National League trade deadline winners and losers
The Oakland A’s and Boston Red Sox live in the other league so the spotlight was off the NL, but some important moves -- and non-moves still went down in the senior circuit.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
National League East
By Nick Bond
Added: None.
Subtracted: None.
Winner or loser? Losers. The triumphant return of everyone’s favorite baseball joke, “What has 18 legs and lives in the basement? The Phillies!” means this has been a very bad, no-good season for Philadelphia’s Phavorite baseball team, one which got worse with Cliff Lee leaving Thursday’s game after cursing loudly, pointing to elbow, saying “I’m done” and then nearly crying in the dugout. Thankfully, this isn’t a team that could have been released from the bitter purgatory between a massive rebuild and massive payroll with just one or two trades in what was clearly a seller’s market.
Added: LHP James Russell, INF Emilio Bonifacio. A lefty reliever and a utility infielder are exactly the type of things you pick up when you have long playoff run on your mind.
Subtracted: Minor league catcher/third baseman Victor Caratini. A solid prospect who will likely not be missed all that much.
Winner or loser? Winners. The Braves shored up what the Atlanta Journal-Constitution called “both their deadline priorities.” In doing so, the Braves have likely increased their slightly-better-than-a-coin-flip playoff odds (50.6) while only giving up a prospect they “really liked,” as opposed to “loved” or were even “willing to move in with and see where it goes.”
Trade Deadline
Added: None.
Subtracted: None.
Winner or loser? Winners. With a team that looks poised to compete next year, the Mets stayed the course by not moving players like Daniel Murphy just because there was interest. And, really, any time the Mets get through this point in the season without something catastrophic or depressing happening is a win for everyone involved.
Added: INF Asdrubal Cabrera. He mostly plays shortstop, and Ian Desmond is entrenched as the starter there, and thus the INF. Cabrera will be moved around wherever he is needed in the Nationals infield -- which, according to manager Matt Williams, is second base. Someone should probably tell Danny Espinosa.
Subtracted: SS Zach Walters, who has twice as many strikeouts as hits this season.
Winner or loser? Winners. The Nationals mostly needed a stop-gap replacement at third for the injured Ryan Zimmerman, and this allows that replacement to be Anthony Rendon, who can hit and has played most of his games (75 so far) there already this season.
Added: Jarred Cosart, Enrique Hernandez, and Austin Wates. A fifth starter, along with some other nice pieces.
Subtracted: Colin Moran, Jake Marisnick, and Francis Martes. Either major parts of a future Astros lineup or yet another mistake in their stormy present.
Winner or loser? Winner. While the Marlins are essentially the Astros without the marketing, if Jeffrey Loria can keep his hands out of the cookie jar for just one or two more seasons, the Marlins can grow through small team-building trades like this one -- which brought in a young, inexpensive back-of-the-rotation starter in Cosart -- into a contender. Which will inevitably be sold for spare parts one or two more seasons after they achieve anything. That said, Marisnick might eventually be something, and if Colin Moran can learn to play defense at a major league level, this may come back to haunt Miami unless Casey McGehee continues to play like this for the next five years.
National League Central
By Steven Goldman
Added: Gerardo Parra
Subtracted: OF Mitch Haniger, LHP Anthony Banda
Winner or Loser? Neither? The Brewers gave up two middling prospects out of a thin farm system -- Haninger’s bat won’t play in a corner and Banda’s a low-velo lefty -- and in return they received an excellent defensive outfielder who needs to be platooned and has done most of his hitting in Arizona. Given how well Milwaukee’s outfield has hit, if Parra gets to play much it will be because something bad has happened.
Added: Well, they got Ernesto Frieri back on June 27. Does that count? Given his 10.38 ERA, it probably shouldn't count.
Subtracted: Jason Grilli in the same deal. His ERA for the Angels is about nine runs lower than Frieri's. They also sold minor-league veteran Chris Dickerson to the Indians back on July 7.
Winner or Loser? Loser, loser, loser, loser. The NL Central is there for the taking with the Brewers floundering and the Cardinals battling injuries to their pitching staff, but the Pirates sat on their hands instead of making a bold push for David Price. The fan base deserved better, and given what the Rays realized on Price, it's hard to think the Pirates couldn't have won out with an aggressive bid.
Added: None
Subtracted: Hey-howdy! None!
Winner or Loser? Losers. They're playing Brayan Pena and Jack Hannahan at first base at first base with Joey Votto out. He won't be back anytime soon, and neither will Brandon Phillips, not that he was hitting. In fact, the Reds haven't hit much even when their players were healthy. A very fine pitching staff is going to waste.
St. Louis Cardinals
Added: RHP Justin Masterson, RHP John Lackey, LHP Corey Littrell
Subtracted: OF James Ramsey, OF Allen Craig, RHP Joe Kelly
Winner or Loser? Winners. The Cardinals added needed starting pitching depth in the aftermath of Michael Wacha’s injury and a disappointing year from Shelby Miller and gave up a decent prospect, a position-less veteran who wasn’t hitting, and the strikeout-lite pitcher Joe Kelly, who hasn’t been a big contributor this year.
Justin Masterson, Photo credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Added: C Victor Caratini, LHP Felix Doubront, RHP Jonathan Martinez, SS Addison Russell, RHP Dan Straily, OF Billy McKinney
Subtracted: LHP James Russell, INF Emilio Bonifacio, INF Darwin Barney, RHP Jeff Samardzija, RHP Jason Hammel
Winner or Loser? Even though the Samardzija deal happened back at the beginning of the month we’ll count it here, especially since by July 31 all the good pieces were off the shelf. A young catcher with a good eye at the plate isn’t a bad return for fringe bits like Bonifacio and Russell, and if he disappears as he climbs the ladder, as catchers often do, well, at least you tried. Addison Russell remains the big prize. Winners.
National League West
By Eric Stephen
Added: INF Darwin Barney
Subtracted: Jonathan Martinez
Winner of Loser? Los Angeles was in discussions for top arms David Price and Jon Lester, but was unwilling to part with two of Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and Julio Urias, three of the top 20 prospects in baseball. The Dodgers, buoyed only by Tuesday's underwhelming deal for Darwin Barney, with a three-game lead and the consensus best roster in the division were the one team in the NL West that didn't have to make a move. Not a winner, but not a loser either.
Quote: “My team’s on the floor.” -Coach Norman Dale, Hoosiers.
Added: P Jake Peavy
Subtracted: P Edwin Escobar and RP Heath Hembree
Winner or Loser? With starter Matt Cain out for an extended time, San Francisco was desperate for a starting pitcher, even one who was 1-9 with a 4.72 ERA. Peavy lost his first start for the Giants, but with a shift from the AL East to his old stomping ground in the NL West and a reunion with his old manager Bruce Bochy, he could regain at least some semblance of his old form. Winner, then, at least a little.
Quote: “I can’t swim.” ”[Laughter] Are you crazy? The fall will probably kill you.” -Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
Jake Peavy, Photo credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Added: OF Abraham Almonte, P Stephen Kohlscheen, P R.J. Alvarez, P Elliot Morris, INF Taylor Lindsey and INF Jose Rondon
Subtracted: OF Chris Denorfia, RP Huston Street, minor league P Trevor Gott
Winner or Loser? Incomplete. While the Padres were active despite technically having no general manager -- a triumvirate serves a interim GMs as San Diego tries to find its next wheeler/dealer-in-chief -- they were more notable for who the didn't trade by Thursday. Both closer Joaquin Benoit, with $9.5 million guaranteed due beyond 2014 and starter Ian Kennedy, arbitration-eligible next year, were said to be in high demand. But instead the Padres will wait, perhaps until the offseason, to deal their assets.
Quote: “The people are insane. They just like talking to salesmen.” -John Williamson, Glengarry Glen Ross
Added: C/1B Peter O'Brien, OF Mitch Haniger, P Vidal Nuno
Subtracted: INF/OF Martin Prado, OF Gerardo Parra, P Brandon McCarthy
Winner or Loser? Haniger was ranked the Brewers’ No. 3 prospect by Baseball America and O’Brien is a power-hitting backstop, with 33 home runs between Class-A and Double-A this season, in 102 games. These are two top prospects from widely denigrated farm systems, so... winner?
Quote: “But our trip was different. It was to be a classic affirmation of everything right and true in the national character. A gross physical salute to the fantastic possibilities of life in this country. But only for those with true grit.” - Raoul Duke, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Added: Nada
Subtracted: Zip
Verdict: The division’s most dysfunctional team did just about what we should have expected: nothing, continuing the road to oblivion.
Quote: “All I can tell you is who’s gonna be last.” - Will Munny, Unforgiven
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