Three teams that failed at the MLB Trade Deadline
Sports are simple – there is a winner and a loser. The results are immediate; we know who wins and loses. The same cannot be said when a trade is done. Sometimes, the answer is immediate, but in the case of the MLB Trade Deadline, those deals often take years to determine.
Nonetheless, there are those teams who, sometimes through no fault of their own, end up taking a giant L when it comes to the deadline. Other teams take a loss through their own inactions. Or, sometimes a deal is so bad that it is immediately clear that they got the worst of the trade.
Three losers at the MLB Trade Deadline
Let’s take a look at three teams that ended up on the losing side of the MLB Trade Deadline.
San Diego Padres
This loss is through no fault of their own. The San Diego Padres did what they could to improve their roster, and for a time on Thursday, appeared to solidly be in the winner category.
They had fired the first salvo in the NL West, adding Adam Frazier as another depth option. Almost immediately thereafter, they announced that Eric Hosmer was on the trade block, and that they would attach a top four prospect in their system for someone to take him on. Then they appeared to have a trade in place for Max Scherzer, which would have made them a formidable foe in the postseason.
Not only did the Scherzer deal fall apart, but he ended up in one of the worst possible places – the Dodgers. Instead of having the Nationals’ former ace fronting their rotation, they have to face him over the final two months of the season. Hosmer is still on the roster, pushing the Padres over the luxury tax although he is a superfluous piece on the roster.
To make matters worse, Fernando Tatis Jr. left Friday’s game with an injury after sliding into third base. As the deadline passed hours before, the Padres are unable to make a deal to add someone. They do have impressive depth on the roster, but depending on how long he is sidelined, they will be in a difficult spot.
The San Diego Padres appeared to be well on their way to winning the trade deadline. Instead, they were one of the biggest losers through no fault of their own.
Kansas City Royals
At least the Kansas City Royals did something.
They unloaded a pair of impending free agents, with Danny Duffy heading to the Dodgers for the ever popular Player to be Named Later and Jorge Soler going to the Braves for minor league reliever Kasey Kalich. As the Royals desperately need bullpen help, Kalich can be a useful piece for the future.
But the Royals missed a chance to truly set themselves up well. Whit Merrifield is still on the roster, despite the fact that he is 32 years old and will be past his prime once this team is competitive. Considering the incredible amount of interest in his services, this is a missed opportunity.
The same could be said about other veterans. Mike Minor, Michael Taylor, and Carlos Santana may not have had the same type of return, but they would have been able to bring something back. Instead, the Royals refused to trade anyone with team control, turning the MLB Trade Deadline into a disappointment.
The Kansas City Royals had a golden opportunity to improve their future. This will be a trade deadline that will be remembered with regret.
Colorado Rockies
Literally no one, including the players on the roster, has any idea what the Colorado Rockies were doing on Friday.
What is certain is that they were not making any trades. The Rockies, despite having the potential to own the deadline and jumpstart their rebuilding process, did absolutely nothing. Trevor Story, who was the premier bat at the deadline? Still in Colorado. Jon Gray, who was arguably the third best starter? Still in Colorado.
While the Rockies can argue that they would rather have the draft picks for those players when the Qualifying Offer is rejected, they had other, smaller pieces they could trade. But no, they could not be bothered to even do that, leaving Story to publically call out the team and the front office for their inaction.
In the end, no one should be surprised. The Rockies are the worst run team in the majors, with an owner who is completely delusional and a front office that is beyond incompetent. Nothing is going to change because Dick Monfort feels that nothing has to. Giving the Rockies a Q- for the MLB Trade Deadline would not be a low enough grade.
Next. The fatal flaw of each MLB postseason contender. dark
Maybe the Colorado Rockies thought the trade deadline was July 31, as per usual. Even that would not be an excuse for their ridiculous decision to do nothing.