Every MLB Team's Best Trade Deadline Deal as a Seller 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.
Thursday, each team's best trade as a buyer since 2000 was highlighted. Now, it's time to turn our attention to the top deals each team has made when they were sellers during that same span of time.
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.
The overall impact made by the return package was the biggest factor in selecting a trade for each team, while salary considerations were part of the consideration.
American League East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles
The Trade: 3B Melvin Mora, OF Mike Kinkade, RHP Leslie Brea, RHP Pat Gorman acquired from New York Mets in exchange for SS Mike Bordick (July 28, 2000)
A .259 career hitter known more for his glove than his bat, Bordick put together a career year at the age of 34 in 2000. He hit .297/.350/.481 with 16 home runs and 59 RBI in 100 games before he was traded to the Mets as a two-month rental. Mora developed into a standout utility player and then into an All-Star third baseman, racking up 29.1 WAR across 10 seasons in Baltimore. The icing on the cake came when Bordick returned to the Orioles in free agency that offseason.
Boston Red Sox
The Trade: LHP Eduardo Rodríguez acquired from Baltimore Orioles in exchange for LHP Andrew Miller (July 31, 2014)
This was our pick for best buyer move by the Orioles as Miller was lights-out down the stretch, but Boston also came away as winners. Rodríguez was the No. 65 prospect in baseball at the time of the trade, and he became a regular part of the rotation in 2015. Across six seasons with the Red Sox, he went 64-39 with a 4.16 ERA in 856.2 innings before signing with the Detroit Tigers in free agency.
New York Yankees
The Trade: 2B Gleyber Torres, OF Billy McKinney, RHP Adam Warren, OF Rashad Crawford acquired from Chicago Cubs in exchange for LHP Aroldis Chapman (July 25, 2016)
The Cubs paid a steep price to shore up their bullpen for what would be a long-awaited World Series run, giving up a player in Torres who was the No. 1 prospect in their system and No. 41 prospect in baseball. He has not quite developed into a superstar, but with a 114 OPS+, 114 home runs and 13.3 WAR over six seasons, he has been a solid everyday player. Chapman also rejoined the Yankees in free agency during the offseason.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Trade: 2B Ben Zobrist, RHP Mitch Talbot acquired from Houston Astros in exchange for 3B/OF Aubrey Huff, cash (July 12, 2006)
The Chris Archer trade that brought back Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows and Shane Baz was a strong contender here, but that package doesn't look as good as it did a few years ago. Meanwhile, Zobrist still ranks third in Rays history with 35.3 WAR over nine seasons. He was a two-time All-Star in Tampa Bay and helped legitimize the idea of a super-utility player.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Trade: 3B Edwin Encarnacion, RHP Josh Roenicke, RHP Zach Stewart acquired from Cincinnati Reds in exchange for 3B Scott Rolen (July 31, 2009)
A former top prospect with a 26-homer season to his credit the previous year, Encarnacion was hitting .209/.333/.374 across 165 plate appearances in 2009 when the Reds flipped him in a package to acquire a 34-year-old Rolen. After a couple forgettable seasons in Toronto, he exploded with a 42-homer, 110-RBI season in 2012. Over the next five years, he hit .272/.368/.544 for a 146 OPS+ while averaging 39 home runs and 110 RBI.
American League Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox
The Trade: RHP Dylan Cease, OF Eloy Jiménez, 2B Bryant Flete, 1B Matt Rose acquired from Chicago Cubs in exchange for LHP José Quintana (July 13, 2017)
Jiménez (No. 14 prospect in MLB) and Cease (No. 97 prospect in MLB) were both highly regarded at the time of this trade, but the Cubs were chasing a title window that had just opened up the previous year. Quintana was controllable through the 2020 season, which helped boost his value, but he pitched to a middling 4.24 ERA in 439.2 innings during his time with the North Siders while dealing with multiple injury issues.
Cleveland Guardians
The Trade: LHP Cliff Lee, OF Grady Sizemore, 2B Brandon Phillips, 1B Lee Stevens acquired from Montreal Expos in exchange for RHP Bartolo Colón, RHP Tim Drew (June 27, 2002)
The Expos were chasing their first playoff berth since 1981 and went all-in to acquire Colón a month before the deadline. He went 10-4 with a 3.31 ERA in 17 starts, but the team finished 83-79 and missed the playoffs by double-digit games. The burly right-hander was on the move again the following summer, and Lee, Sizemore and Phillips all developed into All-Stars in the years that followed.
The three-team deal that brought a young Corey Kluber to Cleveland in exchange for Jake Westbrook at the 2010 deadline was also a strong contender.
Detroit Tigers
The Trade: RHP Michael Fulmer, RHP Luis Cessa acquired from New York Mets in exchange for OF Yoenis Céspedes (July 31, 2015)
The best buyer deal for the Mets also checks in as the best seller deal for the Tigers, as they turned two months of Céspedes into a future AL Rookie of the Year winner. Fulmer went 11-7 with a 3.06 ERA in 159 innings in 2016 to edge out Gary Sánchez for top AL rookie honors, and he was an All-Star the following season before injuries derailed his career.
Kansas City Royals
The Trade: LHP Will Smith, RHP Sean O'Sullivan acquired from Los Angeles Angels in exchange for IF Alberto Callaspo (July 22, 2010)
Despite being sellers for the vast majority of years since 2000, it was difficult to find a seller deal where the Royals came out on top. Smith made his MLB debut as a starter in 2012 and pitched well out of the bullpen in 2013 before he was traded to Milwaukee. That deal brought back outfielder Nori Aoki, who was Kansas City's everyday right fielder in 2014.
Minnesota Twins
The Trade: RHP Joe Ryan, RHP Drew Strotman acquired from Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for DH Nelson Cruz, RHP Calvin Faucher (July 22, 2021)
It's not often the Rays come out on the wrong side of a trade, but giving up Ryan for a two-month rental of Cruz was a clear misstep. The young right-hander was pitching for Team USA in the Olympics at the time of the deal, but he made his MLB debut down the stretch in Minnesota and has since developed into one of the game's most promising young starters.
The 2018 deal that sent Eduardo Escobar to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for a package that included current bullpen star Jhoan Duran is also worth a mention.
American League West
3 of 6
Houston Astros
The Trade: DH Yordan Alvarez acquired from Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for RHP Josh Fields (Aug. 1, 2016)
To the Dodgers' credit, Fields posted a 2.61 ERA in 124 appearances out of the bullpen in three seasons with the team, but this still has a chance to go down as one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history. Just 47 days after signing Alvarez for $1 million out of Cuba and before he ever made his professional debut, he was traded to Houston where he has since developed into one of the game's elite offensive players.
Los Angeles Angels
The Trade: 3B Chone Figgins acquired from Colorado Rockies in exchange for OF Kimera Bartee (July 13, 2001)
Figgins was a 23-year-old hitting .220/.306/.310 at the Double-A level at the time of this trade, but he broke out the following season when he hit .305/.364/.466 with 50 extra-base hits and 39 steals in 125 games at Triple-A before making his MLB debut. The versatile speedster ended up being a 22.4-WAR player over eight seasons in an Angels uniform, while Bartee went 0-for-15 in 12 games with the Rockies in 2001 in what was his final MLB action.
Oakland Athletics
The Trade: 3B Josh Donaldson, RHP Sean Gallagher, OF Matt Murton, OF Eric Patterson acquired from Chicago Cubs in exchange for RHP Rich Harden, RHP Chad Gaudin (July 8, 2008)
A first-round pick in 2007 as a catcher, Donaldson was still years from breaking out at the time of this trade, and it was not until 2013 that he emerged as Oakland's starting third baseman. He was a 7.2-WAR player in 2013 and a 6.9-WAR player in 2014 before the penny-pinching Athletics traded him to Toronto. Harden went 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 12 starts for the Cubs following the trade and helped them win the NL Central title.
Seattle Mariners
The Trade: 1B Ty France, RHP Andrés Muñoz, OF Taylor Trammell, C Luis Torrens acquired from San Diego Padres in exchange for C Austin Nola, RHP Austin Adams, RHP Dan Altavilla (Aug. 31, 2020)
Nola hit .306/.373/.531 over 110 plate appearances as a 30-year-old in his second MLB season during the shortened 2020 campaign, and the Padres bought the sustainability of that production in a big way. Now he's playing in the minors after failing to hit enough to keep his starting job, while France has developed into an All-Star first baseman and Muñoz has shown the potential to be one of baseball's most dominant late-inning relievers.
Texas Rangers
The Trade: SS Elvis Andrus, LHP Matt Harrison, RHP Neftalí Feliz, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, LHP Beau Jones acquired from Atlanta Braves in exchange for 1B Mark Teixeira, LHP Ron Mahay (July 31, 2007)
This was the 2000s version of last summer's Juan Soto blockbuster trade in terms of the sheer quantity of young talent that went the other way. Saltalamacchia (No. 18 MLB prospect) and Andrus (No. 65 MLB prospect) were the two best prospects in the Atlanta system, while Jones (No. 9) and Harrison (No. 10) were also part of the organizational top-10 list, and Felix was an electric young arm. This trade helped pave the way for the Rangers back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.
National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves
The Trade: RHP Huascar Ynoa acquired from Minnesota Twins in exchange for LHP Jaime García, C Anthony Recker, cash (July 24, 2017)
The Braves have rarely been sellers over the past two decades, and when they have sold off significant pieces, it has generally been during the offseason. They finished 72-90 during the 2017 season and flipped García at the trade deadline after acquiring him during the offseason. That deal brought back Ynoa, who was a solid member of the rotation in 2021 when he finished with a 4.06 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 91 innings.
Miami Marlins
The Trade: LHP Jesús Luzardo acquired from Oakland Athletics in exchange for OF Starling Marte (July 28, 2021)
Luzardo emerged as the top prospect in the Oakland system after coming over in a 2017 deadline deal, but he was struggling to a 6.87 ERA in 38 innings when the A's sold low and flipped him to Miami to add Marte as a rental. Since the start of the 2022 season, Luzardo has a 3.26 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 264 strikeouts in 220.2 innings as an emerging frontline ace.
New York Mets
The Trade: RHP Zack Wheeler acquired from San Francisco Giants in exchange for OF Carlos Beltrán (July 28, 2011)
The Giants were 60-44 with a three-game lead in the NL West when they flipped Wheeler—who was the No. 9 overall pick in 2009—for a two-month rental of Beltrán. The star outfielder hit .323/.369/.551 with 20 extra-base hits in 179 plate appearances after the trade, but the Giants went 26-32 the rest of the way and missed the playoffs. Wheeler developed into a staple in the Mets rotation and went on to post a 3.77 ERA in 749.1 innings with the team.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Trade: 2B Plácido Polanco, LHP Bud Smith, RHP Mike Timlin acquired from St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for 3B Scott Rolen, RHP Doug Nickle, cash (July 29, 2002)
A lack of progress toward contention over the first several seasons of his promising MLB career and conflict with manager Larry Bowa led to Rolen demanding a trade leading up to the 2002 deadline. Considering their lack of leverage, the Phillies did well to acquire Polanco, who tallied 15.8 WAR over seven seasons in Philadelphia before giving way to Chase Utley at second base.
Washington Nationals
The Trade: RHP Josiah Gray, C Keibert Ruiz, OF Donovan Casey, RHP Gerardo Carrillo acquired from Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for RHP Max Scherzer, SS Trea Turner (July 30, 2021)
The Nationals kicked a necessary rebuild into high gear when they traded Scherzer and Turner in one of the biggest deadline blockbusters in recent memory. Gray looks like a building block in the starting rotation, and Ruiz was signed to an eight-year, $50 million extension during the offseason.
A pair of deals to acquire catcher Wilson Ramos and right-hander Tanner Roark at the 2010 deadline in exchange for Matt Capps and Christian Guzmán are also worth a mention.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs
The Trade: RHP Jake Arrieta, RHP Pedro Strop acquired from Baltimore Orioles in exchange for RHP Scott Feldman, C Steve Clevenger (July 2, 2013)
The Cubs bought low on a former top prospect when they acquired Arrieta. The right-hander went 73-42 with a 3.14 ERA in 889.1 innings with the Cubs, winning NL Cy Young honors in 2015 and helping lead the team to a World Series in 2016. Strop was also a key bullpen arm during that span, logging a 2.88 ERA and 10.3 K/9 with 29 saves and 120 holds in 413 appearances. All for a two-month rental of Feldman and a non-factor in Clevenger.
Cincinnati Reds
The Trade: RHP Aaron Harang, RHP Joe Valentine, RHP Jeff Bruksch acquired from Oakland Athletics in exchange for OF José Guillén (July 30, 2003)
The 2022 deal that sent Tyler Mahle to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Steve Hajjar already has a strong case to be the pick for the Reds, but for now, it's still chasing this deal. Harang was an underrated workhorse on the Cincinnati staff for eight years, tossing more than 200 innings three times and posting a 4.28 ERA and 103 ERA+ in 1,343 innings while leading the rotation with Bronson Arroyo.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Trade: LHP Josh Hader, RHP Adrian Houser, OF Domingo Santana, OF Brett Phillips acquired from Houston Astros in exchange OF Carlos Gómez, RHP Mike Fiers, cash (July 30, 2015)
Hader was an intriguing prospect with elite stuff and inconsistent command when he joined the Milwaukee organization. Two years later, he moved to the bullpen and quickly developed into one of baseball's elite relievers. The Brewers also added a solid starter in Houser who has a 3.96 ERA in 491 innings, Santana who had a 30-homer, 85-RBI season in 2017, and Phillips who was used to acquire Mike Moustakas from Kansas City in 2018.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Trade: SS Jack Wilson acquired from St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for LHP Jason Christiansen (July 29, 2000)
The Pirates acquired an everyday shortstop in exchange for a lefty middle reliever with a year-and-a-half of club control remaining. Wilson made his MLB debut in 2001 and tallied 21.3 WAR in nine seasons with the team, earning an All-Star selection in 2004. That WAR total ranks sixth in the long history of the franchise among shortstops.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Trade: RHP Giovanny Gallegos, LHP Chasen Shreve acquired from New York Yankees in exchange for 1B Luke Voit, international bonus money (July 29, 2018)
With Matt Carpenter taking over as the Cardinals' primary first baseman during the 2018 season, Voit did not have a clear path to playing time. He slugged 21 home runs in 2019 and had an AL-leading 22 long balls the following year, but his production has dipped in the last few seasons. Meanwhile, Gallegos has a 2.99 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 10.8 K/9 with 41 saves and 69 holds in 253 games with the Cardinals.
National League West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Trade: LHP Patrick Corbin, LHP Tyler Skaggs, LHP Joe Saunders, RHP Rafael Rodriguez acquired from Los Angeles Angels in exchange for RHP Dan Haren (July 25, 2010)
Corbin was the big pickup here for the D-backs, making a pair of All-Star appearances in his six seasons with the team. They also got a 3.97 ERA over 67 starts from Saunders and used Skaggs as a trade chip to acquire Mark Trumbo in 2013. Haren was in the second season of a four-year, $44.75 million deal and coming off three straight All-Star selections at the time of the trade.
Colorado Rockies
The Trade: SS José Reyes, RHP Jeff Hoffman, RHP Miguel Castro, RHP Jesús Tinoco acquired from Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for SS Troy Tulowitzki, RHP LaTroy Hawkins (July 28, 2015)
Tulowitzki had $107,540,983 remaining on a contract that ran through the 2020 season at the time of this trade, and the Blue Jays took on that entire financial commitment. The oft-injured shortstop played just 243 more games in the majors following the trade. Reyes was owed $56,295,081 on his contract, so the takeaway was a net savings of roughly $51 million for the Rockies, even though the prospect return didn't pan out.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Trade: RHP Nick Frasso, LHP Moises Brito acquired from Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for RHP Mitch White, SS Alex De Jesus (Aug. 2, 2022)
The Dodgers have posted a losing record just once since 2000, so there have not been many opportunities to trade from the role of seller. They took an opportunistic approach at the deadline last year, flipping White in a four-player deal that brought back a high-octane arm in Frasso. With a fastball that regularly touches 100 mph, he is quickly climbing prospect rankings and checks in at No. 63 on B/R's current top 100 list.
San Diego Padres
The Trade: RHP Chris Paddack acquired from Miami Marlins in exchange for RHP Fernando Rodney (June 30, 2016)
Paddack burst onto the scene in 2019, posting a 3.33 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 153 strikeouts in 140.2 innings as a rookie. Injuries and inconsistency have kept him from reaching that level of success in subsequent seasons and he was traded to Minnesota prior to the 2022 season, but he still stands as a fantastic return for two months of a 39-year-old Rodney.
San Francisco Giants
The Trade: RHP Shaun Anderson, RHP Gregory Santos acquired from Boston Red Sox in exchange for IF Eduardo Núñez (June 26, 2017)
Anderson posted a 5.17 ERA in 111.1 innings with the Giants and Santos pitched just 5.2 innings before he was traded to the Chicago White Sox, but this trade made the cut due to its secondary impact. Prior to the 2021 season, Anderson was traded to the Minnesota Twins in a one-for-one deal for LaMonte Wade Jr., who has emerged as a solid contributor on the current roster.
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