How Padres, Dodgers, Yankees, other contenders look one week after deadline
By Jordan Shusterman
FOX Sports MLB Writer
It has been one (1) week since the MLB Trade Deadline passed.
We’ve seen dozens of players don new uniforms, with some finding more success in their new digs than others. In turn, the vibes — and placement in the standings — of several aspiring postseason teams have already shifted dramatically.
A week is a long time, so what have we learned so far? What has changed across the league since the clock struck 6 p.m. ET last Tuesday?
Let’s check in on the teams that made the most moves leading up to the deadline and assess how we’re feeling about them one week later.
How it felt a week ago: Oh, my goodness, Juan Soto and Josh Bell are on the Padres! AJ Preller actually did it! Is he the greatest GM in baseball history? Why don’t other GMs deploy the strategy of Acquiring All The Best Baseball Players more often? And to think: Fernando Tatis Jr. is coming back soon, too! The Dodgers might have the division locked up, but this series in L.A. this weekend should be a great opportunity for the Padres to prove they can finally stack up against their division rivals.
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How it feels now: Ah, well, nevertheless. It has been a thrill watching Soto in his new threads, but it appears the Dodgers still have the upper hand rather comfortably in this rivalry. And uh, forget about the Dodgers for a second — do we need to be concerned about this team even making the postseason? The Phillies are surging, and whoever finishes second in the NL Central is sure to be right in the mix for those last two wild cards.
Hopefully the Padres can turn the hype into a hot streak sooner rather than later so we can watch this delightful team in the postseason. Adding (another) one of the best players in the world in Tatis soon should certainly help.
How it felt a week ago: A year after winning the trade deadline with the Max Scherzer/Trea Turner blockbuster, the Dodgers came away this year with just Joey Gallo and Chris Martin. It was oddly underwhelming, but one can only assume that GM Andrew Friedman believes his star-studded roster is already championship-caliber.
How it feels now: Ah, I see why they were confident standing pat. Ho-hum, another sweep of the team desperately trying to catch them. Perhaps we should stop doubting and just assume that whoever is on the field is going to lead the Dodgers to 100-plus wins no matter what. This baseball winning machine is simply undeniable.
How it felt a week ago: Trading Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals for a player in Harrison Bader who isn’t even healthy right now was a bit of an odd move, but when you’ve got such an enormous division lead, it’s probably reasonable to start thinking about the postseason roster and who will be more valuable come October.
Plus, the Yankees landed one of the best starters on the market in Frankie Montas, and Andrew Benintendi is bound to start heating up eventually. It was a strong deadline, and Aaron Judge is playing like the best player on Earth. Yankees fans can’t complain too much.
How it feels now: Well, this probably wasn’t what they had in mind! A five-game losing streak is the longest of the season for the Yankees, and so much for Benintendi being the ideal Gallo replacement; he’s hitting a Gallo-esque .133. Batting average was supposed to be his thing!
Fortunately, the Yankees won a bajillion games in the first four months of the season, so their division lead is still safe. But with the way the Astros have been playing, they’re going to have to work to earn home-field advantage through the postseason.
How it felt a week ago: Really? A team with a World Series-caliber roster isn’t going to add any more at the deadline than Tyler Naquin, Daniel Vogelbach, Darin Ruf and Mychal Givens? It’s not like Willson Contreras got traded to some other team! This doesn’t sound like the Steve Cohen Mets to me.
This team is still very good, clearly — but the Braves are right on their tails and coming into Citi Field for a huge series this weekend. I could see Atlanta making a big statement and the Mets’ lack of a big splash could come into focus down the stretch.
How it feels now: Just kidding! Best deadline ever! Who needs Contreras when you have Vogelbach; the team is 11-2 when he plays! Add Ruf, and they’ve got the best and beefiest platoon on planet earth. The inevitable JD Davis rejuvenation in San Francisco is of no concern when Edwin Diaz is trotting out to trumpets and striking out 95% of the batters he faces (approximately).
And did I mention Jacob deGrom is back? And Max Scherzer is healthy, too? As the Yankees enter a tailspin, the Mets, who were already having a sensational season, are taking off.
How it felt a week ago: Signing underrated super-duper star Austin Riley to a mega-extension was an incredible move, but it obviously doesn’t make the Braves any better right now. Atlanta focused on adding guys in more supporting than starring roles, such as Robbie Grossman, Raisel Iglesias and Jake Odorizzi. That said, if we’re going off last year, that means Grossman is firmly on track to win NLCS MVP.
How it feels now: Yeesh, not the most encouraging showing in Queens. It turns out that facing deGrom and Scherzer in the same series is difficult — who’da thunk? Still, even if the Mets end up pulling away with the division, the Braves should be in strong position to secure one of the NL wild cards as they attempt to defend their World Series crown.
One thing that could help: If Ronald Acuña Jr. starts hitting like Ronald Acuña Jr. again. Because that has not been happening lately!
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How it felt a week ago: Trading Josh Hader with an eye toward the future might ultimately be the smartest move for Milwaukee, but they better hope it doesn’t cost them too significantly in the short term in the middle of a tight division race with St. Louis. Plus, this team still sorely lacks an impact bat that the Hader trade did not address — sorry, Esteury Ruiz.
How it feels now: Uh, oh. The clubhouse wasn’t exactly thrilled with the Hader trade, and now the bullpen appears discombobulated while the offense continues to underwhelm. There’s a huge opportunity this weekend to right the ship in St. Louis, but making a franchise-altering trade in the name of sustainability might not be the best idea when you’re in first place and the guy you’re trading away is a big part of that. Time will tell, though; the Brewers usually end up looking like the smartest guys in the room.
St. Louis Cardinals are going to win the NL Central
Ben Verlander dives into his belief that the St. Louis Cardinals will win the NL Central in his latest “Take It Or Leave It.”
How it felt a week ago: It seems the Cards decided that the cost of doing business in the Soto sweepstakes wasn’t quite worth it, which is a tad disappointing but also understandable. Pitching was a much greater need, and they went out and addressed it with Jose Quintana and Jordan Montgomery. Still, this team is going to need pitchers to step up if the Cardinals are going to catch the Brewers anytime soon.
How it feels now: Juan Soto WHO?! Paul DeJong is back from Triple-A, and that’s apparently just like adding one of the best hitters in the league! Seven wins in a row, a sweep of the Yankees (thanks in part to Jordan Montgomery, hilariously enough) and the division lead — things are shaping up quite nicely for this final ride for Albert Pujols, Adam Wainwright and, potentially, Yadier Molina.
How it felt a week ago: Willson Contreras and Ian Happ are … still around? All right, sure! It seems the Cubs would rather keep Contreras and get a draft pick if he leaves in free agency than trade him for an unsatisfactory package right now. Happ could still be moved this winter. Anyway, time to learn about a bunch of new relievers!
How it feels now: It’s nice to have Contreras around; hopefully it’s not too awkward for all the people he most certainly said goodbye to leading up to the deadline. The worst part is that he’ll probably have to do it all again in a couple of months, as an extension appears unlikely, and he’d be in line for a hefty payday this winter.
How it felt a week ago: The Trey Mancini and Will Smith additions are nice, but the main characters are still the same here, sans Carlos Correa. Teams as good as the Astros shouldn’t be able to fly under the radar, but it seems that this juggernaut has quietly gone about its business all season. The Astros still might get booed more than the average road team, but that clearly hasn’t affected their performance on the field.
How it feels now: For the fifth time in six years — can we really count 2020, anyway? — Houston has put the AL West title to bed, with its sights on bigger and better things such as another American League pennant. Some amount of October baseball is a certainty in Houston; how much of it will take place in H-Town depends on if the ‘Stros can pull ahead of the Yankees for home-field advantage. I certainly wouldn’t bet against them.
Perhaps more intriguing is a potential postseason matchup with Minnesota and Correa. Yeah, start thinking about that now! You’re welcome!
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How it felt a week ago: Trading away your lone All-Star in Jorge Lopez and the heart and soul of your team in Trey Mancini seems like a pretty good way to crush morale. Maybe this team isn’t a wild-card contender this year, but are future-oriented moves such as these worth the kind of message it sends to the clubhouse in the present? I’m not so sure.
How it feels now: It’s certainly strange watching Mancini launch dingers for the Astros, but hey, these Orioles are awfully resilient! Adley Rutschman might already be one of the best catchers in baseball and has seemingly single-handedly brought a winning culture to Baltimore, no matter how many beloved veterans get shipped out the door. Ignore those microscopic playoff odds, and let the Orioles Magic wash over you.
How it felt a week ago: They really did it. They traded 23-year-old Juan Soto. Sure, it seemed like Soto was dead-set on reaching free agency, and it was difficult to imagine the Nats building a winner around him before then, so it’s good to get a giant prospect haul back now instead of losing him for nothing in a few years … but still! Generational talents are generational for a reason, and it’s difficult to fathom another Soto type coming around again for the Nats anytime soon. Let the rebuild truly begin.
How it feels now: Yikes. It’s probably for the best to just keep an eye on what CJ Abrams, Robert Hassell and James Wood are up to in the minors, instead of watching what’s left of this big-league team. Poor Luke Voit. May the newly introduced MLB Draft lottery odds be ever in the Nats’ favor.
Jordan Shusterman is half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball writer for FOX Sports. He lives in D.C. but is a huge Seattle Mariners fan and loves watching the KBO, which means he doesn’t get a lot of sleep. You can follow him on Twitter @j_shusterman_.
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