Three Winners, Three Losers Following 2024 MLB Trade Deadline

The 2024 MLB trade deadline has officially come and gone, which can only mean one thing: It’s time to evaluate the winners and losers across the league.

Playoff contenders and teams watching their seasons come and go, respectively, made a flurry of moves before the clock hit 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Some were expected. Some came as a surprise. Those that improved weren’t limited to the American or National League, and there was even an outfielder who walked away with a massive individual victory, larger and more notable than what most clubs did.

With that being said, let’s begin with the three winners:

Seattle Mariners (56-52, second place in AL West)
In the last 10 years, the Mariners have clinched a playoff berth only one time, and it resulted in a second-round exit two years ago following an encouraging 90-win season.

Seattle’s front office did its job this go-around by acquiring Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner — two postseason-experienced bats — to the lineup. Both Arozarena and Turner have played in the World Series, in fact, crossing paths in the 2020 Fall Classic, which goes a long way for an organization that hasn’t punched an ALCS ticket since 2001.

The Mariners are neck-and-neck with the first-place Astros, making the Western side of the AL significantly more interesting moving forward.

Los Angeles Dodgers (63-44, first place in NL West)
Another year, another on-brand Dodgers deadline approach, right?

As if adding Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Teoscar Hernández — among others — in a $1.2 billion offseason spending spree wasn’t enough, Los Angeles continued finding ways to add to its (already stacked) roster. The Dodgers acquired relief pitcher Jack Flaherty, who garnered immense trade interest across the league, and outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, adding depth to the bullpen and bench.

However… Los Angeles has amplified its must-win position, leaving zero room to settle for anything less than a (not COVID-19 season-shortened) World Series title.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.
The 26-year-old spent five seasons with the Miami Marlins, playing just three playoff games with the organization while resurging as one of MLB’s flashiest outfielders.

Had it not been for the New York Yankees stepping in, Chisholm would be doomed for another throw-away ending to 2024. The 39-win Marlins are at the bottom of the barrel in the NL East, but the Yankees provide Chisholm with an opportunity to make a difference on a postseason contender in a tight AL East race.

Now… the three biggest losers:

Oakland Athletics (44-64, dead last in AL West)
With no intention to contend or satisfy the (few) still-loyal fans in Oakland, there was one thing the Athletics could’ve done: Sell, sell, sell!

Oakland’s front office, like in many deadlines in previous years, had chips to negotiate with. The Athletics have first-time All-Stars Brent Rooker and Mason Miller but refused to move either of the two, which — if history is any indicator — makes absolutely no sense. It’s hard to imagine Oakland out-bidding the incoming suitors once Rooker and Miller hit free agency, therefore, begging the obvious question: Why retain them?

Chicago White Sox (27-82, dead last in AL Central)
Pitching is a crucial must-have before trotting into October, and while the White Sox had the perfect opportunity to turn their toss-away campaign to someone else’s benefit, a worst-case scenario emerged.

All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet, who’s amassed a 3.23 ERA in 114 1/3 innings pitched with an AL-leading 160 strikeouts, did Chicago a massive injustice. The 25-year-old reportedly threatened potential trade suitors to not pitch in the playoffs unless a contract extension would be awaiting Crochet’s arrival — treating the deadline like a star receiver walking into NFL training camp.

The White Sox are now forced to weather the storm of their horrid 2024 run and struck out at the chance of turning Crochet’s (likely) upcoming departure into a return package.

Houston Astros (56-51, first place in AL West)
Sure, the Astros are atop the AL West — albeit with a mediocre record — but the two-time World Series champions allowed the rival Mariners to improve.

The gap between Houston and Seattle hasn’t made itself apparent, but what has is the willingness of the Mariners’ front office to make a legitimate run, not just for a playoff spot, but for the AL West crown. Granted, the Astros did address one of its needs — starting pitching — by adding Yusei Kikuchi to their rotation, but at a (very) high cost. Houston prospects sent Jake Bloss, Joey Leperfido and Will Wagner — a huge chunk of its farm system — to the Blue Jays.