With the MLB trade deadline officially history, these five moves stand above the rest as the best moves of the MLB deadline.
The Royals acquisition of Michael Lorenzen made perfect sense for the ballclub. Lorenzen is a great back-end starting pitcher who has also shown he can pitch in relief when called upon. Although Lorenzen has a losing record this season, the 32-year-old right-handed pitcher has a 3.81 ERA. Lorenzen will most likely find a role with the Royals at the back end of their starting rotation for the rest of the regular season. When starting pitching rotations shrink during playoff baseball, Lorezen might be the last pitcher in the starting rotation or moved to the bullpen as a long reliever. It is a massive success for the Royal to pick up a reliable pitcher at the deadline who can help them in post-season baseball.
Although I have this trade ranked at number four, this trade has the highest upside out of any move made at the deadline. Randy Arozarena has been dreadful this season, batting .211 for the Rays. However, the 2023 all-star can hit the ball hard and far. From 2021 to 2023, Arozarena had a batting average over .250 and 20 or more home runs each season. The Mariners have led the AL West all season up until now, with the Astros recently surpassing them. The Seattle ballclub has the best ERA in baseball and the second-worst team batting average. The Mariners needed to go out and get hitters, and Arozarena was a great bat to get. If Arozarena can return to his typical form, this trade could lead to an AL West title and a deep playoff run.
Braves fans must be thrilled to see their 2021 World Series MVP return to Atlanta. Soler is a very streaky power hitter. However, at 32-years-old he has not lost the pop in his bat. Last season, Soler was an all-star for the Marlins and hit 36 home runs. The Braves are going to make the playoffs and have a loaded roster; adding a player like Soler, who can platoon in the outfield and at designated hitter and is a proven postseason player, was a brilliant move by Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos.
The Orioles acquisition of Eloy Jiménez is the second-best trade at the deadline and easily the most underrated one. First, Jiménez is a great hitter who has not gotten the recognition he deserves because he has played for the dreadful White Sox his whole career. At 27 years old, Jimenez will enter the Orioles roster as a premiere hitter but, more importantly, a veteran leader. Baltimore has one of the youngest cores in baseball, led by superstars Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutchman. Bringing in a veteran who understands the ups and downs of baseball will be extremely beneficial come playoff time. The Orioles had a disappointing 2023 postseason, and I believe Eloy Jiménez is a terrific addition to help avoid another early postseason exit.
Well, the Yankees have done it again. They seem to be the most talked about team in free agency and at the deadline every year. But, no move deserves the number one spot more than the Yankees acquisition of Jazz Chisholm Jr.. The 26-year-old is young and talented; he can hit for power and steal bases, but most importantly, he plays almost every position on the baseball field. That is precisely why this move was so smart for the Yankees. Naturally, Chisholm is a center fielder, but he can play anywhere in the outfield and the whole infield other than first base. This allows the Yankees to rest players and switch out slumping players with Chisholm. He has already played games at third base for the Yankees, but don’t be surprised if he gets a chance at left field and second base. The Yankees won the deadline, and their roster is perfectly situated to make a run for the World Series title.
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Photo Credit: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees celebrates a solo home run in the top of the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
