Final Winners and Losers of the 2015 MLB Waiver Trade Window
The August waiver trade window may not generate the same buzz as the July 31 non-waiver deadline, and we rarely see star-caliber players on the move in August, but that doesn't mean the deals made this past month won't have an impact on the postseason push.
While teams can technically still trade for players through the end of the season, a player has to be acquired by Aug. 31 in order to be eligible for the postseason roster.
Let's take a quick look at notable players who were on the move in August:
- 3B Danny Valencia (TOR-OAK)
- RP Eric O'Flaherty (OAK-NYM)
- OF Daniel Nava (BOS-TB)
- 1B Mike Napoli (BOS-TEX)
- IF Cliff Pennington (ARI-TOR)
- RP Oliver Perez (ARI-HOU)
- OF Will Venable (SD-TEX)
- 2B Chase Utley (PHI-LAD)
- OF Marlon Byrd (CIN-SF)
- RP Neal Cotts (MIL-MIN)
- RP Fernando Rodney (SEA-CHC)
- RP Addison Reed (ARI-NYM)
There was also one notable swap of bad contracts, as the Atlanta Braves sent third baseman Chris Johnson to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher.
Here is a quick look at a few of the biggest winners and losers of the August waiver trade window.
Loser: Danny Valencia
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It's not often that a productive player finds himself traveling from a contender to a non-contender in August, but that was the case with Danny Valencia when the Oakland Athletics claimed him off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.
It hasn't been all bad, as the deal has opened up more playing time for the 30-year-old, and he's made the most of it with a .288/.338/.548 line that includes five home runs and 14 RBI in 18 games.
The move also looks like a good one for the A's, as Valencia still has two years of team control left and has a chance to be at least a platoon player next season.
However, moving from a legitimate title contender in the Blue Jays to a team that's 18 games under .500 and 15.5 games out of first place makes Valencia one of the clear losers of the waiver trade window.
Winner: Marlon Byrd
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The chance to put his talents on display for a contending team will mean more to Marlon Byrd than just wins and losses and the possibility of returning to the postseason.
The 38-year-old (Happy birthday, Mr. Byrd!) has an $8 million option for next season that vests with 550 plate appearances.
He's at 427 so far, so chances are it's not going to vest, and, as a result, it turns into a team option.
It's possible the Reds would have exercised that option had he stayed in Cincinnati, and he would have been stuck on a non-contender for what could be one of the final productive seasons of his career.
Instead, he'll either be returning to a Giants team that should again be in the playoff hunt, or he'll be hitting the free-agent market with his stock currently on the rise and another multi-year deal a possibility.
Before going 3-4 on Sunday, Byrd had already posted an .817 OPS with Giants. He now has three home runs and 14 RBI in nine games with the Giants, and if he can continue that pace, he'll be in a great position either way when the offseason rolls around.
Winner: Philadelphia Phillies
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Trading a franchise icon and a fan favorite is always tough, but with a full commitment to a long-overdue rebuild, the Philadelphia Phillies finally pulled the trigger on moving Chase Utley.
On the surface, it's been a rough season for the 36-year-old, as he carries a .215/.288/.336 line and a minus-0.2 WAR into play on Sunday.
However, he rebuilt a good deal of value by hitting .484/.485/.742 with five doubles in eight games after coming off of the disabled list on Aug. 7, and the Phillies were able to land a significantly better return as a result.
The Los Angeles Dodgers ended up sending infielder Darnell Sweeney and right-hander John Richy to Philadelphia in the deal.
Richy, a third-round pick in 2014, is 10-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 131.1 innings of work at the High-A level this year, and he now checks in as the team's No. 30 prospect according to MLB.com.
It's the addition of Sweeney, though, that made the team clear winners in August.
The 24-year-old hit .271/.332/.409 with 30 doubles, nine home runs, 49 RBI and 32 stolen bases in Triple-A prior to the trade, as he's been a productive bat every step of the way in the minors.
While his primary position is second base, where he earned the No. 13 spot in my recent MLB 20 for '20 series, it's his defensive versatility that could make him valuable.
This is what I wrote back in July:
"If there's a guy in minor league baseball right now who could be the next Ben Zobrist, it's Sweeney.
He's primarily played second base and shortstop, but he's also seen some time in center field and left field—and he profiles as at least an average defender at all of those positions except for shortstop, where he's fringy at best.
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The Phillies moved him straight to the big league roster after the trade, and he's gone 3-for-14 with a pair of home runs, so don't be surprised if his role expands in September.
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Loser: Los Angeles Angels
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Three things made Chase Utley the perfect potential addition to the Los Angeles Angels roster.
1. The team has been nothing short of horrible this month, as it's hitting an MLB-worst .218 and averaging just 2.89 runs per game.
2. Production from the left side of the plate has been an issue all season, with left-handed hitters (before Sunday) batting a combined .237/.296/.356 with 33 home runs.
3. Incumbent second baseman Johnny Giavotella, who has been one of the few consistent bats the team has had this season, went on the disabled list on Tuesday with a "personal medical condition," according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
Instead, Utley wound up joining the Dodgers, and the Angels continue to struggle.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports agrees the failure to land Utley made the Angels clear losers in August:
"The Angels blew it by failing to acquire Chase Utley, who had the right to veto any trade and preferred one of the L.A. teams. The Angels, with more playing time to offer, had a clearer path to Utley than the Dodgers. And yet they got shut out, knowing that the complementary hitters they added at the non-waiver trade deadline were not nearly enough.
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With a 10-18 record and a minus-66 run differential this month, the Angels are clearly trending downward, and the addition of Utley could have been the spark they needed to get back on track.
Winner: Texas Rangers
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The Texas Rangers' surprise run at contention looked to be over following a 21-5 loss to the New York Yankees on July 28.
At that point they were 7-14 in the month of July and 47-52 overall, which left them eight games back in the AL West and five games back with six teams to pass for the second wild-card spot.
However, after picking up Cole Hamels at the trade deadline and getting guys like Derek Holland and Martin Perez back healthy, the starting rotation suddenly looked formidable, and the offense picked up its production as well.
A 7-1 hot streak followed that drubbing against the Yankees, and the team was a game over .500 and just two games out of a wild-card spot.
That was enough to make them buyers in August, and they were able to land a pair of solid bats in Mike Napoli and Will Venable, both of whom have been productive so far.
- Napoli: 12 G, 8-for-26, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R
- Venable: 7 G, 6-for-20, 1 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R
Venable plugs a hole in left field where he's taken over as the everyday starter, while Napoli gives the team a right-handed platoon bat for Mitch Moreland at first base and a solid bat off the bench.
The Rangers are 68-61 and currently hold a 1.5-game lead over the Minnesota Twins for the second wild card.
They may not be game-changing superstars, but the additions of Napoli and Venable have undoubtedly improved the roster. Both guys have a chance to be key contributors for the stretch run.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, unless otherwise noted.
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