Plenty of Wheeling and Dealing at MLB Trade Deadline
Players Were Changing Roster at High Speeds As Contenders Look to Solidify
The 2024 MLB trading deadline came and went Tuesday. Players came and went, to the tune of nearly 50 deals over the past three days. That means baseball futures odds, divisional odds, pennant odds and World Series odds all were impacted. In a sense, every kind of MLB odds felt the seismic shift of rosters.
Lets take a look by leagues:
American League
Blue Jays and Rays Plan for Future
It won’t look like it today, tomorrow, or next year, however, the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays did their future a solid at the 2024 MLB trading deadline. They got rid of players who were not going to make the teams contenders in 2024 and managed a strong haul of prospects. This is the way of the world in MLB now.
Teams have to decide how they will get better, and if it means getting rid of players with experience for players with possibilities, then so be it. Give the Jays credit, too, they managed to keep Vlad Guerrero Jr. rather than lose the superstar.
The New York Yankees won in the short run with Jazz Chisholm Jr. He has four home runs in the last two games against the Phillies and finally the Bombers have someone to go with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. They can’t count on Giancarlo Stanton, who always is an injury risk.
The Yankees whiffed big time on pitching. Hard to imagine they are kicking themselves for letting the Detroit Tigers send Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers instead of the Bronx. It may not jar AL East betting odds, but in the long run, it should hurt their chances of a deep playoff run. One team that was stuck in neutral at the 2024 MLB trading deadline was the Orioles.
They have a lot of talent on the farm and kept it. However, the players they added don’t provide much of a boost. They did recall top prospect Jackson Holliday. Remember, he was 2-for-34 in the majors earlier this season.
White Sox Struggles Continue
The Chicago White Sox define losing. They did not better themselves in the deals they made. This is a team that has lost 16 games in a row. The White Sox are 27-83 and have a long shot at being worse than the 40-120 New York Mets of 1962. Those Mets were an expansion team. These White Sox are not.
The AL West saw the Angels deal Carlos Estevez for a package of prospects. For a team that needs to start over – pronto – Los Angeles did well by trading the pitcher who, while throwing well, wasn’t going to change 2024. And let us give the Mariners kudos for landing Randy Arozarena from Tampa. He is a difference-maker.
National League
Mets and NL East Rivals Strengthen Rosters
The Mets added pitchers, four relievers, and a starter at the 2024 MLB trading deadline. They needed pitching. Will anyone help them become a wild-card team? Hard to say, but one thing is certain, they did not sacrifice the future for the present in the deals.
They won’t shift NL East odds dramatically, but they added bodies where needed. The Phillies got Estevez from the Angels, and that was a major plus. Adding Tanner Banks from the White Sox is another shot in the bullpen’s arm.
The Braves added the bat they needed in Jorge Soler from San Francisco. Atlanta has needed a slugger since it lost Ronald Acuna Jr. The Marlins cleaned house, and while they will be long shots in MLB odds for what seems to come, they restocked their farm system.
The Cubs made a great move in landing 25-year-old Isaac Paredes from Tampa Bay. He is a step in the right direction for a team that needs to build and improve quickly. The Pirates landed a couple of bats in Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Bryan De La Cruz. Like Kiner-Falefa, who was hitting .292 with Toronto. The Bucs need to hope he isn’t having a career year.
Dodgers and Padres Shake Up NL West
The earth shook in LA on Monday. There were trades in Southern California that created more than tremors. The Dodgers are playing as if this is their World Series must year. They went out and got Jack Flaherty to help a pitching rotation that is challenged.
They also added center fielder Kevin Kiermaier from the Toronto Blue Jays, infielder Amed Rosario from the Tampa Bay Rays, reliever Michael Kopech from the Chicago White Sox, and utility player Tommy Edman from the St. Louis Cardinals. This is a team that has a sizable lead over the Padres and still knew it needed more. That could be because San Diego went all out at the deadline.
The biggest move saw them acquire Tanner Scott from the Marlins. Scott is having an All-Star season and is arguably one of the best relievers in 2024. Scott has a 1.18 ERA in 44 appearances. Look for the Dodgers and Padres to keep the NL West futures odds intriguing for the rest of the season.
The sportsbooks were busy keeping pace with all the deals at the 2024 MLB trading deadline. Now, time will tell what teams made steals and which ones will reel. It’s a fun run to the finish of the MLB season and baseball odds will be opening the eyes of bettors.
