4 Teams Who Got Immediate Buyer’s Remorse After the Trade Deadline
Some trade deadline buyers have hit a skid ever since.
The MLB trade deadline is supposed to be a turning point.
For teams in contention, it is a final opportunity to address weaknesses, add impact talent, and strengthen the roster to make a run down the stretch. Whether it is adding a middle-of-the-order bat, a frontline starter, or a weapon for the bullpen, the goal is simple: make the team better and put it in a stronger position to make a deep postseason run.
Of course, not every deadline acquisition works out. Sometimes a new addition struggles to find his footing. Other times, a team makes the right moves, but the rest of the roster fails to do its part. And occasionally, a player gets hurt almost immediately after joining his new team.
That has been the case for several teams this season.
While it is too early to judge most deadline moves, these teams have gotten about as little immediate return as they could have hoped for. From teams that have gone into a tailspin to one particularly unfortunate injury, here are four clubs experiencing some early buyer’s remorse from the trade deadline.
All stats updated before play on August 13.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates were one of the busiest teams at the trade deadline, addressing their biggest need: bullpen arms. They added Camilo Doval, Luke Weaver, Kirby Yates, and Lake Bachar.
In 10 games since the deadline, Pittsburgh is 3-7 and is now last in the National League Central and six games back of the last Wild Card spot. These struggles, however, have not been because of their acquisitions.
As a group, their four new pitchers have tossed 18.0 innings, working a 3.00 ERA over that span. The issue has been both the starting rotation and the offense.
Since August 4, Pirates starters have a combined 7.56 ERA, good for dead last in baseball. The big story on that front has been Paul Skenes’ struggles. There is only so much the bullpen can do when they enter the game trailing by multiple runs.
To go with this, the offense has posted a .210/.293/.319 slashing with a 70 wRC+ over the last eight games. They are striking out at the fourth highest rate and have the fourth fewest home runs over that span. Failing to limit runs while also failing to score them is not a winning formula.
They have gotten contributions from their new additions early, but if the rest of their team doesn’t pull things together soon, their playoff odds are going to drop rapidly.
Seattle Mariners
In an American League that is as weak as we’ve seen in some time, the Mariners added some pieces in hopes of making a second half run. They added Taylor Ward for some offense and Seranthony Domínguez to help out the bullpen. Neither is off to a good start in Seattle.
Beginning with Ward, he’s struggled to do anything right so far. He’s slashing .156/.156/.219 with no runs batted in and just one run scored. Defensively, he’s also struggled, totaling -2 defensive runs saved and -1 fielding run value across just 44 innings. This has earned him -0.4 fWAR since starting with the team, second worst in MLB over that stretch.
As for Domínguez, he’s worked in five games, pitching 3.1 innings with a 10.80 ERA. He’s allowed six hits, two home runs, and has walked more batters than he’s struck out. Not exactly what they were looking for.
They have both factored into the club’s 2-7 record since the deadline. The team now stands at 57-65 on the year, though they are just 3.5 games out of a playoff spot. There is still opportunity for Ward and Domínguez to contribute down the stretch, but both need large turnarounds.
Cleveland Guardians
A team that surprised some with their aggressiveness in the trade market was the Cleveland Guardians. They made three moves, acquiring Jo Adell, Nathaniel Lowe, and Foster Griffin.
The two offensive additions have paid off for them early. Adell has posted a 117 wRC+ and two home runs through his first eight games with the team, while Lowe has a 104 wRC+ thus far.
However, on the pitching side of things, Griffin has struggled. He’s made two starts, allowing six earned runs over four innings in his first, but he bounced back with just one earned over five innings in his second outing.
Overall, they have gotten solid returns from their new pieces, though the team has struggled as a whole. Similar to the other teams already mentioned, they are 2-7 since the deadline.
The good news for them is that they are also in the AL and just 1.5 games behind the Tigers for the final playoff spot. Their playoff odds remain relatively high, especially if they limit the funk they are currently in.
Boston Red Sox
Different from the other teams discussed, the Red Sox felt their remorse earlier, and for a different reason.
They got on the board with a trade early, acquiring Curtis Mead on July 26. The 25-year-old corner infielder had 17 home runs and a 134 wRC+ with the Nationals before being dealt to Boston this year.
He debuted for them the next day, but that didn’t last. In his second plate appearance with the team, he has hit by a pitch and fractured his wrist. He has been on the injured list ever since. A hard pill to swallow after dealing Connelly Early in that deal.
It was a frustrating experience for the Red Sox, who were baseball’s hottest team heading into the deadline. They are 5-5 since then but do have reinforcements making their way up. Adley Rutschman made his first appearance with the team two days ago and should play a large role for them in the coming months.
Still, they stand well within a playoff spot and are in good shape to hold onto it.
Still Time to Turn Things Around
The trade deadline is not won or lost in the first week, and all four of these teams still have plenty of time to change the narrative. Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Cleveland all remain in the playoff hunt, while Boston is still in a strong position to make a postseason run.
Still, the early returns have not been what any of these teams envisioned when they made their moves. Whether it is a new addition struggling, a team-wide slump, or in Boston’s case, a freak injury, these clubs have all had issues following the deadline.
There is still a lot of baseball left to be played, with each team hoping these early issues are nothing more than a temporary bump in the road.
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Written by
Carson Wolf is an intern at Just Baseball covering the Chicago Cubs and is the creator of The Wrigley Wire on X. He is currently studying…