MLB Teams That Blew It at the 2015 Waiver Trade Deadline
The 2015 MLB waiver trade deadline provided contending clubs with a last chance to find the elusive missing pieces they need.
Some teams made great use of the opportunity. The Texas Rangers snagged Mike Napoli, and the San Francisco Giants grabbed Marlon Byrd and Alejandro De Aza, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
But not everyone got it right at the deadline, as October hopefuls like the Los Angeles Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers were among the clubs that swung and missed.
And it wasn't just teams in the postseason mix that blew it at the waiver deadline. There were also underachievers like the San Diego Padres, who missed out on the opportunity to cash in on some prominent chips on the August trade block.
Los Angeles Angels
1 of 5
The Los Angeles Angels are a slowly sinking ship.
As Jon Morosi of Fox Sports noted, the American League West club has won just a single series against a team that currently has a .500 record since the All-Star break. In the process, the Angels (65-66) have dropped a game under .500.
The crux of the issue for the fading squad is that the Angels can't get on the board. The Halos offense was alarmingly awful in August, as the Angels ranked last in runs (86), average (.221), OBP (.281), slugging percentage (.344) and OPS (.625).
Injuries to the likes of David Freese and Johnny Giavotella have definitely contributed to the offensive malaise.
"We have some guys who are young, who have tried to fill in and play more than you might project them to play," manager Mike Scioscia explained, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.
Instead of relying on inexperienced players, the Angels should have been aggressive on the waiver wire and brought in an established bat or two. As Jon Heyman of CBS Sports argued, Chase Utley, who hails from nearby Long Beach, would have been a savvy addition.
In retrospect, Utley likely wouldn't have been a difference-maker for the Angels, as he's hit .194 since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers. Still, the Angels' inability to find that big bat leaves the team in serous danger of missing out on the postseason.
Baltimore Orioles
2 of 5
The Baltimore Orioles are in a free fall.
The O's have dropped 11 of 12 contests, leaving the AL East club 5.5 games adrift of the second wild-card spot. But don't tell Adam Jones all that losing is a result of a lack of effort.
"To say our effort level wasn't there, that's a slap in the face and I want to slap somebody in the face who says that," Jones told reporters.
It's worth wondering if the front office put in enough effort to bolster the roster for the stretch run. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Orioles had been in the mix for Austin Jackson but weren't able to work out a deal with the Seattle Mariners, who sent the center fielder to the Chicago Cubs instead.
The starting rotation would have been a logical place to start if Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette wanted to make an addition. In August, Chris Tillman, Ubaldo Jimenez and Miguel Gonzalez all sported ERAs of 5.73 or higher.
Los Angeles Dodgers
3 of 5
The bullpen isn't the only issue for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After all, the National League West front-runners were just no-hit twice in 10 days. As noted by ESPN Stats & Info, that's the shortest such span between no-no's since the Oakland Athletics suffered the same fate way back in 1923.
The lineup might not be providing much reason for optimism, but the pen—with the exception of closer Kenley Jansen—doesn't provide any at all.
The most troublesome part of the Dodgers' late-inning woes is they keep getting worse. According to Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times, the relief crew was sporting a 2.55 ERA through the first two months of the season. Now, that mark stands at 3.96, which ranks No. 21 in the bigs.
"Look, it's obviously been a rough stretch," general manager Farhan Zaidi admitted earlier in the month, per Dilbeck. "Bullpens in general are the part of the team where performance tends to be the most volatile."
Unfortunately, Zaidi and the rest of the brass failed to decrease that volatility by bringing in any impact relief arms via a waiver swap.
All it takes is one look at the stats to understand that a lockdown pen is one of the hallmarks of the true heavyweights of baseball. The St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates are MLB's top three teams not only in wins, but also in bullpen ERA.
.png?w=256)
San Diego Padres
4 of 5
The San Diego Padres were unexpectedly quiet at the July 31 deadline. As it turns out, the Pads were just as quiet when the August 31 deadline came and went.
Looking at the roster, the 64-67 squad appears to have a slew of arms who would've been compelling waiver-trade candidates.
James Shields is just one of the pitchers who fit that bill. Per ESPN's Buster Olney, the righty cleared waivers early in the month. Admittedly, dealing Shields was always going to be a challenge because of the money left on his deal. The starter makes the balance of a $10 million salary in 2015, has $21 million salaries in each of the next three seasons and has a $16 million option (with a $2 million buyout) for 2019.
However, both Ian Kennedy and Joaquin Benoit are pitching on much more manageable deals. Kennedy is earning $9.85 million before hitting the market this winter. The starter has also been highly effective as of late, posting a 2.23 ERA and punching out 48 batters in 44.1 innings of work in his past seven outings.
Benoit, who is the owner of a 2.10 ERA, rakes in $8 million this year and has an option for the same amount (with a $1.5 million buyout) next season. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported both pitchers were claimed on waivers, but the Padres opted to pull them back rather than work out deals.
The decision to hold on to Kennedy was especially perplexing with the right-hander so close to reaching free agency. San Diego could give Kennedy a qualifying offer, but that would be a risky move. As you can see via MLBTradeRumors.com, the 2016 free-agent class of starting pitchers is loaded. As a result, Kennedy could end up accepting an offer.
Kansas City Royals
5 of 5
The Kansas City Royals are thin behind the dish. According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Royals were aiming to find another backup for Salvador Perez before the waiver deadline passed.
Perez has cracked a career-high 18 home runs in 2015, but he's also been subjected to an especially high workload in each of the past two seasons. Last year, Perez led all AL backstops with 150 game appearances. This year, he's played in 113 contests, which puts him second in that department.
The recent stats suggest the 25-year-old's legs are starting to get heavy. Since the All-Star break, Perez is the owner of a .233 average and a .617 OPS.
After missing out on the chance to add a veteran backstop, the club's primary safety net for Perez is Drew Butera. The 32-year-old journeyman, who also spent time with the Los Angeles Angels this year, is hitting .209 with just three extra-base hits in 40 games.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com. All salary information courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts on BaseballProspectus.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
.png?w=480)
