MLB Trades 2013: Teams That Made Smart Moves This Summer

Major League Baseball's summer trade deadline came and went with very little action, but that doesn't mean a handful of contending teams didn't improve over the course of July.

Two American League clubs with World Series aspirations added much-needed pitching help while a popular National League contender improved without giving up too much in return. 

Here we'll look back at a trio of clubs that made smart moves this summer.

Baltimore Orioles

Orioles general manager Dan Duquette added two quality arms to Baltimore's pitching staff this summer, acquiring Scott Feldman from the Chicago Cubs well before the deadline and then bringing in Bud Norris from the Houston Astros on Wednesday, per Dan Perry of CBS Sports.

The AL East contenders also boosted their bullpen, landing Francisco Rodriguez from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Feldman is 2-2 with a 5.12 ERA in five starts for Baltimore but showed during his time with Chicago earlier this season that he's capable of getting hot and stringing together some strong performances. 

Meanwhile, Norris went 6-9 as a starter for the struggling Astros this season. He has a 3.93 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 2013 and will look to improve upon both categories with the Orioles over the next two months.

Boston Red Sox

Many baseball fans and experts are crowning the Boston Red Sox the champions of the trade deadline, and for good reason.

The Sox brought in a big-time thrower in Jake Peavy and added depth to their bullpen with Matt Thornton. Peavy was one of the biggest names to move this summer, and the Red Sox managed to reel him in without losing any of their top young prospects.

Peavy is 8-4 this season with a 4.28 ERA and 76 strikeouts. For a club that ranks 15th in the majors in team ERA, adding a reliable starter at this stage is huge, especially with the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays playing lights-out baseball.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The L.A. Dodgers have a slender lead in the NL West division heading into August, but don't expect them to give it up anytime soon.

L.A. made some brilliant moves prior to the trade deadline this summer, acquiring right-hander Ricky Nolasco and signing closer Brian Wilson.

Nolasco is 1-1 with a 3.13 ERA since coming over from Miami, and Wilson will likely pitch in a few rehab games before joining the team and eventually taking over as the Dodgers closer at some point down the road. 

Wilson, who underwent Tommy John surgery last year, hasn't pitched in a major league game since April 2012 but will be invaluable if he can return to top form this fall, per ESPN Stats & Info:

In the midst of his dominant stretch in 2010, Wilson recorded a career-high 93 strikeouts in 70 appearances for the San Francisco Giants and went on to allow zero earned runs with 16 strikeouts in over 11 postseason innings pitched. 

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