Early Steals, Regrets from the 2015 MLB Trade Deadline
The 2015 MLB trade deadline was only two weeks ago, but there is already an array of contending clubs that made decisions that have proved to be highly regrettable.
Take, for instance, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who only made minor tweaks to a bullpen that has turned into a pumpkin. While clubs like the Dodgers should be ruing their missed opportunities, there is also an assortment of teams that found some flat-out bargains in the final days of July.
In running down the steals of the trade season, the idea isn't to highlight the blockbuster moves like the Toronto Blue Jays' acquisitions of Troy Tulowitzki and David Price or the Kansas City Royals' addition of Johnny Cueto. There's no debating the impact that those stars have already made, but they also came at far too high of a cost to be termed "steals."
Instead, the idea is to focus on lower-profile players who have already been difference-makers with their new squads. As it turns out, one of Kansas City's other trade additions fits that bill.
Steal: The Houston Astros Acquire Scott Kazmir
1 of 6
With the American League West title up for grabs, the time was right for the Houston Astros to strike. And that's why there's so much to like about the club's decision to acquire Scott Kazmir from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor league catcher Jacob Nottingham and starting pitcher Daniel Mengden.
As team broadcaster Geoff Blum explained on 95.7 The Game, the lefty has immediately become a leader at Minute Maid Park.
"He's just a fantastic guy to have in the clubhouse."
He's also a fantastic guy to have on the mound. The Astros are just 2-2 when Kazmir pitches, but he's certainly been doing all he can to help the club rack up wins. In his four starts, Kazmir has allowed just three earned runs.
The 31-year-old is quietly enjoying one of the best seasons of any starter in the AL. Kazmir's ERA sits at 2.12, which is the second-best mark in the circuit. Along with Dallas Keuchel, who ranks fourth in that department (2.40 ERA), the Astros have the makings of a nasty one-two punch as October approaches.
Regret: The San Francisco Giants' Failure to Bolster the Outfield
2 of 6
The outfield is looking dicey at AT&T Park.
Last week, Angel Pagan told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he was doing everything he could to stay in the lineup.
"I'm always going to play until the wheels fall off," Pagan explained.
It looks like the wheels officially fell off, as the center fielder just landed on the disabled list with right patellar tendinitis, per the team's Twitter account. Sending Pagan to the shelf was a case of addition by subtraction, as the hobbled vet was hitting .196 in his last 15 games.
Gregor Blanco is capable of stepping in for Pagan in center, but the problem for the Giants is that Nori Aoki is also hurting. According to Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group, manager Bruce Bochy said there's a "good possibility" the leadoff hitter will end up on the seven-day concussion DL.
With Pagan and Aoki both sidelined, the Giants will have to seriously consider bringing in outside help via a waiver-wire deal. For now, Bochy isn't banking on any new players walking through the door.
"I think everybody would say they'd like another bat," Bochy said, via Matt Kawahara of the Sacramento Bee. "It's not that easy. Guys are going through waivers, they get claimed and blocked and all those things."
Acquiring that much-needed outfield insurance would have been a whole lot easier if the front office had managed to do so before the non-waiver deadline came and went on July 31.
Steal: Kansas City Royals Add Ben Zobrist
3 of 6
This trade could burn the Kansas City Royals down the line, as the team had to part with starting pitcher Aaron Brooks and the highly touted Sean Manaea to pry Ben Zobrist away from the Oakland Athletics. Already, Manaea, who is a lefty starter, checks in as the No. 3 farmhand in Oakland's system, per MLB.com.
But right now, this move is looking awfully smart for the AL Central leaders. At the plate, Zobrist has been a hit for the Royals, cracking three home runs and logging an .872 OPS in his first 12 games.
"Benny's pretty solid in all phases of his game," manager Ned Yost said, via Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star. "There's no flash there. But it's all a really solid, fundamentally sound game."
The best part about Zobrist's game is that he has the defensive versatility to play all over the diamond. So far, the 34-year-old has been spending nearly all of his time in left field, filling in for Alex Gordon while he's stuck on the DL. Later this season, the switch-hitter could supplant Omar Infante at second base. With a .540 OPS, Infante has been one of the worst players in the bigs in 2015.
Simply put, the addition of Zobrist gives the Royals cover across both the infield and outfield. For a contender like Kansas City, that's an invaluable insurance plan to have at a time of the year when the waiver-wire process makes it extremely difficult to bring in outside help.
.png?w=256)
Regret: The Los Angeles Angels' Decision Not to Upgrade the Lineup
4 of 6
The Los Angeles Angels offense has been MIA in the second half.
Since the Midsummer Classic, the Halos are tied for 22nd in runs (96) and rank No. 28 in average (.230) and OPS (.656). There's no question about it—the Angels' brain trust should have added a big bat at the deadline. Ideally, that masher would have been a lefty hitter to slot into the lineup between Mike Trout and Albert Pujols.
Instead, the club picked up three fourth outfielders in David Murphy, David DeJesus and Shane Victorino. So far, Murphy has been the most successful of that trio, posting a .572 OPS. Victorino clocks in with a .481 OPS, and DeJesus is sporting an OPS of .198.
The worst part is the Angels have been flat-out lousy when it matters most. As Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register noted, the team was 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position during the 13-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Overall, Los Angeles is in the midst of a 1-for-32 slide in such situations.
The failure to fix the lineup could lead to the Angels being left on the outside looking in when October rolls around. Los Angeles trails the Houston Astros by two games in the AL West and has just a 1.5-game edge over the Tampa Bay Rays for the second wild-card spot.
Steal: Oakland Athletics Claim Danny Valencia off Waivers
5 of 6
Technically, this move happened after the deadline had passed, as the Oakland Athletics didn't claim Danny Valencia off waivers until Aug. 3. But it's been included on this list because Valencia was only available to the Athletics thanks to the Toronto Blue Jays' flood of trades, which left the AL East squad with too many players and not enough roster spots.
Oakland was only too happy to take the 30-year-old off the Jays' hands.
"We got a gift-wrapped present from Toronto, I promise you that," starter Chris Bassitt said, via Trevor Hass of MLB.com. "My goodness. How he got [designated for assignment] is shocking to every single person on this team, including coaches. I don't know how we got him. I really don't. He is unreal."
Valencia has been crushing the ball ever since he arrived at the O.co Coliseum. The right-handed hitter, who has taken over the cleanup spot, has tallied a .391 average and connected on three bombs in his first six games. Considering the Athletics only had to pay a $20,000 waiver fee for Valencia, the newest member of the club has been the definition of a steal for Oakland.
Regret: The Los Angeles Dodgers Miss Out on Adding a Big-Time Reliever
6 of 6
Jim Johnson fully grasps why the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired him and lefty Luis Avilan from the Atlanta Braves.
"The purpose of Luis and I is to obviously strengthen the back end of the bullpen," Johnson said, via Greg Hadley of the Los Angeles Times, when he first joined the club. "Every team that wants to play into October and win in October, the key factor is getting those big outs at the end of the game. It's a no-brainer and that's what we're here to do."
So far, Johnson has completely missed the mark. On Sunday, the veteran right-hander served up eight runs while retiring just two batters. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Johnson is the second Dodgers reliever ever to allow that many runs while throwing less than an inning. In his four outings with the Dodgers, Johnson has yet to record a scoreless appearance.
The real issue is the Dodgers front office should have done much more than acquire a couple of middling relievers before the deadline passed. After all, the relief crew's lack of success has become a glaring weakness for Los Angeles. On the season, the group has posted the third-worst ERA (4.11) in the NL.
Johnson was right that teams that want to succeed in the postseason have to slam the door shut in the late innings. But the way the current group of relievers has been pitching, it's not out of the question that the Dodgers miss out on the playoffs altogether.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
.png?w=480)
