3 winners and 3 losers at the MLB Trade Deadline
By David Hill
Winner – San Diego Padres
The Padres made up for their disappointment at the MLB Trade Deadline last year in a major way. After watching Max Scherzer slip away at the last minute, they dropped a pair of nuclear bombs.
First, the Padres made one of the most surprising trades of the deadline when they acquired Josh Hader from the Brewers, adding the most dominant closer in the game to their roster. Then, they emptied the farm to bring in Juan Soto and Josh Bell, shoring up their lineup. Getting rid of Eric Hosmer and bringing in a backup catcher, as well as utility man Brandon Drury, was just the icing on the cake.
The Padres needed to improve their roster to truly have a chance at a championship. It is clearly World Series or Bust now.
Loser – Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers did add some pieces, bringing in Trevor Rosenthal, Matt Bush, and Taylor Rogers to fortify the bullpen. Dinelson Lamet is an intriguing arm provided he can stay healthy. And they did add a pair of solid prospects as well. Their return certainly was not terrible.
It is the fact that the Brewers gave up Josh Hader that made them one of the losers of the deadline. Yes, they made several moves to improve the bullpen, but Hader is the best closer in the game. He went through a similar clod stretch last year at the trade deadline, only to dominate again immediately afterwards. Maybe, just maybe, those trade rumors were the problem.
The Brewers said they had to trade Hader to keep their window open for the foreseeable future. However, for a team that has never won a championship, getting that first title matters even more.