MLB Trade Deadline 2019: Twitter Reacts to Trades, Fails, Surprises, Non-Deals

Zack Greinke, Trevor Bauer and Marcus Stroman headlined the players on the move ahead of Wednesday's 2019 MLB trade deadline, which finished with a flurry in the final days after a mostly quiet July. 

Shane Greene, Yasiel Puig and Nick Castellanos are among the other stars making their way to new homes for the stretch run of the regular season. The New York Mets' Noah Syndergaard and San Francisco Giants' Madison Bumgarner led the group of notable players who were heavily mentioned in the rumor mill but ultimately stayed put.

Let's check out some of the reaction on social media to the biggest deals and other key storylines. All details are courtesy of Sporting News' trade tracker.

Zack Greinke Joins Houston Astros In Late Shocker

The Astros were heavily linked to several starting pitchers leading up to the deadline, but securing Greinke from the Arizona Diamondbacks just before the proverbial buzzer was a stunner.

Although the two-plus years remaining on his six-year, $206.5 million contract were viewed as a major hurdle to getting a trade done, Houston's desire to add another high-end starter apparently trumped the price tag. Arizona will also cover a percentage of his remaining salary:

It's hard to consider the Astros as anything but one of the top two or three World Series contenders alongside the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers with a rotation led by Greinke (2.84 ERA and 0.94 WHIP), Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole to pair with an offense that ranks third in OPS.

Getting one of baseball's most dependable starters without giving up any major league talent is an all-in move as Houston attempts to chase down its second championship in the past three years.

Trevor Bauer, Yasiel Puig Blockbuster

In one of the most bizarre deadline stories you'll ever see, Puig was involved in a massive brawl between his Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates just after news of a three-way trade sending Puig to Cleveland broke.

Meanwhile, Bauer's final on-field moment with the Cleveland Indians was throwing a baseball over the centerfield fence amid frustration after giving up seven earned runs in his Sunday start.

The Tribe received Puig, fellow outfielder Franmil Reyes and prospects as part of a three-team deal that also included the San Diego Padres. Bauer went to the Reds, while the Padres walked away with prized prospect Taylor Trammell.

Although Bauer has elite stuff, his numbers outside of his tremendous 2018 campaign (2.21 ERA) have been relatively mundane. He owns a 3.92 career ERA, including a 3.79 mark in 24 starts this year.

So Cleveland has bet against a return to a Cy Young level and received a strong return in the process.

Meanwhile, the Reds have a year to sign Bauer to a contract extension or he could become a trade candidate again next July as a potential free agent after the 2020 season.

Trammell is still trying to gain traction at the Double-A level with a .686 OPS in 94 games, so the Padres will probably have to wait at least another year before their end of the trade starts to pay dividends.

Marcus Stroman to New York Mets

Stroman to the Mets was the first major trade of deadline season as the Toronto Blue Jays received two pitching prospects for the right-hander.

New York was mostly listed as a potential seller in the weeks leading up to the deadline with Syndergaard among the players most discussed. Instead, the front office added another proven starter with hope of making up the five games the team is behind in the wild-card race.

The Jays' playoff aspirations have long faded away in the top-heavy AL East, so it came as no surprise when they started planning for the future.

Anthony Kay (No. 5) and Simeon Woods-Richardson both slotted in as top-10 MLB.com prospects for Toronto.

Washington Nationals' Swift Bullpen Makeover

The Nationals entered Wednesday with the league's worst bullpen ERA at 5.97, so they went on a shopping spree before the deadline.

Washington added Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland from the Seattle Mariners in separate deals and also acquired Daniel Hudson from the Blue Jays.

Sean Doolittle should retain his closer role, at least for the time being, but the Nats' bridge between their starters, who rank third in ERA, and the ninth inning should now be far more secure.

Atlanta Braves Find New Closer in Shane Greene

Braves closer Luke Jackson allowed two runs without recording an out Wednesday afternoon and, perhaps not coincidentally, minutes later news of Atlanta's acquisition of Greene hit social media.

Greene has been one of the best relievers in MLB this season with a 1.18 ERA and 0.87 WHIP across 38 appearances for the Detroit Tigers. His save chances will now come under a lot more pressure for an Atlanta club now emerging as a legitimate championship threat.

The Braves also added Mark Melancon in a deal with the San Francisco Giants to further solidify their pen.

Tanner Roark Heading To Oakland

Cincinnati continued to shake things up by sending Roark, the owner of a 4.24 ERA with 108 strikeouts in 110.1 innings this season, to the Oakland Athletics.

The key question is who will be removed from a middling A's rotation that doesn't feature an ace, but no obvious choice for someone to shift to the bullpen. It's possible they could roll with a six-man starting staff until the situation sorts itself out in the coming weeks.

Unexpected Swap Between Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks

Zac Gallen looked sharp across seven starts for the Marlins. He compiled a 2.72 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 43 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. The 23-year-old UNC product looked like a budding rotation building block, but instead, he's on his way to Arizona.

In return, the D-Backs sent coveted shortstop Jazz Chisholm, their No. 1 prospect on MLB.com, to Miami in a deal that could have lasting implications for both clubs. Neither player is a star right now, but that's likely to change in the years ahead.

Mets Keep Top Assets After Endless Rumors

New York was widely viewed as the potentially the biggest seller at the deadline with a high-profile group of assets led by Syndergaard, fellow starter Zack Wheeler and closer Edwin Diaz. Instead, the Mets decided to keep everybody with an eye on making a late-season surge.

They are 11.5 games behind the Braves in the NL East and five games back in the crowded wild-card race. While it's an uphill battle to earn a postseason berth, the team's rotation should be among the best in baseball down the stretch with the addition of Stroman and no subtractions.

Chicago Cubs Land Nick Castellanos in Last-Minute Deal

Castellanos' numbers are down a bit from the previous two seasons. He cranked out a career-high 26 home runs during the 2017 season and followed that up by posting a career-best .854 OPS with 23 homers. He's carrying a .790 OPS so far this year, but it's still an outfield upgrade for Chicago.

The Cubs will likely rotate four outfielders with their deadline addition joining Jason Heyward, Ian Happ and Kyle Schwarber. Happ may be the odd man out most frequently, but he'll likely be used off the bench in those situations.