Five Losers at the 2010 MLB Trade Deadline

The trade deadline usually brings hope to teams who make good deals and improve their ball club enough to be serious playoff or World Series contenders.

On the other side of the coin, the trade deadline also leaves some fans scratching their heads, wondering why their team didn't make the deal for a big bat or arm.

Let's take a look at the five teams who left us scratching our heads on Saturday.

Check out my 5 winners article here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/427888-five-winners-at-the-2010-mlb-trade-deadline

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals were said to be looking for another starting pitcher as we approached the deadline. That left some people confused, seeing how the Cards have the best team ERA in baseball while their lineup is in the middle of the pack.

Still, if the Cardinals would have made a trade for a pitcher without giving up a critical bat. It would have been an acceptable trade. That's not what happened today.

The three team deal that sent Ryan Ludwick away to San Diego in exchange for Jake Westbrook from the Indians was one of the most confusing trades in recent memory.

Teams usually make moves to improve their major league team right away or stock up on some minor league talent. This trade does neither for the Cardinals.

Houston Astros

While the Astros did unload their expensive, big name players in return for some prospects, I'm not sure they did the best they could.

Roy Oswalt was unloaded to the Philadelphia Phillies, but the Astros only got a back of the rotation starter in J.A. Happ, and the sixth and 22nd best prospects in the Phillies system.

The return for Lance Berkman was even less impressive. The 'Stros only recieved Mark Melancon and Jimmy Paredes from the Yankees for Berkamn. Neither of those prospects came close to the making Yankees top 10 this off-season.

The Astros had to huge pieces that could have kick-started their rebuilding process, but they really didn't do a good job using them.

Tampa Bay Rays

Now we move to the teams who made minor moves when they should have made bigger ones.

The Rays were in the market for a big bat like Adam Dunn, but instead the only acquisition they made was a guy with an 8+ ERA: Chad Qualls.

Qualls has had some good years in the majors, but he is obviously struggling this season and I don't see what positives he could bring to the Rays.

The Rays needed to respond to all of the moves that the Yankees made at the deadline, but they failed to do so and face an uphill climb if they want to win the division.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants made a couple of good bullpen additions at the deadline this year, adding Javier Lopez and Ramon Ramirez on Saturday.

Still, San Francisco needed to make a move for a bat in response to what the Dodgers did at the deadline and they failed to do that.

The Giants were in on Corey Hart, Jose Bautista and Adam Dunn, but they couldn't pull the trigger on any of those deals and are stuck with a below average lineup that will have a hard time making the playoffs.

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox seem to be the team that got screwed the most at the deadline this year.

When they traded for Edwin Jackson from the Diamondbacks, reports were that the deal was a precursor to an Adam Dunn deal. The Nationals backed off after the Sox made the trade, so it looks like they are stuck with the up and down starter.

Still, Chicago needed to add a bat to their average lineup and didn't come through at the deadline. White Sox fans are excited for what this team is doing right now, but they can't help but think what could have been if they would have landed Adam Dunn.