The Rich Get Richer: How the Trade Deadline Affected MLB's Contenders

The trade deadline has come and gone, as it does every July 31. A few trades really caught me by surprise.

First of all, Jake Peavy was acquired by the White Sox. Baseball fans expected an ace would be on his way out, but most reports mentioned Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. We knew Peavy wanted out, so it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.

Except for the use of his no-trade clause.

Earlier this season, the Padres were shopping Peavy around, knowing he was unhappy with the state of the team. He rejected a deal in May to go to the White Sox.

Two months later, he accepts a trade to Chicago. And to the same south-side team he originally wanted nothing to do with.

Being a member of the worst team in the NL West must have taken its toll on Peavy for him to change his mind. And considering the White Sox are only 2.5 games out of the AL Central division lead, it’s safe to say he’ll be pitching for a contender.

While it confuses me why Peavy took so long to accept being traded, I have to say it’s possibly the best deal of the season.

Jose Contreras has been awful since 2006. His ERA has been above 4.00 every year since, and his record sits at a Zito-esque 4-10 this season. Buehrle is dominant, but he can’t carry the rotation alone.

Jake Peavy will give the starting rotation a significant boost...if he comes off the DL sometime this year.

He’s good for 150+ strikeouts per year and has kept his ERA under 3.00 for four out of his first seven full seasons with the Padres.

Peavy’s arrival in Chicago does not guarantee the division, however. The Seattle Mariners shipped off Jarrod Washburn to division rival Detroit Tigers.

Detroit leads the AL Central by two games over the Minnesota Twins, and as previously stated, the White Sox are only 2.5 games back. Any of the three teams has an equal chance to pull it off.

Washburn is Detroit’s insurance policy.

While he’s been shaky in the past, Washburn is 8-6 this year with a 2.64 ERA with the Mariners. Unlike Peavy, he’s been in perfect health this year, and strengthens a Tigers rotation already containing ace Justin Verlander and solid closer Fernando Rodney.

But wait—there’s more.

Not to be the only contender in the AL Central left in the dust, the Minnesota Twins acquired shortstop Orlando Cabrera.

Cabrera has quietly put up solid numbers since 2006. He currently has a batting average of .280 and only 39 strikeouts. Cabrera is known for being a contact hitter, and more importantly, one of the best defensive shortstops in the game.

From 2006-2008, Cabrera has turned over 100 double plays per season. His fielding percentage this year is .968, only 10 points lower than his career average and worst since 2004.

But then again, Cabrera was traded to the Red Sox near the trade deadline in 2004. Just something to think about.

Speaking of Boston, missing out on Roy Halladay didn’t stop Theo Epstein from making as many deals as he could.

By far, the smarter of the two deals was the one involving Victor Martinez in exchange for Justin Masterson.

He may still be young, but Masterson has been wildly inconsistent during his time in Boston. You’ll see him deliver effective relief in extra innings one night, then get shelled for five runs in two-thirds of an inning the next.

As much as it hurts me to say, Varitek has been a poor hitter the last two seasons.

He only hit .220 last season, and currently bats .239—far from impressive. Martinez, on the other hand, is currently hitting .284 and has more home runs than Varitek.

Just as important as his offense is the age of both players.

Varitek may be near retirement. He’s 37 years old, and unless he wants to switch to designated hitter or first baseman sometime soon, I can’t see him playing past this year. It’s just too much stress on the lower back for someone that age.

Martinez, however, is only 30. He’s in the prime of his career, and should be effective as a catcher for at least another five years.

Both players have club options for 2010. Depending on how everything plays out, it’s not unreasonable to think Varitek retires, Martinez’s option is exercised, and he signs a long-term deal with Boston.

The second trade involving the Red Sox today, however, leaves me scratching my head.

The Braves, apparently missing Adam LaRoche, traded away Casey Kotchman to get him back. Kotchman has played well this year, with a .282 batting average and only 28 strikeouts. The Braves must have preferred power, considering LaRoche has 13 HR (compared to Kotchman’s 6) while sporting a .248 batting average.

Swapping one first baseman for another, especially considering their stats are nearly identical, just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

Overall, I’d say Boston is this year’s biggest winner at the trade deadline. Martinez is the big bat they need to jump-start the offense, and considering no other team in the AL East even made a significant move at the deadline, the Red Sox should have enough to retake the division.

It would be easy to say the biggest loser is Pittsburgh, but I’m not taking that route. I think the Blue Jays are the biggest loser for not trading Halladay. Considering he is unlikely to sign an extension with a team that doesn’t make any effort at getting better, they should have made a deal and brought in some prospects.

Now comes the fun part. Who will take advantage of their newly-acquired players and surprise us all in October?