Reviewing all of the trades from the last day of the MLB Trade Deadline

The 2018 MLB Trade Deadline was a very busy one to be sure. While in some years most of the heavy lifting is done in the weeks leading up to the deadline and the last day is when relievers move around, this year there was a ton of movement from rentals to guys with team controls and a fair bit of money management type deals as well.

The action was fast and furious and went down to the final minutes. Bryce Harper is still a National, but it sure feels like everyone else throughout the league moved around. Below is a complete list of the deals from the last day before the deadline with some random thoughts about how each team did.

Baltimore Orioles traded 2B Jonathan Schoop to the Milwaukee Brewers for INF Jonathan Villar, RHP Luis Ortiz, and INF Jean Carmona

Baltimore Orioles traded RHP Kevin Gausman and RHP Darren O’Day to Atlanta Braves for RHP Evan Phillips, 3B Jean Carlos Encarnacion, C Brett Cumberland, LHP Bruce Zimmermann and Future Considerations.

The Orioles had already made their big move when they sent Manny Machado to the Dodgers earlier, but they remained busy on deadline day. The return in the move that sent Kevin Gausman to the Braves was somewhat modest although Encarnacion and Cumberland have very real upside. The return for Schoop was arguably better. That said, they have taken almost $35 million off of their books which is a big chunk of change.

Cincinnati Reds traded LF Adam Duvall to Atlanta Braves for RHP Lucas Sims, RHP Matt Wisler and LF Preston Tucker

The Braves lost out on Archer at the last minute to the Pirates, but they still got a controllable starter in Gausman and they snagged Adam Duvall from the Red in the wee hours of the morning (trade was announced before then fwiw) for players that had no spot in Atlanta’s present or future. It will be interesting to see Wisler and/or Sims in Great American to be sure.

Detroit Tigers traded CF Leonys Martin and RHP Kyle Dowdy to Cleveland Indians for SS Willi Castro.

The Indians needed outfield help, but the market was pretty barren there. Martin is having himself a decent season and he should be able to hold down the fort.

Los Angeles Angels traded 2B Ian Kinsler and cash to Boston Red Sox for RHP Ty Buttrey and LHP Williams Jerez.

Mike Trout must have angered a voodoo priestess in an earlier life as it looks like he will yet again go without a playoff appearance. Kinsler isn’t the player he used to be, but he has been productive and the Red Sox need production at second base with Dustin Pedroia unable to get healthy.

Miami Marlins traded LF Cameron Maybin to Seattle Mariners for SS Bryson Brigman and Future Considerations.

Miami Marlins traded RHP Brad Ziegler to Arizona Diamondbacks for RHP Tommy Eveld.

Not exactly a grand sell-off in Miami, but frankly there are few pieces left in Marlins-land to sell. Not moving Justin Bour was a mild surprise. JT Realmuto is a Marlin for now, but one has to wonder if that will change this offseason.

St. Louis Cardinals traded CF Oscar Mercado to Cleveland Indians for CF Conner Capel and RF Jhon Torres.

St. Louis Cardinals traded CF Tommy Pham and Future Considerations to Tampa Bay Rays for RF Justin Williams, LHP Genesis Cabrera and RHP Roel Ramirez.

The Cardinals are in this strange in-between world of buying and selling, but it for the most part...they did the selling side. The Pham-Cards relationship was basically broken and he could thrive somewhere else. The Rays were largely selling this year, but picked up a quality player somehow anyways.

Tampa Bay Rays traded C Wilson Ramos to Philadelphia Phillies for Player To Be Named Later.

Tampa Bay Rays traded LHP Hunter Schryver to Chicago White Sox for Future Considerations.

Tampa Bay Rays traded RHP Chris Archer to Pittsburgh Pirates for RHP Tyler Glasnow, CF Austin Meadows and Player To Be Named Later.

Well, Tampa finally did it...they actually sold off real assets. The price for Wilson Ramos seems criminally low, but he is injured at the moment and a free agent at the end of the season. The Rays got two big names in Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow for Chris Archer. If Glasnow can learn to find the strike zone reliably, he could do big things for the Rays. The Pirates came out of nowhere to swoop in and grab Archer. Imagine how good they would have been if they still had Gerrit Cole on that roster.

Texas Rangers traded RHP Keone Kela to Pittsburgh Pirates for Taylor Hearn and Player To Be Named Later.

Adrian Beltre was not moved and he may retire at the end of the season as a Ranger. Cole Hamels was already shipped out of town and Kela was their best reliever. Going to be a tough couple of years in Texas.

Toronto Blue Jays traded LHP Aaron Loup to Philadelphia Phillies for RHP Jacob Waguespack.

Toronto Blue Jays traded RHP John Axford to Los Angeles Dodgers for RHP Corey Copping.

The Blue Jays already sent Roberto Osuna out of town and managed to get Axford dealt to the Dodgers at the last minute for a very modest return. One wonders if they missed a big opportunity when they decided not to trade Marcus Stroman in this pitching starved market. The Phillies needed a lefty reliever and got one for little cost.

Washington Nationals traded RHP Brandon Kintzler to Chicago Cubs for RHP Jhon Romero.

Bryce Harper is still a National and Washington still appears to think that they could make a late season run. Dealing away a valuable bullpen piece does seem to be a weird way to execute that strategy though.