MLB Trade Deadline Biggest Winners and Losers!

This past weekend marked Major League Baseball’s trade deadline which meant that any team hoping to get that extra oomph for the upcoming playoffs had to join in on the fire-sale that was this years trading block.  I seriously doubt there has ever been a bigger stage for players on the trading block than this years July 31rst deadline.  The past month all I have heard about on TV, Radio, and the Blogosphere is about either Lebron James and the Miami Heat or baseball’s crazy moves.  I fear that baseball is headed towards the problems that Formula One is having right now and start having teams that can no longer afford to spend the kind of money that these other teams (Yankee’s and Red Sox) have been spending over the past few years.  I personally believe that would be bad for baseball just because you get these super-teams that kind of rule the whole league.  Some of the teams who made off like a true champion would are:

New York Yankees – I figured I would start out with the team that is always making huge moves.  Because I put them first, does not mean that I actually think they made off the best, I just figured I throw the obvious stuff at you first.  While they did not get the player they were after at first (Roy Oswalt) they were able to pick up Lance Berkman, Kerry Wood, and Austin Kearns.  These moves are considered to be gap fillers at this point, but I think it might be just what they need to pull off another World Series run.

Texas Rangers - Wait a second??? I thought they were operating in Chapter 11??  Yes, they actually are, but they made out like rats still.  They picked up the best player that was available in Cliff Lee, then  managed to  wrangle up Jorge Cantu, Bengie Molina, and Christian Guzman.  I know, I know…This is the baseball team who has an 8 game lead in their division.  It does not take a genius to realize the implications of all of these moves.  While having to give up their top first base prospect Justin Smoak, you only need to look past Lee to see how good of a trade the Rangers got.

So we have had a great look at the two biggest winners.  I would have to say Honorable Mention goes to the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves for their decent moves over the past weekend.  Both are looking forward to the rest of the season.  Lets take a look at the biggest losers (aka teams that really busted over the past few weeks) shall we?

San Francisco Giants – There was word they were interested in several people but as usual the Giants end up with jack diddly just a game in a half back in the NL West.  If tomorrow were the playoffs they would be in the last spot so you would think they would really be out there looking for someone to get.  They apparently were just not serious about it.  They need a big bat to increase some offense going into the playoffs because they have a clutch playoff pitching trio.

Tampa Bay Rays – So if you are in the same division as the New York Yankees, one would think you would want to be out there shopping for something.  At first I thought they would end up with Adam Dunn but such is life…then when the Yanks picked up Berkman I freaked out because I think any chance of winning the division has now gone and passed for the Rays.  I would have to say that the failure to go out and get some offense is really going to hurt them in the long run.  I wouldn’t be looking for the Rays to go very far through the playoffs this season.