MLB Trade Deadline Mistakes: 5 Teams Who Failed at the Deadline
Grant White
Host · Writer
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies failed to address their bullpen issues at the trade deadline adequately. The NL East leaders are a sub-optimal 12-14 since the trade deadline, allowing the Atlanta Braves to whittle away at their division lead.
The Phillies' team ERA inflated to 4.54 in August, nearly a full run above their season-long average, relegating them to the bottom half of the MLB. Carlos Estevez was brought in to stabilize the bullpen, and although he's looked sharp at times, he's also faltered in high-leverage scenarios.
Philadelphia appears to have righted the ship more recently, but they've given up ground at the worst time of year. If this is how they're performing now, there's no telling how ready the Phillies will be when the intensity gets ratcheted up come October.
Chicago White Sox
If we've learned anything from the Chicago White Sox over the past few years, they will always do something half-assedly. Their new mantra was fully displayed after they failed themselves again at the MLB Trade Deadline.
Instead of tearing down the franchise and rebuilding with a cupboard loaded with top prospects, the White Sox barely treaded into the trade deadline waters. A three-team deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals was their most notable move, and the return for two big leaguers was underwhelming.
The Southsiders should have traded away every movable piece they could. Instead, they hung onto Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet, condemning the franchise to another decade of unwatchable baseball.
Tampa Bay Rays
Over the past two decades, we've seen the Tampa Bay Rays tighten their shoestrings and become a model low-cost franchise. But the corners they cut at the trade deadline left them in a precarious position.
Since trading away as many starters as they could, the Rays have been one of the worst-hitting teams in the bigs. Over the last month, Tampa Bay has accumulated a .635 OPS and 3.3 runs per game, second and third-worst in the MLB, respectively. Worse, they've gone 12-14 over that stretch, falling further out of the AL wild-card race.
With several highly-touted prospects toiling in their system, the future may still be bright for the Rays. Unfortunately, the present is an unmitigated disaster.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been on the edge of competing for the past couple of seasons; however, their trade deadline moves have put them at a disadvantage in the immediate future.
Pittsburgh made a few under-the-radar moves, acquiring Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the Toronto Blue Jays and Bryan De La Cruz from the Miami Marlins, along with some other minor transactions. But as we can see, all the Pirates accomplished was ransacking what little chemistry they had going for them.
The Pirates are a laughable 9-18 over the last 30 days. Across that sample, Pittsburgh has a lackluster .691 OPS and 4.89 team ERA, deteriorating their standing on both sides of the ball.
The constant tinkering isn't working. It's time the Pirates invested in more long-term solutions rather than trying to speed up their rebuild.
Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians were one of the quieter teams at the MLB Trade Deadline, but that hasn't served them well in pursuing their first AL Central pennant since 2022.
Cleveland pulled off two moves at the deadline, acquiring Lane Thomas from the Washington Nationals and Alex Cobb from the San Francisco Giants. Neither move has benefitted the club. Cobb is 1-1 in a pair of starts with the Guardians with a 4.35 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. Thomas has set the bar even lower, accumulating a Double-A worthy .421 OPS and -0.8 WAR in 24 games.
Their ineffective play has allowed the Kansas City Royals to catch the Guardians atop the AL Central standings, with the Minnesota Twins just 2.5 games back. Cleveland's trade deadline acquisitions don't offer any insurance against their challengers.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies failed to address their bullpen issues at the trade deadline adequately. The NL East leaders are a sub-optimal 12-14 since the trade deadline, allowing the Atlanta Braves to whittle away at their division lead.
The Phillies' team ERA inflated to 4.54 in August, nearly a full run above their season-long average, relegating them to the bottom half of the MLB. Carlos Estevez was brought in to stabilize the bullpen, and although he's looked sharp at times, he's also faltered in high-leverage scenarios.
Philadelphia appears to have righted the ship more recently, but they've given up ground at the worst time of year. If this is how they're performing now, there's no telling how ready the Phillies will be when the intensity gets ratcheted up come October.
Chicago White Sox
If we've learned anything from the Chicago White Sox over the past few years, they will always do something half-assedly. Their new mantra was fully displayed after they failed themselves again at the MLB Trade Deadline.
Instead of tearing down the franchise and rebuilding with a cupboard loaded with top prospects, the White Sox barely treaded into the trade deadline waters. A three-team deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals was their most notable move, and the return for two big leaguers was underwhelming.
The Southsiders should have traded away every movable piece they could. Instead, they hung onto Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet, condemning the franchise to another decade of unwatchable baseball.
