The 2021 MLB Trade Deadline has passed and a number of big deals were made Friday as teams jockey for playoff positions.
The Toronto Blue Jays and their AL East rivals were all busy shoppers, while an arms race was underway in the NL West.
Catch up on all the moves from across MLB with Sportsnet’s 2021 trade deadline tracker:
Los Angeles Dodgers receive: RHP Max Scherzer, SS Trea Turner
Washington Nationals receive: C Keibert Ruiz, RHP Josiah Gray, RHP Gerardo Carrillo and OF Donovan Casey
The Los Angeles Dodgers edged out their division rivals San Diego Padres in the Scherzer sweepstakes and pulled off the blockbuster at the deadline adding all-star Turner in the mix as well. The Dodgers are 2 1/2 games ahead of the Padres in the wild card spot and three games behind the San Francisco Giants for first in the division.
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, is 8-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts this season.
San Francisco Giants receive: 3B/OF Kris Bryant
Chicago Cubs receive: OF Alexander Canario, RHP Caleb Kilian
The teardown for the North Siders continues as the Cubs traded former MVP Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants with a pair of prospects heading the other way.
Toronto Blue Jays receive: RHP Joakim Soria
Arizona Diamondbacks receive: Player to be named later
Soria has a 1-4 record on the year with a 4.30 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 29.1 innings pitched.
Atlanta Braves receive: RHP Richard Rodriguez
Pittsburgh Pirates receive: RHP Bryse Wilson, RHP Ricky Devito
Closer Richard Rodriguez has played in 37 games this season, posting a 2.82 ERA with 14 saves, while striking out 33 batters.
San Diego Padres receive: CF Jake Marisnick
Chicago Cubs receive: RHP Anderson Espinoza
Marisnick, 30, will likely serve in a bench role for the World Series-contending Padres with five home runs and 22 RBIs this season.
New York Mets receive: SS Javier Baez, RHP Trevor Williams
Chicago Cubs receive: OF Pete Crow-Armstrong
The 28-year-old Baez has hit 22 home runs and 65 RBIs this year. Baez, who helped the Cubs end their World Series drought in 2016, can also slide in at second or third base as shortstop Francisco Lindor is expected to return from injury in a few weeks.
St. Louis Cardinals receive: LHP Jon Lester
Washington Nationals receive: OF Lane Thomas
The house cleaning continued for the Nationals sending veteran starter Jon Lester to the Cardinals.
Lester, a five-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion, has a 3-5 record in 16 starts this season with a 5.02 ERA and 51 strikeouts.
St. Louis Cardinals receive: LHP J.A. Happ, cash
Minnesota Twins receive: RHP John Gant, LHP Evan Sisk
Oakland Athletics receive: C Yan Gomes, IF Josh Harrison, cash
Washington Nationals receive: C Drew Millas, RHP Richard Guasch, RHP Seth Shuman
Gomes has nine homers and 35 RBIs this season with a .271/.323/.454 slash line in 218 plate appearances. Gomes, 34, made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays in 2012.
The two-time All-Star Harrison, 34, is hitting .294 with six homers and 28 RBIs.
Philadelphia Phillies receive: RHP Kyle Gibson, RHP Ian Kennedy, RHP Hans Crouse, cash
Texas Rangers receive: RHP Spencer Howard, RHP Kevin Gowdy, RHP Josh Gessne
Philadelphia grabbed a pair of pitchers in their arms race for the NL East with the Phillies sitting second and 3 1/2 games back of the New York Mets.
Gibson, 33, joins the rotation with a 2.87 ERA with 94 strikeouts in 19 starts while reliever Kennedy, 36, holds a 2.51 ERA with 35 strikeouts and 16 saves this season.
New York Yankees receive: LHP Andrew Heaney, cash
Los Angeles Angels receive: RHP Janson Junk, RHP Elvis Peguero
The Yankees added another arm to their rotation. Heaney, 30, holds a 6-7 record this season with a 5.27 ERA in 18 starts for the Angels.
Atlanta Braves receive: OF Jorge Soler
Kansas City Royals receive: RHP Kasey Kalich
Soler batted .192 with 13 home runs in 308 at-bats with Kansas City.
Chicago White Sox receive: RHP Craig Kimbrel
Chicago Cubs receive: 2B Nick Madrigal, RHP Codi Heuer
The White Sox made a big splash in the pitching market, acquiring Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel one day after adding Ryan Tepera from their cross-town neighbours. Alongside Liam Hendriks, the White Sox now have one of the most talented bullpens in baseball.
Kimbrel, 33, is under club control through 2022. After two seasons below his normal standards, Kimbrel has bounced back in a big way this season with a 0.49 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 23 saves in 39 games for the Cubs.
Madrigal, 24, is out for the season with an injury but was the White Sox’s everyday second baseman before the injury. He was one of the hottest hitters in baseball before his injury, hitting .305/.349/.425 with 10 doubles and two home runs in 54 games.
Milwaukee Brewers receive: LHP Daniel Norris
Detroit Tigers receive: RHP Reese Olson
The Milwaukee Brewers hold a seven-game lead atop of the NL Central and added some depth to their bullpen by acquiring Daniel Norris.
Although he’s sporting a 1-3 record with a 5.89 ERA in 38 games this season, the 28-year-old Norris hasn’t given up a run or even a hit in his past five relief appearances. Norris was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011 and sent to the Tigers in the David Price trade in 2015.
Minor-leaguer Olson, 22, holds a 5-4 record with a 4.30 ERA in 14 starts this year with Milwaukee’s Class A affiliate.
Milwaukee Brewers receive: RHP John Curtiss
Miami Marlins receive: C Payton Henry
The Brewers added some extra insurance to their bullpen acquiring Curtiss, who holds a 3-1 record with a 2.48 ERA in 35 games this season.
Philadelphia Phillies receive: SS Freddy Galvis
Baltimore Orioles receive: RHP Tyler Burch
The 31-year-old Galvis is heading back to the city of brotherly love where he made his big league debut in 2012 and spent the first six seasons of his career. Galvis, who signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract at the start of the year, is batting .249 with nine homers and 26 RBIs although he’s currently on the injured list with a right quadriceps strain.
Boston Red Sox receive: RHP Hansel Robles
Minnesota Twins receive: RHP Alex Scherff
Boston Red Sox receive: LHP Austin Davis
Pittsburgh Pirates receive: IF/OF Michael Chavis
San Francisco Giants receive: LHP Tony Watson
Los Angeles Angels receive: LHP Sam Selman, RHP Ivan Armstrong, RHP Jose Marte
Atlanta Braves receive: OF Adam Duvall
Miami Marlins receive: C Alex Jackson
Minutes after trading for Rosario, the Braves re-acquired Adam Duvall from the Marlins. Duvall was acquired by Atlanta at the 2018 trade deadline and spent parts of three seasons with the Braves.
He hit .229/.277/.478 with 22 home runs in 90 games with Miami this season.
Atlanta Braves receive: OF Eddie Rosario
Cleveland receive: IF Pablo Sandoval
The Atlanta Braves boosted their outfield depth by acquiring Rosario, a speedy left fielder. In exchange, the veteran first baseman Pablo Sandoval will go to Cleveland.
Rosario, 29, is hitting .254/.296/.389 with 15 doubles and seven home runs this season, but has been out with an injury since July 6. This was his first season in Cleveland after starting his career with six years in Minnesota.
Toronto Blue Jays receive: RHP Jose Berrios
Minnesota Twins receive: SS/OF Austin Martin, RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson
In Berrios, the Blue Jays acquired one of the most sought-after names on the trade market — and paid a high prospect price to do so.
Berrios, who is under contract through the 2022 season, has a 3.48 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 121.2 innings.
Both Martin and Woods-Richardson are top-100 prospects and were in the top 10 of Blue Jays’ prospects.
Tampa Bay Rays receive: RHP Shawn Armstrong
Baltimore Orioles receive: Cash
Los Angeles Dodgers receive: LHP Danny Duffy
Kanas City Royals receive: Player to be named later
Duffy will provide some depth starts for the defending World Series champions. The 32-year-old has a 2.51 ERA in 32 starts with the Royals this season, but is currently out of the lineup with a left flexor strain.
San Diego Padres receive: RHP Daniel Hudson
Washington Nationals receive: RHP Mason Thompson, SS Jordy Barley
Hours after moving closer Brad Hand, the Nationals sold off another key bullpen piece in Daniel Hudson. After bouncing around the majors, Hudson found a home with the Nationals with the highlight of his career when he closed out Game 7 of the World Series in 2019.
Hudson, 34, has a 2.20 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 31 appearances with the Nationals this season.
Boston Red Sox receive: OF Kyle Schwarber
Washington Nationals receive: RHP Aldo Ramirez
After watching their Yankees rivals add Gallo and Rizzo, the Red Sox went out and got their own left-handed slugger in outfielder Kyle Schwarber. The all-star Schwarber was one of the hottest hitters in baseball earlier this season but has been on the injured list since early July with a strained hamstring.
Schwarber, 28, has 25 home runs and 53 RBIs in 72 games this season.
New York Yankees receive: 1B Anthony Rizzo
Chicago Cubs receive: RHP Alexander Vizcaino, OF Kevin Alcantara
Following the move to add Gallo, the Yankees added another left-handed slugger in Cubs icon Anthony Rizzo. While Rizzo isn’t at the same level he was when the Cubs won the 2016 World Series, he was one of the top hitters available on the trade market.
Rizzo is batting .248 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs.
Toronto Blue Jays receive: LHP Brad Hand
Washington Nationals receive: C Riley Adams
The Blue Jays have been aggressively searching for bullpen help all season and Brad Hand, the Nationals’ closer, is the latest addition on that front.
In 42.2 innings for Washington, Hand has a 3.59 ERA with 42 strikeouts compared to 18 walks and just 31 hits allowed.
Chicago White Sox receive: RHP Ryan Tepera
Chicago Cubs receive: LHP Bailey Horn
The Cubs and White Sox pulled off a rare inter-city trade, giving the White Sox one of the top relief players on the market. Tepera, 33, is 0-2 with a 2.91 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings this season.
“It’s kind of a unique thing for a trade to happen between crosstown rivals. I’m excited,” Tepera said. “Obviously going to a first-place team, playoff contention, I’m looking forward to it.”
Chicago White Sox receive: 2B Cesar Hernandez
Cleveland receive: LHP Konnor Pilkington
Cleveland conceded the AL Central race by trading slugging second baseman Cesar Hernandez to the Chicago White Sox. Hernandez has 18 home runs this season and will help the White Sox in a position of weakness after some earlier injuries. The White Sox have had an eight-game lead in the division on second-place Cleveland entering play Friday.
“We made the trade that we felt made the most sense for us and this is the direction we went,” Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. “Just as we tried to be realistic in assessing where we are, we’re going to continue to do our best to win as many games as possible.
“But the reality is the White Sox are a number of games in front of us and we’re intent on improving. If they didn’t acquire Cesar, we were pretty confident they were going to acquire another talented player from another team.”
New York Yankees receive: OF Joey Gallo and LHP Joely Rodriguez
Texas Rangers receive: RHP Glenn Otto, 2B/SS Ezequiel Duran, 2B/LF Trevor Hauver, 2B Josh Smith
The Yankees added left-handed all-star slugger Joey Gallo in a trade with the Rangers. The move helps the Yankees balance their right-handed dominant lineup and gives them outfield depth to make up for a number of injuries.
“Sign me up for the guy that’s on base almost 40 per cent of the time and has power and provides the kind of potential balance for our lineup,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday. “And on top of it, he’s a two-way player. This is a guy that really defends, can run and do all those things. It’s hard to argue that we’re not a lot better team adding Joey Gallo to us.”
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