MLB Barometer: Trade Deadline Review

With the non-waiver trade deadline passing Tuesday afternoon, I wanted to take a small step away from the usual format and look at the fallout from each major trade made over the past two weeks.

Playing-time shifts and completely new opportunities are opened up with the flurry of moves this time of year, and navigating those changes for the final third of the season can make a big difference in the standings down the stretch.

A small handful of trades involving bullpen depth pieces, and trades that only involved minor leaguers going both ways were ignored in this piece.

7/18: Orioles traded SS Manny Machado to Dodgers for 2B Breyvic Valera, RF Yusniel Diaz, RHP Zach Pop, RHP Dean Kremer and 3B Rylan Bannon.

Justin Turner has played just one game since the Dodgers acquired Machado during the All-Star break, which has lessened the crowding on the depth chart over the past two weeks. Once Turner is healthy, Machado will move back to shortstop, Chris Taylor will likely move to second base, and Max Muncy will settle in at first, though the defensive flexibility of this group allows for everyone to get an occasional day off while still making the pieces fit. Alex Verdugo and Kike Hernandez stand to lose time in the outfield when Cody Bellinger shifts back into center field regularly, though Hernandez will continue to find starts all over the diamond against left-handed starters.

Without Machado, the O's have been playing Tim Beckham as their primary shortstop, though he was already playing frequently as the team's regular third baseman before the deal. Danny Valencia, Renato Nunez and Jace Peterson have picked up the slack at the hot corner, but the lack of a regular right fielder has allowed the O's to roll out two of those three players regularly over the last two weeks. Nunez is the most interesting player of the bunch, having posted a 32-homer season at Triple-A Nashville in 2017 and being just 24 years old, but there is enough swing-and-miss in his game to consider him a batting average liability if he's getting chances to play regularly over the final two months.

7/19: Padres traded LHP Brad Hand and RHP Adam Cimber to Indians for C Francisco Mejia.

Prior to the trade, the Indians had a bottom-three bullpen, which would be a huge issue in October even if they could have coasted to an AL Central crown without the upgrades. Hand's arrival puts Cody Allen on notice as the team's preferred option for saves. We saw a matchup last Wednesday in which Hand was used to record the final four outs against the Pirates to record his first save since the trade. Allen had thrown 12 pitches in a full inning on the previous day, but presumably was available if needed.

Two days later (Friday), Allen was brought in to face Jeimer Candelario to finish the seventh inning, as he induced a double play to close out the frame before returning to record two outs in the eighth (Nick Castellanos and Niko Goodrum), before exiting after issuing a walk to Victor Martinez. At the very least, manager Terry Francona has another late-inning weapon at his disposal, and the lion's share of the saves may not be going to Allen anymore. For now, Allen is a hold in most mixed leagues, but we should have a better sense for how much his value has fallen after another week or two of seeing how much Francona intends to play the matchups.

Mejia's move to San Diego was quickly followed by a report that the Padres want to continue developing him as a catcher. His value in keeper and dynasty leagues ticks up for now, but it's easy to wonder if he'll ever carve out more than a 50-50 split with defensive wizard Austin Hedges already in tow. Once Mejia arrives, Hedges' value takes a hit with the lost playing time.

7/21: Mets traded RHP Jeurys Familia to Athletics for RHP Bobby Wahl, 3B Will Toffey and future considerations.

The A's are one of a few potential playoff teams with suspect starting pitching, but a nasty bullpen capable of getting 9-12 outs if the starters find a way to get through the order twice.

Blake Treinen has been elite this season, and the A's used him to close out games on three straight days last week, setting up a clear hierarchy in the Oakland pen that leaves Familia in a clear-cut setup role the rest of the way, though he's pitching well enough to be a non-closer staff filler in mid-sized mixed leagues and deeper.

7/22: Nationals traded LF Brian Goodwin to Royals for RHP Jacob Condra-Bogan.

In case you missed last week's Barometer, he is my take on Goodwin with the move to the Royals:

Goodwin is on the list of players that may have inadvertently blocked Juan Soto from a first-half callup from the Nats if he had been healthy when Howie Kendrick and Victor Robles went down earlier this season, while Adam Eaton was already on the shelf. With Soto's outstanding production and Eaton's return to health, Goodwin went back to spare-part status on the depth chart in D.C., which prompted the Nats to flip him to Kansas City on Sunday as part of a minor trade. He's always been an afterthought in the long-term play for the Nats, despite being a supplemental first-round pick back in 2011. An above-average runner, Goodwin also has a nice amount of a pop (16 homers in 401 career MLB plate appearances), and as a left-handed hitter, he has a chance to play on the large side of a platoon for a rebuilding Kansas City club. He's toolsy enough to speculate on in 15-team mixed leagues on the cheap, and it's worth keeping an eye on his role and lineup placement for manager Ned Yost in the coming days to see if he might actually provide some value in more shallow formats down the stretch, especially if he's given constant green lights on the basepaths (9-for-10 in 144 career games with Washington).

The Royals have been using Rosell Herrera as their No. 2 hitter since Goodwin was acquired, so there is a very easy path to a more prominent spot in the Kansas City lineup if Goodwin hits the ground running with his new club.

Condra-Bogan did not sign after being drafted in the 32nd-round by the Blue Jays in 2017, but he can touch 99 mph with his fastball. He's starting his time in the Nats' organization at High-A Potomac, and is a long-term bullpen dart. Maria Torres of The Kansas City Star wrote up a piece about Condra-Bogan back in June.

7/24: Orioles traded LHP Zach Britton to Yankees for RHP Cody Carroll, RHP Dillon Tate and LHP Josh Rogers.

Britton was a virtual lock to be traded at the deadline as long as he was healthy, and it was reasonable to think that he wasn't going to get saves with his new club. If he's back to his pre-injury form, he's one more nasty link in a deep Yankees bullpen. As a pending free agent, it will be interesting to see how well he pitches over the final two-plus months in the hopes of landing a ninth-inning gig elsewhere this winter.

Tate is the headliner from the return, the Orioles can continue to develop him as a starter, with the hope that he can be a mid-rotation arm capable of racking up strikeouts. Although he's 24 now, Tate's body of work at Double-A this season includes a 79:26 K:BB in 88 innings, resulting in a 3.58 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 88 innings, and his progress in 2018 should be considered a success.

Rogers looks like a No. 5 starter at best, but depth arms have real-life value even in the absence of fantasy intrigue.

Carroll is one of the sneaky winners at this trade deadline, as he's a very interesting minor-league reliever who never would have been close to getting a look in the ninth inning for the Yankees. He's not worth scooping up in re-draft leagues at the moment, but keep an eye on how things break with the occasional save chances in Baltimore in the weeks ahead. Carroll can touch triple digits with his fastball, and he also has a good enough breaking ball to make him a credible late-inning consideration for his new club.

7/25: Rays traded RHP Nathan Eovaldi to Red Sox for LHP Jalen Beeks.

Eovaldi gets a bump in team context, mostly with run support no longer being an issue for his starts and a strong bullpen protecting his leads, but he also lands in a more difficult home park. Fenway boosts run production (114 three-year park index for runs), while Tropicana Field does the opposite (92), while the Trop also boosts up strikeouts (110) more than any park in the league (Fenway is nearly league average, 99). In any case, he's a slight riser with the move to a contender.

Beeks has piled up impressive numbers in the upper levels of the minors, but as an undersized lefty without overpowering stuff, there are questions about his viability long term as a starter. He might be an ideal candidate to fit the Rays' mold of using a pitcher unable to get hitters out three times through the order as a long reliever behind an opener. His chances of getting a traditional starting job in Boston appeared to be pretty low anyway, so the move to the Rays is a long-term positive.

7/25: Rays traded RHP Matt Andriese to Diamondbacks for C Michael Perez and RHP Brian Shaffer.

Since the Rays flipped Wilson Ramos to the Phillies nearly a week later, Perez might end up on the large side of a platoon down the stretch. His defensive work is better than his bat, which is great of his playing time volume, but not necessarily enough to propel him to more than AL-only leagues, and deep two-catcher mixers for now.

7/26: Angels traded C Martin Maldonado to Astros for LHP Patrick Sandoval and future considerations.

The Astros' addition of Maldonado put a damper on the value of Max Stassi, whose fantasy value now shifts back to where it was when Brian McCann was healthy.

After discussing this minor deal with lead prospect analyst James Anderson on the final episode of 'Farm Friday' last week, I'm keeping a close eye on Sandoval for keeper and dynasty league purposes. One thing to keep in mind when clubs with strong farm systems deal from their depth is that the pieces they're willing to part with might be much better than their organizational rank might suggest.

7/26: Blue Jays traded J.A. Happ to Yankees for LF Billy McKinney and 3B Brandon Drury.

Happ gets a bump up in value similar to Nathan Eovaldi's shift to Boston. While he lands in a more difficult home park, the negatives there are more than offset by increased run support and an excellent bullpen protecting his leads.

Drury lands in another odd situation, where he doesn't necessarily have a long-term position to call his own in Toronto. My Short Hops co-host, former professional scout Bernie Pleskoff, saw a lot of Drury during his time the D-backs, and Bernie remains convinced that Drury's best defensive position is third base. With the 2019 arrival of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Jays might want to get a look at Drury in other spots including second base and the corner-outfield spots. He was buried in New York with Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres locking down the two infield spots he's able to play for the foreseeable future.

McKinney is headed to his fourth organization as a professional after being selected in the first round by the A's in 2013. After reaching Triple-A for the first time in 2017, McKinney posted a 140 wRC+ at the level, but he's taken a small step back in the power department this season, dropping to a 120 mark before the trade to the Jays. Most likely, he's a big-side platoon bat for the Jays in 2019, and for a few years beyond.

7/26: White Sox traded RHP Joakim Soria and cash to Brewers for LHP Kodi Medeiros and RHP Wilber Perez.

I left many of the bullpen depth trades out of this piece due to time constraints and limited interest, but Soria could find his way into the ninth inning for the Brewers if Corey Knebel has any prolonged hiccups in the final two months. Entering play Wednesday, Knebel has allowed an earned run in four of his last eight appearances, adding nearly a full run to his season ERA during that span.

7/27: Mets traded 2B Asdrubal Cabrera to Phillies for RHP Franklyn Kilome.

Cabrera has started all four games since he's been acquired by the Phillies, and once their Interleague series in Boston ends, his playing time will likely send Scott Kingery to the bench. As a rental, Cabrera won't present any issues for 2019 as far as Kingery is concerned, but he should provide a boost to the Phillies' offense down the stretch, while getting a bump up in park factors at home with the move to Philly.

With Cabrera out of the fold at second base for the Mets, Jeff McNeil should get regular run over the final two months to show that he's a legitimate late bloomer capable of holding down the spot next season. McNeil hit his first big-league homer Tuesday night, and his age-to-level numbers should be considered in the context that he picked up baseball very late in high school and has lost a lot of development time to injuries during his time in the minors. He's interesting enough with the regular role to make him a speculative add in 15-team mixers and deeper.

Kilome has the big frame (6-foot-6) teams covet in an innings-eating starting pitcher, but he might end up in a relief roll in the long run. Prior to the trade, he posted an 83:51 K:BB (4.24 ERA) over 102 innings at Double-A Reading.

7/27: Royals traded 3B Mike Moustakas to Brewers for CF Brett Phillips and RHP Jorge Lopez.

At a glance, the Brewers did not need a third baseman. Adding Moustakas put Twitter into a tizzy late Friday night, as visions of Travis Shaw playing second base were apparently making it difficult for Brewers fans to sleep. As we later learned, there was more to come, further crowding the infield -- or, in positive language -- adding the depth necessary for the Brewers to be a dangerous team in the postseason.

Moustakas gets a massive lift in supporting cast and home park factors, going from a park that suppresses left-handed homers a lot (three-year park index of 85), to Miller Park, which boosts lefty homers a big way (131). Looks for Moose to play nearly every day as the Brewers' primary third baseman, but their improved depth and defensive versatility will afford him the occasional day off.

Phillips was stuck as a long-term fourth outfielder in Milwaukee, and even that might have been a stretch. He's a very good defender, with a huge arm, and while he also offers an interesting blend of power and speed, it's fair to question whether the hit tool will ever be enough for him to hold a prominent place in the batting order on contending clubs. Even with those concerns, he's firmly on the radar in 15-team mixed leagues since the Royals have little to push him for playing time.

Lopez graced a few top-100 prospects lists a couple years back, and this season, he was part of the Brewers' reliever exchange between Milwaukee and Colorado Springs. Like Phillips, his role ceiling improves in Kansas City, and he should have every opportunity to stick either as a back-end starter, or as a high-leverage reliever for the rebuilding Royals next spring. Long term, however, he'll need to improve his command in either role to be successful.

7/27: Rangers traded LHP Cole Hamels and cash to Cubs for Eddie Butler, RHP Rollie Lacy and player to be named later.

The Cubs needed a starter to get Tyler Chatwood out of their rotation down the stretch, and Hamels is at least an upgrade in that regard. After the strikeouts disappeared in 2017, they've returned, albeit with significantly worse results overall, with career-worst ERA (4.72) and WHIP (1.37) marks thus far. Still, I'm not convinced that he's going to be the most effective starter traded from the AL to the NL over the final two months, even though his ratios should improve with the league change and shift into a more pitcher-friendly home environment at Wrigley Field.

7/27: Twins traded SS Eduardo Escobar to Diamondbacks for RF Ernie De La Trinidad, RF Gabriel Maciel and RHP Jhoan Duran.

With Jake Lamb hurt, Escobar provides a boost to the Arizona offense. If/when Lamb is healthy again, Escobar can play both middle-infield spots, and it's fair to expect that he'll be a near everyday contributor the rest of the way while Nick Ahmed, Daniel Descalso and Ketel Marte continue to battle for at-bats.

The trade of Escobar opened up third base for the return of Miguel Sano, after a month-and-a-half long stint in Fort Myers. In mixed leagues where he may have been dropped, Sano is worth adding, as his power could still make him an impact fantasy contributor down the stretch.

7/30: Twins traded RHP Lance Lynn and cash to Yankees for 1B Tyler Austin and RHP Luis Rijo.

Lynn gives the Yankees a multi-inning relief option, or an insurance policy for Sonny Gray, who turned in another poor start at home against the Orioles on Wednesday afternoon. At times, Lynn appeared to be on the brink of taking a step forward with the Twins, but control issues continue to limit his effectiveness, even though he's missing plenty of bats (55 strikeouts in his last 58.2 innings).

With Lynn's departure, Adalberto Mejia moves into the rotation after a successful run at Triple-A Rochester (3.32 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 61:20 K:BB, 62 innings). Mejia could be a useful deep league add if the Twins are content to let him take the ball every fifth day as a starter for the final two months.

Austin eventually fits on the small side of a platoon at first base or DH, but it seems like a long shot that he'll get a chance to play more than a part-time role.

7/30: Blue Jays traded RHP Roberto Osuna to Astros for RHP David Paulino, RHP Hector Perez and RHP Ken Giles.

Giles gets a fresh start in Toronto, after cursing at Astros manager A.J. Hinch upon his removal from a game a few weeks back. It doesn't seem like a stretch to expect him to get another chance as a closer in Toronto.

Osuna heads to Houston, while he serves out the final games of his 75-game suspension following charges of assaulting a woman in Canada in May. The Astros have not revealed a specific plan for how they intend to use Osuna in their bullpen. Osuna is eligible to return from his suspension Sunday, and his next court date is scheduled for September 5, as resolution in his case continues to get pushed back.

Hector Rondon will close out games for the time being for the Astros.

7/31: Twins traded 2B Brian Dozier to Dodgers for 2B Logan Forsythe, OF Luke Raley and LHP Devin Smeltzer.

The addition of Dozier to the Dodgers' lineup creates an infield logjam similar to what the Brewers have created, once Justin Turner is healthy. Turner, Manny Machado, Dozier, and Max Muncy could be the primary starters in the infield, with Cody Bellinger manning center field, Joc Pederson platooning with Matt Kemp in left, and Yasiel Puig in right. In that scenario, Chris Taylor would be a super utility player, and Chase Utley would be limited to very rare starts off the bench.

Forsythe steps in for Dozier in Minnesota, and Ehrie Adrianza could end up with more playing time in the final two months as well. Nick Gordon has a .556 OPS since getting promoted to Triple-A, so it seems unlikely that he'll debut before 2019.

7/31: Orioles traded 2B Jonathan Schoop to Brewers for 2B Jonathan Villar, RHP Luis Ortiz and SS Jean Carmona.

There are several ways the Brewers' playing time situation could play out. Schoop may see regular duty at shortstop if the Brewers are convinced that Orlando Arcia is too much of a negative offensively to keep his glove in the lineup. Schoop could be the regular second baseman, leaving Travis Shaw to bounce between three spots (third base, first base and second base against righties) when Moustakas, Arcia (sliding Schoop to short), Schoop, or Jesus Aguilar needs a day off. Unless Arcia gets optioned back to Triple-A, or Schoop simply takes over the starting job at shortstop, it looks like a scenario that could result in all of the regulars losing a small amount of playing time as manager Craig Counsell mixes and matches every day. For what it's worth, Hernan Perez is starting at shortstop while Arcia sits against lefty Rich Hill (Travis Shaw and Eric Thames are also on the bench).

Ryan Braun will probably play less than a lot of people expect him to, with Eric Thames continuing to see more time in the outfield.

Villar is one of the biggest winners of the trade deadline, going from part-time second baseman for the Brewers, to everyday player for the rebuilding Orioles. Compared to his league-winning 2016 campaign, Villar continues to strike out at an elevated clip (28.7% K% in 2018), while walking at a significantly reduced rate (6.8% BB%), while his groundball rate has soared to a full-season worst 63.0%. His power numbers shouldn't suffer much moving into Camden Yards for half of his games, and it's reasonable to think that Baltimore will give him perpetual green lights on the basepaths as they look for ways to create runs in the final two months. Even with his plate discipline woes, Villar still might be a 10-12 homer bat with 25-30 steals if he were getting everyday time for the O's in 2019.

7/31: Rays traded RHP Chris Archer to Pirates for RHP Tyler Glasnow, CF Austin Meadows and player to be named later.

Archer leaves the home park that increases strikeouts for pitchers (three-year index: 110) more than any in the game, and lands in one that is below average in that regard (94) with the shift to PNC. He'll reap the benefits of getting out of the AL East, however, giving him a great chance to improve the ratios that have disappointed many fantasy owners over the last two-and-a-half seasons. It will be interesting to see if the Pirates push Archer to throw more changeups, as he's worked mostly with a fastball-slider combo throughout the last two seasons.

Glasnow slotted into the rotation for the Rays to start Wednesday night against the Angels. (He struck out five and walked one over three innings and allowed a solo homer to Kole Calhoun for his only run surrendered.) Control continues to be an issue for him, but the Rays have a 6-foot-8 pitching coach, Kyle Snyder, who might be ideally suited to work with the 6-8 Glasnow. With a high-90s fastball and a nasty breaking ball, Glasnow can overpower hitters. It's just a matter of being more consistent with his mechanics, and a new set of coaches might be the first step in the right direction.

Meadows was optioned to Triple-A by the Rays, but it may not be long before he joins Kevin Kiermaier and Tommy Pham in the Tampa Bay outfield -- a trio that will likely have those three spots on Opening Day in 2019. Once Meadows joins the Rays', he'll have a much clearer path to every day playing time than he had in Pittsburgh.

With Meadows out of the picture, Adam Frazier and Jordan Luplow are a platoon pairing the Bucs can use as their primary outfielders off the bench.

7/31: Marlins traded LF Cameron Maybin to Mariners for SS Bryson Brigman and future considerations.

At a minimum, Maybin will play against lefties for the Mariners, but if they make it to the playoffs, he could play against righties as well with Dee Gordon covering second base for Robinson Cano, who is ineligible to play this postseason due to his PED suspension. Maybin's wRC+ has hovered around 90 over the past two seasons, but he's still capable of chipping in with a useful number of stolen bases for AL-only leagues in a semi-regular role.

Magneuris Sierra gets a bump in playing time for the Marlins following Maybin's departure, but he underwhelmed at Triple-A and doesn't offer enough with the bat right now to be considered beyond NL-only leagues as a minimum bid roster filler.

7/31: Orioles traded RHP Kevin Gausman and RHP Darren O'Day to Braves for RHP Evan Phillips, 3B Jean Carlos Encarnacion, C Brett Cumberland, LHP Bruce Zimmermann and future considerations.

The only piece to focus on in the short term here is Gausman, though Phillips has the stuff to be a good late-inning reliever and the O's don't have an established closer.

Getting out of Baltimore (and the AL East) should help. SunTrust Park boosts left-handed homers, so he's not getting park-factor help in that regard, but it suppresses right-handed homers. It's reasonable to think that a new organization may be able to find a way to get more out of his talent on a regular basis than the Orioles did. Diminished velocity across the board this season may be the culprit in his reduced strikeout and whiff rates, however,

7/31: Rays traded C Wilson Ramos to Phillies for player to be named later.

Once healthy, Ramos should take the bulk of the starts behind the plate, breaking up the split previously held by Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp. The reduced playing time will likely make Alfaro an easy drop in mixed leagues upon Ramos' activation from the DL.

As noted previously, Michael Perez gets a boost in playing time for the final two months.

7/31: Tigers traded CF Leonys Martin and RHP Kyle Dowdy to Indians for SS Willi Castro.

Martin lands with a contender, whose home park spikes left-handed power (more than any environment he's called home as a big-leaguer, h/t Tristan Cockcroft of ESPN). He'll likely fall in the batting order, however, leveling off his run and RBI totals.

With Martin gone, the Tigers could lean on JaCoby Jones in center field, clearing the path in left for Christin Stewart once he's deemed MLB ready.

7/31: Cardinals traded CF Tommy Pham and future considerations to Rays for RF Justin Williams, LHP Genesis Cabrera and RHP Roel Ramirez.

Pham's relationship with the Cards' front office was apparently strained, and thanks to that and a quiet stretch at the plate for the last two months, the Rays may have landed a very good player at a very low price. While he's already 30 years old, Pham presents added long-term risk due to his degenerative eye condition (keratoconus), but he was a 6.1 fWAR player in 2017 and his late breakout may have been due in part to the Cards' unwillingness to give him a shot earlier in his career. Pham will play one of the corner spots in Tampa Bay, flanking Kevin Kiermaier.

Replacing Pham in St. Louis is a 50-50 split between Tyler O'Neill and Harrison Bader. Both young outfielders are right-handed hitters, so a simple platoon arrangement won't be utilized. O'Neill has swatted a ridiculous 26 homers in 260 plate appearances with Triple-A Memphis this season, and there's little left for him to prove at Triple-A anyway. The timeshare, at least for now, makes both players somewhat frustrating in mid-sized mixed leagues, but they're both positioned to play enough now to increase their value in deeper formats.

7/31: Rangers traded RHP Keone Kela to Pirates for Taylor Hearn and player to be named later.

Kela is under control through 2021, but he'll set up Felipe Vazquez in Pittsburgh.

Jose LeClerc is getting the first chance to replace Kela as the closer in Texas, and while he's improved his walk rate from a 7.9 BB/9 last season to 4.3 BB/9 in 2018, he's a lower-tier option for now until he secures his hold on the role.

7/31: Angels traded 2B Ian Kinsler and cash to Red Sox for RHP Ty Buttrey and LHP Williams Jerez.

Kinsler's move to Boston likely puts him in the bottom third of the batting order, and may be a sign that Dustin Pedroia isn't coming back from his knee injury in 2018. Once Rafael Devers is back from the DL, the addition of Kinsler likely reduces the role of Eduardo Nunez.

With Kinsler's departure in Anaheim, David Fletcher's path to regular playing time is cleared at second base for the final two months, while the Angels may decide to get another look at Kaleb Cowart at third base, though Cowart looks more like a future bench piece than a long-term starter.

7/31: Reds traded LF Adam Duvall to Braves for RHP Lucas Sims, RHP Matt Wisler and Preston Tucker.

The Braves get additional thump in the order and a good defender in left field with Duvall, and it's going to be interesting to see how much Ronald Acuna plays center field at the expense of Ender Inciarte with Duvall's arrival.

All three players that went to the Reds were optioned to Triple-A Louisville, but Tucker becomes an interesting deep league addition again if the Reds want to give him a look as a big-side platoon piece with Mason Williams or Phil Ervin in left. Billy Hamilton and Scott Schebler (once he's back from the DL) figure to serve as the regular options in center and right the rest of the way with Jesse Winker's season-ending shoulder surgery.

With the move to Cincinnati, Sims has a better chance of sticking as a starter in the rebuilding Reds' rotation than he did with the ascending Braves, but he'll need to cut back on the walks in order to become a viable contributor.