More than a month has passed since Major League Baseball was awash in rumors, speculation and some outright shockers at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. General managers lined up to take their shots, marquee players changed teams and media outlets across the country participated in an annual industry staple -- the trade deadline "winners and losers" recap.
We still don't know precisely which teams won and which teams lost, because it's impossible to gauge the true impact of a trade in such a tight window. Prospects involved in a deal need time to develop, and perceptions can change drastically based on events in October. And while an individual player might perform well (David Price springs to mind), his new team's won-loss record might be affected by a slew of factors beyond his control.
That said, the 10 deals below were all consummated with a sense of urgency and a short-term horizon based on the shared goal of helping contenders make the postseason. How are baseball's big July deals working out? Here's a snapshot on a 1-to-5 baseball-rating scale, with five balls the ultimate and one ball a result that's well short of inspiring:
1. The Angels acquire closer Huston Street and minor league pitcher Trevor Gott from the Padres for minor leaguers Taylor Lindsey, Jose Rondon, R.J. Alvarez and Elliot Morris
The initial take
The Angels' bullpen logged a 4.36 ERA and blew 10 of 26 saves opportunities in the team's first 66 games. But the relief contingent started to jell in mid-June, and general manager Jerry Dipoto began making upgrades when he acquired Jason Grilli and Joe Thatcher in deals shortly before the All-Star break.
The Angels have one of baseball's weakest farm systems, and Dipoto was willing to surrender his No. 1 (Lindsey) and No. 4 (Alvarez) prospects in exchange for Street, who has a reasonable $7 million club option for 2015.
The view a month later
Street has had as big an impact as you could expect from a pitcher who throws 12 innings per month. His fastball clocks in at an average of 89 mph, but that hasn't prevented him from recording a 12.4 percent swing-and-miss rate.
The Angels' bullpen has recorded a 2.48 ERA over the past 68 games, and it's become progressively stronger with Street holding down the back end and Joe Smith, Kevin Jepsen and Grilli all pitching well in front of him. Street and Grilli have also lived up to their billing as guys who can help keep a clubhouse loose -- always a nice fringe benefit for teams in a race.
"Huston has brought a tremendous amount of stability to the staff," Dipoto said. "I trust him. The staff trusts him. His teammates trust him. And most importantly, he trusts himself. He's very consistent at being who he is. He's also a very unique makeup guy. We wanted to find someone who would help bind the staff, and he's done that."
The verdict:
Injuries to starters Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs might ultimately be the Angels' undoing, but they've put themselves in prime position to win the AL West. If Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and the offense can give this team enough leads in September, Street and his buddies will make sure they hold up.
2. The Giants acquire Jake Peavy from the Red Sox for minor league pitchers Edwin Escobar and Heath Hembree
The initial take
General manager Brian Sabean wasn't able to pull off a deal for a veteran second baseman at the deadline, so the Giants decided to give former No. 1 draft pick Joe Panik a shot at the job. Panik hit .379 with a .900 OPS in August and plays with the poise and awareness of a veteran, so that scenario has played out ideally.
The Giants filled a void in their rotation by acquiring Peavy, who broke into the majors in 2002 under Bruce Bochy in San Diego. A week after Peavy's arrival, Matt Cain went down with season-ending elbow surgery. And three weeks later, the Giants succumbed to the inevitable and sent Tim Lincecum and his rapidly expanding ERA to the bullpen.
The view a month later
Peavy, 1-9 with a 4.72 ERA in Boston this season, is back in his comfort zone in the NL West. He's pitched seven or more innings in five of his seven outings as a Giant, and in his past four starts he has a 1.29 ERA. That includes 7 1/3 no-hit innings against Milwaukee his last time out. Now if he can only figure out a way to avoid another encounter with umpiring nemesis Doug Eddings this season.
The verdict:
Madison Bumgarner, Yusmeiro Petit and Peavy led a rotation revival in August, and the Giants have won seven of their past nine to reassert themselves as a serious contender in the West. With Buster Posey leading the way, they'll spend this month trying to chase down the Dodgers.
3. The Orioles acquire Andrew Miller from the Red Sox for minor league starter Eduardo Rodriguez
The initial take
Dan Duquette, Baltimore's executive vice president of baseball operations, made it clear that his main deadline priority was to upgrade the team's pitching depth. Amid speculation that he might add a starter, Duquette pulled a surprise on July 31 and traded Rodriguez, Baltimore's No. 4 prospect, for Miller, a lockdown lefty reliever who is eligible for free agency in November.
The view a month later
Closer Zach Britton has converted 16 straight save opportunities, and the Orioles have a deep and versatile array of setup men. Miller, fellow lefty Brian Matusz and righties Darren O'Day and Brad Brach combined for a 0.82 ERA in August, with 52 strikeouts and 15 walks in 44 innings.
"If you put Andrew Miller on a team that doesn't use him the right way, it's not a great move," said an AL scout. "If you put him on a team run by Buck Showalter -- who's a master at running a bullpen -- all of a sudden every guy improves because of the way Andrew Miller is used. It might seem like a minor move, but it has an [effect] on six other guys and has a huge impact."
The verdict:
It remains to be seen how far Chris Tillman, Bud Norris and the rotation can take the Orioles in October, but Duquette took a team strength and made it even more formidable. The Orioles might ultimately lament trading away the talented Rodriguez for a late-season cameo from Miller. But they seized upon an opportunity to take control of the division, and now they're looking at a more wide-open playoff picture with the recent struggles in Oakland and Detroit and the Angels' starting-pitching injuries.
4. The Nationals acquire Asdrubal Cabrera from the Indians for infielder-outfielder Zach Walters
The initial take
The Nationals were looking for some infield insurance after Ryan Zimmerman went on the disabled list with a hamstring injury July 23. Cabrera hadn't played second base since 2009, but manager Matt Williams plugged him in there and went with hit machine Anthony Rendon at third.
The view a month later
Cabrera has a .240/.333/.452 slash line with the Nationals, but he's contributed some big hits and shown surprising power. He has also struck out only 14 times in 104 at-bats, compared to 111 whiffs in 305 at-bats by Danny Espinosa, Washington's primary second baseman for much of this season. The Nationals also rave about Cabrera's professionalism and steadiness. This is a relatively small, under-the-radar deal that has worked out precisely as the Nationals had hoped.
"He's definitely proven his worth," teammate Ian Desmond said of Cabrera. "He's played an unbelievable second base, and his willingness to do that shows some of his character. There's not an umpire who comes out to second base who doesn't love this guy. It's not necessarily anything about his skills. He's just a real pro."
Walters, who never found a niche in Washington, is hitting .171 as an Indian. But he has six homers in 70 at-bats with the Tribe.
The verdict:
Cabrera might see his playing time reduced if Zimmerman returns to third base in September and Rendon has to shift to second. But he's been a nice pickup for a team that didn't need to make a big splash. The Nationals also merit a bonus point for claiming lefty reliever Matt Thornton on waivers from the Yankees in early August. He's contributed nine scoreless innings as a Nat.
5. The Athletics acquire Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel from the Cubs, then add Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes from the Red Sox in a July 31 trade that sent Yoenis Cespedes to the Red Sox
The initial take
Billy Beane left no doubt about his commitment to winning this season when he sent top prospects Addison Russell and Billy McKinney to the Cubs in the Samardzija-Hammel deal in early July. The A's were 66-41 and leading the Angels by 2½ games on July 31 when Beane went all-in to the nth degree, acquiring Lester from Boston. With the farm system tapped out, he took the risk of weakening his offense by sending Cespedes to the Red Sox.
The view a month later
Lester is 3-3 with a 2.59 ERA in seven starts with the A's. Samardzija has been very good with the exception of one stat-wrecking clunker against the Mets, and Hammel has pitched well in his past two appearances after a rough start, so the three pitchers have generally performed to expectations in Oakland.
But a team-wide offensive malaise contributed to a 12-17 August and prompted Beane and assistant GM David Forst to try to bolster the offense with a late-August trade for Adam Dunn. The A's hit .222 and ranked 12th in the AL with 103 runs scored in August.
If you want to play amateur psychologist, you could argue that the other Oakland hitters began pressing to compensate for the loss of Cespedes in the middle of the order. But the A's were probably due for a regression after ranking second in the majors in runs scored at the All-Star break, and their August funk was a product of injuries (Jed Lowrie) and a lack of production from just about everyone not named Josh Donaldson, Josh Reddick or Eric Sogard.
"They were an offensive juggernaut when they made those deals, and there's no way they were going to keep that up for 162 games," said a scout. "The reason they made the moves was because they got their [butts] kicked by Detroit every year in the division series because they didn't have the horses on the mound. They were proactive. They got the guys they wanted. I don't think you can downgrade them too much, because that team is built for a short series now."
The verdict:
This is a classic "incomplete" grade based on what happens over the next two months. If the A's go one-and-done in the wild card, this will qualify as a bitterly disappointing season in the East Bay. If they reach the World Series for the first time since 1990, Beane will be hailed for his vision and his boldness.
Think about it this way: As antsy as A's die-hards feel now, would they feel better if the team had stood pat and Oakland was heading into the playoffs with a rotation led by Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir, Jesse Chavez and Tommy Milone?
6. The Yankees acquire Brandon McCarthy from the Diamondbacks, Chase Headley from the Padres, Martin Prado from the D-backs, Chris Capuano from the Rockies and Stephen Drew from the Red Sox over a 3½-week span in July
The initial take
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman scrambled to make a flurry of deals in July to improve the offense and the rotation, which had been decimated by injuries to Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova.
The view a month later
McCarthy's performance in New York has validated the opinions of Yankees scouts and numbers crunchers who said his stuff was better than his 3-10 record in Arizona might indicate. He's been terrific, with 60 strikeouts, 11 walks and a 2.80 ERA as a Yankee. Prado has amassed an .818 OPS while spending time in left field, in right field and at third base. Headley is hitting .256 without a whole lot of power, and Drew probably can't wait for the 2014 season to end.
One positive note: The Yankees gave up Kelly Johnson, Vidal Nuno, Peter O'Brien, Yangervis Solarte and Rafael De Paula in the five trades, so they haven't had to worry about second-guessing from the fan base.
The verdict:
McCarthy has shown a comfort level in New York and made a strong case for a multiyear deal with the Yankees this winter. Prado, who has two years and $22 million left on his contract, is a nice fit in 2015 because of his versatility. But the addition of three new bats wasn't enough to put an inconsistent Yankees' offense over the top in August. It's all about making the postseason in the Bronx, and Derek Jeter's career is about to end with a second straight playoff-free October.
7. The Tigers give up Austin Jackson, Drew Smyly and minor leaguer Willy Adames to acquire David Price in a three-way trade with the Mariners and Rays. In a separate trade, the Tigers acquire reliever Joakim Soria from the Rangers for minor league pitchers Jake Thompson and Corey Knebel
The initial take
The Tigers blew everyone out of the water with their acquisition of Price, which came together quickly at the deadline. What better way to make a statement and counter Oakland's flurry of pitching moves than to add Price to a rotation that already included Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez and Rick Porcello?
The view a month later
Price landed on the wrong side of history when he allowed nine straight hits in a blowout loss to the Yankees, but he's 2-1 with a 2.15 ERA in his other five starts as a Tiger, and he has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 43-to-9 since coming to Detroit.
It's not Price's fault that the Tigers have several other issues to address. Miguel Cabrera's health remains an ever-present concern. Justin Verlander is sporting a 1.45 WHIP and a 4.80 ERA, and Joe Nathan and the bullpen continue to generate anxiety among the fan base, which has been through this routine too many times in recent years.
The Tigers picked up Soria as a fallback closer option, but he went on the DL with a strained oblique muscle after 4 1/3 lackluster innings, and now he's trying to work his way back to good health.
Rajai Davis and Ezequiel Carrera hit a combined .266 (42-for-158) in August, so they were about a wash offensively with Jackson. But outfield defense remains a problem for the Tigers, who have an aggregate minus-30 defensive runs saved out of their three outfield positions in 2014. Among the 30 MLB outfields, only the Dodgers, Twins and Indians are worse.
The verdict:
Price has pitched up to expectations, and he'll be around again in 2015 even if Scherzer leaves through free agency this winter. But due to circumstances beyond his control, Detroit is an underwhelming 18-16 since the deadline and locked in a tight race with the Royals. The Tigers are the quintessential "built to win now" team, so nothing short of a parade and a champagne shower for owner Mike Ilitch will earn them an A grade.
8. The Mariners acquire Kendrys Morales from the Twins, Austin Jackson from the Tigers and Chris Denorfia from the Padres in separate trades in July
The initial take
The Mariners would have preferred to add a big bat at the deadline, but Marlon Byrd and Alex Rios weren't attainable for various reasons, so they opted for a series of smaller moves to add experience and improve an offense that was a major drag on the team's ambitions heading into August.
The view a month later
True, it's a limited sample size, but none of the three acquisitions has exactly burned it offensively. Jackson and Denorfia have combined for seven extra-base hits in 179 at-bats with Seattle, and Morales has three homers and a .318 slugging percentage as a Mariner. After turning down a $14.1 million qualifying offer last winter and staying home until June, he's going to be challenged to find a market this offseason.
But the new additions have still helped lengthen out the lineup and given it a more stable look, and the Mariners picked up the pace in August by scoring 123 runs -- fifth-most in the league. That was largely a product of big months by Logan Morrison and Dustin Ackley.
The verdict:
The Mariners will go as far as their pitching takes them, and they might need Taijuan Walker to step forward now that Chris Young is looking gassed. But the team's staying power this season helped seal a multiyear contract extension for general manager Jack Zduriencik, and Seattle fans are immersed in the franchise's bid to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001 rather than rehashing the recent Jesus Montero ice cream-sandwich incident ad nauseam. That's a very good thing.
9. The Cardinals pick up Justin Masterson from the Indians for minor league outfielder James Ramsey, then acquire John Lackey from the Red Sox for Joe Kelly and Allen Craig on July 31
The initial take
St. Louis GM John Mozeliak was aiming at a moving target as the deadline approached. The offense was performing below expectations, and the Cardinals were trying to navigate life in a world without Yadier Molina and Michael Wacha. The Cardinals had identified upgrading the bench as a goal, and they were also dealing with some unexpected struggles by closer Trevor Rosenthal. Ultimately, Mozeliak chose to add depth to the rotation by trading for two veteran starters.
The view a month later
Some personnel people think the Cardinals paid too high a price for Lackey and sold low on Craig. But Lackey's $500,000 salary next season enhanced his appeal, and the Cardinals wanted to shake up the clubhouse mix and find a way to create some at-bats for Oscar Taveras and their other young outfielders. Still, if Detroit could land David Price by surrendering Austin Jackson, Drew Smyly and Willy Adames, it's natural to wonder if St. Louis couldn't have dipped into its well of young talent and swung a deal for Tampa Bay's ace.
Lackey (2-1, 4.23) has performed well enough for the Cardinals, but Masterson quickly pitched his way to the bullpen and won't be counted on for much down the stretch. The Cardinals have moved into first place in the NL Central, but the fading Brewers have given them a lot of help.
The verdict:
Lackey has a 6-5 record and a 3.03 ERA in the postseason and two World Series rings. If he can combine with Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn and Wacha or Shelby Miller to get the Cardinals back to the World Series, this grade will improve considerably.
10. The Brewers acquire outfielder Gerardo Parra from the Diamondbacks for minor leaguers Mitch Haniger and Anthony Banda
The initial take
The Brewers acquired Parra, a left-handed hitter, for his versatility, solid glove and ability to spell their three right-handed-hitting starters, Carlos Gomez, Ryan Braun and Khris Davis. It was strictly a complementary move for a team that was holding steady with a 60-49 record and a two-game lead over Pittsburgh in the NL Central.
GM Doug Melvin also inquired on Joaquin Benoit, Brad Ziegler and a slew of relievers but wasn't able to make a deal to upgrade the pen. That move had to wait until late August, when Melvin acquired Jonathan Broxton in a trade with Cincinnati.
The view a month later
Parra's offensive numbers in Milwaukee approximate what he did in Arizona, but the Brewers' recent fade has been more a product of what Ryan Braun, Carlos Gomez, Kyle Lohse & Co. haven't done than what Gerardo Parra has contributed to the mix.
The verdict:
Like the Braves, whose big trade deadline deal brought Emilio Bonifacio and James Russell to Atlanta, the Brewers elected to tinker around the edges rather than make a big splash in July. If they don't figure things out quickly, it's going to be a tough offseason in Milwaukee.