The biggest moves in the 2023 MLB trade deadline
The 2023 trade deadline had some big surprises, along with a few last minute deals that have the potential to completely alter the MLB landscape.
The trade deadline for the 2023 MLB season is now behind us and we take a look at the biggest moves made around the league. Some were expected, some foreshadowed, and a few left us scratching our heads.
The big names are clear enough to see: the Mets got rid of both monster off-season signings in trading Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, while the Angels shifted from sellers to buyers and shored up a competitive roster.
First Max Scherzer went to the Texas Rangers in a move that has been telegraphed for the last month. While it may have not been entirely unexpected, it is one of the biggest moves in MLB because it shores up the first-place Rangers rotation, giving them staying power through the last third of the season. and beyond.
The speculation over who the Angels would deal with when it came to Shohei Ohtani was put to rest when Arte Moreno decided to pull Ohtani off the table and double down by picking up perhaps the top trade candidate to boot. Lucas Giolito now lends his arm to that Angels rotation that will see them push toward the playoffs in a serious way.
The Padres were another team that came in with a surprise trade, stamping their name in the buyer column and picking up rotational relief and a potential booming bat. With predictions of the death of their season ringing in their ears, San Diego picked up left-handed starter Rich Hill and first baseman Ji-Man Choi from the Pirates. They may be a long way out of first place in that NL West division, but this move tells everyone that if they go down, they are at least going down swinging.
In another big shock, the Dodgers found themselves losing out on all three big arms that they were in the hunt for, with a player veto in the waning hours of the window leaving them in the lurch. A potential deal with the Tigers for Eduardo Rodriguez was nixed by the pitcher, who invoked a ten-team no-trade clause in his contract that included the Dodgers.
They have added Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly, Amed Rosario and Kiké Hernandez in this window, so it isn’t like they have come away with nothing. But that final piece of the puzzle slipped away right at the last moment, and that has to be bitter in the Dodgers mouth.
The Orioles picked up right handed pitcher Jack Flaherty from St Louis right at the buzzer in a move that will strengthen an already formidable rotation. And the Yankees made a similar addition by grabbing reliever Kenyan Middleton from the White Sox.
Both the Cardinals and White Sox turned out to be big sellers in this window, with St Louis sending Paul DeJong to Toronto and Chicago sent Jake Burger to Miami.
The Mets unloaded some big-ticket players and in addition to those two marquee pitchers, they also sent Tommy Pham to Arizona.
The Atlanta Braves picked up lefty Brad Hand from Colorado to add to their rotation, and with the news that Max Fried is throwing bullpens and may be back sooner rather than later, there is reason to like what is going on there.
AJ Pollock and Mark Mathias were traded to San Francisco from Seattle as the Giants make ready for a chase on the Dodgers lead in the NL West.
An even bigger move was Cleveland sending Aaron Civale to Tampa Bay, as the Rays now have a key piece that they have been lacking through July. That one move alone could change the landscape in the AL East, potentially undoing any gains made by Baltimore or Toronto.
But by far, the biggest move this trade window was Justin Verlander going back to the Houston Astros. Unlike Scherzer, Verlander was not unhappy in New York. Unlike Scherzer, Verlander has been very effective on the mound this season. And unlike Scherzer, Verlander was not expected to be traded at all. And then suddenly, Houston grabbed him.
Only a half a game out of first place, the Astros have picked up one of the best arms in baseball to add to one of the best rotations in baseball. If this all feels very familiar, it is because it is. Houston are a championship caliber team, whether you like it or not.
The best pitchers available in baseball all went to teams in the AL West. The race between the Rangers, Astros, and Angels is going to be the theme of MLB at the back end of this season. No other division went as big as the AL West did and they are going to make the post season very interesting to watch.