There was plenty to talk about this past week in the MLB as the August 31st trade deadline came and went with a flurry of moves. While many experts expected there to be little happening due to the complexity of changing teams in a pandemic, that could not have been further from what actually happened. Let’s dive into some of the news from around the league this week.
Top News This Week
- The Dodgers didn’t make a big splash at the deadline as some fans hoped, but they did make a trade from their depth. Los Angeles sent long-time starter/reliever Ross Stripling to Toronto in exchange for players to be named later. The justification by President of Baseball Ops Andrew Friedman was that there simply was no room left for Ross in the starting rotation. Stripling join s revamped Blue Jays rotation with playoff aspirations.
- The New York Mets surprised some people by being buyers at the very last minute of the trade deadline. They got both Robinson Chirinos and Todd Frazier from the Rangers in exchange for players to be named later. They also picked up hard-throwing reliever Miguel Castro from Baltimore in a deal for minor league pitcher Kevin Smith and a player to be named later or cash.
- The Reds are another team that ended up buyers, just as they had said in the days leading up to the deadline. Cincinatti ended up landing Archie Bradley from the Diamondbacks in exchange for Utilityman Josh Van Meter and outfielder Stuart Fairchild. Bradley will immediately slot into the bullpen as one of their best arms.
- Speaking of the Diamondbacks, they ended up with a sort of last-minute firesale sending out some of their top talent at the deadline. They shipped outfielder Starling Marte to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Caleb Smith, Humberto Mejia, and one other arm from Miami. Marte’s $12.5 million option for 2021 will be exercised by the Marlins, making him their highest-paid player.
- The Padres made more trades than any other team leading up to the deadline, completely revamping their lineup. They ended up getting right-hander Mike Clevinger, catchers Jason Castro and Austin Nola, 1B/DH Mitch Moreland, and high-leverage reliever Trevor Rosenthal. Now all that they have left to do is find a way to take down the powerhouse Dodgers in their division.
Social News
As Jackie Robinson Day was celebrated across baseball this past weekend, Mookie Betts narrates a video dedicated to the life and legacy of 42.
“4 Us 2 Remember” reminds us that Jackie Robinson’s legacy lives on through the players who proudly wear 42 and everyone who stands against injustice.
Narrated by @MookieBetts pic.twitter.com/CZgyRLllby
— MLB (@MLB) August 28, 2020
A reminder that if the season ended today, this is how the playoffs would look with their extended format. We’re big fans of that Yankees versus White Sox matchup.
Welcome to #SeptemberBaseball!
Here's how the #postseason picture currently stands. https://t.co/aWDsngELcS pic.twitter.com/asU9i5TjtZ
— MLB (@MLB) September 1, 2020
And finally, MLB ranks out the rookies in baseball this year so far. As expected, the Mariners’ Kyle Lewis is up near the top of all rookies in the league.
Here's the latest edition of our Rookie Power Rankings: https://t.co/O1S6CoESSB pic.twitter.com/XcI6Oyl4R1
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 1, 2020
All of that news and more, this week in MLB! Check back weekly with GMS Sports for the most up-to-date information on your favorite sports.
