MLB 2023 Trade Deadline Grades
The 2023 trade deadline in MLB on August 1st at 6:00 PM marked a crucial period of its campaign. In some cases, such as the Mets and the White Sox, teams surrendered their chances at a 2023 postseason in hopes of exchanging stars for long-term success in coming seasons. In other instances, like the Angels and Astros, organizations parted ways with top prospects to bolster their rosters for deep postseason runs this October.
A superficial understanding of the trade deadline might suggest that business is simple: good teams buy, and bad teams sell. Despite assumptions, the trade deadline is a scary, stressful time for every team, and general managers can make big mistakes quickly. After each deadline, critics, fans, and analysts measure each team’s predicted success based on their deadline decisions. In news specific to the 2023 deadline, the Angels bought every player possible while disregarding their record to prove to MLB “unicorn” and two-way star Shohei Ohtani that there is magic in Los Angeles. The Mets stripped most of their major league roster while being just seven games out of the wild card game in the most devastating and dramatic “fire sale” that Met fans have experienced. The Yankees sat nearly completely idle at the deadline despite their mediocre record. The Houston Astros felt a blow when they traded their #1 and #2 prospects to the Mets, but got ace pitcher Justin Verlander and millions of dollars in return.
Below is a complete list of the winners and losers of the 2023 MLB trade deadline. Included is an analysis of how well each team set themselves up to win, rather than the actual result of their efforts. This is because injuries and unforeseen circumstances can lead a team’s intentions astray, so it’s not fair to judge the outcome but rather what has yet to happen.
Winner #1 + #2: Houston Astros (A), New York Mets (A)
The Astros entered the trade deadline with an impressive record of 61 wins and 47 losses. Despite World Series victories in 2017 and 2022, the Astros loaded up for another title-run at the 2023 deadline. The 2023 Astros have a different but extensive roster that includes veterans Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Kyle Tucker. After the AL powerhouse Rangers traded with the Mets for Max Scherzer, the Astros felt they needed to make a big move. That move came at the deadline. The Astros traded away Drew Gilbert (#1 prospect) and Ryan Clifford (#2 prospect) to the New York Mets in a blockbuster deal in exchange for 9x All-Star, 3x Cy Young, 2x World Series Champion, Triple Crown, MVP pitcher Justin Verlander. Verlander holds an intimidating 2.27 lifetime ERA over his five-plus-year tenure with the Astros. The Mets dealt Houston money along with Verlander, as they will pay roughly $54 million of his current and future contracts. Essentially, Houston sent their two top prospects to the Mets for a partially paid-off Justin Verlander. The Mets, while receiving such sought-after players, are almost paying for them through Verlander. Billy Eppler, the Mets general manager at the time, said that he would need a great return to send stars away, and it’s clear he felt Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford checked that box. Both teams won this deal because of the longevity it will serve for their organizations. The Astros added a key star that likely will solidify their current World Series Campaign, and the Mets took a significant step in building their farm system by sacrificing the 2023 season to have future stars bolster their organization. Both teams should consider this a win-win deal since each fulfills their fans’ expectations. The Astros want to build a World Series Champion now, and the Mets want to develop a long-term, dominant organization later.
Loser #1: New York Yankees (D)
On August 1st, the Yankees stood at just three games over .500 with a record of 55 and 52. They had lost their last three games and only won five out of their previous ten. They entered the 6 PM deadline over ten games from first place in the AL East and 3.5 games back in the Wild Card standings. Despite their mediocrity, most Yankees fans were still confident in their club, crediting their 27 rings and six consecutive playoff appearances dating back to the 2016 season. However, there was a lot of confusion surrounding the deadline because the Yankees were in such an average position that it made sense to buy or sell. What they did was interesting. They didn’t do anything. Besides picking up relievers Keynan Middleton and Spencer Howard in separate deals, the Yankees essentially sat idle. They did not improve their chances at the 2023 playoffs by a significant percentage and also did not expand their farm system for future success. The Yankees received a lot of criticism for these choices. The Yankees fanbase quickly became livid with their lack of activity, and rightfully so.
Loser #2: Los Angeles Angles (C+)
The Los Angeles Angels’ situation is unique from the rest of the teams – they possess a generational talent in Shohei Ohtani, arguably the best two-way player since Babe Ruth, Ohtani has taken MLB by storm and finished the first half of the 2023 campaign with a batting average of nearly .300 and led the league in home runs – while having an era in the threes. Ohtani was a common name heard at the trade deadline, as almost any of the teams in MLB would happily welcome him if they had the resources. The Angels and their 56-52 record on August 1st quickly decided Ohtani was not on the trade block. Instead, they opted to buy and build a team around him, hoping to make him happy and extend his contract when it expires in 2024. The only problem is that the Los Angeles Angels need a good baseball team on paper to win. Besides Ohtani, the Angels have another superstar in Mike Trout, who has missed most of the season with an injury, an underperforming Anthony Rendon, and former star Mike Moustakas. The rest of the Angels’ roster, even after their deadline additions of several role players, like star Lucas Giolito, their roster was merely mediocre. Perry Minasian deserves credit; he was busy at the trade deadline and closed several deals – but perhaps not the right ones. Many fans believe the Angels’ payroll should have allowed them to trade for more prominent names. At the end of the deadline, the Angels tried to impress Shohei and prioritized the number of moves they made rather than the quality of those trades.
Update:
As of October 1st, the Houston Astros are preparing for their first series of the playoffs, coming off a hot end to the season. They finished with a regular season record of 90-72. Most notably, Justin Verlander performed well, winning seven games with a 3.22 ERA. The Mets, as expected, missed the playoffs but are in a good position for the 2024 campaign as their new prospects have excelled. The Yankees’ deadline decisions went according to what critics predicted: badly—their season ended with a disappointing record of 82-80 and not much hope leading up to next year. Finally, the Angels did not perform well either, with a finishing record of 73-89. Their abysmal finish could be credited to Shohei Othani’s UCL injury; he will not pitch until 2025.
