Stock Up, Stock Down: Two teams rising, two falling post-trade deadline

Stock Down: Los Angeles Angels fading fast after deadline moves

All the talk leading up to the trade deadline centered around what the Los Angeles Angels were going to do with Shohei Ohtani. Were they going to trade their All-Star or hold onto him with his free agency pending over the winter and risk losing him? They chose the latter and it’s a move that is backfiring big time.

The Angels took him off the market and held onto him and they also became buyers. They acquired pitcher Lucas Giolito from the Chicago White Sox and got C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk from the Colorado Rockies. They went from in the Wild Card mix to fading to seven games out and under .500.

They proceeded to lose the first seven games following the deadline and hit rock bottom after being swept by the Seattle Mariners last weekend. They took a 3-1 lead into the top of the ninth against the Mariners only to give up four runs, including a two-run home run to Cade Marlowe in a 5-3 loss.

Mike Trout is expected back soon, but it’s a case of too little, too late after suffering an injury against the San Diego Padres in early July. Generally, the Angels fade before the trade deadline, but this season it’s happening after the deadline and after they went all-in for Ohtani. It’s going to be a very nervous time this offseason as they await their superstar’s decision as to where he’ll be playing in 2024.

Stock Up: Philadelphia Phillies take over NL Wild Card lead

For the second straight season, it was a slow start for the Philadelphia Phillies. For the second straight season, they are putting together a second-half charge and have gone from the outside of the National League playoff picture to holding onto the first Wild Card spot.

Needing pitching at the trade deadline, Dave Dombrowski went out and got Michael Lorenzen from the Detroit Tigers and the All-Star could not have had a better start with his new team. In his first start against the Miami Marlins on August 3, he went eight innings and allowed two runs in a 4-2 win. Wednesday night in his first start at Citizens Bank Park, the right-hander threw a no-hitter in a 7-0 win over the Washington Nationals. He walked four in his 124-pitch masterpiece.

Catching the Braves is just about out of the question, but securing one of the three Wild Card spots is well within reach for the Philadelphia. They have a good offensive team that can put up runs with the best of them and their pitching has been shaky this season, but the addition of Lorenzen should help stabilize that.

Just like last fall, the Phillies are turning into a team that nobody is going to want to play come October, especially with Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos starting to turn things around slowly.

Stock Down: Fading Boston Red Sox hitting rock bottom in 2023

The Boston Red Sox were one of the hottest teams in July before and after the All-Star Break. It got them within a game of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final American League Wild Card spot. It appeared that GM Chaim Bloom would end up buying instead of selling at the deadline. That did not turn out to be the case.

Instead, Bloom stood pat in the middle, not selling off any pieces like Adam Duvall, Justin Turner, James Paxton, or Kenley Jansen. Instead, he kept them and made one addition, acquiring utility infielder Luis Urías from the Brewers. In the bigger picture, it’s a move that not’s was to move the needle in terms of their postseason chances, but it was more of a move for the future.

After failing to make deadline additions for a second year in a row, the Red Sox have fallen in the standings since August 1 … and fallen fast. They lost the last two games to the Seattle Mariners, then were swept at home by the Toronto Blue Jays. For the second year in a row, the failure of Bloom to make additions has had a ripple effect on the product on the field and Boston is on pace to miss the playoff for a second year in a row.

Over the last month, manager Alex Cora, who has expressed frustration, has not had a full five-man rotation, instead needing to go to an opener for at least two starts a week and that has caught up with their arms. The players spoke out before the deadline about needing help, mainly arms, and Bloom did not make the needed additions.

There are plenty of other teams that could have fallen into both categories, but these four are the ones that have stuck out the most as the leagues enters the final six weeks and push for October.