MLB Trade Deadline: Grading the Biggest Trades This Season
As Monday dawned and the 4 p.m. ET July 31 non-waiver deadline loomed, the 2017 MLB trade season was shaping up to be among the dullest in recent memory.
Yes, a few seismic deals had gone down. For the most part, however, the glut of teams on the postseason bubble seemed to be throwing off the buying and selling balance.
July 31 didn't change everything, but it did feature trades for a pair of aces that at least injected some last-minute intrigue. One of them possibly shifted the balance of power in the AL East.
Let's examine all of the biggest trades up to and including Monday's action and assign grades for the clubs involved.
No trade can be judged fully without the benefit of hindsight, but we can look at the MLB and MiLB pieces involved and assess who, if anyone, got the longer end of the stick based on stats, track record and a dollop of gut feeling.
Cubs Acquire LHP Jose Quintana from White Sox
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In the first major trade of 2017, the Chicago Cubs shored up their wobbly starting rotation by acquiring left-hander Jose Quintana from the crosstown Chicago White Sox.
It cost the Cubs dearly, as they surrendered their top two prospects in outfield stud Eloy Jimenez and hard-throwing right-hander Dylan Cease, along with lesser infield prospects Bryant Flete and Matt Rose.
In exchange, however, the North Siders landed a front-line starter who was an All-Star and top-10 Cy Young Award finisher in 2016, has at least 200 innings in each of the last four seasons and is locked into an affordable contract with club options that run through 2020.
It's already paying off, as Quintana is 2-1 with 25 strikeouts in 19 innings for the Cubbies.
As for the rebuilding White Sox, they gave up a big talent but got a hefty return and further gilded one of the most loaded farm systems in baseball.
Cubs' Grade: A
White Sox's Grade: A
Diamondbacks Acquire RF J.D. Martinez from Tigers
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As they charge toward a postseason berth, the Arizona Diamondbacks bolstered their offense by adding slugger J.D. Martinez from the Detroit Tigers.
In nine games with the Snakes, Martinez has already launched five home runs and tallied 12 RBI. He's a rental, but he looks like a good one.
"It’s still baseball," Martinez said after crushing a grand slam July 27, per Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com. "I try to just relax and just play my game."
The Tigers, meanwhile, landed third baseman Dawel Lugo and shortstops Sergio Alcantera and Jose King from a mediocre Arizona system.
It's always tough to judge prospects until you've seen their trajectory play out, but ESPN.com's Keith Law summed up the snap analysis when he called it "a light return" for Detroit.
Diamondbacks' Grade: A
Tigers' Grade: D
Yankees Acquire INF Todd Frazier and RHP David Robertson from White Sox
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In need of upgrades at first base and in the bullpen, the New York Yankees snagged a package from the White Sox that included infielder Todd Frazier and right-handed relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle.
Kahne and Robertson have been fine additions to the pen, while Frazier is hitting .212 with the Yanks and has one extra-base hit (albeit a home run) in 41 plate appearances.
To acquire the trio, New York gave up outfielder Blake Rutherford (now the No. 5 prospect in the Sox's system), left-hander Ian Clarkin (No. 24 in Chicago's system) and MLB right-hander Tyler Clippard.
Frazier's lack of production, which was predictable given the ho-hum season he was having with Chicago, drags the Yankees' grade down a bit, but Robertson and Kahnle could be key pieces for the stretch run and possibly the postseason.
Yankees' Grade: B-
White Sox's Grade: B+
Red Sox Acquire INF Eduardo Nunez from Giants
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The Boston Red Sox desperately needed a third baseman, and they found one in the form of speedy, versatile Eduardo Nunez.
Nunez, who came over from the San Francisco Giants for minor league right-handers Shaun Anderson and Gregory Santos, is hitting .417 with a pair of home runs since arriving in Beantown.
He'll be a free agent after the season and isn't an elite talent, but his legs and defensive flexibility (he can also play shortstop, second base and the outfield) make him a nice ancillary piece for a Red Sox club chasing a second straight division title.
The Giants, meanwhile, turned a few months of Nunez into a decent return, as McCovey Chronicles' Grant Brisbee noted: "The Giants didn't have leverage with Nunez. It was a buyer's market, and the competition for his services wasn’t fierce. They still emerged with a couple of prospects with a chance to crack their top 10 one day."
That says as much about the Giants' thin system as it does about Anderson and Santos, but the point stands.
Red Sox's Grade: A-
Giants' Grade: A-
Rockies Acquire RHP Pat Neshek from Phillies
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The Colorado Rockies are locked in a tight battle with the Diamondbacks for second place in the NL West and the Senior Circuit's top wild-card spot.
They made a couple of significant moves to aid them in that fight, including acquiring veteran right-hander Pat Neshek from the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 36-year-old was having an excellent season with the Phils, posting a 1.12 ERA in 40.1 innings and making his second All-Star team.
In exchange, Philadelphia landed infielder Jose Gomez and right-handers J.D. Hammer and Alejandro Requena.
Neshek should stabilize a Colorado bullpen that has struggled of late, though the move to Mile High altitude is always an adjustment.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, added a few interesting MiLB chips, particularly Gomez, who is now the organization's No. 19 prospect, per MLB.com.
Rockies' Grade: B+
Phillies Grade: B+
Rays Acquire 1B Lucas Duda from Mets
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The small-market Tampa Bay Rays aren't typically big buyers at the deadline, but they landed a decent-sized fish in first baseman Lucas Duda.
Duda has been hot since moving from the New York Mets to Tampa Bay and is hitting .429 with a couple of home runs for a Rays team that's in the AL playoff mix.
The Mets, meanwhile, landed right-hander Drew Smith. MLB.com ranks Smith as New York's No. 30 prospect and notes, "He has all the ingredients to be an effective short reliever, with a ceiling of a future setup man."
That may not feel like a massive return for a guy who got MVP votes in 2014 and is swinging a hot stick, but considering Duda's recent injury issues, defensive limitations and impending free agency, the Mets made out well enough.
Rays' Grade: A
Mets' Grade: B
Mets Acquire RHP AJ Ramos from Marlins
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Sticking with the Mets, they added MLB talent by acquiring closer AJ Ramos from the Miami Marlins.
That would appear to contradict their seller status, but Ramos is under club control through 2018 and will take over ninth-inning duties from Addison Reed (more on him shortly) while Jeurys Familia works his way back from injury.
Ramos locked down 20 saves for the Marlins this season while posting an impressive 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings.
In return, the Fish got 21-year-old righty Merandy Gonzalez and toolsy outfielder Ricardo Cespedes. Gonzalez, who owns a 1.78 ERA between Single-A and High-A this season, becomes Miami's No. 6 prospect, per MLB.com.
The Mets and Marlins are both in strange spots, caught between rebuilding and retooling. Neither made out like a bandit here, but both added value.
Mets' Grade: B
Marlins' Grade: B
Royals Acquire LF Melky Cabrera from White Sox
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For much of the season, the Kansas City Royals looked like obvious sellers. Now, after winning nine of their last 10, the Royals are in the postseason hunt.
They didn't make any blockbusters, but they did bring back old friend Melky Cabrera, who spent a season with K.C. in 2011 and was slashing .295/.336/.436 for the White Sox.
In the deal, the White Sox netted right-hander A.J. Puckett and lefty Andre Davis. Neither profiles as a top prospect, but Puckett is an interesting arm with some upside.
The Royals chose to further deplete a farm system Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranked No. 30 in the game. They're pushing their chips in and hoping to make one more run with their recent championship core, much of which is ticketed for free agency.
It's a gamble, but one worth taking.
Royals' Grade: B
White Sox's Grade: B
Rockies Acquire C Jonathan Lucroy from Rangers
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Last season, Jonathan Lucroy was an All-Star difference-maker when he was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Texas Rangers at the deadline.
Now, he heads from the Rangers to the Rockies for a player to be named later, per ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.
That's a precipitous fall for one of the best defensive and offensive catchers of the past several years and reflects Lucroy's anemic .635 OPS and eroding pitch-framing skills.
The 31-year-old is in a contract year, so you can bet he'll do everything he can to pad his stats in Colorado and cement a position that's been dubious for the Rockies all season.
The Rangers bought high and sold low on Lucroy. Now, Colorado is hoping for found money.
Rockies' Grade: B
Rangers' Grade: D+
Cubs Acquire LHP Justin Wilson and C Alex Avila from Tigers
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After landing Quintana, the Cubs moved to shore up the bullpen and added a veteran backstop by acquiring left-hander Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila from the Tigers, per MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
The Cubs gave up infielder Jeimer Candelario, now the Tigers' No. 3 prospect, as well as minor league shortstop Alex Paredes, a player to be named and cash.
That's a better return than Detroit got for Martinez and a continued thinning of the defending champs' farm system.
At the same time, the Cubs added a solid relief arm in Wilson, who has posted a 2.68 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 40.1 innings this year. In Avila, they got a backup for young Willson Contreras who brings postseason experience and an .869 OPS.
Cubs' Grade: B+
Tigers' Grade: B+
Red Sox Acquire RHP Addison Reed from Mets
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After reeling in Ramos, the Mets got back to selling and sent Reed to the Red Sox in exchange for right-handers Stephen Nogosek, Jamie Callahan and Gerson Bautista, per MLB.com's Ian Browne.
Reed has served as New York's closer for most of the season, posting a 2.57 ERA and notching 19 saves. Now, he'll likely slot in as a setup man behind closer Craig Kimbrel, giving Boston a dynamic late-inning duo.
For a rental, Reed didn't come cheap. Nogosek, Callahan and Bautista all ranked among the Red Sox's top 30 prospects.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has shifted the franchise into full win-now mode, however, and Reed could help do exactly that.
Red Sox's Grade: B
Mets' Grade: B+
Yankees Acquire RHP Sonny Gray from Athletics
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One of two aces to come off the board Monday, right-hander Sonny Gray is going from the Oakland Athletics to the Yankees for outfielder Dustin Fowler, infielder Jorge Mateo and right-hander James Kaprielian, per Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan.
Gray was a top-three AL Cy Young Award finisher in 2015 but tumbled amid injury and inconsistency last season. He's rebounded in 2017 to the tune of a 3.43 ERA across 97 innings and measurably bolsters a Yankees rotation weakened by the loss of Michael Pineda to Tommy John surgery.
Gray also won't hit free agency until 2020, so he fits with the Yankees' dual mandate to win now and build for the future.
That said, general manager Brian Cashman raided his stockpiled farm system, giving up three top minor leaguers in Fowler (now Oakland's No. 3 prospect), Mateo (Oakland's No. 5 prospect) and Kaprielian (Oakland's No. 11 prospect). Fowler in particular profiles as a future star, though he's recovering from a serious knee injury.
The A's got value, as they usually do, while the Yankees got a controllable arm with ace upside who isn't a sure thing to deliver on his promise.
Yankees' Grade: B
Athletics' Grade: B+
Dodgers Acquire RHP Yu Darvish from Rangers
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In an eleventh-hour deal that firmed up their status as the NL's team to beat, the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired right-hander Yu Darvish from the Rangers for second baseman/outfielder Willie Calhoun, right-hander A.J. Alexy and infielder Brendon Davis, per Passan.
Darvish is a rental, but he's also a four-time All-Star who has struck out 148 hitters in 137 innings and will form a potent lefty-righty combo with Clayton Kershaw, assuming the Dodgers ace sheds his recent back issues.
Add Alex Wood and Rich Hill, and you're talking about one heck of a postseason rotation.
The Dodgers shipped some talent to Texas, including their No. 4 prospect in Calhoun, but managed to keep coveted outfielder Alex Verdugo and top pitching prospects Walker Buehler and Yadier Alvarez.
The Rangers, who are clinging to the fringes of the AL playoff race, were smart to see the writing on the wall and leverage Darvish before he bolted for a massive free-agent payday.
The Dodgers, likewise, deserve credit for not gutting the farm while plowing full steam ahead toward their first pennant and World Series win since 1988.
Rangers' Grade: B+
Dodgers' Grade: A
All statistics current as of Monday and courtesy of Baseball-Reference and StatCorner.
