Now that September has arrived, we can make some judgments on how contenders did after the 2024 Trade Deadline. Other moves, ones that involve acquired prospects, will take years before we get to see how those panned out. But, did certain teams do as badly as one might think? Let’s take a look at five interesting storylines to consider one month out of the Trade Deadline.
Did the Mariners Do Enough?
What happened to the Mariners over the last month is no secret. As of July 30, the Mariners were 57-52, a game up on the Astros for first place in the AL West. Since then, it’s been messy. Seattle lost 17 of 29 games to fall to six games behind the Astros, who are poised to win a fourth straight AL West crown.
It’s a gut-punch to the M’s, who fired Scott Servais in August. Seattle starters own a 3.74 SIERA, second in the Majors behind the Braves. Bryan Woo has been excellent in controlled outings, while Bryce Miller, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert have followed suit. Luis Castillo (102 ERA+) has been prone to the home run ball but still has been productive. Unfortunately for the M’s, their offense hasn’t been hot.
The Mariners did add before the Trade Deadline, as Seattle picked up outfielder Randy Arozarena for a pretty price and Justin Turner. Turner hasn’t been a regular for the M’s but Arozarena has been fine. The left fielder recorded 10 extra-base hits over his first 32 games as a Mariner. But, those additions haven’t moved the needle. Mariners hitters own a 96 wRC+ from July 31 onward, 23rd in the Majors.
There’s been much concern over Julio Rodriguez, who had a .690 OPS heading into play on September 3. And, it hasn’t been just poor luck, as Rodriguez demonstrated rough mechanics at times and exerted too much, as noted by former MLBer Steven Souza Jr.
One could argue the M’s didn’t do enough. But, their big guns at the plate haven’t been up to snuff. Without Julio, Mitch Garver, & Jorge Polanco — their big offseason acquisition — producing, it’s hard to overcome that.
The Yankees Hit Big
Much was made about the Yankees’ failure to pick up a big reliever or starter. New York almost acquired pitcher Jack Flaherty but decided against that. And on the reliever side of things, Clay Holmes has looked far from his 2022 or 2023 versions.
Still, the Yankees hit the jackpot with Jazz Chisholm Jr. The move made sense for both sides on paper; Chisholm Jr. got a fresh start with a good team in a hitter-friendly park. And for the Yankees, their front office received a controllable bat who could play infield and outfield.
The Yankees immediately moved Chisholm Jr. to third and his bat has thrived in The Bronx. Over his first 21 games, he blasted five home runs and batted .321.
The presence of Juan Soto made things significantly easier for Aaron Judge, just simply for the fact he added a layer of protection. Pitchers need to make a swift decision to pitch to either Soto or Judge. But what about the rest of the lineup? With Chisholm Jr.’s presence, it would make sense that he could not only deepen the Yanks’ lineup but also provide the same protection for Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Volpe. Stanton’s produced over the last month, as he belted seven home runs from July 31-September 2.
Tampa Builds for 2025 & Beyond…
In terms of impact trades, no team beat out the Rays. Tampa became massive sellers at the Trade Deadline, as the Rays offloaded Randy Arozarena, Zach Eflin, Isaac Paredes, Aaron Civale, Phil Maton, and Jason Adam, among others.
All were key pieces of their 2023 team but things didn’t work for the group in 2024. Tampa spent much of 2024 without impact pitchers like Shane Baz and Jeffrey Springs, while Shane McClanahan won’t be back until 2025. And in the cases of Randy Arozarena and Aaron Civale, some of their big boys didn’t perform up to par.
The Rays received a lot of talent in return. Tampa received high-octane reliever Hunter Bigge and power hitter Christopher Morel from the Cubs, two high-upside arms in Jackson Baumeister and Brody Hopkins, plus an elite athlete in Aidan Smith.
Look, the Rays are a shrewd team. Tampa didn’t have a high chance of making the playoffs this season, so why not make a play for 2025 and beyond? All the pieces the Rays received are controllable and conceivably, help over the next three to five years. If there’s one thing teams can learn from the O’s rebuild, it’s to have A) a deep farm system and B) it helps to have star prospects come up and be ready at the same time.
And So Did the Blue Jays
Tampa wasn’t the only team to add prospects before the Trade Deadline. Toronto picked up a toolsy outfielder in Jonatan Clase for Yimi Garcia. Additionally, the Blue Jays added two interesting prospects, Jake Bloss and Joey Loperfido, plus Will Wagner for pending free agent Yusei Kikuchi. Kikuchi’s been excellent (47 K over 35 IP) for Houston but Toronto picked up some much-needed help for the future.
Thus far, the early results have been good from the crop of acquired prospects. Loperfido racked up eight extra-base hits over his first 26 games in Toronto. Wagner went 20-58 (.345) over his first month in the Majors. Bloss, meanwhile, has struck out 14 over 15.1 IP as he gets back on track.
The Jays didn’t have a strong farm heading into 2024, thanks to recent prospect graduations and trades. But with the recent batch of trades, Toronto does load up for the future and that is incredibly important for the future. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette will become free agents after 2025 and neither will be cheap. Guerrero Jr.’s price has likely jumped further this season after a great 2024 campaign.
If the Jays want to pay Bichette & Guerrero Jr., and field a competitive team, young and controllable talent will be pivotal.
Did the Rangers Make the Right Decision?
The Rangers entered the Trade Deadline out of the AL West by four and a half games. Texas had just a -4 run differential despite injuries to several of their big names, including Josh Jung and Max Scherzer, who oddly enough pitched last on the 30th before succumbing to shoulder fatigue. The Rangers did add, grabbing lefty Andrew Chafin and catcher Carson Kelly, but decided against moving their big potential free agents.
Had the Rangers been sellers, Texas may have been able to land a good price for Kirby Yates, who’s struck out 75 over his first 52.1 IP this season and has been one of the game’s best closers this season. Could the Rangers be able to receive two top-15 team prospects, like the Angels did with Carlos Estevez? Maybe. But that’s a hypothetical.
However, hindsight is always 50/50. One could also argue that had Texas not lost Max Scherzer, gotten two full months of Tyler Mahle, and later in September, Jacob deGrom, the Rangers could have caught up to the Mariners and Astros, especially given the latter two team’s weaknesses. Ultimately, that didn’t happen.
What Texas did do correctly was not move any pieces on the roster for 2025, like Nathan Eovaldi. With their bats and a hopefully healthy rotation with potential reinforcements down the line (hint: Kumar Rocker), the Rangers should compete for a playoff spot again next season.
Be sure to check out our recap of the postseason roster deadline.