Jack Flaherty to Dodgers and the 10 Best and Worst Moves of 2024 MLB Trade Deadline
The 2024 trade deadline was lacking in star power relative to some of the landscape-altering deals we've seen in recent years, but it was not without plenty of talent shuffling.
Top names like Tarik Skubal, Luis Robert Jr., Garrett Crochet, Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Brent Rooker all ended up staying put after being frequently mentioned on the rumor mill, leaving guys like Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jack Flaherty, Randy Arozarena, Zach Eflin and a slew of late-inning relievers as the biggest names on the move.
As the dust settles on a busy week of trading across Major League Baseball, now is the perfect time for some early takes on the best and worst deals of the 2024 deadline.
Ahead, we'll alternate between the best and worst to count down the five notable trades on each end of the spectrum, with early takes based on each deal's short-term and long-term outlook.
No. 5 Worst: Rays Get Lackluster Return for Randy Arozarena
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With an $8.1 million salary this season, which made him one of the highest-paid players on the Tampa Bay Rays roster, and that price tag likely to eclipse $10 million in arbitration next year, the odds were high that Randy Arozarena would be traded before the start of next season.
The 29-year-old was hitting .211/.318/.394 for a 109 OPS+ with 15 home runs, 16 steals and 0.7 WAR through 100 games when he was traded to the Seattle Mariners.
With club control through 2026 and a terrific track record of production that includes three straight 20/20 seasons, an All-Star Game start in 2023 and a fantastic postseason resume, it's hard to believe the Rays were not able to get more for him in their deal with the Seattle Mariners than the following prospect duo:
- OF Aidan Smith: 77 G, .284/.402/.470, 36 XBH (9 HR), 42 RBI, 28 SB at Single-A
- RHP Brody Hopkins: 18 GS, 2.90 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 95 K, 83.2 IP at Single-A
On their recently updated Top 30 prospect list for the Rays, Baseball America slotted them in as the team's No. 18 and No. 21 prospects, respectively.
For a player who has arguably been the face of the Rays franchise in recent seasons, and in a market almost completely devoid of impact bats, the Mariners appear to have walked away with an absolute steal.
He is 5-for-11 with a double and a home run in his first three games in Seattle, which further illustrates that point.
No. 5 Best: Phillies Acquire Carlos Estévez in Win-Win Move with Angels
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The Philadelphia Phillies entered the All-Star break with the best record in baseball and arguably the most complete roster of any team. They addressed their biggest need when they added outfielder Austin Hays in a deal with the Baltimore Orioles.
However, they may have put the finishing touches on a title contender when they acquired closer Carlos Estévez from the Los Angeles Angels.
The Phillies bullpen ranks 15th in the majors with a 4.07 ERA and has converted just 27 of 43 save chances. While the relief corps boasts a pair of All-Stars in Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm, they have gone with a closer-by-committee approach for most of the year.
Estévez, 31, was an All-Star during a 31-save season last year, and he has converted 20 of 23 save opportunities with a 2.38 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and a 32-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 34 appearances.
He could be the missing piece of the puzzle.
In exchange, the Angels received a pair of promising pitching prospects in George Klassen (14 GS, 1.97 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 89 K, 59.1 IP at A/A+) and Samuel Aldegheri (15 GS, 3.23 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 109 K, 78.0 IP at A+/AA) who immediately slot in as Top 10 prospects in the organization and perhaps the best pitching prospects the Angels have outside of Caden Dana.
A win-win deal is rare, but this one has a chance to turn out well for both sides.
No. 4 Worst: Braves Settle for Reuniting with 2021 World Series Hero
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The Braves have been searching for answers in the outfield for much of the season. Ronald Acuña Jr. is out for the year with a torn ACL, and Michael Harris II has been sidelined since mid-June with a hamstring injury.
They've given Adam Duvall everyday playing time while also plucking veterans Eddie Rosario and Ramón Laureano from the scrap heap. They've used that trio alongside Jarred Kelenic with middling-at-best results.
They made their move to shore up the outfield by acquiring Jorge Soler from the San Francisco Giants, reuniting with the 2021 World Series MVP and taking on a significant chunk of money in the process.
The trade also brought back reliever Luke Jackson who was a key setup man on the 2021 team, with Tyler Matzek's contract and low-level prospect Sabin Ceballos going the other way in what amounted to a salary dump for the Giants. The Braves are now on the hook for Soler's $16 million salary in 2025 and 2026.
With Marcell Ozuna already serving as the team's everyday designated hitter, Soler will be asked to play the outfield for the first time this season. He has been used exclusively in the DH role in San Francisco. Ozuna has a club option for 2025 that will likely be exercised, so it's not clear how all the pieces fit together next year either.
On a positive note, Soler has a 116 OPS+ in 392 plate appearances this season, and he's been swinging a red-hot bat of late, going 11-for-18 in his last five games.
Can the notoriously streaky slugger do enough at the plate to offset his defensive shortcomings and earn his hefty salary?
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No. 4 Best: Blue Jays Restock the Farm System Without Fully Rebuilding
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Even without trading away Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette, the Toronto Blue Jays' trade season was still extremely busy, and they did a great job turning short-term pieces into prospect talent.
Here's a quick rundown of all the players the Toronto Blue Jays traded away:
- RHP Yimi García (to SEA)
- C Danny Jansen (to BOS)
- OF Kevin Kiermaier (to LAD)
- LHP Yusei Kikuchi (to HOU)
- IF Isiah Kiner-Falefa (to PIT)
- RHP Nate Pearson (to CHC)
- RHP Trevor Richards (to MIN)
- DH Justin Turner (to SEA)
Here are all prospects they picked up in exchange, and a look at where they ranked in Baseball America's midseason update of each team's Top 30 prospects:
- RHP Jake Bloss (No. 2 HOU prospect)
- OF Joey Loperfido (No. 5 HOU prospect)
- IF/OF Charles McAdoo (No. 12 PIT prospect)
- OF Jonatan Clase (No. 13 TOR prospect)
- OF Yohendrick Pinango (No. 17 CHC prospect)
- SS Eddinson Paulino (No. 18 BOS prospect)
- IF Will Wagner (No. 19 HOU prospect)
- RHP Gilberto Batista
- IF Cutter Coffey
- IF Jay Harry
- SS Josh Rivera
- OF RJ Schreck
- C Jacob Sharp
The return for two months of Kikuchi looks like one of the most lopsided deals of the deadline, with Bloss and Loperfido both capable of immediately stepping into a role on the MLB roster.
Props to the Blue Jays for embracing the role of seller without completely tearing things down.
No. 3 Worst: White Sox Get Lackluster Return for Erick Fedde
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In a few short months, Erick Fedde went from an under-the-radar offseason pickup to one of the most valuable trade chips on the market this summer, but the Chicago White Sox failed to fully maximize their return in the deal that sent him to the St. Louis Cardinals.
There is still plenty of time for that statement to be proven false, but at first blush, it feels like they could have gotten more.
Fedde, 31, spent the 2023 season in the KBO after failing to live up to being a first-round pick by the Washington Nationals. He ended up walking away with the league's MVP trophy after going 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 209 strikeouts in 180.1 innings and parlayed that performance into a two-year, $15 million deal with the White Sox.
It's that contract that made him so valuable.
In a market where a reclamation project starter like Frankie Montas landed a one-year, $16 million deal last winter, Fedde is under contract for just $7.5 million next season. With a 3.11 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts in 121.2 innings, he is pitching like a quality No. 3 starter on a contending team right now.
He was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-team deal that also involved the Los Angeles Dodgers. The White Sox ended up walking away with former top prospect Miguel Vargas, who has struggled to find his footing in the big leagues, and a pair of young infield prospects in Jeral Perez, who appeared in this year's Futures Game, and Alexander Albertus.
In a seller's market for starting pitching, it's hard to believe that's all they walked away with from a prospect standpoint.
No. 3 Best: Orioles Get No. 2 Starter Without Giving Up Top-Tier Prospects
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The Baltimore Orioles' most glaring need heading into the stretch run was to find a starting pitcher they would feel comfortable penciling in alongside Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez in the playoff rotation.
They found that guy in Zach Eflin.
The 30-year-old was a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter over six seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies before signing a three-year, $40 million deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Like so many others before him, he took his game to another level after joining that organization.
He went 16-8 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 186 strikeouts in 177.2 innings last season to finish sixth in AL Cy Young voting. While Eflin has not quite matched that level of performance this season, he has still thrown the ball well with a 4.11 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 116 innings.
His 3.63 FIP paints an even more promising picture of his 2024 performance, and with an $18 million salary for next year, he slots into the rotation as more than just a two-month rental.
In exchange, the Orioles shipped out infielder Mac Horvath (No. 13), right-hander Jackson Baumeister (No. 18), and outfielder Matthew Etzel (unranked), none of whom ranked among Baseball America's Top 10 prospects in its midseason update.
The farm system is still stacked, the rotation is improved, and the O's look ready for a serious playoff push.
No. 2 Worst: Padres Overpay Twice for Relievers
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The San Diego Padres needed a starting pitcher to help bolster a rotation without Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove, so they sold the farm for two setup relievers.
That's no knock on Jason Adam and Tanner Scott.
Adam has been lights out since joining the Tampa Bay Rays prior to the 2022 season, posting a 2.30 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 10.6 K/9 with 24 saves and 52 holds in 170 games. This season has been more of the same. With club control through 2026, he will be a late-inning weapon for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, Scott was an All-Star this season, and while his walk rate is on the high side, he sports a 1.18 ERA, 10.4 K/9, and 18 saves in 44 appearances. He is a straight rental, and free agency is awaiting him this offseason.
Both guys will slot into setup roles ahead of All-Star closer Robert Suarez, giving the Padres one of the best late-inning trios in baseball.
However, to upgrade the rotation, they only added veteran Martín Pérez, who has a 5.20 ERA and 4.94 FIP in 83 innings with the Pittsburgh Pirates this year.
In exchange for those two relievers and swingman Bryan Hoeing, the Padres surrendered almost 25 percent of their recently updated Top 30 prospect list from Baseball America and half of their Top 10:
- 3. LHP Robby Snelling
- 4. RHP Adam Mazur
- 5. RHP Dylan Lesko
- 6. IF Graham Pauley
- 8. C J.D. Gonzalez
- 12. OF Homer Bush Jr.
- 29. IF Jay Beshears
Lesko and Snelling were both Top 100-caliber prospects entering the season before struggling with command, while Mazur is an MLB-ready arm who can immediately step into the Miami rotation.
Not long after gutting the farm to acquire Juan Soto, the Padres have again stripped it to the studs. They do still have teenagers Ethan Salas and Leodalis De Vries headlining their top prospect list, but they now have one of the thinnest farm systems in baseball.
No. 2 Best: Cubs Acquire Best Bat Traded at 2024 Deadline
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The Chicago Cubs sit 51-57 on the season entering play on Tuesday, putting them in last place in the NL Central standings and six games out of a wild-card spot, but that didn't stop them from buying at the trade deadline.
For the record, they also did some selling, sending controllable reliever Mark Leiter Jr. to the New York Yankees, but the big move was acquiring slugging third baseman Isaac Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays.
In an interesting full-circle twist, the Cubs have now acquired Jeimer Candelario and Paredes in back-to-back summers. The Cubs traded those two together at the 2017 trade deadline in exchange for reliever Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila.
Paredes, 25, is controllable through the 2027 season and plugs a glaring hole at third base for the Cubs while giving them a much-needed middle-of-the-order run producer.
After a 31-homer season last year, he is hitting .245/.357/.435 for a 127 OPS+ with 19 doubles, 16 home runs, and 55 RBI this season. He earned his first All-Star selection earlier this month.
The Cubs sent young slugger Christopher Morel the other way in the deal along with a pair of low-level prospects. While Morel still has significant offensive upside, his lack of a defensive home makes him a better roster fit for the Rays.
The North Siders also bought low on flame-throwing reliever Nate Pearson in a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, and he also comes with twfo additional years of club control.
Who would have guessed the last-place Cubs would reel in the most impactful bat moved at this year's deadline?
No. 1 Worst: Astros Massively Overpay for Rental Starter
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To HOU: LHP Yusei Kikuchi
To TOR: RHP Jake Bloss, IF/OF Joey Loperfido, IF Will Wagner
It was no secret the Houston Astros needed to bolster a banged up starting rotation at the trade deadline, but they ended up paying a steep price for a two-month rental of Yusei Kikuchi.
The Astros sent right-hander Jake Bloss to Toronto in the deal, who is one of the breakout pitching prospects of the 2024 season and had emerged as the consensus top pitcher in a thinned-out Houston system.
The 23-year-old was a third-round pick in the 2023 draft. After starting the season in High-A Asheville, he posted a 1.64 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts in 66 innings across three levels before making his MLB debut at the end of June.
That alone would have been too much to sacrifice for a two-month rental of a middle-of-the-rotation starter who has a 4.75 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 115.2 innings on the year while earning a $10 million salary.
However, the Astros also parted with rookie Joey Loperfido, who began the year as the No. 5 prospect in the Houston system. The 25-year-old has yet to break through in sporadic big league action, but he has a .933 OPS with 13 home runs in 39 games at Triple-A this year and crushed upper minors pitching in 2023.
But wait, there's more.
The Astros also included infielder Will Wagner, the son of Astros legend Billy Wagner, who is hitting .307/.424/.429 with 20 extra-base hits and more walks (54) than strikeouts (33) over 70 games at Triple-A.
All for two months of a pitcher with an 85 ERA+ on the year.
No. 1 Best: Dodgers Come Away With the Deadline's Biggest Prize
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The Dodgers have used 16 different starting pitchers this season, so even with Clayton Kershaw back and Bobby Miller on the mend, it's not surprising that adding a starting pitcher at the deadline was a top priority.
They ended up landing the biggest fish in the trade deadline pool.
Jack Flaherty is only a rental, but he's an awfully good one having a resurgent season for the Detroit Tigers after signing a one-year, $14 million deal during the offseason in hopes of rebuilding his value for another run at the open market.
The 28-year-old has a 2.95 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 133 strikeouts in 106.2 innings. After struggling with his command last season, he has walked just 19 batters on the year.
With Yoshinobu Yamamoto dealing with a rotator cuff issue, his availability for the remainder of the year is up in the air, and it's not out of the question to envision a situation where Flaherty is the No. 3 starter in a best-of-seven series.
Catcher Thayron Liranzo was a quality prospect to give up in the deal, while infielder Trey Sweeney also has impact upside, but the Dodgers are in win-now mode and got the guy who can help them do that.
They also did a nice job on the margins, adding the injured Tommy Edman as an eventual middle infield option, Amed Rosario and Kevin Kiermaier to round out the bench, and hard-throwing Michael Kopech as a buy-low bullpen option.
The Dodgers were the team to beat in the NL West heading into trade season, and they are still the team to beat as the calendar gets set to turn to August.
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