MLB World Series Power Rankings Following the Trade Deadline
By Liam McKeone
The MLB trade deadline has come and gone. It was a slow buildup, but as four o’clock struck, there was a flurry of movement that reshaped the championship landscape. After the dust settled, a few competing teams had upgraded their squads, while others stood pat and were left in the dust.
Here are the post-deadline World Series contender rankings.
12. Boston Red Sox
Most expected Boston to make a play for a high-end reliever, or at least a bullpen arm. They ended up doing nothing and are apparently banking on internal improvement to defend their World Series title. That could happen, but it seems pretty unlikely as August gets underway. Either the starters are terrible and give up five earned in four innings, or the bullpen blows a gem in three innings. Neither unit has been good at the same time very often. Something miraculous needs to happen for the Sox to be considered true contenders.
11. Washington Nationals
The Nationals had a solid trade deadline, trading for no less than three relievers to bolster their league-worst relief crew. But while all three are steady, none are the difference-makers Washington needed to have a legitimate chance at making a deep postseason run. Their deadline will bolster their quest to hold onto a Wild Card spot, but it’s hard to see them as anything more than above-average.
10. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers needed some rotation reinforcements, and weren’t able to land any big names. Drew Pomeranz has an ERA over five this year, and they had to give up one of the better prospects in their system to get him and Ray Black. The Brewers seem likely to improve after falling into a team-wide hitting slump leading up to the All-Star break, but they’ll need an even more Herculean effort from Christian Yelich to make another deep postseason run.
9. Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa was a good story to start the season, and while they’ve fallen behind the Yankees in the A.L East, they’re still contending for a Wild Card spot, proving their start wasn’t a joke. Jesus Aguilar could become one of the best pickups of the deadline if he returns to last year’s All-Star form. As it stands, Aguilar is still hitting sub-.250 and the Rays don’t really scare anyone.
8. Cleveland Indians
The Indians got rid of Trevor Bauer and his various antics and got a sizable haul in return. But Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes aren’t the type of guys to make or break a championship run unless both catch fire at the right time. Cleveland will be competitive in the A.L. Central, but too much has to go right to consider them legitimate contenders.
7. St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are in the middle of a tight race for the N.L. Central, but did squat during the deadline. They didn’t have any major holes, but if they were serious about a championship run, they could have brought in reinforcements to help them do so. They don’t separate themselves from the pack after the deadline.
6. Minnesota Twins
The Twins have slowed a bit after a torrid start, but still remain one of the best teams in baseball. But after their inactivity at the trade deadline, one wonders how far their current talent can take them if they aren’t red-hot like they were out of the gate? Paired with a first-year manager in Rocco Baldelli, it’s hard to feel like they have a serious chance at making a World Series run.
5. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs acquired Nicholas Castellanos in what looks to be one of the better moves of the deadline. Their bullpen remains suspect, but the starting pitching and batting should be strong enough to head into the postseason, whether it’s as NL Central winners or a Wild Card team. Castellanos gives them a lot of versatility in the outfield as they approach the stretch run. They aren’t favorites by any means, but the Cubs have positioned themselves well for a second-half push and could make some serious noise in October.
4. New York Yankees
It was all but a sure thing to most fans that the Yankees would be big players at the deadline. Even Brian Cashman said they’d be engaging with every team in the league on trade talks (except the Red Sox, of course). Yet they did nothing, and why they didn’t make a move remains unclear. Without a reliable starter in the rotation, the Yankees are going to have serious trouble winning playoff games unless half their lineup hits home runs– a possibility from what we’ve seen so far. The Yankees’ offense has earned the respect of teams around the league with their body of work so far, but with the work their top competitors down in Houston did, New York faces a steep uphill battle for the A.L. pennant.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
The 71-win Dodgers stood completely still during the deadline, and it’s hard to see why. They needed a reliever badly and apparently didn’t even get close to landing one. They still have one of the best rosters in baseball and Hyun-Jin Ryu will probably win the NL Cy Young award. But it’s disappointing to see them not fill the one major hole in an otherwise championship-caliber roster. Cody Bellinger can only do so much.
2. Atlanta Braves
The Braves had an excellent deadline. They needed a reliever and got three, including Shane Greene and his career-low 1.18 ERA. There’s the risk of some regression, but that’s why they got him some backup, just in case. The Braves were one of the best teams in the league before the deadline, but were behind Los Angeles in the NL pennant race. After the Dodgers’ lackluster deadline, Atlanta sure feels like the team to beat in the National League.
1. Houston Astros
The biggest winner of deadline day by far, the Astros just firmly cemented themselves as the team to beat in the entire league, much less the A.L. They landed Zack Greinke without giving up any of their best prospects and convinced Arizona to send money to help cover the cost of his contract. A rotation of Justin Verlander/Gerrit Cole/Greinke is as tough to beat as any in the league in a postseason series of any length. They rounded out the rotation by trading for Aaron Sanchez and brought in Joe Biagini for bullpen help.
Greinke’s postseason struggles are certainly a concern, but Verlander and (to an extent) Cole’s proven track record there gives Houston a lot of room for error. Paired with their dangerous offense that needs no introduction, and there isn’t a more well-rounded team in baseball right now.