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Stock Up, Stock Down: MLB trade deadline winners and losers

By Scott Roche |
May 25, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
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The 2023 MLB trade deadline has come and gone with some teams making plenty of moves to position themselves for a solid final two months and a shot at a deep playoff run in October. Others decided to sell and some chose to stand pat and not buy too much or sell.

Now that the deadline is three days old, in this edition of Stock Up and Stock Down, we will see who were some winners and who were some losers.

Stock Up: MLB trade deadline winner – Baltimore Orioles

Yes, the Baltimore Orioles made one move, but it was a move that can push them over the top in the American League East to win the division over the Tampa Bay Rays.

As the deadline came to a close at 6 p.m. Eastern, the Orioles acquired one of the top pitchers available, Jack Flaherty, from the St. Louis Cardinals. The one need that Baltimore had was a starting pitcher and they passed on Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander and went for a young arm.

Flaherty adds to a rotation that includes Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, Kyle Brandish, Kyle Gibson, and Grayson Rodriguez. GM Mike Elias could have swung a little bigger by also adding Eduardo Rodriguez from the Detroit Tigers after a late potential deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers fell through, but Flaherty is an arm that has had success with the Cardinals and he had a first solid start with the Orioles.

In a 6-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays Thursday, he allowed just four hits in six innings with eight strikeouts, two walks, and one run. He worked out of a bases-loaded one-out jam in the sixth inning. This has the potential to be a very strong deadline pickup.

Nov 9, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer answers questions from the media during the MLB GM Meetings at The Conrad Las Vegas. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer answers questions from the media during the MLB GM Meetings at The Conrad Las Vegas. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports /

Stock Down: Trade deadline loser – Chicago Cubs

It would not have been surprising to see the Chicago Cubs sell at the trade deadline. They had some pieces that could have got them a big return for the future with players on expiring contracts this winter.

A last-minute winning streak changed the Cubs’ trade deadline approach and they went from trading pieces to becoming buyers, but that may turn out to be a bad approach. Their winning streak before August 1 could be considered fools gold and they could end up regretting that decision.

Pitcher Marcus Stroman struggled in July, but there was still a market for the right-hander, which included the Blue Jays where a reunion would have made a lot of sense. There are questions surrounding the staff in Toronto and whether or not it’s good enough for the final two months and Stroman would have been a tested option to acquire.

Outfielder Cody Bellinger was another player that they could have sold high on and there were plenty of teams that were in need of a left-handed outfielder. The New York Yankees, who did nothing at the deadline, are one team that needed an outfielder and his left-handed bat would have fit in perfectly at Yankee Stadium. Not selling could turn out to be a mistake as there are just too many teams ahead of them in the Wild Card standings.

Oct 24, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young speaks during a news conference introducing Bruce Bochy as team manager at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young speaks during a news conference introducing Bruce Bochy as team manager at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports /

Stock Up: MLB trade deadline winner – Texas Rangers

One of the more surprising teams this season has been the Texas Rangers. They have spent most of the season in first place in the American League West, but the Astros have been creeping closer to the top and the Rangers wasted little time in adding.

They acquired closer Aroldis Chapman from the Kansas City Royals in late June before hitting it big beginning last weekend. They acquired Scherzer from the New York Mets in exchange for their third-ranked prospect, Luisangel Acūna, younger brother of Atlanta Braves start Ronald.

Tuesday, Texas acquired left-hander Jordan Montgomery from St. Louis and added Chris Stratton to the bullpen. They also added catching depth with Austin Hedges.

Texas has not made the postseason since 2016 and they are determined to change that in 2023. A good team got much better and the case can be made that the two best teams in the AL reside in the West with the Rangers and Astros, who reacquired Justin Verlander from the Mets. It would be surprising to see an all-Texas ALCS in October as both teams made the biggest upgrades to their roster at the deadline in the American League.

Jun 20, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman on the field during batting practice before a game against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 20, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman on the field during batting practice before a game against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Stock Down: MLB trade deadline loser – New York Yankees

Usually, at this time of year, the New York Yankees are buyers and trying to outbid other teams to land the top players to make a deep postseason run. Not this year.

Currently in last place in the AL East just behind the equally struggling Boston Red Sox, the Yankees could have moved some players in the final year of their contracts. Outfielder Harrison Bader, pitcher Wandy Peralta, and Isiah Finer-Kalefa could have been moved for prospects.

Let’s be real, New York is in a position that they are not used to, bringing up the rear in the division and not having a roster that is built for October. If they didn’t want to sell off, then they could have looked to add a catcher to a core that is struggling both defensively and offensively. Austin Hedges anyone?

This is a season that seems like it’s going to be a lost season in the Bronx and another season wasted with Aaron Judge, despite his toe injury that kept him out of the lineup for nearly two months. I predicted that they will finish in the basement in the division with some post-All-Star Break predictions and that could come true by the end of September. They should have sold what they could.

This postseason is shaping up to be one where it would not be surprising to see any team win the World Series. Texas, Houston, and Baltimore made moves that improve their chances, while other teams in the hunt stood pat or made moves that didn’t move the needle much. Time will tell who the real winners and losers end up being.

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