a nice addition for the Dodgers, especially if they make it to the postseason. Victorino hit .316 in the playoffs for the Philadelphia Phillies last season.
As for League, he’s posted a 3.63 ERA this season in the AL. He will help add depth to the Dodgers’ bullpen.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves had to give up highly-touted prospects Arodys Vizcaino and Jaye Chapman, but they bolstered their starting pitching, which was much-needed, by acquiring left-hander Paul Maholm from the Chicago Cubs.
Maholm has backed up a solid 2011 campaign with a 3.74 ERA and 1.24 WHIP this season. Batters are hitting .256 against him in 2012, the best mark of his career since his first full season in 2006.
Cincinnati Reds
Right before the trade deadline on Tuesday, the Cincinnati Reds traded for closer Jonathan Broxton, significantly bolstering the bullpen.
The Reds figure to combine Broxton with Aroldis Chapman as a fantastic right-handed, left-handed one-two punch.
Broxton has posted a 2.27 ERA this season while converting 23 of 27 save opportunities with the Kansas City Royals.
Losers
Texas Rangers
The Rangers desperately needed an ace headed into the trade deadline after Colby Lewis was lost for the year, but instead they got a decent pitcher in Ryan Dempster and traded for a catcher in Geovany Soto who is hitting .199 for the season in 176 at-bats.
Soto is far removed from his All-Star season in 2008 and the Rangers may slide without a true ace in the second half.
On top of all of this, the Los Angeles Angels just landed former Milwaukee Brewers ace Zack Greinke.
Let’s put it this way: Before the trade deadline, the Rangers were arguably the No. 1 team in baseball. After the trade deadline, they’ve slid significantly.
Chicago Cubs
Sure, the Cubs got rid of Dempster (which was an adventure in itself), but they weren’t able to unload Matt Garza or Alfonso Soriano.
Garza should have netted them a few nice prospects or top draft picks, but the Cubs never got it done. The 28-year-old has posted a 3.91 ERA and 1.18 WHIP this season in Chicago, holding batters to a .236 batting average in the process.
Perhaps the Cubs can find a great deal for Garza in the winter, but, for now, they are losers at the deadline.
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Like a moth drawn into a flame, fans of the Boston Red Sox were drawn in by the cunning proclamations made by team president Larry Lucchino that general manager Ben Cherington would be able to make “bold moves” at the trading deadline.
3:59 pm: nothing.
4:00 pm: nothing.
Oh sure, the Red Sox did make two moves today, neither of which can be classified as bold, that’s for sure.
For example, WEEI.com’s Alex Speier reported the first move that came through was a trade that sent pitcher Matt Albers and outfielder Scott Podsednik to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for left-handed pitcher Craig Breslow.
Breslow will be returning for his second stint with the Red Sox, as he played in Boston in 2006-2007.
In 40 games for the D’backs, he owns a 2-0 record with a 2.70 ERA and 1.177 WHIP in 43.1 innings of work on the season. Additionally he owns a 8.7 K/9 ratio, which really, other than being a lefty, is the only upgrade over Albers.
The second move, also reported by WEEI‘s Alex Speier, was one that saw the team send triple-A first baseman Lars Anderson to the Cleveland Indians; not for Justin Masterson, which would have been a pleasant surprise, but for double-A knuckleballer Steven Wright.
Through 20 starts in the Eastern League, Wright is 9-6 with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.280 WHIP for Akron.
Through 115.2 innings of service, the 27-year-old righty has 101 strikeouts and 62 walks with opposing batters hitting just .207 against him.
While the pulse of the fanbase certainly suggested the team should either sell big or sign big, the brass did neither and decided to stand firm with the team in which they’ve already built.
What does that mean for the team moving forward?
Realistically speaking, the division race is all but over. Give the New York Yankees the pennant now, they’ve earned it.
That said, the Red Sox are still four games out of the second wild-card berth.
Your starting left fielder, Carl Crawford, is fighting through injuries to take the field every day. The team needs to just shut him down at this point and allow for him to get the Tommy John surgery he has been hinting towards this season.
Allow for an infusion of youth to take the field. With Ryan Sweeney out on the disabled list after punching a door and injuring his hand on Monday night, the team will have Ryan Kalish playing in his place.
A better idea would be to have Kalish play in place of Crawford and put Cody Ross in right.
Rookie third baseman Will Middlebrooks has seemingly found his swing again, going yard Monday night against the Detroit Tigers. His bat will be needed, especially while DH David Ortiz still sits on the sidelines.
It was nice to see Dustin Pedroia find his power as well. Pedey had his “La Luna” shot, as he prefers it to be called, when he also homered against the Tigers.
Adrian Gonzalez has been the best hitter in baseball over the past 28 days. He has batted .392/.410/.548/.957 in his last 20 games. He’s added four home runs and 19 RBI, which, doing the math, puts him back to being the 30-home run, 100-plus RBI-caliber player the Red Sox thought he could be.
True, the shortstop position has been one of inconsistency. However, offensively that has been borderline irrelevant for the team.
The true question marks for the Boston Red Sox come down to just two names: Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.
Historically, in the months of August, September and finishing off the regular season in October, Josh Beckett owns a .564 winning percentage, which equates to a 44-34 career record.
As for Jon Lester, his figures are actually much better. He owns a .695 winning percentage in those months with a career record of 30-13.
If the two pitchers can combine to win half of their remaining starts, the team has a shot. This is something that has eluded the duo thus far in 2012.
Combined, they own a 10-17 record with a .371 winning percentage. If the tandem could have mustered just a slightly higher winning percentage, the Red Sox might even own the wild-card lead right now.
So Red Sox fans, that is where the team stands right now. Ask yourself, are you happy with the direction they’re taking?
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The Yankees didn’t make the big splash at the 4 p.m. deadline for a player like Ryan Dempster or Matt Garza.
Instead, they made a trade more on need for third base, as they acquired third baseman Casey McGehee from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for reliever Chad Qualls, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Got 2d confirm, #Yankeess did get McGehee for Qualls
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 31, 2012
The 29-year-old McGehee is only hitting .230 with eight home runs and 35 RBI in 92 games for the Pirates.
With the injury to Alex Rodriguez, breaking his hand on a hit-by-pitch by Felix Hernandez, the Yankees needed to find a more everyday replacement to step in.
Two years ago when he was with the Milwaukee Brewers, McGehee hit .285 with 23 home runs and 104 RBI, which are very good numbers.
McGehee is up for arbitration after the 2012 season and won’t be a free agent until at least after the 2015 season, so he’s not just a rental the Yankees picked up.
McGehee is only making $2.5 million in 2013, so the Yankees taking on his salary isn’t going to break their budget.
Not only can McGehee play third base, he could also play first base as well—giving Joe Girardi some versatility in his lineup with using players at different positions.
Qualls became expendable because the Yankees will activate Joba Chamberlain off the DL. So, just one month after getting him from the Phillies, Qualls goes back to the National League.
It’s a low-risk move for the Yankees with the potential of a high-reward if McGehee can hit like he did two years ago in Milwaukee.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman didn’t want to give away top prospects for rentals, but instead he traded for a guy with a low salary who he can control over the next couple of seasons who might be able to produce for the Yankees.
Will McGehee flounder under the pressure of the Bronx, or will he thrive in his new settings?
Only time will tell to see if Cashman pulled off another great trade that helped the Yankees.
Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.
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With less than 72 hours remaining before the trade deadline, the Atlanta Braves are not having much luck when it comes to adding a starter to their rotation. They thought they landed Ryan Dempster from the Cubs, but Dempster was able to veto that deal. Since then Zack Greinke and Wandy Rodriguez were each dealt and Matt Garza got hurt.
That leaves high-priced options like James Shields and Josh Johnson as the top pitchers on the market, and both of those guys have been struggling this year. Francisco Liriano is even more unpredictable and wouldn’t be much of an upgrade over the guys the Braves want to replace in the rotation.
This article takes a look at three guys the Braves should consider adding as a “plan B” after being unable to land one of the big guns without mortgaging the future. None of these guys will front a playoff rotation, but all would be an upgrade over the current back end of the rotation and will offer some consistency.
The Miami Marlins are doing the opposite of trying to sell Josh Johnson. To ask for an organization’s top prospects in return for a guy who’s been battling health issues is one thing, but he hasn’t been the World Series champion pitcher we still try to envision him as.
The asking price for Johnson is high, unreasonable and irrational for most every team in the majors.
According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the Marlins are asking for players comparable to Jurickson Profar and Travis d’Arnau to get the trade talks going.
Josh Johnson is not worth the Texas Rangers‘ and Toronto Blue Jays‘ major league ready, No. 1 prospects—plain and simple.
Unless the Marlins are willing to lower the price on JJ, there’s no way any team is going to bite. The Rangers and Angels have reportedly backed out from trade talks involving Johnson because they feel the price tag is too high. But if the price comes down, Texas is willing to talk.
Another issue is Johnson’s home and away split. He is definitely a better pitcher in Miami (5-4, 3.35 ERA) as opposed to his awful numbers on the road (1-3, 5.48 ERA).
Is Josh Johnson a sub-par pitcher? No. But he is not as high-priced as the Marlins organization is trying to sell him as. His 2012 numbers aren’t as attractive as his 2009-10 numbers, when he was a combined 26-11.
Since then, he’s 9-8 and has struggled with injuries.
Will JJ go at this year’s trade deadline? Possibly. According to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, the Marlins want more for Johnson than the Los Angeles Angels gave up for Zack Greinke.
If that isn’t an indication of what the Marlins are trying to do, I don’t know what is.
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The San Francisco Giants finally made a trade, just like we all knew they would.
No, they didn’t bring in Hunter Pence. No, Shin-Soo Choo isn’t coming to San Francisco. And no, Brandon League won’t be wearing a Giants uniform today.
However, Marco Scutaro will be. The AP reports that Scutaro has been traded to the Giants (h/t Fox News).
Scutaro is a versatile infielder who will likely fill in at third in Pablo Sandoval‘s absence. He has solid stats this year and will definitely help San Francisco’s slumping offense.
Here are three reasons why this trade makes the Giants the team to beat.
It seems like just a few days ago that nearly every Philadelphia Phillies player could be acquired in the right deal.
Of course, signing an All-Star pitcher to a long-term extension and winning four straight games leading up to the trade deadline can change things.
But that has not, however, stopped teams from displaying their interest in certain players.
According to a recent tweet by Jon Morosi, the San Francisco Giants could make a run at Hunter Pence if the Phillies decide to deal him prior to the trade deadline.
With Hamels in the fold long term, the Phillies’ payroll for this season and next is expected to exceed the $178 million luxury-tax threshold. Additionally, Pence is likely to receive a salary increase through arbitration, as he is still signed through next season. Therefore, moving Pence could make sense to give the Phillies payroll flexibility this season and next.
But trading him to the San Francisco Giants? Not a good idea.
For one, the Phillies are currently 14.5 games back in the National League East and 10.5 games back in the wild-card standings. The Giants, meanwhile, currently have a two-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West.
However, both the Phillies and Giants could have a tough battle in their respective divisions going forward due to the teams near the top of the standings.
The Washington Nationals, who are in first place in the NL East, have a roster that features a starting rotation that has the best ERA in the NL. Combined with a roster that also features a great deal of young talent, the Nationals could be in contention for NL East titles beyond this season.
This means that the wild-card playoff spots could come into play for the Phillies until they are able to add young talent to their lineup.
Meanwhile, new ownership for the Dodgers has already showed a willingness to spend money, as they have recently acquired Hanley Ramirez from the Miami Marlins. The Giants seemingly have their own perennial competition for a division title, and a wild-card spot could also come into play.
If the Phillies were to trade Pence to the Giants, they could be trading an All-Star outfielder to a team they will be in direct competition with for a wild-card spot both this season and next.
Furthermore, trading Pence to the Giants would essentially mean the Phillies are preparing more so for next season, although they just made their task more difficult.
The Giants could have added incentive to try and acquire Pence since they currently have two outfielders set to hit free agency after this season in Angel Pagan and Melky Cabrera.
The team’s farm system, however, is likely lacking pieces that would intrigue the Phillies enough to trade their starting right fielder.
Between trading an All-Star outfielder to a team that already has a .261 batting average, which ranks fourth in the NL, and improving a team that they could be in direct competition with for a wild-card spot this season and next, any offer from the Giants would have to blow the Phils away.
Chances are a deal with the Giants wouldn’t provide the Phillies with enough value to make the trade.
Trading Pence could still be an option for the Phils as they look to lower their payroll this season and avoid paying the luxury tax. But with Shane Victorino set to become a free agent after this season, the Phillies would need to replace their entire starting outfield if they deal Pence.
That doesn’t mean a deal won’t happen, but the Phillies will need to be swept off their feet to make the trade.
And making a trade with the Giants will make a run at the postseason that much harder this season and next.
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Where are the top landing spots for the best remaining MLB pitchers reportedly on the market?
The MLB’s Tuesday trade deadline is rapidly approaching and teams are, as usual, hurrying to try to make short or long-term fixes to their ball clubs. Teams are made and broken with late July deals of this kind.
Due to the new collective bargaining agreement, recent changes in trade deadline rules have altered the way teams are approaching this year’s deadline. Teams are less willing to take on “rental players” due to those changes which specify that teams will not receive draft-pick compensation for acquiring those players.
Let’s take a look at the big name pitchers who are reportedly on the trade market and where they will likely end up, if anywhere, before Tuesday’s deadline.
Josh Johnson, SP, Miami Marlins
Johnson has a favorable contract situation and has a vast amount of potential working in his favor. He’s a very desired commodity, one of the best potential targets for clubs looking to improve the middle-to-bottom of their rotation. His ceiling is certainly much higher, but with his inconsistent play, especially on the road this season, is he worth the risk?
That’s the question teams are asking themselves right now as the Marlins continue to desire a hefty ransom in exchange for the right-hander.
Top Landing Spot: Texas Rangers: With the Angels adding Zack Greinke to their rotation, the Rangers need to make a move in order to keep pace. The Rangers are reportedly interested and engaged in talks, but not fully committed to the idea of surrendering the asking price due to concerns about Johnson. Also, they don’t need to hoard prospects when they are ready to compete and win a World Series NOW.
Most Likely Landing Spot: Miami Marlins: The Marlins are asking way too much for their ace in a down year. If they are willing to get more flexible, something may catch fire. However, as it sits right now, don’t be surprised
Matt Garza, SP, Chicago Cubs
Matt Garza may have been shutdown until after the trade deadline, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation and rumors about where the Chicago Cubs right-hander will end up.
MRI shows fluid still in Garza’s triceps. Won’t pitch until after trade deadline.
— Doug Padilla (@ESPNChiCubs) July 27, 2012
According to Jon Heyman, CBS Sports baseball insider, the Cubs are reportedly looking to move the starting pitcher after breaking off contract extension talks this past spring. The timing of Garza’s injury may have stalled the Cubs ability to move him before Tuesday’s deadline, but they certainly are not going to stop there.
Heyman also said the team will more than likely continue to pursue trade options into the winter if they cannot move him now.
Top Landing Spot: Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers need to upgrade their starting rotation as they begin to make a push for the postseason. As buyers right now, they may be able to cut a deal to get Garza cheaper due to the injury that has him sidelined until after the trade deadline. However, the Cubs may be willing to wait until winter in order to get full value for Garza.
Most Likely Landing Spot: Chicago Cubs: The Dodgers are buying right now and may be able to lure Garza away from Chicago for the right price. However, due to his injury, the Cubs may be stuck and unable to move him as desired.
James Shields, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
Shields told media that his recent struggles haven’t been attributed to the mental effects of trade speculation and rumors that have surrounded the right-hander.
Rays manager Joe Maddon said, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, he doesn’t think the Rays will move Shields before the deadline.
“All this conjecture does occur, and there’s reasons why they’re pointing at James. But I still believe in my heart of hearts that it’s not going to happen, and it’s going to move on and we’re going to be normal and he’s going to pitch like he can over the last two months of the season.”
At the same time, if Shields doesn’t recover from this slump he is in, this may be the most opportune time for them to benefit from dealing their former ace.
Top Landing Spot: Atlanta Braves: The Braves are interested in Shields and are currently in position to make some noise in the NL pennant race. They’ve got young pitching talent that Tampa desires and would be ideal trade partners. They need to do something in order to maintain pace with the other wild-card hopefuls: Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and L.A. Dodgers. All of those teams are looking to improve at the trade deadline and the Braves are no different.
Most Likely Landing Spot: Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays will likely hold onto Shields and hope he turns the corner and returns to his former self down the stretch. The team is currently in the running for a wild-card berth and selling now, especially a talent like Shields, would signal giving up by general manager Andrew Friedman.
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The Rays are in the playoff hunt, and they’re looking to make some moves to improve their playoff chances. Luckily for them, they made one.
Tampa Bay traded for D-Backs third baseman Ryan Roberts, who will provide depth to the infield. Roberts blasted 19 home runs last year in a breakout season, and while he isn’t doing too well this year, he is an upgrade over Brooks Conrad and Sean Rodriguez at third base.
Roberts is hitting .250 with six homers and 34 RBI this year. He has a solid .306 OBP, and has only struck out 45 times in 252 at-bats. Roberts has hit a lot of singles this year, but he definitely has some much-needed power. Tampa Bay’s offense needs a spark, and Roberts could provide that.
As for the D-Backs, they received Tyler Bortnick. Bortnick is a Double-A second baseman who is hitting .253 this year. Bortnick isn’t having a good year, although he is fast and hit .306 last year. Arizona probably could’ve asked for more, but the D-Backs want to build a great team around their young stars.
The D-Backs are currently just six games back of the first-place San Francisco Giants, but they seem to be in “sell” mode. Instead of giving Roberts a chance to bounce back and help the D-Backs in the second half, they traded him for an infielder who probably won’t be ready to play this year.
As for the Rays, they acquired a much-needed piece to improve their infield. The Rays are just 2.5 games out of the Wild Card race, despite lots of uncertainly at second base, third base and shortstop. Carlos Pena is Tampa Bay’s everyday first baseman, while Sean Rodriguez, Brooks Conrad, Elliott Johnson and Jeff Keppinger fill in the other infield spots.
Conrad, Rodriguez and Johnson haven’t been great, and Roberts is definitely an upgrade. Tampa Bay already has a good outfield and pitching staff, and with the one area they really needed to upgrade out of the way, the Rays can focus on other minor moves to improve the bullpen and add depth to the rotation.
However, it looks like the biggest move (if the Rays don’t move James Shields) is out of the way. Roberts is ready to break out in the second half, and since the Rays are definitely within striking distance, I wouldn’t be surprised if Roberts ends up being a key contributor to the Rays in a playoff run.
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