The MLB Trade Deadline has come and gone, with several last-minute moves taking place that shook up races across the league. While there wasn’t a world-shattering trade like Paul Skenes being moved or a well-known player being moved for a haul of prospects, several teams bulked up their rosters or farm systems. For most of Thursday afternoon, it was one move after the other.
Various teams are taking a gamble with rentals or seeking to get a solid piece with some team control, but some clubs walked out with a lot. Not only did some buying teams win, but some teams sold off players and walked away with more than they could ask for. Some teams deserve the winner moniker for their trade hauls, and four teams now go into the rest of the season in a good spot.
The Orioles were the most obvious sellers heading into Thursday’s trade deadline, and they did exactly what they needed to. Bullpen pieces, including Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez, to lineup powerhouses in Ramon Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn, found themselves in different places. In exchange, the team bolstered their farm system with a slew of arms to aid their aging and depleted rotation.
One player the team could invest in is Boston Bateman, who came over as the headpiece in the San Diego Padres trade. The 19-year-old automatically becomes the team’s number six prospect with a three-pitch arsenal. He holds an average ERA, WHIP, and hit rate, but showcases an ability to keep balls inside the park and strikeout hitters at an elevated pace. He will need to develop a new pitch to become a full-time starter.
Juaron Watts-Brown found himself in the Orioles’ farm system as Dominguez had to cross the field to switch dugouts with the Toronto Blue Jays. Now the team’s number nine prospect, the 23-year-old holds a plus-graded slider and stable fastball-changeup combo. Per his Prospect Savant page, his curveball can be devastating, generating a 53% whiff rate. If his fastball can develop a tail at the end, he’s an immediate starter.
The Orioles needed pitching prospects and depth; they got it. Mike Elias can come out of this calling the team a winner. It all comes down to whether the team can develop them into formidable starters and kick Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott to the bullpen.
The Yankees needed several players to fill in holes around the team. Third base has been a consistent disappointment this year, while their bullpen melted down as the season went on. The question was whether the team would hug their prospects and hope for the best or make some moves at the deadline. The team chose the latter.
Ryan McMahon gives the Yankees some much-needed defensive and offensive stability at the third base position. He has two years of team control and holds the potential to hit 20 home runs for the Yankees thanks to the short right field porch. It only cost the team two pitchers, the highly ranked Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz.
On Thursday, the team made three separate deals to land three key bullpen pieces. The first is Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar, who is having a great bounce-back season after a terrible 2024 campaign. Catcher Rafael Flores and Edgleen Perez, the team’s eighth and 14th-ranked prospects, respectively, went in the deal along with an unranked outfielder.
Next, the team landed Colorado Rockies pitcher Jake Bird for emerging second base prospect Roc Riggio and left-handed pitcher Ben Shields. Last, the team traded with the San Francisco Giants at the buzzer for Camilo Doval, sending over Trystan Vrieling in a package of four prospects. Bird and Doval represent two additional arms to use in tight games.
The only problem is that the team was unable to land a starting pitcher, which they desperately need. Nevertheless, the team kept their top prospects while making upgrades where needed. Brian Cashman certainly looks like a winner at the deadline.
The Mariners walked away with perhaps the two biggest batting prizes in the entire deadline. First, they nab Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving them someone who can get on base and score runs. It acts as a nice companion piece for Cal Raleigh.
However, at the deadline, the team made a splash and reunited with third baseman Eugenio Suarez. It did cost them Tyler Locklear, who slugged 19 home runs and a .943 OPS at Triple-A this year, alongside two low-tier pitching prospects. Now the team has two players who have 78 home runs collectively this year.
It should be mentioned that this team has eight top 100 prospects in baseball, and none of them have been traded. Their pitching also remains stable for the 2025 season, with Luis Castillo and Bryan Woo holding ERAs under 3.20 and over 100 strikeouts each. If they want to in the offseason, they have prospect capital to make a gigantic trade. Maybe Skenes or Skubal?
That could be a bit far-fetched, but what’s not crazy to think about is how dangerous this team is about to come. Given that Suarez stays with the team and plays at the same level, plus all the prospects pan out, this could be one of the best deadlines the franchise has had in years.
It only took two key moves for the Astros to reassert their presence in the American League. They have the pitching, and they have a decent lineup, but they needed someone to slide into third base with Isaac Paredes out for the year.
The biggest “wow” of the deadline was made by the team, reuniting with shortstop Carlos Correa in what can only be described as a cost-cutting move by the Minnesota Twins. In addition, the Twins paid down a third of his contract in exchange for a single pitcher in Matt Mikulski. Given that Mikulski is a 26-year-old in high-A, it’s one of the most lopsided trades in recent memory on the surface.
At the same time, the team acquired some outfield help in Jesús Sánchez. Once again, the team gave away little talent in infielder Chase Jaworsky and right-handed pitcher Ryan Gusto. They stacked their lineup again to fend off the surging Mariners from the American League West crown.
There’s little to say here outside of the Correa trade. The team is now on equal footing with the Detroit Tigers for the top seat in the American League. They might now even be the best team in baseball again.
This year’s deadline was one of the more active periods in recent years, marked by close division and wild-card races. The teams above certainly made their lineups, and even their farm systems, better than when they came into July. What happens now is whether their trades will have any impact on the trajectory of their seasons. It’s going to be a fun two months of baseball.
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