2024 MLB Trade Deadline: Winners, Losers, and Blockbuster Moves That Shocked the League
With Tuesday's 6:00 P.M. EST deadline having passed, the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline is now officially over. The last two months of the regular season begin this week, and in the last few days, we have witnessed a number of highly significant deals take place. Deals included speedy outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., starting pitchers Erick Fedde, Zach Eflin, Jack Flaherty, and All-Star closer Tanner Scott, among other significant and very impactful players. This trade deadline saw some clear winners and losers as some contenders strengthened their rosters and increased their chances of winning the World Series, and sellers decided to make improvements to their farm system. Let's examine who performed well and who didn't this trade deadline season.
Winner: Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins, who were sellers at the trade deadline this season, may have emerged as the greatest winners despite having the third-worst record in MLB at 39-67. This season, the Marlins and general manager Kim Ng were extremely active, making a number of deals, since they had a number of talented players on their roster that other teams were hoping to steal. First, in what turned out to be a seller's market this season, the Marlins dealt 2024 All-Star closer Tanner Scott to the San Diego Padres, collecting a big haul in return. In the trade, three of the Padres' top five prospects were acquired by the Marlins.
The Marlins received pitcher Robby Snelling, ranked number two, Adam Mazur, ranked number four, infielder Graham Pauley, ranked number five, and infielder Jay Beshears, ranked 24th overall. In addition to Scott leaving the Marlins, the team also moved experienced power hitter Josh Bell, pitcher Trevor Rogers, reliever A.J. Puk, and explosive outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for a number of excellent young prospects before the trade deadline. Although the Marlins' immediate future may seem dismal and without much hope, the team's front office and fans have cause to be optimistic about success, possibly returning to the team soon given the players they acquired in trades. Plus, the expected return of 2022 Cy Young starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara next season following Tommy John surgery last October.
Loser: Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox, who presently have a league-worst 27-82 record and are on pace to lose more than 120 games, were perceived as sellers heading into the trade deadline. Having said that, the White Sox did and were prepared to trade away a number of appealing players to contenders. The return on such transactions, though, has many White Sox supporters questioning if the front office failed to take full advantage of its excellent trade prospects, which included Michael Kopech, Erick Fedde, and others. As part of a three-team transaction including the White Sox, the Cardinals received Fedde and veteran outfielder Tommy Pham from the White Sox, while the Dodgers received Kopech and infielder Tommy Edman.
The White Sox got back infielders Jeral Perez and Alexander Albertus as well as outfielder Miguel Vargas. In addition, the White Sox front office was unable to obtain much by trading power-hitting outfielder Eloy Jimenez to the Baltimore Orioles for a Triple-A pitcher, and ultimately chose not to deal ace pitcher Garrett Crochet. The White Sox's return in the three-team trade was incredibly meager in comparison to the talent that they gave up. Ultimately, White Sox fans were left with a lot of unanswered questions as their team's entire fire sale fell flat.
Winner: New York Mets
A short while ago, the New York Mets seemed certain to be sellers going into the trade deadline due to their inability to consistently produce strong pitching and offense. However, in July, having gone 16-9 heading into Tuesday's trade deadline, the Mets were able to salvage their season and change the front office's perspective from one of sellers to buyers. The Mets did a great job of focusing on long-term additions around the trade deadline in addition to making quick additions to help them compete in a competitive NL Wild-Card race. During the trade deadline, the Mets acquired a number of notable players, including reliever Phil Maton from the Rays, dependable outfielder Jesse Winker from the Nationals, veteran bullpen arm Ryne Stanek from the Mariners, and frontline starter Paul Blackburn from the Athletics.
With these transactions, the Mets' roster is strengthened without making long-term commitments, giving new president David Stearns flexibility for next season. Since he won't be eligible for free agency until after the following season, Blackburn will add significant depth to the rotation. Stanek and Winker, whose contracts are about to expire, are available to help right now without the Mets having to commit to anything long-term. This method is in line with Stearns' plan to strengthen the team while preserving flexibility for the future. With a 56-50 record and the second NL Wild-Card berth now held by the Mets, manager Carlos Mendoza has a number of new tools at his disposal that he can carefully employ to help guide the team to success in the last stretch of the regular season as they aim to make a return to the playoffs.
Loser: Tarik Skubal
Even though this may not be a team, the Detroit Tigers' star pitcher Tarik Skubal finds himself in a difficult situation now that the deadline has gone. Prior to the trade deadline, Skubal was one of the most highly regarded trade targets for teams looking to significantly strengthen their starting rotation. Yet, just a few days ago, it was rumored that the Tigers front office informed prospective suitors that they would not be dealing the AL Cy Young favorite this trade deadline, putting a sudden stop to the speculations of a Skubal trade. The 27-year-old Skubal, who has a 12-3 record and a 2.35 ERA, could have been a major contributor to another team's success in August, September, and October and could have experienced his first postseason run in his five-year career with a genuine playoff contender if he had been traded. Now, though, Skubal will need to continue being the best pitcher on a Tigers club that is seven games out of a playoff spot as of Tuesday and is in fourth place in the AL Central, making it unlikely that they can make it back into the Wild Card race this season.
