MLB Trade Deadline: Ideal Trades Teams Should've Made

By the time MLB's non-waiver trade deadline struck Monday, most contenders made the expected moves necessary to fuel their World Series dreams. Sellers funded those bids by unloading household names for future contributors.

The New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers took significant action. Even the Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays fortified postseason contenders with mid-tier maneuvering.

Others turned weeks of rumors into silence, while some filled one hole but remained vulnerable to another weakness or two. 

Let's look at some of the deadline's missed connections and construct theoretical trades that would have helped both sides—and perhaps still can before the August 31 waiver deadline in a couple of cases.

Yonder Alonso to Seattle Mariners

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Yonder Alonso could have helped the Seattle Mariners' playoff chase by platooning with Danny Valencia.

A fringe contender, the Seattle Mariners addressed their pitching staff by acquiring David Phelps, Marco Gonzales and Erasmo Ramirez. General manager Jerry Dipoto left his above-average offense alone.

Although the Mariners needed pitching help, Ramirez and Gonzalez are unlikely to pitch Seattle into the postseason. Another power spark could have made a larger dent in the crowded wild-card picture.

First baseman Danny Valencia specializes in hitting left-handed pitchers, against whom he holds an .851 OPS; versus righties, meanwhile, he sports a mundane .683 OPS. That doesn't fly at a position that demands offensive excellence.

They missed out on Lucas Duda, who has crushed three home runs in five games since the Tampa Bay Rays acquired him for minor league reliever Drew Smith. Nobody bit on Yonder Alonso, who has accrued 18 of his career-high 22 long balls against righties.

Oakland's breakout star would have made the perfect platoon partner for Valencia. Based on Duda's return and the fact Alonso is still with the A's, it's reasonable to believe the Mariners could have snatched the 30-year-old rental for a fringe prospect.

Despite cooling off from a red-hot start, Alonso still boasts a .951 OPS versus righties. And unlike Gonzales—a possible back-end starter struggling to stick in the majors—he would not have cost a significant prospect such as Tyler O'Neill.

Jay Bruce and Asdrubal Cabrera to Cleveland Indians

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Jay Bruce could have provided the Cleveland Indians elite power at a low price.

The Cleveland Indians didn't leave the deadline empty-handed. Having tallied 52 strikeouts in 37.2 innings with a 2.30 fielding independent pitching (FIP), per FanGraphs, Joe Smith is a welcome bullpen addition alongside late-inning studs Andrew Miller and Cody Allen.

Danny Salazar's strong return diminished their need for rotation help. Jason Kipnis is working his way back from a hamstring injury, and Austin Jackson has caught fire in Lonnie Chisenhall's absence. They can win a subpar American League Central despite the quiet trade activity.

But an extra hitter or two would have strengthened their World Series bid. 

The New York Mets failed to find any takers for their veterans, leaving Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker on the roster. Both teams could have helped each other with a mid-level exchange.

Jackson already has 12 hits—and probably the catch of the year—in eight second-half games, but Bruce has 28 home runs this season with a far steadier track record. Based on returns from other rental bats, he's a luxury they could have afforded easily.

Just in case Kipnis isn't 100 percent down the stretch, Cabrera could have rejoined Cleveland—where he played from 2007 to 2014—as an extra infielder off the bench. Although limited defensively, he's a league-average hitter who batted .345 with 10 homers after last year's trade deadline.

New York's veterans could clear waivers or Cleveland could claim them in August, so a late deal remains possible.

Brad Hand to Houston Astros

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Brad Hand would have made the perfect midseason acquisition for the Houston Astros.

Star relievers Brad Hand and Zach Britton stand out as the top players not traded despite spending July on the hot stove. No contender's idleness surprised more than the Houston Astros', as they sit on baseball's biggest division lead and one of the game's premier farm systems.

Expected to make a major splash, they instead walked away with Francisco Liriano, who left the Toronto Blue Jays with a 5.88 ERA. It wasn't a calculated decision to stand pat, though. Per the Houston Chronicle's Jake Kaplan, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow expressed displeasure over their uneventful deadline:

"I'd be lying if I didn't say I was disappointed in not getting some of the moves done that we were working on. We had some that were close to and almost over the finish line, and at times I would've put them at 90 percent-plus that we were going to get them done. But there are a lot of dynamics that happen with these deals, and for reasons I can't really talk about, they didn't happen."

With Will Harris placed on the disabled list right after returning from a shoulder issue, the Astros could have used another high-leverage reliever for the playoffs. Not overpaying for Britton amid health concerns is understandable. Hand, however, has 26 strikeouts over his last 20 scoreless innings.

An interested club told Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal the Padres were "overreaching" on their demands for the 27-year-old southpaw. And they should have. A stud reliever with a 1.96 ERA and two more seasons of team control should cost a bounty during the summer.

The Astros had the pieces to take the plunge. A package led by Forrest Whitley, Francis Martes or Franklin Perez would have demanded their attention. Perhaps they could have spared those premier starting-pitching prospects by offering Michael Feliz, a 24-year-old reliever with a career 4.90 ERA but 167 strikeouts in 117.2 innings.

Once an overpowering American League favorite, the Astros watched the Yankees close the gap via several trades. Adding Hand would have presented the perfect counter. 

Dan Straily to Milwaukee Brewers

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Dan Straily stayed put despite speculation that the Miami Marlins entertained offers.

As the Chicago Cubs restocked with Jose Quintana, Justin Wilson and Alex Avila, the Milwaukee Brewers settled for reacquiring Jeremy Jeffress, a reliever with a 5.31 ERA, 29 strikeouts and 19 walks in 40.2 innings. The division leaders at the break now trail the champs by 2.5 games, and they're likely to fall further behind.

Milwaukee needed another impact starting pitcher to stay in the hunt. Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the club refused to trade top prospect Lewis Brinson for Sonny Gray. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Haudricourt, the Brewers were told "Brinson or bust."

By Monday, Marco Estrada—who has a 7.86 ERA since the start of June—was the only low-cost rental worth pursuing. Perhaps they could have instead persuaded the Blue Jays to sell J.A. Happ despite his team control through 2018.

Yet Dan Straily represented the perfect compromise as a young, cost-controlled starter who shouldn't have cost Brinson.

Wielding a 3.79 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 123.1 innings, the 28-year-old would have represented a notable upgrade to a depleted rotation missing the injured Chase Anderson (oblique) and Matt Garza (leg). He wasn't going to be cheap, but he could have offered a long-term solution without sacrificing their prized center fielder.

It's possible Miami was asking too much for Straily, though. While they operated under no urgency to move their top hurler, they shed salary elsewhere by dealing Adeiny Hechavarria, David Phelps and A.J. Ramos. A larger rebuild will likely follow, and few of their players would draw a bigger haul than Straily.

Josh Donaldson to St. Louis Cardinals

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The Toronto Blue Jays should eventually trade Josh Donaldson before his contract ends.

The Toronto Blue Jays never showed signs of seriously considering a Josh Donaldson trade. They instead traded Liriano and Smith, pitchers on expiring contracts who won't hinder their 2018 plans.

Currently last in the American League East, they should at least acknowledge the possibility that their championship window is closed.

Barring major turnarounds, the Blue Jays will likely move their star third baseman next summer, if not this offseason. Perhaps he will boost his market value by repairing his .249/.369/.463 slash line back to MVP heights. If not, the Jays will only lose leverage as his contract dwindles.

Slump and underwhelming offensive market aside, a star of his caliber would have drawn intense interest before the deadline. One such suitor, as reported by MLB Network's Jon Morosi, would have been the St. Louis Cardinals.

Still sniffing around playoff contention, the Cardinals can also make a better case for looking ahead to 2018. Boasting a deep starting rotation and an ensemble of solid hitters, they're one big bat away from challenging the Cubs.

According to Rosenthal, the Cardinals joined the Gray sweepstakes by offering Stephen Piscotty and either Luke Weaver or Jack Flaherty. On the heels of a rebuild—partially because of their own Donaldson trade—the A's instead gambled on high-upside prospects from the Yankees (James Kaprielian, Jorge Mateo and Dustin Fowler).

Toronto, on the other hand, would benefit from receiving young major leaguers to avoid bottoming out without Donaldson. A year removed from recording an .800 OPS with 22 homers, Piscotty would be a great bounce-back candidate to procure. Weaver, who has 52 strikeouts in 44.1 career major league innings, will instead spend the summer in St. Louis' rotation.

Even if it's just a package led by one of those players, the Blue Jays should explore such a deal during the offseason.