Every MLB Team's Best Trade Deadline Deal as a Buyer Since 2000
A line is drawn each summer between buyers and sellers when the MLB trade deadline arrives, and each group has a different goal in mind.
For buyers, the focus is shoring up an already competitive roster for the stretch run, looking for one or two guys who could be the missing pieces that push a team over the top in the hunt for a World Series title.
For sellers, it's all about maximizing the value of established veteran talent and getting back the best possible prospect return to help better position the team for future success.
Here, we're focusing on buyers, with a stroll through recent trade deadline history to select each team's best trade deal made as a buyer since 2000.
Any trade made after the MLB draft and before what was previously known as the non-waiver trade deadline was considered for inclusion. Deals made prior to the draft or during the old August waiver trade window were not considered.
A player's impact on the team's success the year he was acquired was the biggest factor in selecting a trade for each team, as the ultimate goal of each buyer is to improve the roster in pursuit of a World Series win.
American League East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles
The Trade: LHP Andrew Miller acquired from Boston Red Sox in exchange for LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (July 31, 2014)
In pursuit of their first division title since 1997, the Orioles traded one of their top pitching prospects to shore up the back of the bullpen. Miller went on to post a 1.35 ERA and 15.3 K/9 in 23 appearances before tossing 7.1 scoreless innings in the playoffs to help a 96-win team reach the ALCS.
Boston Red Sox
The Trade: SS Orlando Cabrera acquired from Montreal Expos in exchange for SS Nomar Garciaparra, OF Matt Murton in four-team, eight-player deal (July 31, 2004)
The Red Sox traded a banged-up Garciaparra—who had played just 38 games during the 2004 season—in exchange for the defensively superior Cabrera. The former Gold Glove winner hit .294/.320/.465 with 1.8 WAR in 58 games and proved to be the missing piece on the Red Sox team that broke the Curse of the Bambino.
New York Yankees
The Trade: OF Glenallen Hill acquired from Chicago Cubs in exchange for RHP Ben Ford, LHP Oswaldo Mairena (July 21, 2000)
A career journeyman having a solid season as a part-time player in left field for the Cubs, Hill went on an absolute tear after he joined the Yankees. The then-35-year-old hit .333/.378/.735 with 16 home runs in 40 games, helping the team win the AL East title by 2.5 games on its way to a third straight World Series title.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Trade: OF Jose Siri acquired from Houston Astros in exchange for RHP Seth Johnson, RHP Jayden Murray in three-team, five-player deal (August 1, 2022)
The Rays acquired Siri at the deadline last year in the deal that sent Trey Mancini to the Houston Astros, and the defensive-minded center fielder is enjoying a breakout year at the plate in 2023. The 28-year-old has a 121 OPS+ with 20 home runs and 1.5 WAR in 239 plate appearances, and he is under club control through the 2027 season.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Trade: LHP David Price acquired from Detroit Tigers in exchange for LHP Matthew Boyd, LHP Daniel Norris, LHP Jairo Labourt (July 30, 2015)
Two days after swinging a blockbuster deal to acquire Troy Tulowitzki, the Blue Jays put the finishing touches on what they hoped would be a World Series champion with a blockbuster deal to acquire Price. The rental ace went 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 74.1 innings in 11 starts after the trade, but Toronto fell short in the ALCS.
American League Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox
The Trade: RHP Freddy García acquired from Seattle Mariners in exchange for C Miguel Olivo, OF Mike Morse, OF Jeremy Reed (June 27, 2004)
García went 9-4 with a 4.46 ERA in 16 starts after he was acquired from Seattle, and the White Sox signed him to a three-year, $27 million extension in July. The following year, he went 14-8 with a 3.87 ERA in 228 innings and then tossed a pair of gems in Game 4 of the ALCS (W, 9.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER) and Game 4 of the World Series (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER).
Cleveland Guardians
The Trade: LHP Andrew Miller acquired from New York Yankees in exchange for OF Clint Frazier, LHP Justus Sheffield, RHP J.P. Feyereisen, RHP Ben Heller (July 31, 2016)
The Guardians paid a steep price to acquire Miller in the second season of a four-year, $36 million deal, including a pair of Top 100 prospects in Frazier (No. 44 prospect) and Sheffield (No. 81 prospect). The left-hander had a 1.55 ERA in 26 appearances following the trade, and he logged a 1.40 ERA and 14.0 K/9 in 19.1 innings during Cleveland's run to the 2016 World Series, tallying two wins, one save and five holds in 10 appearances.
Detroit Tigers
The Trade: RHP Doug Fister, RHP David Pauley acquired from Seattle Mariners in exchange for LHP Charlie Furbush, RHP Chance Ruffin, OF Casper Wells, 3B Francisco Martinez (July 30, 2011)
Fister went 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 70.1 innings following the trade, and with multiple years of remaining club control, he went on to log a 3.29 ERA in 440.2 innings in Detroit. He also had a 2.98 ERA in 48.1 postseason innings, and he was eventually flipped to the Washington Nationals for a package of prospects that included Robbie Ray.
Kansas City Royals
The Trade: RHP Johnny Cueto acquired from Cincinnati Reds in exchange for LHP Brandon Finnegan, LHP John Lamb, LHP Cody Reed (July 26, 2015)
The Royals made a pair of impact moves at the 2015 deadline, parting with several top-tier prospects to acquire Cueto from the Cincinnati Reds and Ben Zobrist from the Oakland Athletics to bolster a team that went on to win a World Series title. Cueto gave the young Kansas City rotation a proven ace, and he allowed two hits and one earned run in a complete game effort in Game 2 of the World Series.
Minnesota Twins
The Trade: OF Shannon Stewart, LHP Dave Gassner acquired from Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for OF Bobby Kielty (July 16, 2003)
The Twins traded a controllable bat in Bobby Kielty for a two-month rental of Stewart as they looked to build off a trip to the ALCS the previous year. Stewart hit .322/.384/.470 with 28 extra-base hits and 2.6 WAR in 65 games, and the Twins posted the best record in baseball after the trade, going 46-23 to win the AL Central title. Minnesota then signed him to a three-year, $18 million extension that offseason.
American League West
3 of 6
Houston Astros
The Trade: OF Carlos Beltrán acquired from Kansas City Royals in exchange for RHP Octavio Dotel, C John Buck in three-team, five-player deal (June 24, 2004)
Beltrán might be the most productive rental bat in MLB history. The dynamic power-speed threat posted a 135 OPS+ with 23 home runs and 28 steals in 90 games after joining the Astros, and he went 20-for-46 with eight home runs, 14 RBI and six steals in 12 postseason games. He parlayed that performance into a seven-year, $119 million deal with the New York Mets.
Los Angeles Angels
The Trade: 1B Mark Teixeira acquired from Atlanta Braves in exchange for 1B Casey Kotchman, RHP Stephen Marek (July 29, 2008)
Teixeira helped the Angels secure the first and only 100-win season in franchise history, hitting .358/.449/.632 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI in 54 games. He departed in free agency that offseason, and with the compensatory 2009 draft pick the Angels received after he signed with the New York Yankees, they selected a New Jersey high school outfielder named Mike Trout.
Oakland Athletics
The Trade: OF Jermaine Dye acquired from Kansas City Royals in exchange for LHP Todd Belitz, OF Mario Encarnación, 2B José Ortiz in three-team, four-player deal (July 25, 2001)
Dye hit .297/.366/.547 for a 139 OPS+ with 13 home runs and 59 RBI in 61 games after joining the Athletics in a two-part deal that first saw the All-Star outfielder go from Kansas City to Colorado in a deal for infielder Neifi Pérez. The A's went on to win 102 games during the 2001 season, while the three players Oakland shipped out in the deal posted a combined negative-0.8 WAR in the big leagues.
Seattle Mariners
The Trade: RHP Luis Castillo acquired from Cincinnati Reds in exchange for SS Noelvi Marte, SS Edwin Arroyo, RHP Andrew Moore, RHP Levi Stoudt (July 30, 2022)
The Mariners found a proven ace to anchor their young rotation at the deadline last year, and they inked him to a five-year, $108 million extension in September. That now looks like an absolute steal after the oft-injured Carlos Rodón landed a six-year, $162 million deal from the New York Yankees a few months later in free agency. Castillo has a 3.07 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 219 strikeouts in 190.2 innings since joining the Mariners.
Texas Rangers
The Trade: LHP Cliff Lee, RHP Mark Lowe acquired from Seattle Mariners in exchange for 1B Justin Smoak, RHP Blake Beavan, RHP Josh Lueke, IF Matt Lawson (July 9, 2010)
Lee had a 3.98 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 108.2 innings after joining the Rangers, but it was during the postseason that he really made a lasting impression on the Texas organization. Across three starts in the ALDS and ALCS, he went 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 24 innings to help lead the team to its first-ever World Series appearance.
National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves
The Trade: OF Jorge Soler acquired from Kansas City Royals in exchange for RHP Kasey Kalich (July 30, 2021)
The Braves' front office was busy at the 2021 trade deadline, shoring up a shaky outfield by trading for Soler, Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall. The biggest impact of the group came from Soler, who posted a 131 OPS+ with 14 home runs and 33 RBI in 55 games. He then went on to win World Series MVP honors when he went 6-for-20 with three home runs in the Fall Classic.
Miami Marlins
The Trade: RHP Ugueth Urbina acquired from Texas Rangers in exchange for 1B Adrián González, LHP Ryan Snare, OF Will Smith (July 11, 2003)
This was a bold move at the time for the Marlins, as they shipped out one of their top prospects in Adrián González just three years after he was taken No. 1 overall in the 2000 draft. Urbina logged a 1.41 ERA in 33 appearances after the trade, and he tallied four saves during the playoffs as the Miami closer while helping the team win a World Series title.
New York Mets
The Trade: OF Yoenis Céspedes acquired from Detroit Tigers in exchange for RHP Michael Fulmer, RHP Luis Cessa (July 31, 2015)
Céspedes instantly transformed the Mets offense, posting a 155 OPS+ with 17 home runs and 44 RBI in 57 games. Despite spending the bulk of the season in the American League, he finished 13th in NL MVP voting for his role in leading the team to the NL pennant. The Mets signed him to a three-year, $75 million deal in free agency, which gave him the second-highest AAV in MLB history at the time.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Trade: RHP Joe Blanton acquired from Oakland Athletics in exchange for LHP Josh Outman, IF Adrian Cárdenas, OF Matthew Spencer (July 17, 2008)
The Cliff Lee trade might have been a flashier deal, but this move directly contributed to a World Series title. Blanton posted a 4.20 ERA in 13 starts after the trade, and he slotted in behind Cole Hamels, Brett Myers and Jamie Moyer in the postseason rotation. He earned the wins in Game 4 of the NLDS (6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER) and Game 4 of the World Series (6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER), and he was also a workhorse at the back of the rotation in 2009 and 2010.
Washington Nationals
The Trade: RHP Daniel Hudson acquired from Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for RHP Kyle Johnston (July 31, 2019)
Hudson filled a glaring hole at the back of the Nationals bullpen during their title run in 2019. He had a 1.44 ERA with six saves in 24 appearances during the regular season, and he tallied one win, one hold and four saves in nine games during the playoffs. The then-32-year-old was on the mound for the final outs in Game 7 of the World Series.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs
The Trade: 3B Aramis Ramírez, OF Kenny Lofton acquired from Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for IF José Hernández, 2B Bobby Hill, RHP Matt Bruback (July 23, 2003)
The Aroldis Chapman trade was a tempting selection here, as he was the missing piece during the team's World Series push in 2016. But it's hard to ignore one of the most lopsided trades in recent MLB history. Lofton was a great rental pickup for the Cubs' playoff run in 2003, while Ramírez became a staple at third base and in the middle of the North Siders' lineup. In nine seasons with the Cubs, Ramírez posted a 126 OPS+ with 239 home runs and 806 RBI.
Cincinnati Reds
The Trade: RHP Jonathan Broxton acquired from Kansas City Royals in exchange for LHP Donnie Joseph, RHP Juan Carlos Sulbaran (July 31, 2012)
The Reds have made some excellent moves as trade deadline sellers, but finding a good recent move on the buyer side of things was tricky. Broxton had a 2.82 ERA with four saves and 10 holds setting up Aroldis Chapman on a 97-win Reds team that claimed the NL Central title. He followed that up with a 1.86 ERA in 51 games the following year before he was traded again at the deadline, this time going to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Trade: LHP CC Sabathia acquired from Cleveland Guardians in exchange for OF Michael Brantley, 1B Matt LaPorta, LHP Zach Jackson, RHP Rob Bryson (July 7, 2008)
Chasing their first postseason appearance since 1982, the Brewers rode Sabathia to a wild-card berth. In 17 starts, he went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 128 strikeouts in 130.2 innings, tossing seven complete games and three shutouts. He also went 11-for-48 with two doubles, one home run and six RBI at the plate as one of the most impactful deadline pickups in MLB history.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Trade: LHP J.A. Happ acquired from Seattle Mariners in exchange for RHP Adrian Sampson (July 31, 2015)
Happ had a 4.64 ERA in 108.2 innings when he joined a Pirates team hunting for a third straight postseason appearance. The left-hander went 7-2 with a 1.85 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 63.1 innings to help Pittsburgh secure a wild-card berth, and he parlayed that strong two-month stretch into a three-year, $36 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Trade: 3B Scott Rolen, RHP Doug Nickle, cash acquired from Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for 2B Plácido Polanco, LHP Bud Smith, RHP Mike Timlin (July 29, 2002)
Rolen was the face of Philadelphia's rebuilding efforts for several years before demanding a trade prior to the 2002 deadline. He signed an eight-year, $90 million extension with the Cardinals on Sept. 25, 2002, and settled in as a franchise cornerstone at third base. In six seasons in St. Louis, he racked up 25.9 WAR while posting a 127 OPS+ with 111 home runs and 453 RBI, winning a World Series title in 2006.
National League West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Trade: RHP Curt Schilling acquired from Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for 1B Travis Lee, RHP Vicente Padilla, RHP Omar Daal, RHP Nelson Figueroa (July 26, 2000)
Schilling had two of the greatest individual seasons in D-backs history in 2001 (22-6, 2.98 ERA, 293 K, 256.2 IP) and 2002 (23-7, 3.23 ERA, 316 K, 259.1 IP), finishing runner-up to teammate Randy Johnson in NL Cy Young voting both years. They helped lead Arizona to a World Series title in 2001, with Schilling logging a 1.12 ERA in 48.1 innings during its playoff run.
Colorado Rockies
The Trade: RHP Rafael Betancourt acquired from Cleveland Guardians in exchange for RHP Connor Graham (July 23, 2009)
One of the few pitchers in Rockies franchise history to find consistent success, Betancourt spent six seasons in Colorado, logging a 3.53 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 58 saves, including a career-high 31 saves in 2012. His 309 appearances rank eighth of all time in Rockies history, and the pitching prospect they gave up to acquire him never reached the majors.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Trade: OF Manny Ramírez acquired from Boston Red Sox in exchange for 3B Andy LaRoche, RHP Bryan Morris in three-team, six-player deal (July 31, 2008)
Ramírez was traded to the Dodgers in the final season of his eight-year, $160 million contract with the Red Sox. The then-36-year-old was having a down year by his standards at the time of the trade, but he hit .396/.489/.743 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI in 53 games in Los Angeles to help lead the team to a division title and an NLCS appearance. He re-upped on a two-year, $45 million deal during the offseason.
San Diego Padres
The Trade: LHP Josh Hader acquired from Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for LHP Taylor Rogers, RHP Dinelson Lamet, OF Esteury Ruiz, LHP Robert Gasser (Aug. 1, 2022)
This already looks like a great buy-low move by the Padres, who acquired Hader amid a rough patch. The five-time All-Star recorded four saves and tossed 5.1 scoreless innings in the playoffs last year, and he has returned to elite form this season with a 0.97 ERA and 13.4 K/9 while converting 24 of 28 save opportunities. The Padres might get back an even better package than what they gave up a year ago if they flip him at this year's deadline.
San Francisco Giants
The Trade: LHP Javier López acquired from Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for 1B John Bowker, RHP Joe Martinez (July 31, 2010)
There were a lot of options here, including Jason Schmidt (2001), Freddy Sanchez (2009), Marco Scutaro (2012), Hunter Pence (2012) and Jake Peavy (2014), but López gets the nod for his contributions to all three World Series winners in the 2010s. The lefty specialist made 25 postseason appearances in a Giants uniform, posting a 1.38 ERA and .119 opponents' batting average with nine holds as a constant presence out of the bullpen.
All stats and trade info courtesy of Baseball Reference.
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