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What a time the 2022 MLB trade deadline was.
Baseball might have seen the biggest trade in league history, and there were plenty of other big splashes in the days leading up to the 6 pm ET deadline.
There were also moves and non-moves that must have been disappointing for some fans.
Here are the winners and losers of the trade deadline.
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Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals hugs Manny Machado (13) of the San Diego Padres during the T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2022 in Los Angeles. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Winner: San Diego Parents
The Padres walked away with the biggest prize: Juan Soto.
And that’s not all. Despite essentially being out of the NL West race, the Padres are doing what the Los Angeles Angels failed to do for their superstar, Mike Trout. The Padres are supplying Fernando Tatis Jr. an all-star team. The Padres acquired Josh Hader from the Milwaukee Brewers and also got Josh Bell in the Soto deal. They also struck late and got Brandon Drury from the Reds.
The Padres do, and the October numbers will be fun in Southern California.
Winner: New York Yankees
The Yankees have the best record in baseball, but have recently been humiliated by going 2-7 against the Houston Astros and New York Mets. They had clear holes in the rotation, bullpen and outfield and filled them all with Frankie Montas, Scott Effross and Andrew Benintendi. If you’re not convinced the Yanks were legitimate World Series contenders, these moves should move that needle.
Admittedly, the trade of Jordan Montgomery for Harrison Bader is a bit confusing, but it begs the question: Would Montgomery even have a role in the postseason?
The Yankees also got rid of a struggling Joey Gallo.
New York Yankees’ Andrew Benintendi reacts after hitting a fly out during the ninth inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals on July 28, 2022 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Winner: Minnesota Twins
Historically, the Twins have not performed well in the postseason when they qualify. But as long as they’re at the dance, they have a chance. The Twins took advantage of their division rivals remaining quiet and made some much-needed improvements while leading the AL Central by just one game.
On deadline day, they acquired Michael Fulmer and Tyler Mahle for their rotation, and acquired All-Star reliever Jorge Lopez from the Baltimore Orioles. They didn’t exactly light up the deadline, but they were active and did what they had to do to try to distance themselves in the division and become a postseason threat.
Winner: Seattle Mariners
They got the best pitcher on the trade market in Luis Castillo, who is also under team control through the 2024 season. It took an absolute effort to get him, but the Mariners see a chance to make the postseason for the first time time in over 20 years and they are doing it.
Like the Padres, Seattle has a young stud in Julio Rodriguez and wants to make his tenure worthwhile. Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis is back, and even though he’s struggling, Robbie Ray is still the defending Cy Young Award winner. A team already built for the postseason now has an anchor at the top of its rotation with a bullpen that has been elite.
The Mariners won 90 games last year and missed the postseason in Game 162. The Mariners have the longest postseason drought in baseball and now have a real chance to play in October for the first time since their 116-win campaign in 2001.
Cincinnati Reds’ Luis Castillo pitches during a game against the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park on July 27, 2022, in Cincinnati. (Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
YANKEES ACQUIRE ANDREW BENINTENDI, AARON JUDGE AND AARON BOONE REACT
Loser: Baltimore Orioles
Three weeks ago, fans expected the O’s to be sellers. But then they went on an absolute tear, winning 10 straight, and entered deadline day over .500. But that didn’t stop the franchise from giving away Trey Mancini and Jorge Lopez, who was their only All-Star this year. It would have been nice to see a team getting hot and in the wild card race (only 2.5 games back) go for it, or at the very least, not sell.
Loser: Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays may be the biggest disappointment of the season. They were everyone’s favorite team heading into the season. However, they lose to the Yankees in 12 games in the AL East. Yes, they’re the wild card leaders by a good margin, but a couple of the teams chasing them (Minnesota and Seattle) improved, while Toronto didn’t do much.
At the buzzer, the Blue Jays acquired Whit Merrifield, but he’s been an old man, owning a -0.2 bWAR and hitting just .240 with a .643 OPS, hardly an upgrade for a team that needed one. Merrifield was not previously vaccinated against the coronavirus, which barred him from entering Canada.
Loser: New York Mets
The Mets saw almost every other team get their top targets. The Mets were reportedly in the running for Josh Bell, Trey Mancini, JD Martinez, Willson Contreras and David Robertson to name a few.
They didn’t get any.
It’s hard to blame owner Steve Cohen. The Mets hold the top spot with the franchise’s highest payroll of all time and were by far the winners of the offseason. However, the Mets have some glaring holes, and Cohen and general manager Billy Eppler kept quiet.
They got a much-needed reliever in Mychel Givens from the Chicago Cubs, who will likely set up Edwin Diaz, but it probably isn’t enough for this bullpen. And the Mets did nothing to improve their poor DH and catching slots. They head into the stretch with almost no roster upgrades.
New York Mets owner Steven A. Cohen speaks at the Tom Seaver statue unveiling ceremony before a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field on April 15, 2022 in New York City. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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Loser: Cleveland Guards/Chicago White Sox
The two teams are three games back of the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central. The White Sox are the defending division champions with young talent. So it was surprising to see them hold hands. The Guardians have a perennial MVP candidate in Jose Ramirez, a surprising All-Star in Andres Giménez and are just one game into what has been a surprisingly good season for them.
As the Twins improved with three big moves, both Cleveland and Chicago held on. The Twins did not enter the deadline as the undisputed division leader. But after Tuesday, the Twins might have to consider themselves the favorites in the stretch.