3 winners and 3 losers at the MLB Trade Deadline
By David Hill
Winner – Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are baseball’s version of Groundhog Day – every year, they have the exact same problems, and every year, they fail to fix them no matter how hard they try.
As expected, the Phillies went into the deadline with those same issues. They needed a center fielder, help in the bullpen, and another starting pitcher. They acquired those pieces by landing Brandon Marsh, Noah Syndergaard, and David Robertson.
Even more important, the Phillies added by subtracting. Odubel Herrera, who is almost as beloved as mosquitoes and the average politician, is out the door. Jeurys Familia, who has been napalm on the mound, followed soon after. Just getting rid of that duo would be a victory, but adding the pieces needed for a playoff push made it even better.
Loser – Baltimore Orioles
On one hand, you have to give the Orioles credit for sticking to their plan and looking to the future. On the other hand, they made a pair of trades that may have gutted the morale of the team.
It makes sense to trade Trey Mancini and Jorge Lopez from a strictly numbers standpoint. Mancini is an impending free agent and Lopez is having a career year. At the same time, the Orioles have been that plucky team that could and are on the vestiges of a playoff push. Even adding a relatively minor piece would have sent a huge message to the team and could make an impact for years to come.
dark. Next. A closer look at the Nationals' return for Juan Soto, Josh Bell
The Orioles had a chance to be a major surprise in the final two months. Instead, they listened to the formula, which could prove to be a mistake.