August 2nd Bi-Weekly Baseball Breakdown

If you have not been following baseball for the past five days, you have a lot of catching up to do. The Trade Deadline drama has finally come to an end, but not before ten All-Stars were moved, and countless more were dealt away. 

In the past two days alone, over 80 players were sent to new clubs in what might be the craziest deadline in recent history. Let’s get caught up on some of the bigger trades, and take a look at the biggest trade not to happen this year.

Trades Made

Max Scherzer and Trea Turner join the Dodgers

It should come as no surprise the Dodgers were on the market for starting pitching. Dustin May is done for the year, Kershaw’s been on the IL, and Trevor Bauer is… well you know. What is a surprise is that Los Angeles was able to beat out half a dozen other teams and win the Max Scherzer sweepstakes. The 36 year old future Hall of Famer is somehow till in top form with a 2.7 ERA.

If LA getting Scherzer was a surprise, the fact that they picked up Trea Turner alongside him was an absolute shocker. Turner, an All-Star shortstop, instantly made the Dodgers the big winners of the deadline, and instant postseason favorites.

The Cubs jettison over a third of their current roster

The Cubs Trade Everybody

Is this a slight hyperbole? Yes. Can I name three players on the Chicago Cubs roster anymore? No. I said last week the Cubs were likely to trade some, but not all of their starpower. I was wrong. They traded away NINE PLAYERS in this deadline! Anthony Rizzo is a Yankee, Kris Bryant is a Giant, Javy Baez is a Met, and closer Craig Kimbrel moves cross town to the White Sox. Jake Marisnick, Joc Pederson, Andrew Chafin, Ryan Tepera, and Trevor Williams all have new homes as well.

Cubs fans showing up to games this week will see over a third of their active roster gone and will have a lot of new names to learn. In return, the Cubs received 12 prospects and will start the process of building towards a new future.

Mariners Go All-In

Sitting eight games back in the AL West, pundits were skeptical if Seattle would be buyers or sellers win in this year’s trading frenzy. They made their motives very clear when they sent away relievers Kendall Graveman and Rafeal Montero to their AL West rival Astros to pick up infielder Abraham Toro. The move paid off instantly when Toro homered twice in his first game as a Mariner.

Seattle wasn’t finished there and traded for reliever Diego Castillo from the Tampa Bay Rays. Castillo is under contract for three more years and has controlled the batter’s box the past couple seasons. Seattle is hoping these moves will allow them to close the gap in the AL West, but the A’s and Astros both made moves of their own to try and stay out in front.

A Trade That Didn’t Happen

Trevor Story surprisingly not traded

The All-Star who didn’t get traded was the one who played at home for this Summer’s marquee game. Trevor Story, like all of us, was waiting to be sent to a contender this weekend, but a trade never manifested. Surprising for a club in Colorado who currently sits over 20 games back from first, and even 14 games back from third. Story is a free agent at the end of the season which makes this decision by the Rockies even more puzzling. Even Story himself said to reporters that he was confused and put off by the whole situation.

Who’s your favorite to take it all now that the trade deadline has passed? Find the best deals online here.