MLB Trade Deadline 2016: Recap and Report Cards for Every Key Deal
The 2016 MLB non-waiver trade deadline has officially passed. You may now exhale.
It won't go down as the most earth-shattering deadline of all time, particularly considering the lack of marquee starting pitchers that changed hands.
Still, we saw plenty of landscape-altering deals, with the Texas Rangers loading up on bats and a late-inning bullpen arm, the New York Yankees shifting into unfamiliar sell mode and the New York Mets netting a slugger for the second straight year, among many other machinations.
Let's parse 14 of the biggest moves—with an emphasis on star players and deals that could impact playoff races—and dole out grades, keeping in mind that no trade can be fully and fairly judged without the benefit of hindsight.
Tap the clay off your cleats and dig in when ready.
Drew Pomeranz Traded from San Diego Padres to Boston Red Sox
1 of 15
The Trade
The Boston Red Sox received left-handed starter Drew Pomeranz from the San Diego Padres in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Boston Red Sox
In need of starting pitching to bolster their high-scoring offense, the Red Sox cashed in Espinoza—the No. 21 prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com—to grab Pomeranz, who was having a breakout, All-Star season with the Padres.
The results haven't been great so far. Through three starts with Boston, Pomeranz is 0-2 with an unsightly 7.53 ERA.
It's a small sample, obviously. And Pomeranz has intermittently flashed the stuff that made him successful in San Diego, as Red Sox skipper John Farrell pointed out.
"Three starts in, I know the numbers can look out of sync or not strong," Farrell said, per ESPN.com's Scott Lauber. "But still, there's quality stuff being thrown. It's a matter of consistency."
The 27-year-old Pomeranz won't become a free agent until 2019, so assuming he returns to form, this could still be a positive for the Red Sox.
So far, however, it's a mixed bag at best considering what the Sox surrendered.
Grade: C-
San Diego Padres
The Pads, who have shifted into full-blown rebuild mode, appear to have sold high on Pomeranz. And they acquired a heck of a building block in Espinoza, an 18-year-old who has struck out 141 hitters in 142 minor league innings.
There's no such thing as a can't-miss teenage prospect, but San Diego may have turned a strong half-season from Pomeranz into a future front-line starter. And remember, the Padres acquired Pomeranz from the Oakland A's this winter for first baseman Yonder Alonso, who's hitting .247 with a .651 OPS.
As SB Nation's Grant Brisbee put it, "The San Diego Padres turned Yonder Alonso into a golden arm using This One Weird Trick."
When you frame it like that, it's tough not to love this move from the Friars' perspective.
Grade: A
Aroldis Chapman Traded from New York Yankees to Chicago Cubs
2 of 15
The Trade
The Chicago Cubs received left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees for infield prospect Gleyber Torres, right-handed reliever Adam Warren and outfield prospects Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford, per Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago.
Chicago Cubs
Yes, Chapman is a straight rental, as he'll become a free agent this winter. And yes, the Cubs surrendered a gaudy package to land him, one that included Torres, the club's No. 2 prospect, according to Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter.
There's also the troubling matter of Chapman's domestic violence suspension, an off-field issue that overshadows the baseball aspects of the deal.
Chicago, though, is in curse-busting, win-now mode. In Chapman, they got one of the most dominant arms in the game, a heat-slinging closer who has fanned an eye-popping 13 hitters per nine innings this season.
Plus, the Cubbies are flush with talented young infielders—including Addison Russell, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant—making Torres an expendable chip.
With Chapman joining right-handers Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop, the Cubs can now replicate the shutdown late-inning formula that won the Kansas City Royals an American League pennant in 2014 and a title in 2015.
Grade: B+
New York Yankees
The Yankees began what proved to be a significant and uncharacteristic deadline sell-off with a bang. Torres was the biggest prize, but McKinney (the Cubs' No. 8 prospect, per Reuter) is also an intriguing piece. And Warren is an experienced big league arm who posted a 3.29 ERA with the Yankees as a starter and reliever in 2015.
As Baseball America's JJ Cooper opined, the Yanks flipped Chapman for a much bigger haul than they spent to acquire him from the Cincinnati Reds in December. And if they're willing to spend, they could sign the Cuban southpaw on the open market this winter.
Grade: A
Melvin Upton Jr. Traded from San Diego Padres to Toronto Blue Jays
3 of 15
The Trade
The Toronto Blue Jays acquired outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. from the Padres for minor league right-hander Hansel Rodriguez and cash, per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays' starting outfield is set with Michael Saunders in left, Kevin Pillar in center and Jose Bautista in right. In Upton, however, they added a guy with the defensive versatility to spell all three.
The 31-year-old Upton is also in the midst of a nice bounce-back season, having tallied 16 home runs and 20 stolen bases.
It's not a game-changing move for the Blue Jays as they seek to defend their American League East crown, but it provides depth, which is always an asset in the dog days of summer.
Upton is owed $22 million-plus through 2017, but the Pads are picking up all but $5 million, per Heyman, so the financial commitment is manageable for Toronto.
Grade: B
San Diego Padres
The rebuilding Pads shed a little salary, but by agreeing to take on the bulk of Upton's deal, they also acquired a solid piece in Rodriguez, a 19-year-old Dominican import with a high-90s fastball who slots in as San Diego's No. 19 prospect, per MLB.com.
Taken in isolation, this is a fine move. As part of San Diego's larger deadline sell-off, it looks even better.
Grade: B+
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Eduardo Nunez Traded from Minnesota Twins to San Francisco Giants
4 of 15
The Trade
The San Francisco Giants acquired infielder Eduardo Nunez from the Minnesota Twins for left-handed pitching prospect Adalberto Mejia, per Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants went shopping for infield depth and found it in the form of Nunez, who logged innings at second, third and shortstop this season in Minnesota.
Nunez hit .296 with 12 home runs and 27 stolen bases for the Twins. And he won't become a free agent until after the 2017 season, so he'll augment San Francisco's homegrown infield next year as well.
The Giants gave up one of their better pitching prospects in Mejia. But, as we saw with the subsequent trade of third baseman Matt Duffy to the Tampa Bay Rays (more on that in a moment), this was part of a larger plan.
Grade: B
Minnesota Twins
The 23-year-old Mejia owns a 2.81 ERA with 101 strikeouts in 105.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season, and he becomes the Twins' No. 11 prospect, per MLB.com.
For a club that went from surprise contender in 2015 to distant AL Central basement-dweller, this is a solid eye-on-the-future move.
Grade: B
Andrew Cashner Traded from San Diego Padres to Miami Marlins
5 of 15
The Trade
The Miami Marlins acquired right-hander Andrew Cashner, right-hander Colin Rea, right-handed prospect Tayron Guerrero and cash from the Padres in exchange for right-handers Jarred Cosart and Carter Capps, pitching prospect Luis Castillo and minor league first baseman Josh Naylor, per ESPN.com.
Miami Marlins
In search of starting pitching, the Marlins added the hard-throwing Cashner, a rental who will be a free agent this winter, and Rea, a 26-year-old who's under club control through 2021.
Rea left in the middle of his first start with the Fish and landed on the disabled list with an elbow strain, leading Miami to ship him back to San Diego in exchange for Castillo, per Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, and leaving the Marlins "livid," according to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan.
Cashner, meanwhile, scattered four hits and one earned run over six innings in his Marlins debut Sunday. He could be an asset for Miami as it pushes toward the postseason despite the 4.76 ERA he posted for San Diego.
The Rea debacle hurts, obviously. But the hard-throwing Guerrero—who became the Marlins' No. 26 prospect, per MLB.com—represents a possible piece for the future. And while he's far from an ace, Cashner is a decent back-of-the-rotation gamble in a weak pitching market.
Grade: C+
San Diego Padres
In keeping with the theme, the Padres added more young, high-upside talent. The 26-year-old Cosart is a groundball pitcher whose best season came in 2014 when he posted a 3.69 ERA in 180.1 innings.
Capps and his blazing fastball broke out last season, posting a 1.16 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 31 innings out of the bullpen, but he underwent Tommy John surgery in March.
Naylor, a power-hitting first base prospect, checked in at No. 100 on Baseball America's midseason list, making this a solid return, particularly if Capps returns to form.
Grade: B
Mark Melancon Traded from Pittsburgh Pirates to Washington Nationals
6 of 15
The Trade
The Washington Nationals acquired right-handed reliever Mark Melancon and cash from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for left-handed reliever Felipe Rivero, left-handed pitching prospect Taylor Hearn, per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post.
Washington Nationals
With Jonathan Papelbon wobbling in the closer's role, the Nationals grabbed Melancon, a three-time All-Star who paced the big leagues with 51 saves in 2015 and posted a 1.51 ERA with the Pirates this season.
The Nats, naturally, surrendered some talent to land Melancon despite the fact that he's a rental who will hit the market this winter. But the biggest potential issue is Papelbon, who has let his temper get the better of him before.
So far, the veteran is saying the right things.
"We're fighting for a championship, this is what it takes to achieve it," Papelbon said, per the Washington Post's Jorge Castillo. "I think everyone being on the same page and playing for a common goal is what it takes."
There's no guarantee Melancon will get the Nats to the promised land. But he represents a key upgrade for a win-now team.
Grade: B+
Pittsburgh Pirates
Like Washington, the Pirates are in the National League playoff picture, so it feels counterintuitive to jettison a key contributor. Then again, the spendthrift front office was unlikely to re-sign Melancon, so getting something for him now makes sense.
And Pittsburgh did get something. Rivero is a hard-throwing southpaw who's struck out 98 hitters in 99 big league innings and is under team control through the 2021 season. Hearn, likewise, is a southpaw who can light up the radar gun and checks in as the Pirates' No. 26 prospect, per MLB.com.
Still, this has to feel a little like swallowing medicine for Bucs fans.
Grade: B
Matt Kemp Traded from San Diego Padres to Atlanta Braves
7 of 15
The Trade
The Atlanta Braves acquired outfielder Matt Kemp and cash from the Padres in exchange for third baseman/outfielder Hector Olivera, per Rosenthal.
Atlanta Braves
Kemp, an expensive veteran with pop but steeply declining defensive skills, seems like an odd addition for a rebuilding team like the Braves. The motivation here, however, was to rid themselves of Olivera.
The 31-year-old Cuban—who is serving a domestic violence suspension—has posted an anemic .245/.296/.378 slash line in 108 big league plate appearances and is owed more than $28 million through 2020.
In addition to Kemp, Atlanta will receive $10.5 million, per ESPN.com's Jim Bowden. That won't completely offset the cost of Kemp's contract relative to Olivera's. However, as David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted, the Braves found "a creative means of getting some right-handed power while cutting ties with a player they no longer wanted to be associated with."
Grade: B-
San Diego Padres
The Padres designated Olivera for assignment as soon as they acquired him, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi. That makes this a pure salary dump—an unsexy but necessary part of most rebuilds.
Padres fans can't be expected to cheer this one, but Kemp was clearly not a part of the club's future, and moving even part of his seemingly untradeable contract counts as a minor victory.
Grade: B-
Andrew Miller Traded from New York Yankees to Cleveland Indians
8 of 15
The Trade
The Cleveland Indians acquired left-handed reliever Andrew Miller from the Yankees in exchange for minor league outfielder Clint Frazier, minor league left-hander Justus Sheffield and minor league right-handers Ben Heller and J.P. Feyereisen, per ESPN's Buster Olney.
Cleveland Indians
After All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy vetoed a trade to Cleveland, the Indians dusted themselves off and landed one of the best relievers in baseball.
The price was steep, as you'd expect, but Miller—who posted a 1.39 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 45.1 innings for the Yankees—gives the Tribe a top-shelf late-inning arm for the stretch run and, if they stay on course, the postseason.
Plus, Miller is locked into an exceedingly affordable deal that pays him $9 million in 2017 and 2018.
Grade: A
New York Yankees
Parting with Miller, an elite talent and noted clubhouse leader, is bittersweet. But the Yanks landed a predictably massive haul.
Frazier, a first-round pick in 2013, is the No. 22 prospect in baseball, per MLB.com. And Sheffield, a 2014 first-rounder, checks in at No. 93. Neither Heller nor Feyereisen checks in among the Yankees' top 30 prospects, though that says as much about New York's newfound minor league depth as anything.
Whether the Yankees are looking to create a homegrown juggernaut in a few years or stockpile trade chips for a future blockbuster move, they've set themselves up nicely.
"We're trying to get back to a situation where we can build an uberteam, and a sustainable one," general manager Brian Cashman told reporters after the Miller deal, per Billy Witz of the New York Times.
Grade: A
Wade Miley Traded from Seattle Mariners to Baltimore Orioles
9 of 15
The Trade
The Baltimore Orioles acquired left-hander Wade Miley from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for left-handed prospect Ariel Miranda, per Rosenthal.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles needed starting pitching to support their big-bashing offense. With a thin farm system and a shallow pool of trade targets, they settled for Miley and his unsightly 4.98 ERA.
On the bright side, Miley pitched better in July, pitching into the sixth inning or later in all five starts and posting a 3.45 ERA for the month.
The 29-year-old southpaw won't single-handedly tip the AL East race, but he could help Baltimore's push for the postseason. He's signed for $8.75 million in 2017 with a $12 million club option for 2018.
Grade: B-
Seattle Mariners
Miranda, a 27-year-old Cuban southpaw, posted a 3.93 ERA in 19 starts at Triple-A and made one appearance with the Orioles on July 3, allowing three runs and striking out four in two innings against the Mariners.
At 52-51 entering play Monday, Seattle is hanging around the edges of the playoff race. This move won't change the calculus, but it saves the M's some cash.
Grade: B-
Rich Hill and Josh Reddick Traded from Oakland A's to Los Angeles Dodgers
10 of 15
The Trade
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired right fielder Josh Reddick and left-handed starter Rich Hill from the Oakland A's in exchange for right-handed pitching prospects Frankie Montas, Jharel Cotton and Grant Holmes, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Dodgers
With ace Clayton Kershaw battling a balky back and question marks on offense, the Dodgers netted a lefty starter and corner outfielder with pop.
The 36-year-old Hill has posted a 2.26 ERA in 14 starts with Oakland, but he has missed stretches with a groin strain and, currently, a finger blister. Reddick also spent time on the disabled list with a thumb injury, but he has eight hits in his last six games, including a pair of home runs.
Hill, when healthy, will join Japanese import Kenta Maeda atop the Dodgers rotation until Kershaw returns. And Reddick should provide needed punch. Dodgers right fielders, as ESPN.com's Doug Padilla noted, have posted a .729 OPS entering play Monday, the fourth-lowest mark in the NL.
Both Hill and Reddick are impending free agents, so this move is all about keeping pace with the Giants in the NL West and pushing back to the playoffs. It's a gamble, as all rentals are, but a bold and necessary one.
Grade: B+
Oakland A's
With Hill and Reddick almost surely gone this winter, the A's did what they do, cashing them in for a nice package.
Holmes is probably the biggest piece, as he checks in at No. 82 on MLB.com's prospect rankings. Montas also has the stuff to be a top-100 talent, but he has been limited by a rib injury this season. Cotton sports a 4.90 ERA in the hitter-happy Pacific Coast League, but his 11 strikeouts per nine innings suggest serious potential.
Grade: A
Carlos Beltran Traded from New York Yankees to Texas Rangers
11 of 15
The Trade
The Rangers acquired right fielder Carlos Beltran from the Yankees in exchange for minor league right-handers Dillon Tate, Erik Swanson and Nick Green, per Jack Curry of the YES Network.
Texas Rangers
As they push toward a second consecutive division title, the Rangers added one of the best playoff hitters of the modern era in Beltran.
The 39-year-old owns a career .332 average and 1.115 OPS in 223 postseason plate appearances, and he was hitting .304 with 22 home runs this season for New York.
He's a rental, but one who's repeatedly shown an ability to set fire to October.
Grade: A
New York Yankees
The sell-off continues in the Bronx.
In this case, the Yanks turned a couple of months of Beltran into Tate, a first-round pick in 2015 who has posted a 5.12 ERA at Class-A while battling a hamstring injury, plus a pair of throw-in arms.
It's not a mind-blowing return, but Tate's potential and Beltran's impending free agency make this a sensible, palatable swap for New York.
Grade: B
Jay Bruce Traded from Cincinnati Reds to New York Mets
12 of 15
The Trade
The Mets acquired outfielder Jay Bruce from the Reds in exchange for second baseman Dilson Herrera and left-hander Max Wotell, per Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.
New York Mets
Last year at the deadline, the Mets got Yoenis Cespedes from the Detroit Tigers and watched him jump-start their offense and spark a World Series run.
They're surely hoping for similar results with Bruce, who owns a .265/.316/.559 slash line with 25 homers and 22 doubles this season and will slot immediately into the middle of New York's lineup.
The Mets—who are in the wild-card hunt but would miss the playoffs if the season ended Monday—have had injury issues with their vaunted starting rotation. But the bats have been by far the biggest issue, as they've plated the third-fewest runs in MLB.
The 29-year-old Bruce should help, and he's got a reasonable $12.5 million team option for 2017, meaning the Mets can bring him back if he goes full Cespedes.
Grade: A
Cincinnati Reds
A third-round pick by New York in 2015, the 19-year-old Wotell owns a 3.57 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 40.1 rookie league innings. The 22-year-old Herrera, meanwhile, has hit just .215 in 103 big league plate appearances, but he possesses the skills to be an everyday MLB middle infielder.
A couple of young, high-upside, cost-controlled pieces are nothing to sneeze at. Still, it feels like the Reds could have commanded a bit more for a 30-homer hitter in the midst of his prime with a year of control remaining.
Grade: C+
Jonathan Lucroy Traded from Milwaukee Brewers to Texas Rangers
13 of 15
The Trade
The Rangers acquired Lucroy and right-handed reliever Jeremy Jeffress from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfield prospect Lewis Brinson and right-handed prospect Luis Ortiz, plus a player to be named later, per MLB Network's Morosi and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers further bolstered their offense and landed the best catcher on the block in Lucroy, a two-time All-Star who was hitting .299 with an .841 OPS for the Brewers.
Best of all, the 30-year-old Lucroy is inked to a way-below-market-rate $5.25 million club option for 2017.
While Lucroy will have to adjust to Texas' staff in short order, he's rated as the eighth-best pitch-framer in the game, per StatCorner, suggesting he's more than up to the task.
Jeffress, meanwhile, posted a 2.77 ERA with 27 saves for Milwaukee. He's not a strikeout machine, but he'll add late-inning support for closer Sam Dyson and bolster a bullpen that owns a 4.78 ERA.
Along with Beltran, Lucroy will help atone for the losses of Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo to injury. This was the right move for the Rangers and sets them up as possible AL favorites.
Grade: A
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers didn't have to sell on Lucroy, but they got a suitably strong return.
Brinson checked in as the Rangers' No. 2 prospect and the No. 21 prospect in the game, per MLB.com. Ortiz, meanwhile, was Texas' No. 3 prospect and No. 63 overall.
Lucroy would have surely walked after next season for a big payday elsewhere, and the Crew are more than a year away from serious contention. This move sets them up for the future, which is where their focus should be.
Grade: A
Matt Moore Traded from Tampa Bay Rays to San Francisco Giants
14 of 15
The Trade
The Giants acquired left-handed starter Matt Moore from the Rays in exchange for third baseman Matt Duffy, infield prospect Lucius Fox and right-handed prospect Michael Santos, per Passan.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants added a bullpen arm, grabbing left-hander Will Smith from the Brewers, per Passan. But their big, final deadline splash was Moore.
The 27-year-old lefty was an All-Star and top-10 Cy Young Award finisher in 2013, but he underwent Tommy John surgery that same year and has struggled to regain his form.
He's signed to an affordable contract with team options each year through 2019. Clearly, the Giants are banking on the pitcher-friendly confines of AT&T Park, their strong defense and pitching coach Dave Righetti to rekindle Moore's ace-level potential.
They gave up a lot. Duffy has struggled this season and missed significant time with an Achilles injury, but he was the NL Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2015, flashing excellent contact skills and a plus glove at third. The 19-year-old Fox was San Francisco's No. 4 prospect, per MLB.com, with Santos checking in at No. 24.
This is a high-risk, high-reward move for the Giants as they seek to shore up their starting rotation behind co-aces Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto and make another even-year run.
Grade: B
Tampa Bay Rays
If Duffy returns to his 2015 form, this could be a coup for Tampa Bay, which already has Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi atop its rotation, with Alex Cobb working his way back from Tommy John.
Then again, if Moore rediscovers himself in San Francisco and Duffy turns out to have been a flash in the pan, this deal could tilt toward San Francisco.
There's risk/reward both ways, and it'll be fascinating to see how it plays out.
Grade: B
Other Notable Deals
15 of 15
Francisco Liriano Traded from Pittsburgh Pirates to Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays landed left-hander Liriano and two prospects, including outfielder Harold Ramirez, from Pittsburgh in exchange for right-hander Drew Hutchinson, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
This appears to be a salary dump as much as anything for the Bucs, who owed $13 million to Liriano next season. That explains the inclusion of Ramirez, who was the Pirates' No. 9 prospect, per MLB.com.
The Jays will hope for a rebound from Liriano, a former All-Star who sports a 5.46 ERA in 113.2 innings this year. Hutchinson, meanwhile, has spent most of this season at Triple-A but has been a back-end starter in the past for Toronto and has two more years of team control.
Grades: Pirates (C+); Blue Jays (B)
Ivan Nova Traded from New York Yankees to Pittsburgh Pirates
The 29-year-old Nova, who owns a 4.90 ERA in 21 appearances, is headed to Pittsburgh, with a couple of players to be named going to the Bronx, per ESPN.com.
Nova gives the Pirates another piece in their reshuffled rotation, though he's been injured and inconsistent since a breakout 2013 campaign. This won't tip the balance in the NL Central, but it's tough to judge until we know the return.
Grades: Pirates (INC); Yankees (INC)
Hector Santiago Traded from Los Angeles Angels to Minnesota Twins
In a deal between two AL teams going nowhere, the Angels sent left-hander Hector Santiago and minor league right-hander Alan Busenitz to the Twins for right-hander Ricky Nolasco and minor league right-hander Alex Meyer, per Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com and Rosenthal. The Twins are also sending money to the Halos to make the trade "cash-neutral," per Rosenthal.
Nolasco has been a total bust in Minnesota since inking a four-year, $49 million deal in December 2013, and Santiago was having a down year in Southern California after making the All-Star team in 2015. Mostly, this feels like a change-of-scenery move, with both parties hoping to find a spark in the midst of disappointing seasons.
Grades: Angels (C); Twins (B)
Jonathon Niese Traded from Pittsburgh Pirates to New York Mets
Who says you can't go home again? In a move that returns two southpaws to their former employers, the Pirates sent Jonathon Niese to the Mets in exchange for reliever Antonio Bastardo, per ESPN.com.
Niese, acquired by Pittsburgh this winter for second baseman Neil Walker, posted a 4.91 ERA in 110 innings with the Bucs. Bastardo, inked by the Mets as a free agent, posted a 4.74 ERA in 41 appearances in Queens.
The deal slants toward New York when you factor in Walker, who has clubbed 17 home runs. As a straight-up swap of middling arms looking for a homecoming bump, it's basically a wash.
Grades: Mets (B-); Pirates (C)
All statistics current as of Aug. 1 and courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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