1 Word to Describe Every MLB Team After 2025 Trade Deadline
With the MLB trade deadline having come and gone, we're all still getting acquainted with the new-look versions of all 30 teams. It's a lot to process.
So, let's make things simple by describing them in a single word.
Since this alone obviously wouldn't make for much of an article, each one-word description is naturally accompanied by a more thorough explanation. The idea either way is to describe the vibe surrounding each franchise right now.
For instance, a team that loaded up might be "Dangerous," while a team that tore things down might be "Devastated." There's certainly a good example of the latter in Minneapolis right now.
We'll check off three teams at a time and in alphabetical order.
Arizona Diamondbacks, Athletics, Atlanta Braves
1 of 10
Arizona Diamondbacks: Recalibrating
Key Moves: Traded away 3B Eugenio Suárez, 1B Josh Naylor, RHP Merrill Kelly, RHP Shelby Miller, LHP Jordan Montgomery
The Diamondbacks went to the World Series in 2023, and you can't fault the efforts they put into making it back both last year and this year. This is a case where "At least you tried" really is a compliment.
Yet even if it would have been ideal if the Snakes had also found a taker for Zac Gallen, they at least accomplished their goal of reloading their pitching with their deadline deals. They needed to, as only five teams have allowed more runs since the start of 2024.
Athletics: Intriguing
Key Moves: Traded away RHP Mason Miller, LHP JP Sears, 3B Miguel Andujar
The A's pulled off one of the biggest stunners of deadline day on Thursday, sending Miller and Sears to San Diego for a package headlined by Leo De Vries. The shortstop is MLB Pipeline's No. 3 overall prospect.
He offers no immediate help to an A's team that is 16 games under .500, but the club's long-term future is that much more interesting with him in it. An offense with De Vries, Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom will be worth rooting for once they get to Las Vegas in 2028.
Atlanta Braves: Stagnant
Key Moves: Traded for RHP Erick Fedde, RHP Carlos Carrasco, RHP Rafael Montero; traded for RHP Tyler Kinley
The Braves have long since faded from the National League playoff race, so they should have at least dealt pending free agents like Marcell Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias. And yet, they just...didn't.
Put this together with Ronald Acuña Jr.'s ongoing injury troubles and the falls from grace of Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II and Austin Riley, and it becomes that much harder to determine how, exactly, Atlanta is going to reverse its trend of diminishing returns over the last two years.
Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs
2 of 10
Baltimore Orioles: Rudderless
Key Moves: Traded away LHP Gregory Soto, RHP Seranthony Domínguez, RHP Andrew Kittredge, CF Cedric Mullins, 1B Ryan O'Hearn, OF Ramón Laureano, INF Ramón Urías, RHP Charlie Morton
Speaking of diminishing returns, it took less than two years for the Orioles to go from 101-game winners to back in the AL East cellar with a roster that offers shockingly little in the way of long-term hope.
All this makes it fair to question what the strategy is supposed to be, and general manager Mike Elias isn't the only one who has questions to answer. This is David Rubenstein's team now, and he has yet to put a stamp in it since purchasing the franchise last spring.
Boston Red Sox: Confident
Key Moves: Traded for RHP Dustin May, LHP Steven Matz
The Red Sox's quiet deadline didn't happen out of a lack of effort. They reportedly made a run at Minnesota Twins All-Star Joe Ryan, with ESPN's Jeff Passan reporting that they were willing to sacrifice "a number of high-end prospects."
Yet as frustrated as Boston fans might be, the team itself is all-in and certainly playing like it amid a 21-7 run since June 30. Even as is, this Red Sox roster may well be good enough to claim the club's first AL East title in seven years.
Chicago Cubs: Disadvantaged
Key Moves: Traded for INF/OF Willi Castro, RHP Michael Soroka, RHP Andrew Kittredge, LHP Taylor Rogers
The Cubs did get better at the deadline, and in an appreciable way, to boot. Castro is an upgrade for what had been a dreadful third base spot, and the pitching staff needed those fresh arms.
It nonetheless feels like a bummer that the Cubs didn't take even bigger swings, and you wonder if they'll come to regret it. They're already looking up at the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. And unlike the Red Sox, the Cubs have been a little chilly since moving a season-high 20 games over .500 on July 19.
Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians
3 of 10
Chicago White Sox: Mistaken
Key Moves: Traded away OF Austin Slater, RHP Adrian Houser
The White Sox didn't have much in the way of valuable trade chips on their roster, but Luis Robert Jr. did them the solid of boosting his stock with a red-hot July. The 2023 All-Star posted a .990 OPS with three homers and five steals.
And yet, here we are in August and he's still around. It's becoming a broken-record sort of story, and it's especially hard to make sense of it this time. This might have been GM Chris Getz's last best chance to move Robert, whose perpetually shaky value casts his $20 million options for 2026 and 2027 in especially risky light.
Cincinnati Reds: Bold
Key Moves: Traded for 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes, RHP Zack Littell, 3B Miguel Andujar
FanGraphs only gives the Reds a 9.5 percent chance of making the playoffs, so there's a fair debate to be had as to whether they should have been sellers at the deadline.
But then again, why not buy? They're hanging in there at five games over .500, and they aren't being seriously pursued by any of the teams underneath them in the NL wild card race. And with this starting rotation, they should feel as if any ticket to October could end up being a ticket to the World Series.
Cleveland Guardians: Stuck
Key Moves: Traded away RHP Shane Bieber, RHP Paul Sewald
It was only after Emmanuel Clase got placed on leave that the Guardians shifted to selling at the trade deadline, which gave them precious little time to get the lay of the land. It could be why they ended up holding Steven Kwan and Cade Smith.
The question either way is where the Guardians go from here, especially with Kwan. He'll be down to his last two years of arbitration-eligibility after this season, so the time for an extension is now. If nothing gets done, they may have no choice but to trade him anyway.
Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros
4 of 10
Colorado Rockies: Unwatchable
Key Moves: Traded away 3B Ryan McMahon, RHP Tyler Kinley, RHP Jake Bird
The Rockies are already 52 games under .500, and now they no longer have one of their best relief pitchers (Bird) and arguably their best position player (McMahon).
One supposes the good news is that, at 30-81, the Rockies are no longer on pace to snap the White Sox's one-year-old record for losses in a season. Even still, this is almost an impressively bad team that badly needs hope that is nowhere to be found.
Detroit Tigers: Solidified
Key Moves: Traded for RHP Chris Paddack, RHP Randy Dobnak, RHP Paul Sewald, RHP Kyle Finnegan, RHP Rafael Montero, RHP Charlie Morton
There's a whole lot of new faces amid Detroit's pitching staff, but it's harder than it should be to get excited about any of them. The best is probably Morton, and even that opinion is based on an assumption that the 41-year-old will continue his recent hot stretch.
Still, nobody has ever looked upon more pitching depth as a bad thing. And if the Tigers are wise, they'll look to leverage theirs in such a way as to ensure that Tarik Skubal is armed and ready for the playoffs. If anyone is going to carry them back to the World Series, it's him.
Houston Astros: Pressured
Key Moves: Traded for 3B Carlos Correa, OF Jesús Sánchez, INF Ramón Urías
The Astros pulled off easily the biggest stunner of the deadline last Thursday. The notion of a Correa trade had been percolating, but it didn't seem even remotely possible until the very second it happened.
This said, whether a replacement-level version of Correa is an equal and opposite reaction to goings-on elsewhere in the AL West is suspect. What the Astros really need is for injured stars like Yordan Alvarez and Jeremy Peña to get healthy, or else they could have a real hard time holding onto the division lead.
Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers
5 of 10
Kansas City Royals: Determined
Key Moves: Traded for OF Randal Grichuk, OF Mike Yastrzemski, LHP Bailey Falter; traded away C Freddy Fermin
The Royals seemed positioned to sell at the deadline, with Seth Lugo as their main draw for buyers. But then they pulled a fast one on everybody, instead extending Lugo and operating (mostly) as a buyer.
All this is in service of what FanGraphs has as a 14.1 percent chance of playing in October, but it would have been overly cynical if Kansas City had gone in the other direction. This team is only 4.0 games off the pace in the AL wild card race, and is due to get some real help off the injured list in August.
Los Angeles Angels: Delusional
Key Moves: Traded for LHP Andrew Chafin, RHP Luis García, INF Oswald Peraza
The Angels have only gotten as high as four games over .500 this season, and that was all the way back on April 12. They have sputtered ever since, which has resulted in FanGraphs lowering their playoff odds to 1.5 percent.
So why did they choose to hold trade assets like Taylor Ward, Yoán Moncada and Tyler Anderson and instead to a little buying? You'd have to ask owner Arte Moreno, whose insistence on contending has been at odds with the team's reality for a decade at this point.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Vulnerable
Key Moves: Traded for RHP Brock Stewart, OF Alex Call; traded away RHP Dustin May, OF James Outman
It wasn't a huge surprise when the Dodgers played it safe at the deadline. Though they haven't been the runaway train that was promised back in the spring, that may yet become the case if they're able to get healthy before October.
Yet if it wasn't already too close for comfort for the Dodgers in the NL West, it sure is now after the San Diego Padres loaded up at the deadline. Their 3.0-game deficit to the reigning World Series champs looks well within their power to erase over the next two months.
Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins
6 of 10
Miami Marlins: Admirable
Key Moves: Traded away C Nick Fortes, OF Jesús Sánchez
The Marlins could have dominated the starting pitching market if they wanted to. All it would have taken was trades of 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, who had emerged as the more valuable prize.
The Marlins instead held both and, honestly, it's hard to blame them. They would have had to sell low on Alcantara amid his rough return from Tommy John surgery. And then there's the other reality that this club is headed out of 2025 on an upswing, as its last 45 games have yielded 30 wins.
Milwaukee Brewers: Comfortable
Key Moved: Traded for C Danny Jansen, RHP Shelby Miller, LHP Jordan Montgomery; traded away LHP Nestor Cortes
The Brewers didn't exactly push their advantage over the Cubs at the deadline, and it isn't hard to imagine that coming back to bite them. Their lead in the NL Central is a small one, after all, and their lack of home run power is a real flaw that should have been addressed.
On the other hand, the Brewers already have MLB's best record and are riding a 32-11 run since June 12. What they have is clearly working, in large part because what they don't have (i.e., home run power) has yet to be a problem.
Minnesota Twins: Devastated
Key Moves: Traded away 3B Carlos Correa, RHP Chris Paddack, RHP Jhoan Duran, RHP Griffin Jax, RHP Louis Varland, OF Harrison Bader, 1B Ty France, INF Willi Castro, RHP Brock Stewart, LHP Danny Coulombe
If you want to accentuate the positive, at least Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan are still around. They're amazing players who are definitely worth Twins' fans time.
As for the rest of the team...well, obviously not. And what makes the decimation of the roster even sadder is that it looks like a self-inflicted catastrophe in hindsight. Once the Pohlads cut payroll and put the team up for sale, winning became a fundamentally secondary concern.
New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies
7 of 10
New York Mets: Deeper
Key Moves: Traded for CF Cedric Mullins, RHP Ryan Helsley, LHP Gregory Soto, RHP Tyler Rogers
The Mets got to 21 games over .500 back on June 12, but it then quickly became apparent that they needed to get deeper. And so, they went out and shored up their weakest lineup spot and strengthened the bridge to Edwin Díaz in their bullpen.
They arguably should have gotten a top-of-the-rotation starter while they were at it, but the result either way is a World Series-caliber roster. The only question is whether they can claim the NL East lead, but it won't be for lack of trying if they can't.
New York Yankees: Flawed
Key Moves: Traded for 3B Ryan McMahon, INF Amed Rosario, OF Austin Slater, RHP David Bednar, RHP Camilo Doval, RHP Jake Bird, SS José Caballero; traded away INF Oswald Peraza
On paper, at least, the Yankees are one of the top winners of the trade deadline. Their bullpen obviously got deeper, and their deal for McMahon outfitted a problematic third base spot with elite defense and left-handed pop.
But if their subsequent sweep by the Marlins brought anything into focus, it's how vulnerable they are without Aaron Judge. He could be back off the IL this week, yet the flexor strain in his elbow will determine how long he stays back and in what capacity. If he can't throw, he'll have to take Giancarlo Stanton's spot in the DH role.
Philadelphia Phillies: Aggressive
Key Moves: Traded for RHP Jhoan Duran, OF Harrison Bader
Though the Mets are to be commended for their approach to the deadline, the Phillies arguably did them one better just by way of the Duran trade. He was the best possible upgrade for a bullpen with the league's seventh-highest ERA.
As Bader also suits them perfectly as a platoon partner for Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh, the Phillies really did all they needed to do to get ready for a deep playoff run. Naturally, the hope is that this one won't be cut short like in 2023 and 2024.
Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners
8 of 10
Pittsburgh Pirates: Inert
Key Moves: Traded away RHP David Bednar, 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes, LHP Caleb Ferguson, LHP Bailey Falter
The Pirates haven't made the playoffs since 2015, which was also the last time they began a season with better than 50 percent odds of making the postseason at FanGraphs. That makes it a decade in which they have been on the fringes.
This is worth bringing up because, even if selling at the deadline was the right move on paper, it amounts to another step back for a franchise that acts as if it is allergic to taking steps forward. And we haven't even seen the worst of it, as a trade of Paul Skenes feels more inevitable by the day.
San Diego Padres: Threatening
Key Moves: Traded for RHP Mason Miller, LHP JP Sears, 1B Ryan O'Hearn, OF Ramón Laureano, C Freddy Fermin, LHP Nestor Cortes, INF Will Wagner
While we're on the topic of FanGraphs playoffs odds, no team's fortunes have improved as much as those of the Padres. They have gone from a relative long shot at 38.3 percent to nearly a sure thing at 89.6 percent, and that is just since July 26.
The decline in quality around the NL West has something to do with that, but the Padres are obviously all-in, as they made those additions without also trading Dylan Cease or Robert Suarez. They have a real shot at not only taking down the Dodgers, but at returning to the World Series for the first time since 1998.
Seattle Mariners: Dangerous
Key Moves: Traded for 3B Eugenio Suárez, 1B Josh Naylor, LHP Caleb Ferguson
The Mariners of recent years have largely struggled to score runs, but this year was shaping up to be a different story even before they added Suárez and Naylor. Now their offense is as strong 1 through 9 as any in the American League.
The question remains whether their pitching staff will revert to its dominant form of 2024. The impending return of Bryce Miller may well be the necessary trigger in this regard, in which case the M's could waltz into October with eyes on the franchise's first ever World Series appearance.
San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays
9 of 10
San Francisco Giants: Disheartening
Key Moves: Traded away RHP Tyler Rogers, RHP Camilo Doval, OF Mike Yastrzemski
The Giants turning into sellers at the trade deadline was on nobody's bingo card when they got to 12 games over .500 on June 13, much less when they traded for Rafael Devers just days later. That should have super-charged them.
It didn't, however, and now they're in for a truly sad finish to the regular season. It'll notably be a disappointing time for future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, as the 42-year-old will spend what could be his last two months in the majors throwing meaningless pitches for a third-place team.
St. Louis Cardinals: Over
Key Moves: Traded away RHP Ryan Helsley, RHP Phil Maton, LHP Steven Matz, RHP Erick Fedde
As in, the John Mozeliak era of Cardinals baseball is pretty much over. There never was much likelihood of it ending with a bang, but now it's assured to end with a whimper. The club's sell-off happened amid a 9-19 slide down the standings.
The Chaim Bloom era is up next, and he is mercifully set to inherit a few things to work with. The Cardinals at least kept Brendan Donovan and other controllable major leaguers, and the farm system was steadily improving even before the team cashed in its rentals for additional talent.
Tampa Bay Rays: Laudable
Key Moves: Traded for RHP Griffin Jax, C Nick Fortes, RHP Adrian Houser; traded away RHP Zack Littell, C Danny Jansen, RHP Taj Bradley, INF Curtis Mead
The big surprise was who the Rays didn't move, as they chose to hold on Yandy Díaz, Brandon Lowe and Pete Fairbanks even though their odds of making the playoffs have long since cratered.
To hear it from Passan, however, the idea in staying in the race is to give apparently beloved owner Stu Sternberg a last shot at playoff glory before his sale of the franchise goes through. Considering that none of those players was worth a fortune in prospects, it's a defensible and genuinely heartwarming gesture.
Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals
10 of 10
Texas Rangers: Misguided
Key Moves: Traded for RHP Merrill Kelly, RHP Phil Maton, LHP Danny Coulombe
The Rangers have easily the best ERA in the league at 3.30, so the reality that their pitching got even deeper ought to be a scary one for the competition. Kelly, especially, was a good get after he had posted a 3.22 ERA for Arizona.
But since the Rangers are also tied for 24th in scoring, what they really needed was an impact bat or two. That instantly came back to bite them as they lost two one-run games against Seattle over the weekend. According to FanGraphs, their playoff odds are down to 34.2 percent after climbing to 51.4 percent on July 27.
Toronto Blue Jays: Overconfident
Key Moves: Traded for RHP Shane Bieber, RHP Seranthony Domínguez, RHP Louis Varland, 1B Ty France
The Blue Jays, on the other hand, absolutely did need to focus on pitching at the deadline. And what they did sounds good, as Domínguez and Varland are quality relievers and Bieber is a former Cy Young Award winner.
Yet even though the Blue Jays are tied atop the AL at 66-48, they are also dramatically overachieving relative to their run differential. This should have been their cue to take bigger swings, particularly in service of their rotation. As he just had Tommy John surgery last year, there's no guarantee of Bieber being a savior.
Washington Nationals: Depressing
Key Moves: Traded away INF Amed Rosario, RHP Michael Soroka, RHP Kyle Finnegan, LHP Andrew Chafin, RHP Luis García, OF Alex Call
The Nationals haven't been bad for quite as long as the Pirates, but 487 losses since 2020 is an awful lot. They were right to part ways with Mike Rizzo and Dave Martinez in July, yet they failed to meaningfully upgrade a middling farm system by holding onto MacKenzie Gore at the deadline.
As a result, there just isn't a whole lot of hope on the horizon for this franchise. The general feeling is similar to the one in Detroit earlier in the 2020s, when a years-long rebuild had clearly failed and was in need of, well, basically another rebuild.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
