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

It has been 10 days since the MLB trade deadline has passed and some teams have responded well and some have not. In some cases, some teams have been struggling before the deadline and their slide has continued after it and some are struggling since the deadline and fading fast.

In the latest edition of Stock Up, Stock Down, here are two teams that have responded well to the deadline and two that have not and are fading quickly in the races.

Stock Up: Chicago Cubs soaring up the standings

One team that decided not to sell at the trade deadline and is benefitting from it is the Chicago Cubs. They were buried in the National League Central Division standings and the wild card race, but they are coming off of winning two out of three over the Atlanta Braves last weekend. Despite losing two out of three over the New York Mets, they are within striking distance of the final NL Wild Card spot.

The division is not out of the question for the Cubs as they are just two games back of the Milwaukee Brewers and in second place after passing the struggling Cincinnati Reds. Chicago has been getting offense from their usual producers, but their pitching has been good, including the work out of their bullpen.

Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman were names that were floated about in July about being moved, but a winning streak before the deadline changed the direction front office and they ended up adding third baseman Jeimer Candelario from the Washington Nationals. As odd as it seemed a month ago, it’s not out of the question that they will find themselves in October baseball.

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.