2013 MLB Trade Deadline: This Year's Best and Worst Decisions

Red Sox receive SP Jake Peavy from the White Sox and RP Brayan Villarreal from the Tigers

White Sox receive OF Avisail Garcia from the Tigers and P Francillies Montas SS Cleuluis Rondon, and P JB Wendelken from the Red Sox

Tigers receive SS Jose Iglesias from the Red Sox

Jake Peavy on the White Sox
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This is the blockbuster trade of the deadline season. No trade comes close in magnitude, amount of players dealt, and the immediate impact. At this point, no team can claim that they won the trade, but I do think there is one team that missed out on an oppertunity. The Tigers should have received at least one more player in the deal, specifically a relief pitcher. I also think that Iglesias is a nice pick-up, but not an excellent one. I do not know how he will handle his new environment or if he can keep up his great start to his career. The Red Sox picked up an excellent starting pitcher in Peavy. Peavy is pitching very well. My only problem is his high ERA. He will need to keep that down. Peavy gives the Red Sox one more excellent starter for their postseason push. Not only that, he is under contract for next year too. Villarreal, on the other hand, is just an extra piece. He won't do much. The White Sox got a lot of players in the deal with the highlight being Garcia. Garcia has a high potential, evident by his clutch hitting and all-around great performance in last year's ALCS. This year he has struggled in Triple-A and the majors, but that should not mean much. He is only 22 years of age and still has a lot of room to improve. He will be a cornerstone of the South Siders for years to come. The other pick-ups were interesting moves. Montas is struggling in A Ball, Rondon is in the lower leagues and may become a major league with improvement, and Wendelken is a South Atlantic League All-Star. An interesting bunch of players to say the least.

Tigers get RP Jose Veras from the Astros for minor league OF Danry Vasquez and a player to be named later

Jose Veras may not be the best possible relief pitcher available, but he does add stability to the Tigers unpredictable bullpen. Veras was the closer in Houston and did very well in the role. He had 19 saves with only three blown saves. Veras had an ERA of 2.93, a WHIP of 1.000, and averaged about a strikeout per inning. Veras might not be the closer in Detroit, but he will be a key set-up man. On the Astros side of the deal, they got a decent prospect in return. Vasquez was the Tigers sixth-rated prospect heading into the season, and in A ball has a batting average/ on-base percentage/slugging percentage of .281/.333/.390. For me, he does not seem to like a prospect that could be a good player or one who does not pan out. He doesn't have enough power to be an everyday player. At 19, however, he has the potential to develop it. In conclusion, I love the deal for the Tigers. They get bullpen help and experience for a cheap price. For the Astros, I think the deal is ok. Veras was not going to be a part of their future, but I do not like the prospect they got in return.

Phillies sign P Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez 

Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez
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While this is not a trade, it was a big signing during the week leading up to the deadline. Gonzalez defected from Cuba earlier in the year. After settling in Mexico, he threw bullpen sessions in front of major league franchises. While in Cuba, he participated in the 2009 and 2011 Baseball World Cup and the 2010 World Port Tournament for the Cuban national team and played from 2005-2011 for La Habana. At the 2011 World Cup, he went 3-0 with 26 strikeouts. He also pitched for the Toros de Tijuana, an independent team, this year. In his two games he pitched for Tijuana, he stuckout eleven batters in 22 batters faced and had a 0.83 WHIP. Gonzalez signed with Philadelphia for six years with 48 million dollars guaranteed with a possibility of getting 59 million dollars. I really like this pick-up for the Phillies. He has good stuff, with his best pitch being a fastball. He is also ready to be in the majors very soon. Not only that, but recent Cuban defectors worked out very well. My one problem is the amount of money in the deal. He can possibly get more money then Yu Darvish, Aroldis Chapman, Yasiel Puig, and Yoenis Cespedes. All four of those guys were and are better prospects. Other then the money issue, it is a good move.


Dodgers sign RP Brian Wilson

Again we have another non-trade at the deadline, but it is also a major move. The Dodgers have signed Wilson to a minor league deal. The plan with Wilson is that he will start his return to majors in two weeks after stops at the Dodgers training facility in Arizona and a minor league team. I love this deal for the Dodgers. You can never have enough good arms in your bullpen. And, if anything wrong happens, you won't have much to regret. You did not give up any prospects or players for him. Wilson will most likely fit into a set-up role due to the success of Kenley Jansen as closer. Wilson, with Jansen, Brandon League, Ronald Belisario, Paco Rodriguez, Carlos Marmol, and JP Howell, make up an excellent bullpen. The Dodgers bullpen has been very good after a slow start and adding Wilson can make it the best in the game.

Yankees acquire OF Alfonzo Soriano from the Cubs for minor league P Corey Black

Alfonzo Soriano
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The Yankees were desperate for a right handed bat and they got one in Soriano. I like the Soriano pick-up for the Yankees for two reasons. The first reason is he brings pop to the Yankees line-up that has had struggle at the plate. The second reason is that they only have to pay 6.8 million dollars of the 24.5 million dollars left on his deal for the rest of this year and next year. Black is an interesting prospect for the Cubs. He is in his second season of professional baseball and is already playing in Advanced-A ball. However, he has struggled the Yankees Advanced-A club, the Tampa Yankees. He is 3-8 with a 4.25 ERA and 1.500 WHIP. That doesn't mean he can't be a good pitcher. He needs more development on his secondary stuff. The jury is still out on the grade for the Cubs.

Royals get OF Justin Maxwell from the Astros for SP Kyle Smith

This deal does not have much impact now, but may have an affect later. Maxwell is an OK pick-up for the Royals. They are getting a decent player to help their outfield. Smith's outcome will help settle this deal. The twenty year old may not look like a star yet in single-A baseball, but his low ERA may be a sign of things to come. This deal is a deal for the future, not the present.

Padres receive SP Ian Kennedy from the Diamondbacks for RP Joe Thacher, minor league P Matt Stites, and a Competitive Balance Draft Pick

Joe Thatcher with the Padres
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This is a deal that is very interesting. The Padres, who are about 8.5 games behind the Dodgers, picked up Kennedy, who has struggled this year (3-8, 5.23 ERA), but has had success before. I feel like this a deal a team that is more in the mix then the Padres would make. For the Diamondbacks, they got the better end of the deal. They traded away a player from their position of strength and are getting immediate help. They needed and wanted a lefty specialist and they got one. The reason why I think Arizona won this deal was because of the minor leaguer they picked up. Stites is a good prospect who can become deadly out of the pen. His 2012 season with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, a Single-A team, was outstanding. He was almost unhittable. This year, he has come back down to earth, but is still pitching at a high level. In a year or two, he could be a very good reliever for the D-Backs.