MLB Trade Deadline Recap: A Fantasy Baseball Perspective

The trading deadline has come and gone.  After three busy days, let’s recap all the trades and the fantasy fallout they left behind:

Thursday’s Deals:

• One of the biggest trade chips was finally dealt, with the Astros sending pitcher Roy Oswalt  to Philadelphia for pitcher J.A. Happ  and a pair of minor leaguers (outfielder Anthony Goss  and shortstop Jonathan Villar ). Click here for my thoughts on the deal.

• The Astros then turned and traded Goss to Toronto, getting back first baseman Brett Wallace  (click here for more), a move that was a prelude to Lance Berkman being dealt the following day. Wallace has become a viable option in all deeper formats as he will takeover as the Astros first baseman.

• The Rangers continued to strengthen their lineup, acquiring first baseman Jorge Cantu  for a pair of minor league pitchers (click here for more). Afterwards they sent Chris Davis back to Triple-A, so Cantu will clearly see the majority of the AB at first base.

• The Padres got third baseman Miguel Tejada  for a minor league pitcher (click here for more). Tejada should see time at both third base and short stop for the Padres, who were desperate to add something to their lineup, and Tejada should still hold limited fantasy appeal.

• The Twins sent highly touted catching prospect Wilson Ramos to the Nationals for pitcher Matt Capps  (click here for more). Capps will close in Minnesota, sending Jon Rauch to a set-up role (though don’t drop him just yet as you never know). In Washington, it’ll be either Tyler Clippard or Drew Storen getting the save chances.  Ramos isn’t expected to join the Nationals until September so has minimal value in ‘10, but could be viable in two-catcher formats in ‘11.

Friday’s Deals:

• The White Sox acquired pitcher Edwin Jackson  from the Diamondbacks for pitchers Daniel Hudson  and David Holmberg . It was a good return for Arizona, as both pitchers were ranked among the White Sox Top 10 prospects prior to the season by Baseball America. Hudson could develop into a solid option by year’s end and a must use in 2011 (despite his struggles thus far in the Major Leagues). The White Sox have claimed that they can fix whatever is wrong with Jackson (though that brings back memories of the Victor Zambrano/Scott Kazmir swap). He has potential, but is far from a must use. Click here for the full report on the deal.

• The Yankees pulled off a bit of a coup, getting Lance Berkman  without parting with a top prospect (pitcher Mark Melancon  and second baseman Jimmy Paredes ) and getting the Astros to kick in some cash. Berkman, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him have a strong close to the year as he joins a better lineup and will be designated hitting (he hit second yesterday, an ideal spot behind Derek Jeter and in front of Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez). For more on the deal, click here .

• The Yankees also acquired outfielder Austin Kearns  from the Indians for a player to be named later. Kearns will be a depth option and is no linger viable in any format.

• With Ian Kinsler on the DL, the Rangers sent minor league pitchersTanner Roark  and Ryan Tatusko  to Washington for second baseman/shortstop Christian Guzman . Guzman offers little upside and will be a utility player once Kinsler returns, so think of him as nothing more then a short-term fix for those who are desperate. In Washington, Adam Kennedy and Ian Desmond are now full-time options. For more on the deal, click here .

• The Mets sent Mike Jacobs  to Toronto for a player to be named later.  The Blue Jays simply needed someone to play first base at Triple-A, having traded Brett Wallace earlier.

Saturday’s Deals:

• The Rays acquired pitcher Chad Qualls  from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a player to be named later.  All this means is that there is now little chance of Qualls getting saves while the Diamondbacks bullpen remains a disaster area.  Click here for more on the deal.

• The Pittsburh Pirates traded outfielder Ryan Church , infielder Bobby Crosby  & pitcher D.J. Carrasco  to Arizona for catcher Chris Snyder and minor league shortstop Pedro Ciriaco .  For the Diamondbacks, Carrasco could have the biggest impact.  For a team with such a bad bullpen, would it be surprising to see him emerge as a closing option? Snyder will allow the Pirates to move Ryan Doumit out from behind the plate, hopefully keeping him healthy and in the lineup.  That could make him valuable in 2011, as he will maintain his catcher eligibility.  Click here fore more on the deal.

• There was a three-team deal, with the Padres getting outfielder Ryan Ludwick , the Cardinals getting pitchers Jake Westbrook  and Nick Greenwood  and the Padres getting pitcher Corey Kluber .  Westbrook strengthens the Cardinals rotation, but his value remains unaffected.  The biggest boost from a fantasy perspective in St. Louis is that Colby Rasmus and John Jay should get regular at bats.  Great news for Rasmus, but Jay could get exposed considering his inflated BABIP.  As far as Ludwick goes, he should hit in the middle of the Padres lineup, so despite moving to a poor hitter’s park he remains usable.  For more on this deal, click here .

• The Dodgers acquired pitcher Ted Lilly   and infielder Ryan Theriot from the Cubs for infielder Blake DeWitt  and minor league pitchers Brett Wallach & Kyle Smith . There were no big swings in fantasy appeal here. Theriot loses some value, as he will be hitting lower in the order, but how attractive was he? DeWitt could gain slightly, if he plays everyday, but he may share time with Mike Fontenot. As for Lilly, his benefit could be a few more wins, but he was already viable in all formats. For more on the deal, click here .
• The Dodgers acquired pitcher Octavio Dotel  from the Pirates for pitcher James McDonald  and outfielder Andrew Lambo . Dotel’s value plummets as he loses his closer’s job, with either Joel Hanrahan or Evan Meek taking over the role.  My guess is that Hanrahan gets the first crack, due to his strikeout potential, but it really could go either way. Stashing both could work, if you have the room.  The Pirates got a great return, with two former top prospects.  Don’t overlook McDonald if the Pirates transition him into the rotation. Click here  for more on the deal.

• The Atlanta Braves acquired pitcher Kyle Farnsworth  and outfielderRick Ankiel  from the Royals for pitcher Jesse Chavez , outfielder Gregor Blanco  and pitcher Tim Collins .  Non of these players hold fantasy appeal, unless Ankiel wins everyday AB.  That’s not likely at this point, however.

• The Giants obtained pitcher Javier Lopez  from the Pirates for pitcherJoe Matinez  and outfielder John Bowker.  Martinez could join the Pirates rotation, though likely be a low-end option, at best, having never been a big strikeout option and not many wins likely.  Bowker has a little pop, but isn’t likely to play everyday.

• The Yankees acquired pitcher Kerry Wood  from the Indians for a player to be named later or cash. Wood will help become the bridge to Mariano Rivera, making him useless in fantasy formats. Chris Perez, who has been working as the closer while Wood has been hurt, will now assume the job outright.  It’s not likely he’s available in your league, but if he is grab him immediately.

• The Orioles traded pitcher Will Ohman  to the Marlins in exchange for pitcher Rick VandenHurk . Neither player has fantasy appeal.

• The Boston Red Sox traded pitcher Ramon Ramirez  to the Giants for pitcher Daniel Turpen .  Again, there is no fantasy value stemming from this trade.

• The Braves acquired outfielder Wilkin Ramirez  from the Tigers for a player to be named later or cash.  While Ramirez has potential, he strikes out a ton and is not likely to make an impact.

• The Red Sox acquired catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia  from the Rangers for pitcher Roman Mendez , first baseman Chris McGuiness , a player to be named later and cash.  Saltalamacchia does offer depth at the position, something Boston has desperately been looking for, though it’s unlikely he gains fantasy appeal in ‘10.  If he can put things back together, however, he could be a sleeper for those in two-catcher formats in 2011.

What are your thoughts on the deals?  Who are the biggest winners and losers?

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM