Photo Credit: isportsweb.com
The MLB Trade Deadline is quickly approaching (Friday, July 31st), and teams have been very active in the past week. Some are looking to bolster their rosters for the chance to play in October, while others are dismantling their squads in order to start a rebuilding process.
The week before the July 31st deadline is crucial. One move can be the difference between winning the pennant and missing the playoffs.
Here is a list of all the moves that have gone down so far. It will be updated every day so that the latest trades and acquisitions are accounted for. Note: some deals were announced after the 4:00 pm deadline.
Friday, 4:49 pm ET:
The A's trade reliever Ryan Cook to the Red Sox for player to be named later.
Friday, 4:47 pm ET:
The San Diego Padres acquire left-handed relief pitcher Marc Rzepczynski from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for switch-hitting outfielder Abraham Almonte.
Friday, 4:44 pm ET:
The Texas Rangers get reliever Sam Dyson from the Marlins. Miami receives catcher Tomas Telis and minor league pitcher Cody Ege.
Friday, 4:37 pm ET:
The Cubbies acquire reliever Tommy Hunter from the Orioles in exchange for outfielder Junior Lake.
Friday, 4:31 pm ET:
The Dodgers trade first baseman and outfielder Mike Morse to the Pirates for outfielder Jose Tabata.
Friday, 4:23 pm ET:
The Pirates acquire lefty pitcher J.A. Happ from Seattle in exchange for righty pitcher Adrian Thompson.
Friday, 3:55 pm ET:
The Mets land Yoenis Cespedes right as the trade deadline draws to a close. The Tigers will receive minor league pitchers Michale Fulmer and Luis Cessa. With the acquisition of Cespedes and third baseman David Wright coming back soon, the Mets' offense may finally awaken.
Friday, 3:53 pm ET:
The Jays are at it again, this time acquiring Phillies center fielder Ben Revere. In exchange, the Phillies will get minor league pitchers Jimmy Cordero and Alberto Tirado.
Friday, 3:33 pm ET:
The A's acquire Blue Jays' lefty pitcher Felix Dubront in exchange for cash considerations.
Friday, 2:05 pm ET:
The Twins strengthen their bullpen by trading for Rays' reliever Kevin Jepsen. Tampa Bay receives minor league pitching prospects Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia.
Friday, 1:33 pm ET:
The Cubs acquire Marlins' veteran pitcher Dan Haren in exchange for minor leaguers Ivan Pineyro (pitcher) and Elliot Soto (shortstop).
Friday, 1:22 pm ET:
The Blue Jays continue to make noise, trading for Mariners' reliever Mark Lowe. Seattle receives minor leaguer pitchers Nick Wells, Jacob Brentz, and Rob Rasmussen.
Friday, 11:56 am ET:
The St. Louis Cardinals add depth to their bullpen by acquiring reliever Jonathan Broxton from the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers, who have essentially cleaned house before the trade deadline, get minor league outfielder Malik Collymore as part of the trade.
Friday, 10:43 am ET:
The Orioles trade for Brewers' outfielder Gerardo Parra (.328 BA, 9 HR, and 31 RBI). Milwaukee receives pitching prospect Zach Davies in return.
Friday, 12:25 am ET:
The San Francisco Giants acquire Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake in exchange for minor prospects Kuery Mella (pitcher) and Adam Duvall (infielder).
Thursday, 7:41 pm ET:
After a trade involving the Mets fell through, Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez is on his way to Houston. He was traded, along with starting pitcher Mike Fiers, to the Astros. In return, the Brewers receive four minor league prospects: outfielders Brett Phillips and Domingo Santana, and pitchers Josh Hader and Adrian Houser.
Thursday, 4:41 pm ET:
The Yankees acquire utility man Dustin Ackley from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for minor leaguers Ramon Flores (outfielder) and Jose Ramirez (pitcher).
Thursday, 1:42 pm ET:
The Blue Jays strike again before the trade deadline, this time acquiring Tigers' ace David Price. The Jays are poised to catch the Yankees in the AL East, and the additions of Price and Troy Tulowitzki will help their chances tremendously.
Thursday, 9:02 am ET:
The St. Louis Cardinals trade for Cleveland Indian outfielder Brandon Moss. The Indians receive minor league left-handed pitcher Rob Kaminksy. Moss will add depth to the Cardinals outfield and replace Matt Holliday (for the time being) who was recently placed on the DL.
Thursday, 1:00 am ET:
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquire veteran pitcher Joe Blanton from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations.
Wednesday, 11:21 pm ET:
In a suprising move, the Texas Rangers trade for Phillies' ace Cole Hamels. They will also receive lefty reliever Jake Diekman. In return, the Phillies will get top catching prospect Jorge Alfaro, left-handed pitcher Matt Harrison, outfielder Nick Williams, and minor league pitchers Alec Asher and Jake Thompson.
Wednesday, 9:30 pm ET:
The Miami Marlins trade right-handed pitcher Mat Latos and first baseman Michael Morse to the LA Dodgers for minor league pitching prospects Jeff Brigham, Victor Araujo, and Kevin Guzman. The Atlanta Braves are apparently also involved in the deal. They'll send lefty pitcher Alex Wood, closer Jim Johnson, reliever Luis Avilan, and minor league infielder Jose Peraza to the Dodgers. The Braves will receive minor league infielder Hector Olivera (recently signed for six years, $62.5 million), reliever Paco Rodriguez, and minor league pitcher Zack Bird. Latos, the central piece of the deal, will give the Dodgers a solid starting pitcher who could fit nicely in a potential three-man rotation come playoff time behind Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke.
Tuesday, 6:40 pm ET:
The Angels acquire outfielder David Murphy from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for minor league shortstop Eric Stamets. In a separate deal, the Angels receive outfielder David DeJesus from the Rays for right-handed pitcher Eduar Lopez. Murphy and DeJesus are proven lefty bats and they, along with Shane Victorino (who they traded for on Monday) will provide the Angels with much-need outfield depth.
Tuesday, 6:28 pm ET:
The Phillies trade closer Jonathan Papelbon to the Nats for minor league pitcher Nick Pivetta. The deal comes one day after the Nationals traded their now former closer Tyler Clippard to the New York Mets.
Tuesday, 2:44 pm ET:
The Kansas City Royals remain busy before the deadline and acquire A's second baseman Ben Zobrist. The A's receive minor league pitchers Sean Manaea and Aaron Brooks (no relation to the Chicago Bulls' Aaron Brooks) in return. Zobrist is a great pickup for the A's. He walks a lot, can play multiple positions in the field, and has the fourth highest WAR (wins above replacement) among position players since 2009.
Tuesday, 9:05 am ET:
The Toronto Blue Jays upgrade at the shortstop position by trading for Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki. They also receive veteran reliever Latroy Hawkins in the deal. The Rockies get shortstop Jose Reyes, as well as pitching prospects Miguel Castro, Jeff Hoffman, and Jesus Tinoco.
Monday, 6:15 pm ET:
The Mets significantly strengthen their bullpen by acquiring Athletics' closer Tyler Clippard. The A's receive minor league pitcher Casey Meisner.
Monday, 6:00 pm ET:
The Boston Red Sox trade outfielder Shane "The Hawaian Hit Machine" Victorino to the Angels in exchange for infielder Josh Rutledge.
Sunday, 2:56 pm ET:
The Kansas City Royals make a huge splash by landing right-handed pitcher and former 20-game winner Johnny Cueto from the Reds (as if the Royals weren’t dangerous enough); The Reds obtain young left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb, and Cody Reed in return.
Friday, 7:19 pm ET:
The New York Mets look to solve some of their hitting issues by trading for Juan Uribe (third basemen) and ultimate utility man Kelly Johnson; the Atlanta Braves receive minor league pitching prospects John Grant and Rob Whalen.
Friday, 3:07 pm ET:
The St. Louis Cardinals add depth to their bullpen by acquiring right-handed side-armer Steve Cishek from the Miami Marlins in exchange for minor league pitcher Kyle Barraclough.
Friday, 1:05 pm ET:
The Los Angeles Angels receive third baseman Connor Gillaspie from the Chicago White Sox for cash considerations.
Thursday, 5:39 pm ET:
The Milwaukee Brewers send third baseman and three-time all-star Aramis Ramirez to the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league pitcher Yhonathan Barrios.
Thursday, 1:20 pm ET:
The Houston Astros acquire lefty pitcher Scott Kazmir from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor leaguers Jacob Nottingham (catcher) and Daniel Mengden (pitcher).
Buyers and Sellers
Teams most likely to be buyers (i.e. actively look to spend money to improve their rosters) before the trade deadline:
1) Baltimore Orioles
2) Boston Red Sox (although they should probably sell)
3) Chicago Cubs
4) Cleveland Indians
5) Houston Astros
6) Kansas City Royals
7) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
8) Los Angeles Dodgers (LAD loves to spend. They are serious contenders for landing David Price or Cole Hamels.)
9) Minnesota Twins
10) New York Mets (they still need hitting, even after the Uribe and Johnson acquisitions.)
11) New York Yankees (a Price or Hamels would add dominance and consistency to the Yanks rotation, but they’re asking price is too high; I see them trading for second baseman Martin Prado and perhaps another reliever.)
12) Pittsburgh Pirates
13) San Francisco Giants
14) Seattle Mariners (although the M’s aren’t going anywhere fast. They’re in a really tough division and Robinson Cano—the $300 million man—has not been producing).
15) St. Louis Cardinals
16) Texas Rangers
17) Washington Nationals
Teams most likely to be sellers (i.e. actively look to trade players in order to begin a rebuilding process) before the trade deadline:
1) Arizona Diamondbacks (BUT, they are apparently interested in Cole Hammels)
2) Atlanta Braves
3) Chicago White Sox
4) Cincinnati Reds
5) Colorado Rockies
6) Detroit Tigers (despite holding onto many of their big name guys thus far, the Tigers will likely trade David Price before July 31st.)
7) Florida Marlins
8) Milwaukee Brewers
9) Oakland Athletics
10) Philadelphia Phillies
11) San Diego Padres
12) Tampa Bay Rays
Sources for all trades: Fox Sports, Yahoo, and ESPN.