MLB's 2008 Trade-Deadline Breakdown

As another Major League Baseball trade deadline passes, it's time to breakdown this year's big winners and losers.

On July 7, the Brewers traded four minor-league prospects to the Indians for Cy Young candidate CC Sabathia.

Only time will tell with this deal. Obviously, the Brewers are going for it all with this deal. Sabathia will become a free agent at the end of the season, and he is unlikely to return to Milwaukee.

While I feel confident that the Brewers will make the playoffs in the National League, it's hard to say this move puts them over the top. The Brew Crew recently suffered a four-game sweep at home at the hands of the Cubs.

The Cubs appear to have the upper hand on the Brewers at this point, but everything can change once the playoffs begin.

While the move may or may not work out for Milwaukee, it appears to be a good move for the Indians.

No team ever likes trading one of its marquee players, but once it became apparent that Cleveland was not going to be able to re-sign Sabathia, and the Indians were not going to make the playoffs, they quickly looked to move their ace in order to gain maximum value in return.

The Indians were able to get a highly-touted prospect in outfielder Matt LaPorta, who you can expect to see in the majors sometime next season.

Immediately following the Sabathia trade, the Cubs countered by trading for the Oakland Athletics' ace, Rich Harden, and reliever/spot starter Chad Gaudin.

In exchange, Oakland received promising right-hander Sean Gallagher, outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson, and minor leaguer Josh Donaldson.

This is a very typical Oakland move and a great move for the Cubs, IF Rich Harden is able to stay healthy. Gaudin is also a very nice addition to the Cubs' bullpen.

This move has helped the Cubs stay atop their division and has made them a favorite in the National League.

Oakland is basically known for dealing their top players for prospects at this point, as they just don't have the money to re-sign their marquee players.

While the move doesn't look quite as good for the A's, it's kind of hard to question GM Billy Beane at this point, as he has proven time and time again he knows how to build a team with prospects.

The A's then turn around and trade starting pitcher Joe Blanton to the Phillies in exchange for three more minor leaguers.

I loved this deal for the A's, as I have never thought Joe Blanton was anything special, despite the fact baseball analysts rave about this guy. Blanton's ERA on the season is roughly five, which is roughly his ERA for his career.

I understand the Phil's need starting pitching and there weren't a lot of good pitchers left available, but it's hard to believe the 6-12 Blanton is the answer to their problems. In his three starts since joining the Phil's, Blanton is 1-0 with an ERA of 4.80 with six walks to seven K's.

As for the A's, I trust Billy Beane, as he adds three more prospects, second baseman Adrian Cardenas, pitcher Josh Outman, and outfielder Matthew Spencer, to his already deep farm system. 

In a perplexing move, the Yankees traded top outfield-prospect Jose Tabata and minor-league right-handers Dan McCutchen, Jeff Karstens, and Ross Ohlendorf to Pittsburgh in exchange for outfielder Xavier Nady and relief pitcher Damaso Marte.

The trade seems like a good move for both teams, but I just cannot figure what Yankees GM Brian Cashman is thinking.

Before the season started, Cashman passed on the opportunity to add arguably the best pitcher in the game in Johan Santana because he was committed to building the Yankees' farm system.

A move that I found to be ridiculous at the time, and now seems even more ridiculous now that they have traded away those farm-system players for lesser value.

This is not a knock on Nady or Marte, who are two talented players that will certainly help the Yankees in their efforts at making another run at the playoffs.

I just don't understand how you can be so committed to the farm system one minute and so uncommitted the next. Building through the farm system has never been the way the Yankees have won. They have always found the best players available and just offered more than anyone else could.

They had that opportunity with Santana and let him get away for what now appears to be no reason.

Having said that, I do like this trade for both teams. The always-rebuilding Pirates get some young, talented prospects for a couple of guys they most likely would have lost in free agency in 2009.

The Yankees fill the holes left by the myriad of injuries they have been hit by and add some pop to the lineup with Nady.

The Yankees also pulled of one of the more surprising trades by trading for Tigers catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. In return, the Tigers bring back relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth.

Pudge fills the whole left by Jorge Posada, who is out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. He should be a great fit for the Yanks, while the Tigers get some much needed bullpen help.

Detroit desperately needed a relief pitcher to help them down the stretch, but it's hard to believe Farnsworth is the right guy. Farnsworth appeared to be crushed by the news of the trade, as he was nearly brought to tears upon hearing of the trade.

Since re-joining Detroit, Farnsworth has given up three home runs and has and ERA of 10.80 in three games. Not exactly what Detroit was looking for.

A move that quite honestly crushed me as a Braves fan, Atlanta traded slugger Mark Teixeira to the Angels for first baseman Casey Kotchman and a minor leaguer.

The move makes a ton of sense for both teams. Teixeira provides the power the Angels lacked and provides protection in the lineup for Vladimir Guerrero.

Atlanta began to shop the All-Star slugger after it became apparent they would not be able to re-sign him, as he is due to become a free agent at the end of the season.

The Braves did the best they could by getting Kotchman, a young talented player. Had they decided to trade Teixeira earlier, they certainly would have been able to get more.

The move instantly makes the Angels one of the favorites in the American League, as they already had the best record in the majors, due to their amazing pitching staff.

In what I consider to be the WORST move before the deadline, the White Sox traded for soon to be 39-year-old Ken Griffey Jr., giving up minor-league pitcher Nick Masset, infielder Danny Richar, and cash.

The Reds traded away the defensive and offensive liability, who is due nearly $9 million this season and in return are able to help build their farm system as they rebuild.

I honestly, for the life of me, can't figure out what White Sox GM Kenny Williams was thinking. Williams failed to address the White Sox's many needs and instead adds to an already crowded outfield with the aging Griffey.

My only guess is Williams traded for him because he is a big name, and Williams wants to sell more tickets.

Griffey has struggled in the field and at the plate this season, as he is hitting just .247 this season and has 15 home runs.

The defending champion Red Sox made a huge splash, sending their best slugger and biggest headache Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers, in a three-team deal that landed them outfielder Jason Bay from the Pirates.

The Pirates acquired highly-touted third baseman Andy LaRoche and right-handed pitcher Bryan Morris from the Dodgers. They also received outfielder Brandon Moss and right-handed pitcher Craig Hansen from the Red Sox.

I loved this move for all parties involved. I've heard a lot of criticism of the trade, people saying that Boston gave up too much and will miss Manny being Manny. While I understand the argument, I do not agree.

Boston did have to give up a lot, there is no argument their. But if there is a team that can afford to make a move like that, it's Boston.

Boston not only got a perennial All-Star in Bay, they got piece of mind, and that doesn't show up on paper. Bay has statistically been just as good as Manny, if not better, this season, and he plays defense, something Manny has never been good at.

Bay also gives Boston someone they feel they can trust and rely on. After Manny's latest comments, the team and management felt they had to move him, as he just couldn't be trusted anymore.

Manny's comments and actions earned him a first-class ticket to L.A., where he should be much happier, although who knows with the unpredictable Manny. It's hard to believe he was so unhappy playing for a team that not only won two championships with him but also paid him a ton.

Manny is a good fit for the Dodgers, who severely lacked a power hitter in the middle of that lineup.

The deal brings both good and bad news for the Dodgers. While Manny is a good fit and will certainly help them make a serious playoff push this season, he is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. The Dodgers also add another outfielder to an already crowded outfield.

The Dodgers also had to give up LaRoche, who certainly would have been a nice fixture in the lineup for them next season.

While the Pirates continue to do a nice job of getting young players and building the farm system, I would have had a difficult time dealing Bay. Bay still had three years left on a very affordable contract and was playing great baseball.

Still, the Pirates are in infinite rebuilding mode, so I guess it can't hurt.

All in all, it turned out to be an exciting and busy trade deadline this year. But just because the deadline has passed doesn't mean you shouldn't expect to see anymore moves this season, so keep you eyes open.