Trades, trades and more trades. That’s what this year’s trade deadline consisted of, with 60 deals happening from July 25 before the deadline to Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET finish. But even with plenty of action, the theme of the deadline was a combination of the prices of rentals and lack of star power.
The price for starting pitching was exorbitant, and rightfully so, with names like Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet being floated in rumors and discussions. Despite it being rumored for weeks that Skubal was on the market, there was almost no chance the Tigers were seriously considering moving the AL Cy Young Award frontrunner. Sources indicated to Yahoo Sports in the days leading up to Tuesday’s deadline that Detroit had very little interest in moving Skubal.
Unlike Skubal, Crochet could have been had for the right price. But following the White Sox’s demands for the southpaw, it became increasingly difficult for the team to move him. And following a lighter-than-expected return for right-hander Erick Fedde, getting a true haul for Crochet was the only way to pry him from the White Sox’s hands.
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But with no impact starters with club control being available, or too expensive, the value of rentals with expiring contracts seemingly increased by the day. By the time the Blue Jays shipped left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to the Astros on Monday, the return the White Sox got for Fedde from the Cardinals the same day was viewed around the industry as a little light, especially in a deal that also saw Chicago send reliever Michael Kopech to the Dodgers and outfielder Tommy Pham to the Cardinals.
Not to be outdone, the Marlins were able to get a significant haul, acquiring four prospects for reliever Tanner Scott, who will be a free agent at season’s end. But of all the teams that made moves, the Dodgers got perhaps the best rental available, acquiring right-hander Jack Flaherty from the Tigers for catcher Thayron Liranzo and infielder Trey Sweeney.
Other starting options with club control, like Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers, were also traded to the Orioles. While there were tons of prospects moved at the deadline, no top-25 prospects were traded, showing teams just weren’t willing to swing big and mortgage their future.
Teams looking for true impact, especially in their rotations, clearly pivoted once they learned what it would cost. The reality for many teams is that more impactful, top-of-rotation arms will be…