Now that the dust has settled on a historic MLB trade deadline day, it’s time to take stock of where teams are. Some organizations have been energized by an influx of new talent, while others have to be feeling decimated. But the real winners after all the moving and shaking? It’s the game of baseball and its fans. 

The frequency of trades and the caliber of players that were moved were compelling enough. The fact that teams on the fringes of contention were aggressive made it the day baseball fans won’t soon forget.

In Case You Were Living Under A Rock

Obviously, the Dodgers stole the show by stealing Max Scherzer away from the Padres at the last minute. This added to their World Series credentials, and it attached a new layer of contentiousness to a simmering rivalry. When the Giants swung for, and landed, Kris Bryant, they solidified the NL West as a three-headed monster. 

There was considerable speculation about what the Yankees might do. They had been a disappointment and featured a right-handed heavy lineup that lacked athleticism. General Manager Brian Cashman is under fire but he responded by landing both Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo.

Rizzo has been on fire since donning the pinstripes and the Yankees are in the thick of the AL wild-card race. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Major League Baseball is better when the Yanks are competitive.

Arms Race

The Chicago White Sox have been one of baseball’s best teams and didn’t have obvious needs after netting Cesar Hernandez. So they focused on adding to their bullpen and turned what was already a strength into a super strength. 

They added Craig Kimbrel and Ryan Tepera to a late-inning group that already includes Liam Hendricks and Michael Kopech. This should make late-game comebacks against the Southsiders a challenging task, to say the least. 

The Houston Astros similarly had the luxury of focusing on their ‘pen. While their additions of Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero weren’t flashy, the duo should tighten up their late-inning relief. 

The White Sox and Astros could meet in the postseason. The new pitchers on either side should make their potential matchup even more compelling.

Going For It

It wasn’t just the frontrunners who were aggressive last week. The A’s, Blue Jays, Phillies, and Braves all took measured steps towards improvement. The front offices of those teams should be applauded. They looked at the standings, saw their positions, and pushed their chips to the center of the table. 

The AL East race is better with Rizzo, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Schwarber, and Jose Berrios in it. The Athletics could inch closer to the Astros with the likes of Starling Marte and Andrew Chafin. I personally don’t believe a team from the NL East will be in the World Series. However, the team that wins makes the playoffs, and good for three teams for trying!

There’s Always Next Year, Fans

To the fans of the Orioles, Tigers, Royals, Rockies, or Pirates (first of all, I salute your loyalty) you may not want to hear all that. Your team is on the verge of, or in full-on rebuilding mode. At least there are some exciting players on your team. You can revel in playing spoilers, knowing things will get better. 

Finally, to the fans of the Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals, I’m truly sorry. Especially the Cubs. Haven’t seen a team dismantled so quickly, ever. But I will remind you that they did win a World Series in the very recent past. And, as any long-suffering fan will tell you, years of misery are all worth it for a shot at championship glory. 

Several teams took chances, tried to improve, go for glory, and to have their names etched in history. And, in the end, isn’t that what it’s all about?

Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed it! Check out more of my articles here and other Belly Up content here. Follow me on Twitter here.

About Author

Graeme Wallace

My name is Graeme Wallace and I love sports I grew up with the Blue Jays World Series Championship teams in '92 and '93. There were some lean years in between but some good ones too, all leading up to Jose Bautista's epic bat flip in 2015. I'm so excited to be a part of Belly Up Sports!

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