After weeks of build-up and speculation, the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline lived up to the hype. Every team except for one made at least one deal (more on them below), and the Juan Soto trade rumors came to stunning fruition.
Now that the dust has settled, which teams won the trade deadline and which teams should have done more?
After tracking all of the major moves at the deadline below, let’s recap a wild couple of days with our MLB Trade Deadline winners and losers.
MLB odds are current as of Wednesday, Aug. 3, at 12 p.m. ET from Caesars Sportsbook.
MLB Trade Deadline Winners
San Diego Padres
Any time you acquire a young generational superstar with multiple years of team control remaining, you deserve a pat on the back. A.J. Preller is known for making splashy trades, so it’s not surprising that he was the one who reeled in the big fish.
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In addition to winning the Juan Soto sweepstakes, the Padres landed an All-Star caliber first baseman from the Washington Nationals as well in Josh Bell. They also strengthened their bullpen by trading for arguably the best closer in baseball in Josh Hader.
While San Diego had to sacrifice premium young talent to complete these moves, the return significantly bulks up their offense as well as their postseason chances this season. The Padres are unlikely to make up the 11.5-game deficit in the NL West, but they now seem assured of a Wild Card spot and have a deeper lineup to propel them through October, especially once Fernando Tatis Jr. returns from the IL.
Whereas San Diego merely looked like a playoff team a few days ago, they now have the appearance of legitimate championship contenders, which is reflected in our updated World Series odds. Back the Padres to win it all as our MLB bet of the day.
Philadelphia Phillies
True to form, Dave Dombrowski added more talent to his team in an effort to win now.
With the Phillies fighting for a playoff spot, Dombrowski reinforced the pitching staff by adding Noah Syndergaard to the starting rotation and David Robertson to the bullpen. Syndergaard gives Philadelphia another quality starter beyond Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, while Robertson adds to a proven closer to a relief corps that has looked shaky at times this season.
With the Phillies currently tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the last Wild Card spot, these additions give the former a much better chance of making the playoffs. They already have more than enough hitting and have a fairly easy schedule remaining, so improved pitching should help carry them through the stretch drive and reach the postseason for the first time since 2011.
Juan Soto
Soto was a loser in our 2021 MLB Trade Deadline Recap as the Nationals traded all of their stars except for him. This year, he comes out as a winner after getting dealt to the Padres.
Last year’s NL MVP runner-up goes from one of the worst teams in baseball that is still several years away from contending to one of the better clubs in the National League. After missing the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, Soto joins a franchise that is built to win a title right now.
If Soto has a big second half like last year and provides a boost to San Diego in the standings, he could end up winning his first career MVP award.
Catch up with more of our MLB Trade Deadline content
MLB Trade Deadline Losers
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox confused everyone during the trade deadline by attempting to be both buyers and sellers, which maybe isn’t the best strategy when you’re still in the mix for a playoff spot.
Boston seemingly started as sellers by trading starting catcher Christian Vasquez to the Houston Astros for two prospects on Monday, only to immediately pivot and acquire Tommy Pham, Eric Hosmer, and Reese McGuire over the following 24 hours.
It was more curious roster-building from the Red Sox, who did nothing to address their pitching staff and actively disrupted their clubhouse by trading away a veteran team leader in Vazquez. They also opted to keep pending free agents Nathan Eovaldi, J.D. Martinez, and Xander Bogaerts rather than trading them for controllable assets.
The AL East is an extremely competitive division with all five teams sporting winning records at the moment, so toeing the line is a surefire path to failure. Boston did not do enough to improve in the short run or long run and will likely miss the postseason as a result.
Chicago White Sox & Cleveland Guardians
In a division where just two games separate the top three teams, the Minnesota Twins made aggressive moves to improve their pitching staff by acquiring starting pitcher Tyler Mahle, closer Jorge Lopez, and reliever Michael Fulmer.
By comparison, the White Sox and Guardians did essentially nothing. Chicago’s biggest move was getting a middling bullpen arm (Jake Diekman) in a salary dump trade from Boston, while Cleveland held onto its prospects rather than meaningfully upgrade the MLB roster.
In such a tight divisional race, one player could make all the difference. Instead, the Twins’ competitors basically conceded them the AL Central.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles have been one of the most intriguing teams in baseball over the last two months, crawling from the basement of the AL East to over .500 and within shouting distance of a Wild Card spot.
Unfortunately, Baltimore decided to wave the white flag by trading away fan favorite Trey Mancini to the Astros as well as closer Jorge Lopez to the Twins.
It might be unfair to be overly critical of the Orioles, who were not expected to contend this year and still have some building to do to become a true competitor in a loaded division. Even if they do somehow claw their way into the postseason, they’re unlikely to advance very far.
After years of mediocrity, however, it was disappointing to see Baltimore dampen its chances of making the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Colorado Rockies
Remember how we said at the top that 29 teams made at least one deal before the trade deadline? The Rockies were the only team that stood still, guaranteeing continued mediocrity.
For the second year in a row, Colorado failed to move any of its major trade chips at the deadline despite being out of contention. Their “big" move (if you could call it that), was extending closer Daniel Bard rather than dealing him, despite the fact that he’s already 37 and has an extremely checkered track record.
The Rockies’ puzzling inactivity shouldn’t come as a surprise, however, as their front office has lacked a clear direction for years. There’s a reason they’re in last place.
