Pinned
Another deadline addition. ⬇️ https://t.co/0LDMqWsznc
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 30, 2021
The 2021 MLB trade deadline has passed, and it was one of the most hectic in baseball history. We already saw several notable trades before Friday, including the Dodgers landing Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, and the Yankees getting Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo in separate deals. But deadline day brought several more big trades with Kris Bryant, Javier Báez, Kyle Gibson, José Berríos and Craig Kimbrel among the players who moved before 4 p.m. ET on Friday.
This sums up what was perhaps the most relentless intense trade deadline in living memory:
10 players who made the 2021 All-Star team were traded this season.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 30, 2021
According to @EliasSports, that is the most All-Stars to change teams in a single season ever. pic.twitter.com/FGchA5ecRq
In light of all the madness and moving parts, let's briefly recap 2021 Tradin' Season by checking off all the majors trades that went down -- including, yes, all the trades involving those 10 (!) All-Stars.
July 30 notable trades
- Giants acquire 3B/OF Kris Bryant from Cubs for OF Alexander Canario and RHP Caleb Kilian (Full story/Trade grades)
- Braves acquire OF Jorge Soler from Royals for RHP Kasey Kalich (Full story)
- Yankees acquire LHP Andrew Heaney from Angels for RHP Janson Junk and RHP Elvis Peguero (Full story)
- Phillies acquire RHP Kyle Gibson, RHP Ian Kennedy, and RHP Hans Crouse from Rangers for RHP Spencer Howard, RHP Kevin Gowdy, and RHP Joss Gessner (Full story)
- A's acquire C Yan Gomes, 2B Josh Harrison from Nationals for C Drew Millas, RHP Seth Shuman, and RHP Richard Guasch (Full story)
- Mets acquire SS Javier Báez, RHP Trevor Williams and cash from Cubs for OF Pete Crow-Armstrong (Full story/Trade grades)
- White Sox acquire RHP Craig Kimbrel from Cubs for 2B Nick Madrigal and RHP Codi Heuer (Full story)
- Braves acquire OF Adam Duvall from Marlins for C Alex Jackson (Full story)
- Braves acquire OF Eddie Rosario and cash from Cleveland for 1B/3B Pablo Sandoval (Full story)
- Blue Jays acquire RHP José Berríos from Twins for SS/OF Austin Martin and RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (Full story)
July 29 notable trades
- Red Sox acquire OF Kyle Schwarber from Nationals for RHP Aldo Ramirez (Full story)
- Dodgers acquire RHP Max Scherzer and SS Trea Turner from Nationals for C Keibert Ruiz, RHP Josiah Gray, RHP Gerardo Carrillo, and OF Donovan Casey (Full story/Trade grades)
- Yankees acquire 1B Anthony Rizzo from Cubs for RHP Alexander Vizcaíno and OF Kevin Alcántara (Full story/Trade grades)
- Yankees acquire OF Joey Gallo, LHP Joely Rodríguez and cash from Rangers for 2B Ezequiel Duran, SS Josh Smith, INF/OF Trevor Hauver and RHP Glenn Otto (Full story/Trade grades)
- White Sox acquire 2B Cesar Hernandez from Cleveland for LHP Konnor Pilkington (Full story)
July 28 notable trades
- Brewers acquire INF Eduardo Escobar from Diamondbacks for INF/OF Cooper Hummel and INF Alberto Ciprian (Full story)
- A's acquire OF Starling Marte from Marlins for LHP Jesús Luzardo (Full story)
- Mariners acquire LHP Tyler Anderson from Pirates for C Carter Bins and RHP Joaquin Tejada (Full story)
July 27 trades
- Astros acquire RHPs Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero from Mariners for 3B Abraham Toro and RHP Joe Smith (Full story)
July 26 notable trades
- Padres acquire INF/OF Adam Frazier and cash from Pirates for SS Tucupita Marcano, OF Jack Suwinski, and RHP Michell Miliano (Full story)
July 23 notable trades
- Mets acquire LHP Rich Hill from Rays for RHP Tommy Hunter and C Matt Dyer (Full story)
July 22 notable trades
- Rays acquire DH Nelson Cruz and RHP Calvin Faucher from Twins for RHP Joe Ryan and RHP Drew Strotman (Full story)
July 15 notable trades
- Braves acquire OF Joc Pederson from Cubs for 1B Bryce Ball (Full story)
For those counting, that's 23 (!) trades that we deem to be notable, and it's possible you could argue that a handful of other swaps should qualify for this list. As always, you can check out every single trade that's gone down this deadline season -- notable or otherwise -- via our Trade Tracker.
Most-improved teams
It's a lot to take in, but here's a quick glance at the buyers/contenders who did the best for themselves this deadline:
Dodgers: It's impossible to argue with adding the likes of Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. Scherzer directly addresses the uncertainty in the L.A. rotation, as he's still performing close to peak level despite his advanced baseball age of 37. As for Turner, he's not the most seamless fit, what with Corey Seager returning from injury, but he's an All-Star who boasts a broad range of skills at the plate, on the bases, and in the field. Both are true needle-movers for the Dodgers in the brutal NL West.
Braves: The loss of Ronald Acuña Jr. to a season-ending knee injury was a brutal blow to Atlanta's hopes, but the Braves moved boldly at the deadline to address the outfield situation. Before the deadline arrived, GM Alex Anthopoulos added to the outfield mix the likes of Jorge Soler, Adam Duvall, and Joc Pederson. As well, the addition of Stephen Vogt improves the catching situation. Given what's in place and given the very winnable nature of the NL East, those moves matter.
Blue Jays: If Toronto is to return to the postseason given the rough nature of the AL playoff picture right now, then they'd need to bolster the pitching staff. That's precisely what they did with deadline and deadline-ish deals for starters José Berrios, who immediately slots in at the front of the rotation, and relievers Brad Hand, Joakim Soria, and Trevor Richards.
Biggest sellers
You can't have so many buyers making splashes without willing sellers, so let's take time for those who make it all possible.
Cubs: The wisdom of tearing it all down in Chicago is dubious at best and a reflection of ownership's measly commitment to the on-field product. At the very least, however, they didn't undertake any half-measures. The Cubs leading up to Friday afternoon parted ways with core contributors like Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, and Craig Kimbrel. As well, they also spun off complementary pieces like Joc Pederson, Andrew Chafin, Ryan Tepera, Jake Marisnick, and Trevor Williams. For those counting, that's nine players plucked from the active roster over the last two weeks or so. As for what the Cubs got back, the return looks strong at this early juncture.
Nationals: GM Mike Rizzo in D.C. hasn't been inclined to sell up until now, but sell he did this year. Gone before the deadline were Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Daniel Hudson, Brad Hand, Yan Gomes, Josh Harrison, and Jon Lester. The return is more mid-term than long-term, generally speaking, but it made for a thorough pivot on the part of the Nats.
