Ranking MLB trade deadline’s biggest winners: Who improved most?
NY Post
Some say this trade deadline season was deadly dull. But even in the biggest sellers’ market maybe ever — with a pervasive, unreasonable love of prospects (excepting trade-happy Padres A.J. Preller, of course) and also a few obvious also-rans inexplicably clutching to players with limited control — some teams went beyond the incremental and made real impact.
Sure, big names Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, Luis Robert, Cody Bellinger and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all stayed put. But even if no team hit a grand slam, several scored with moves — both buyers and sellers. Here’s my list of the best work.
They traded 12 of their top 15 prospects while building baseball’s best bullpen. Some figure Huntington Station’s own Preller is doing this because he needs to make the playoffs to keep his job. I say no. It’s just him. (And with beloved late owner Peter Seidler’s brother in some power now, it’s doubtful he’s in jeopardy.)
Anyway, the Padres now have a lockdown pen with Jason Adam and Tanner Scott joining arguably the game’s best closer Robert Suarez, and an outside shot to win the NL West.
Maybe they should get the top spot just for helping engineer two three-team trades. Regardless, they’re just behind the Padres for making good on their promise to go for impact, and ultimately importing Jack Flaherty, the best starter traded.
They did right by reeling in 18 prospects at a time hardly anyone wanted to give up prospects.
Every game the Rangers have played recently has come with seismic implications.
Steve Cohen is fast approaching a billion-dollar outlay this offseason, and the Mets’ work isn’t done.
Tank Dell’s knee injury is bad enough that it could put his status in doubt for the start of the 2025 season.
The Jets want to get the fourth-most-targeted receiver in the NFL more involved in their offense.
ATLANTA — The Giants are a franchise bleeding despair right now.
Folks have been clamoring for Peter Laviolette to meaningfully reduce Mika Zibanejad’s minutes and that is what the Rangers head coach has done over the last week.
The Phillies are fortifying their already strong rotation.
The Knicks are saying hello again to Landry Shamet.
Mike LaFleur wore a postgame smile Sunday that was seldom seen when he called MetLife Stadium his full-time home.
NEW ORLEANS — The Pelicans’ ballboy was caught up in an act of trickery that resulted in a technical foul.
Saturday wasn’t Tom Brady’s finest hour in the booth.