We’re a little over 24 hours removed from the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline, and we’re still sorting through the ramifications of all of it. Which teams truly made themselves better? Who bungled big opportunities to improve their team? Which players figure to gain or lose the most fantasy value? While we covered some of those topics on Wednesday, today we had our staff weigh in on some of the key questions in the aftermath of the deadline.
Check below to see what five of our baseball analysts think about the teams and players who were most impacted by the deadline and what it means for the playoff race.
What was the most surprising trade at this year’s deadline?
George Bissell: Jason Adam, P, Padres: The assumption heading into the trade deadline was that the Rays would be willing to deal away closer Pete Fairbanks, which would’ve led to a clear path for Adam to take over as their primary stopper. Instead, it was Fairbanks who wound up staying with Adam jettisoned to the Padres where he’ll bolster their formidable high-leverage mix.
Nick Schlain: The Padres acquired Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing for three of their top prospects. This was Padres GM AJ Preller’s style, but Scott is a rental reliever and it seems like they gave up a lot.
James Schiano: Isaac Paredes for Christopher Morel, Hunter Bigge, and Ty Johnson. It felt like the Cubs bought high on Paredes - as we sometimes do in fantasy baseball - but Wrigley Field is not as friendly to right-handed hitters compared to Tropicana Field and part of me feels like the Rays might’ve gotten one over on the Cubs. Especially after watching Morel launch two homers in his first two games as a Ray. Also, Hunter Bigge has true closer stuff with an explosive, upper-90s fastball, and devastating slider.
Eric Samulski: The Orioles trading for Eloy Jimenez. I mean, the Orioles made a ton of weird moves, but I honestly don’t get the Jimenez one. They still have Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O’Hearn, so Jimenez can’t be a full-time DH, which means he was acquired to just start against left-handed pitching. However, the Orioles also traded for Austin Slater, who was, presumably, added just to start against left-handed pitching. All of that means the Orioles are taking good young hitters like Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser and forcing them into platoon roles, but it also means they may platoon Cedric Mullins and keep platooning Ryan O’Hearn, so they’ve just created a logjam of good players who will have to sit because Eloy Jimenez, who hasn’t been much of a factor in years, will need to play. I dunno. It didn’t feel necessary at all.
Dave Shovein: For me, the most surprising deal that was made was the Trevor Rogers deal to the Orioles. Not surprising in the fact that Rogers was dealt or that the Orioles would want to acquire him, but the fact that he was able to pull in Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers. That was the most shocking news of the day.
Who was the most surprising player NOT traded at the deadline?
Dave Shovein: I thought for sure that Luis Rengifo would get moved by the Angels. Given his versatility and the strong season that he’s having offensively, he would have been a welcomed addition to many contending teams. He’s only under team control for one more season and I think it would have been a good opportunity to add a few prospects.
James Schiano: No doubt it was Kyle Finnegan staying home in Washington. He’s had a fantastic season so far with 28 saves and a 3.48 ERA, but most of us assumed he’d be sent out with just one year of team control left and lose his closer’s duty on whichever team he wound up with. Rather, the Nationals kept their ninth-inning man in place likely because they feel they’ll be ready to compete for a playoff spot next season.
Nick Schlain: Kyle Finnegan. An All-Star closer with 28 saves on a team going nowhere who doesn’t hit free agency until 2026 and seemed like a good fit for multiple teams. It probably didn’t help that he allowed five runs the night before the deadline and saw his ERA go from 2.47 to 3.48.
Eric Samulski: It has to be Kyle Finnegan given what the market for relievers was and that his surface-level stats were much better than the underlying metrics. But I know many people will mention him, so I’ll say Tyler Anderson. I’m not sure what the Angels are doing. He’s a 34-year-old starter amid a tremendous bounceback season with a 2.96 ERA in 130 2/3 innings. He’s not somebody their building the 2025 rotation around. He should have been shipped off for prospects so the Angels could call Reid Detmers back up and put him in the rotation to close the season.
Which team(s) improved the most at the deadline?
Eric Samulski: Are we not allowed to say the Dodgers? They added the best rental starter in Jack Flaherty, which means they need to rely less on young, unproven pitchers (Gavin Stone, River Ryan, Justin Wrobleski) while Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller figure out their issues. They also added Tommy Edman, and even though he’s coming off a wrist injury, he’s a really good defensive shortstop, which will allow Mookie Betts to go back to the outfield and make the Dodgers’ defense that much better. They also added Amed Rosario to replace the role against left-handed pitching that Miguel Vargas had been occupying. There weren’t too many flaws with this team but they seemingly fixed them.
James Schiano: Simply for getting maybe the best player traded at the deadline, the Yankees. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has put on the pinstripes and immediately made his presence felt with four home runs, six runs scored, and eight RBI in just four games. The Yankees desperately needed a shot in the arm and Chisholm is that shot.
George Bissell: Padres, Diamondbacks: Assuming their starting rotations don’t completely collapse, the Padres and Diamondbacks each made enough significant additions to their relief corps to envision a scenario where they’re serious problems for opposing teams in the postseason. Given all of the uncertainty surrounding the injury-plagued Dodgers, there’s a chance for both teams to make up some serious ground in the NL West over the next few weeks.
Dave Shovein: Two teams stand out to me as the big winners at the deadline. The Cardinals landed one of the top available starting pitchers (Erick Fedde), added to their bullpen (Shawn Armstrong), got a solid bat to mash against left-handed pitching (Tommy Pham), and didn’t have to trade away anything of consequence to get it done. Bravo. I also think that the Guardians did a nice job, adding a potential impact arm in Alex Cobb and picking up Lane Thomas without giving up any of their top prospects.
Nick Schlain: Dodgers, Guardians, Yankees, and Phillies.
Jack Flaherty was the biggest move made at the deadline and gives the Dodgers a scary 1-2-3 if he, Tyler Glasnow, and Clayton Kershaw are all healthy in October. Tommy Edman and Kevin Kiermaier can be good role players for the Dodgers as well.
Lane Thomas fits the Guardians perfectly, hitting second between Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez. Alex Cobb isn’t Flaherty, but he could be a solid No. 3 starter behind Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams in a playoff series. A necessary upgrade for a team otherwise relying on Ben Lively and Carlos Carrasco.
Jazz Chisholm has announced his presence on the Yankees with authority already and Mark Leiter Jr. was an underrated addition to the bullpen given how well he pitched leading up to the deadline (7 2/ 3 innings, no runs, no hits, no walks, 14 strikeouts).
The Phillies didn’t have many needs, but acquiring Austin Hays solves their left field problem and Carlos Estevez and Tanner Banks are clear upgrades from Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto in the bullpen.
Which team(s) made the most puzzling deal(s) at the deadline?
George Bissell: Pirates. I’m not sure that adding Bryan De La Cruz and an injured Isiah Kiner-Falefa was enough for the Pirates, who have some serious holes in their lineup. It’s unfortunate since rookie sensation Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller give them a real shot in any postseason series. That’s before we even factor in the emergence of Luis Ortiz and the looming return of top prospect Jared Jones. They had an opportunity to do more here and it felt like they missed an opportunity to really go for it.
Dave Shovein: I’ve already mentioned the Trevor Rogers deal as surprising, so we’ll go with the Astros’ acquisition of Yusei Kikuchi. It wasn’t puzzling that they would want to acquire the 33-year-old southpaw as a rental for the remainder of the season, but giving up Jake Bloss, Joey Loperfido, and Will Wagner to do so was a real head-scratcher. This will be one of those deals that we look back on in a couple of years and wonder what the Astros were thinking.
James Schiano: The Colorado Rockies and it’s more about the deals they didn’t make. Another deadline has passed and Ryan McMahon is still there. Cal Quantrill stayed home too in something of a renaissance season and with another year of control. As did Brendan Rodgers, Austin Gomber, and Elias Díaz. The Rockies’ toxic trait is constantly believing they’re one move away, but they are sorely mistaken and missed a golden opportunity to improve their future in this deadline’s seller’s market.
Nick Schlain: The Orioles. Seranthony Dominguez, Christian Pache, Gregory Soto, Zach Eflin, Trevor Rogers, Austin Slater and Eloy Jimenez. The Orioles currently have 30 players listed on FanGraphs’ roster resource page and that’s not including Jackson Holiday, who is expected to join the roster shortly. The only decent players the Orioles gave up were Austin Hays, Kyle Stowers, and Connor Norby and maybe I’m just not seeing how all of these pieces fit together just yet, but given the depth of their system, Baltimore could’ve been the clear winners of this deadline. They could’ve pursued an upgrade in centerfield and another top pitcher to pair with Corbin Burnes. Instead, they acquired bench bats, back-of-the-rotation starters, and relievers the Phillies were willing to part with. Solid, but certainly underwhelming for a team in their contention window that could’ve pushed its chips in a little more.
Eric Samulski: To me, it can only be the Orioles. They’ve held onto their prospects for so long and I was a bit dumbfounded by the moves they finally decided to make. On the surface, I have no problem with them dealing Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers, but I think Trevor Rogers was an extremely light return. I know he’s had a hot stretch of late, but he looks nothing like the pitcher we saw dominate a few years ago. The fastball velocity is down and the slider doesn’t look nearly the same. I’m not sure Rogers is a lock to be in the rotation all year next year if their young arms develop. Then they finally cleared playing time for their young outfielders only to add Austin Slater and Eloy Jimenez. It’s just all a bit confounding to me that a team with a great chance to win a World Series decided that these were the moves to make to get there.
Now that the deadline has passed, which teams will make the playoffs in the AL?
Nick Schlain: Yankees, Guardians, Mariners, Orioles, Twins, and Royals
Dave Shovein: Orioles, Guardians, and Astros as division winners. Yankees, Royals, and Red Sox as Wild Cards.
George Bissell: Guardians, Orioles, Mariners, Yankees (WC), Royals (WC), Twins (WC)
Eric Samulski: Orioles, Astros, and Guardians will win their divisions. The Yankees, Twins, and Red Sox will be the Wild Card teams.
James Schiano: Yankees, Twins, and Astros will win their divisions with the Orioles, Guardians, and Mariners grabbing Wild Card berths.
Now that the deadline has passed, which teams will make the playoffs in the NL?
Dave Shovein: Phillies, Dodgers, and Brewers as division winners. Braves, Mets, and Cardinals as Wild Cards.
Eric Samulski: Phillies, Brewers, and Dodgers will win their divisions. Braves, Padres, and Cardinals will be the Wild Cards.
James Schiano: Phillies, Brewers, and Dodgers will win their divisions with the Braves, Mets, and Padres grabbing the Wild Card Berths.
Nick Schlain: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers, Braves, Padres, Diamondbacks
George Bissell: Phillies, Dodgers, Brewers, Braves (WC), Padres (WC), Diamondbacks (WC)
Which player is your big winner at the deadline?
James Schiano: Not to beat a dead horse, but again it’s Jazz Chisholm Jr. He’s leaving the doldrums of South Beach with one of the worst lineups and ballparks to hit in for Yankee Stadium and a cozy spot behind Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the Yankees’ lineup. He’s also now playing third base and will grab that precious eligibility both there and at CI soon. He’s in line for a monstrous few months to close the season as one of the most diverse players in fantasy baseball.
Nick Schlain: Jazz Chisholm Jr. Going from the Marlins to the Yankees is one thing, but then to also make an immediate impact while filling a position of need that he’s never even played before. It doesn’t really get better than that.
George Bissell: It’s Jazz Chisholm Jr., but fantasy managers already knew that. Let’s go a bit deeper. It’s probably Orioles prospect Coby Mayo. With Connor Norby shipped to the Marlins and both Jordan Westburg and Jorge Mateo sidelined due to injury, Mayo should get some extended runway at the hot corner for Baltimore moving forward.
Dave Shovein: From a fantasy perspective, it’s Jazz Chisholm Jr. Not only does he get a major park upgrade by moving from Miami to Yankee Stadium, but the upgraded supporting cast is going to pay major dividends in his counting stats as well. We’ve already seen him catch fire in his first few games in pinstripes and I think the sky is the limit for the rest of the season.
Eric Samulski: I think it’s Jazz Chisholm, and I wrote about him on Wednesday, and I also mentioned Loperfido below, who I think is a big winner, so I’ll choose somebody else for this, and say Jorge Soler. We’ve seen Jorge Soler on the Braves before and it led to a .269 average, 14 home runs, and 33 RBI in 55 games. Oh, and the Braves won the World Series. Soler trades a slightly above-average lineup for a strong lineup and moves from Statcast’s 29th-ranked park for right-handed hitters to the eighth-ranked park for righties. That’s a pretty major upgrade, as is potentially hitting lead-off in front of Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna, and Matt Olson.
Which player should be most disappointed after the deadline?
Eric Samulski: Garrett Crochet. Crochet’s name was connected to the Dodgers, Orioles, and Yankees in addition to a few others yet he winds up staying with the White Sox. That alone is a bit of a bummer since it’s unclear when the White Sox will contend again. However, another bummer is that, since Crochet is not on a contender, his innings will continue to be manipulated. He’s thrown just 13 total innings in his last four starts, and there’s no reason to think the White Sox will change that strategy from here until the end of the season. Major bummer.
George Bissell: Jasson Domínguez, OF, Yankees. There was a chance for the Yankees to open up a spot in their outfield for Domínguez, but it didn’t wind up happening, which means he’s probably stuck at Triple-A for at least a few more weeks.
Dave Shovein: Luis Robert Jr. has to be the most disappointed player after the trade deadline. He’s stuck in a dysfunctional organization that traded away Erick Fedde, Eloy Jimenez, Tommy Pham, Michael Kopech, Tanner Banks, and Paul DeJong at the deadline and now he’s left trying to lead a band of misfits for the duration of the season.
James Schiano: Anyone on the Angels. For some reason, they only traded relievers Carlos Estévez and Luis García this week. So, Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo, and Brandon Drury all remain trapped in a pitiful lineup without the opportunity to chase a playoff spot somewhere else.
Nick Schlain: Luis Garcia. The 37-year-old has 15 saves in his 12-year career with four of them coming this year. Angels manager Ron Washington was very clear after Carlos Estevez was dealt that Garcia would be the closer for the rest of the year unless he was traded. He was the closer for one day as he recorded the save on Sunday, the Angels were off on Monday and the Red Sox acquired him just before the deadline Tuesday. Maybe the Red Sox will make the playoffs, but they probably won’t and Garcia probably won’t get this close to closing again either.
Which player should fantasy managers run out and add after this trade deadline?
George Bissell: Ben Joyce, P, Angels. The Angels shipped out both Carlos Estévez and Luis García, which creates a clear path for hard-throwing reliever Ben Joyce to take over the closing role. He hasn’t missed a ton of bats this season, but he’s immensely talented and will be an interesting addition for fantasy managers.
Nick Schlain: Ben Joyce. He’s going to be the Angels closer for the rest of the season. He can touch 103 mph and has a 2.11 ERA in 18 appearances. Since June 14th, he hasn’t allowed a run and has 18 strikeouts in 19 1/ 3 innings.
Eric Samulski: I second the choice of Ben Joyce, but to add another name here I’ll say Joey Loperfido, who now appears to be the starting left fielder for the Blue Jays. I know that people soured on Loperfido after the Astros wouldn’t play him regularly, but I firmly believe he can be an MLB regular. He had 13 home runs and nine stolen bases in just 36 games in Triple-A with above-average contact rates and elite barrel rates. He has some swing-and-miss in his game, but he doesn’t expand the zone often, and I’m willing to bet on a player who makes good swing decisions and hits the ball hard.
James Schiano: Ben Joyce needs to be rostered everywhere. He’s now far and away the most talented reliever in the Angels’ bullpen with Estévez and García on the move. I dare Ron Washington to look somewhere else than his 100 MPH fire-baller to close out the few games they’ll win for the rest of the season.
Dave Shovein: Ben Joyce, if he’s available, since he should be the next man up in the closer’s role for the Angels after Carlos Estevez and Luis Garcia were both moved at the deadline. I think Joey Loperfido will also end up as a big winner here, as the Jays don’t have anything to play for and should give him regular run for the remainder of the season to see what he can do, which immediately makes him relevant in all mixed leagues.
