MLB Trade Deadline 2016: The Biggest Winners

While the 2016 MLB trade deadline didn’t see one blockbuster trade, it marked a new era in the trade market.  One where relievers command top dollar, and even a marginally good starter will land a room of solid gold.

After the massive contracts handed out during this year’s NBA free agency period, it looked as if transactions in pro sports would never be the same. Jon Leuer, a career backup stretch-four, received a contract for $41 million over four years from the Detroit Pistons.  The Miami Heat, in a panic after Dwyane Wade left for Chicago, re-signed Tyler Johnson for $50 million over four years.

Those big contracts seem ridiculous, but the high asking prices in the NBA have seemingly seeped into MLB, as well.

The New York Yankees received the Chicago Cubs top prospect for the flame-throwing Aroldis Chapman, and later went on to coup two more top prospects from the Cleveland Indians for Andrew Miller.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Pirates flipped the script by selling off Mark Melancon for two mid-level prospects, which is quite contrary to the moves the Yankees made.

One week earlier, the Boston Red Sox sent 18-year-old stud Anderson Espinoza to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Drew Pomeranz, a left-handed starter that has been good for half a season.

On the deadline, the New York Mets made a splash by acquiring the resurgent Jay Bruce.  But it remains to be seen if the deal will be worth if after giving up top outfield prospect Brandon Nimmo.

A flurry of other moves were made on the trade deadline, with many teams receiving valuable assets that should help in the short and long term.

Here’s a look at the biggest winners from the 2016 MLB trade deadline.

Next: The Yankees Rebuild

Oakland Athletics

As per usual, the Oakland Athletics managed to flip good-not-great players for a wealth of assets from a contender looking to make a postseason push.  Their latest victim?  The Los Angeles Dodgers.

The A’s sent the expiring contracts of the surprisingly dominant Rich Hill and Josh Reddick for three top pitching prospects in the Dodgers system.  Oakland received pitchers Grant Holmes, Frankie Montas and Jharel Cotton in return.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports had an interesting take on what each player could become in the big leagues.

Holmes is currently the number 82 prospect on MLB.com, while Montas was the Dodgers 8th-best prospect and Cotton was the team’s 13th-ranked prospect.  Each figure to make an impact in the next season or two, as Cotton and Montas are both in Triple-A.

Despite his relative struggles this season, Cotton, could join Oakland’s rotation in the near future. The 24-year-old currently has a 4.90 ERA, but owns a much better 11.00 K/9 and 2.96 BB/9.  A September call-up seems likely for Cotton, given that he hasn’t particularly shined in the minors this year.

Montas, on the other hand, could be a potent bullpen piece for Oakland if he’s able to get healthy in the next few weeks.  While he’s been a top prospect as a starter for a number of years, his velocity and issues with command suggest he’s better suited in a relief role.

He was dominant in the lower minors in season’s past, which earned him a taste of the majors last season with the Chicago White Sox.  In seven appearances – two starts – Montas gave up eight runs while picking up 20 strikeouts.  It’s clear that as a starter or reliever, the 23-year-old will make some sort of impact at the big league level.

Holmes projects a bit differently than Cotton or Montas, as he’s likely to make his way to the majors as a starter.  At just 20, Holmes will take a while to develop – and he’ll need to keep himself in shape if he hopes to have some sort of staying power in a rotation.

This season, he owns a 3.86 ERA with 8.52 K/9 in just over 100 innings pitched.  After finishing with 103.1 innings last season, it’s encouraging to see that he’s been able to hold up despite his youth.

Oakland’s return for what could essentially be two rentals in Los Angeles could wind up being one of the more lopsided trades of the deadline.  However, if the Dodgers can at least re-sign Reddick, they’ll have gotten some value out of this deal, too.

Next: Rangers Add Star Bats

Texas Rangers

The Rangers had been in the mix for several of the top trade pieces this year, and swooped in at the last minute to acquire Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Beltran.  While they ravaged their farm system in the process, those two acquisitions should be enough for Texas to hold off the Houston Astros in the AL West.

Adding Lucroy is arguably the best move of the deadline, as the Rangers can now rid themselves of any headaches associated with Robinson Chirinos.  Lucroy figures to slot into the middle of the Rangers order, but could hit toward the top if need be.

This season, Lucroy is hitting .299/.359/.482 with 13 homers and 50 RBI, all while providing plus defense behind the plate.  Compare that to Chirinos, who is hitting below .200, and Bobby Wilson, a 33-year-old with just 600 career plate appearances, and the Rangers now find themselves with one of the few true stars at catcher.

Trading for Beltran, meanwhile, gives the Rangers a true designated hitter with the ability to take over in right field if need be.  At 39, Beltran has reestablished himself as a true slugger without sacrificing any contact.  His slash line of .304/.344/.546 is his best since 2011, while his 22 home runs put him on pace to top 30 for the first time since 2012.

The Rangers also traded for starter Lucas Harrell a few days ago, which was a solid addition to the back-end of their rotation.  They also added reliever Jeremy Jeffress in the Lucroy deal, who figures to be a dominant set-up man for them.

Suddenly, the Rangers have too many impactful position players on their roster.  While that’s far from a bad thing, they may be poised to make a deal for a pitcher during the waiver period.

Next: Something Brewing in Milwaukee

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers finally cashed in on Lucroy and their core of solid relievers, and received plenty of assets in return.  While they didn’t receive quite the haul that the Yankees did, Milwaukee’s future outlook is significantly better than it was a few hours ago.

Adding Lewis Brinson was the marquee move for Milwaukee, as he’ll likely become their next star outfielder as Ryan Braun moves into the twilight of his career.  But that won’t happen for a while because Brinson has a long way to go, and Braun is only 32.

Until then, the Brewers will have their work cut out for them in order to fix Brinson’s seemingly broken approach at the plate.  Entering the season, the 22-year-old looked to be making significant strides in the contact department, while also adding weight to become a power threat. His .233/.277/.430 slash line says otherwise.

While he does have 11 home runs, his strikeouts are up and his walks are down.  Since he’s only 22, there’s no need to panic – as he’ll have plenty of time to develop in Milwaukee’s system.

Ortiz, a 20-year-old right-hander, was ranked as the third best prospect in the Ranger’s system – and has the potential to become a mid-rotation starter.  He has a 4.08 ERA and 3.22 FIP in his first taste of Double-A this season, all while limiting walks and keeping the ball on the ground.

He may not be the flashiest player in the minors, but his potential is clear.

The Brewers also traded Will Smith to the San Francisco Giants, who sent their top pitching prospect in Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac to Milwaukee.

That seems like a lot to give up for a reliever, but it shows the Giants commitment to winning now.  Good for them.

As for the Brewers, they not have a major league ready catcher in Susac, and a 21-year-old starter that looks poised to move through the minors quickly.  Bickford owns a 2.73 ERA with 9.82 K/9 in High-A this season, and could fly through the Brewers system if he keeps up his current level of play.

The Brew Crew has a lot of work left to do in their rebuild, but this trade deadline combined with some work this offseason could position them for greatness in a few seasons.

Next: Honorable Mentions

Honorable Mentions

Washington Nationals

The Nationals acquired a shutdown closer in Mark Melancon for essentially nothing noteworthy in return.  While giving up two pitching prospects isn’t ideal, Melancon solves the Jonathan Papelbon problem.

New York Mets

Landing Jay Bruce without giving up their top outfield prospect Brandon Nimmo?  That’s a clear win.

Chicago Cubs

They added a lot, and gave up a lot.  A solid week for the best team in the NL.

Next: Five losers at the trade deadline

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners added Dan Vogelbach and Drew Storen, all without giving up much in return. Vogelbach could be Seattle’s starting first baseman next season, while Storen was a shutdown reliever just a season ago.