The non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone in Major League Baseball and it seemed like a pretty quiet deadline up until the last few minutes when a few major deals were announced. I’m going to take a look at six players who were traded an attempt to evaluate how their statistics may improve or decline for the rest of the season on their new teams.
Trevor Bauer – Cincinnatti Reds
Trevor Bauer was dealt from the Indians to the Reds as the biggest piece in a huge three-team trade that included the Padres as well. He had been rumored to be on the block for some time, but as the Indians crept back into contention in the AL Central, some were surprised that they moved him with Carlos Carrasco and Corey Kluber still on injured reserve. Bauer’s last start in Cleveland was a forgettable one (at least for him) as he was pulled in the fifth inning and launched the ball into the center-field stands in disgust. Some say he is a hothead, but I actually believe he is just a fierce competitor who was incredibly frustrated with how he was pitching.
Landing Bauer was a bold move by the Reds, who are in fourth place in the NL Central and six games out of the wild card. I actually really like it for the Reds and for Bauer. Cincinnatti now he has a deep rotation and a dynamic 1-2-3 combo in Bauer, Luis Castillo, and Sonny Gray. The Reds’ pitching staff has done wonders this year with Gray and Castillo, as well as youngsters Tyler Mahle and Anthony DeScalfani. While Bauer does get a park downgrade pitching in Great American Ballpark for his home games, he also gets to shift over the National League where he will face the opposing pitcher more often. With free agency looming at the end of this season, I think Bauer will be motivated to have a big finish to this season and he’s a guy I’m bullish on going forward.
Zack Greinke – Houston Astros
The biggest surprise of the deadline came shortly after 4:00 PM Eastern time when it was announced that the Houston Astros had acquired the Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke. The veteran right-hander was enjoying a solid season for the Snakes compiling at 10-4 record and a 2.90 ERA. Adding Greinke gives the Astros front end of the rotation in baseball and this trade has many baseball people penciling Houston in for the World Series. I certainly think that Greinke could improve on what he’s already done this year by working with Houston’s pitching coaches, one of the best-regarded staffs in the league. Being able to talk shop in the dugout with Cole and Verlander certainly won’t hurt either.
Aaron Sanchez – Houston Astros
Aaron Sanchez was acquired by the Astros before they landed Greinke and is doing to act as depth for this Astros rotation. They must not have been too crazy about the readiness of youngsters Jose Urquidy and Framber Valdez who had both auditioned for the fifth starter role with Brad Peacock out of commission with an injury. Sanchez has struggled this year with the Blue Jays racking up a 6+ ERA and a 3-14 record. It may have seemed like an odd acquisition for a World Series contender to make, but I trust that this front office knows what it’s doing. This is arguably the best-run organization in baseball as far as player development is concerned and they’ve had an impressive track record with improving pitchers who have come over in trades, i.e. Gerrit Cole, Charlie Morton, Wade Miley, etc… Sanchez could very well be a guy you add off the waiver wire in the hopes that Houston is able to get him to harness his talent and I wouldn’t be surprised if he finished the year pitching well.
Trevor Richards – Tampa Bay Rays
Trevor Richards is heading from one Florida team to another but has to be excited to be pitching for a legitimate playoff contender and not the worst team in the National League. Richards is a talented young pitcher who has been very inconsistent for the Fish this season, but Tampa clearly sees something they like about him and he should slot in their fifth starter. Richards has a solid changeup that is his out pitch but has struggled with control and with the amount of hard contact he’s given up this season. The Rays have done great work with their pitchers this season. Charlie Morton is having a career year, Tyler Glasnow had a major breakout before getting hurt, and their young pitchers Jalen Beeks, Yonny Chirinos, and Ryan Yarbrough have all been solid. He’s definitely a guy I will be keeping an eye on to see if Tampa can help him make some modifications to mechanics or approach that let him develop into the type of pitcher he’s shown he’s capable of being.
Nick Castellanos – Chicago Cubs
Nick Castellanos made it well known he was ready to get out of Detroit and got his wish when he was sent to the Cubs in one of the few impact trades of hitters, not pitchers. Casty should be an everyday player in the outfield for the Cubs and is a solid right-handed bat that hits for average and power. Moving from Detroit to Chicago is a major upgrade for Casty in a few ways. First of all, he should see more pitches to hit with some lineup protection around him. He’s also going to play a bunch of games in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, one of the best venues for hitters in baseball. Castellanos is an elite hitter vs. left-handed pitching and should be an excellent target in DFS when the Cubs get a lefty on the hill against them at home.
Marcus Stroman – New York Mets
The diminutive sinkerballer Marcus Stroman headed to the Mets in one of the first big trades this week a few days before the deadline. Stroman was having a great year in his fourth full season as a pro and his value should stay the same if not improve with the Mets. Pitching at Citi Field is definitely a ballpark upgrade and joining a rotation with some other elite right-handers like Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Zach Wheeler may certainly go a long way to helping Stroman stay in good form the rest of the season. He is an elite groundball pitcher and an excellent innings eater, and the move to the National League could also be something that works in his favor.
I’ll continue to keep looking at trends and stats the rest of MLB season with the goal of unearthing some data that we can use to our advantage. If you’re not a premium member at FantasyData, click here and consider joining today! FantasyData is the leader in all things fantasy sports including real-time fantasy stats for your season-long and DFS needs!
