The Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline passed Monday at 4 p.m. ET and there were no major fireworks.
Some players rumored for weeks to be on the move — like Jonathan Lucroy and Jay Bruce — were dealt as expected, but Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale wasn’t traded despite all of the speculation surrounding the left-handed ace.
There still were plenty of deals to assess, so let’s run down some grades for notable trades and teams at this year’s deadline.
Boston Red Sox: B+
The Red Sox recently added Brad Ziegler, and then on Monday they acquired Fernando Abad from the Minnesota Twins. Both moves added much-needed depth to a bullpen that’s been ravaged by injuries. Abad is good against left-handed hitters, too.
Boston also recently acquired All-Star starter Drew Pomeranz from the San Diego Padres to add rotation depth.
Overall, the Red Sox addressed a few pitching needs and didn’t overpay for Sale or any of the other popular names rumored to be available.
St. Louis Cardinals: B
Zach Duke is an under-the-radar addition for the Cardinals who adds much-needed relief depth and a lefty arm that manager Mike Matheny can turn to in tough spots. The cost wasn’t too high, either.
Baltimore Orioles: C
Wade Miley was a nice pickup for an Orioles rotation that ranks 13th out of 15 American League teams with a 5.00 ERA. The Orioles also acquired outfielder Steve Pearce from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Overall, it was an underwhelming deadline for a Baltimore team trying to hold off the Toronto Blue Jays and Red Sox in the AL East.
Cleveland Indians: A-
The Indians are going for it this season. They lead the AL Central and added arguably baseball’s best reliever in Andrew Miller from the New York Yankees.
Adding outfielder Brandon Guyer from the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday also provides Cleveland with more lineup and defensive depth. Guyer is capable of playing all three outfield positions.
New York Yankees: A+
By trading elite relievers Aroldis Chapman and Miller, the Yankees went from having an average farm system to having one of the best in the league. Dealing 39-year-old outfielder Carlos Beltran for the fourth pick in the 2015 draft and two other prospects also was a stellar move.
This kind of prospect depth could allow the Yankees to swing a huge trade in the offseason for a cornerstone-type of player, which they desperately need in the post-Derek Jeter era.
Trading for reliever Tyler Clippard from the Arizona Diamondbacks gives the Yankees a nice low-cost replacement for Miller, too.
Cincinnati Reds: D
The Reds didn’t get much in return for Jay Bruce, who leads the National League with 80 RBIs. The Mets only sent infield prospect Dilson Herrera and left-handed pitching prospect Max Wotell to Cincinnati.
Bruce isn’t just a rental — he has a team option for 2017 — and that makes the lackluster return package even more puzzling. The Reds needed to get more for a quality power hitter on an inexpensive contract.
Texas Rangers: B+
The Rangers were extremely aggressive in adding outfielder Carlos Beltran from the Yankees and catcher Jonathan Lucroy from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Beltran cost the Rangers prospect Dillon Tate, a 2015 first-rounder, but Texas didn’t have to surrender any high-level young talent, like Joey Gallo or Jurickson Profar, for Lucroy.
Overall, the Rangers made two huge additions to their lineup without decimating their farm system. It’s hard to imagine them not winning the AL West, especially since they already have a 6-game lead.
Thumbnail photo via  Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
