About two weeks have passed since the MLB trade deadline, with teams already knowing what they got in return. These four teams made all-in moves and are looking good so far.
- Philadelphia Phillies
What a moment we saw in Philadelphia the other night. Michael Lorenzen, brought in from the Detroit Tigers, threw a no-hitter in his home debut as a Phillie. What an incredible moment. The all-star pitcher’s availability flew under the radar at the deadline, but the Phillies got a difference maker. In his first start in Miami, Lorenzen went eight innings, allowing the Phillies to extend the life of the bullpen.
The Phillies are the consensus the third-best team in the NL, and Lorenzen gives them a six-man rotation for the rest of the season, extending the life of their arms. While the Phillies had more pressing needs in the lineup and bullpen, they chose to trust who they already had in-house, and it seems to be an excellent decision. With the recent epic turnaround of Trea Turner over the deadline, paired with Lorenzen, the Phillies cannot be ignored to repeat as NL Champions.
- Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers were the biggest buyers of the entire trade deadline, and it’s looking to pay off. After acquiring Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery to bolster their already sound starting rotation, the Rangers look like the deepest team in the AL. The Rangers also have an offense that’s complete from top to bottom and has World Series favorites written all over it.
Scherzer and Montgomery have tossed two starts in Rangers uniforms. Scherzer didn’t have a stellar season up in Queens, and it looked like age was catching up with him. However, since a rough opening inning, Scherzer has only allowed a single run over his last eleven innings. Montgomery also has two starts where he’s gone at least six innings and only allowed two earned runs in each outing.
- Houston Astros
Sticking in the AL West, the Astros have been second to the Rangers all year, allowing them to fly under the radar. The reigning World Series champions bolstered the same roster as last year, minus their AL Cy Young Award Winner, Justin Verlander.
With the re-acquisition of Verlander at the deadline, the Astros are thinking ahead to the postseason. There isn’t much to say about this Astros’ championship nucleus. Despite what you want to say about banging trash cans, they’ve proven their excellence. With Verlander back in the fold and looking like a new pitcher since July, the Astros will enjoy sitting back and letting the Rangers get all the attention in the AL as they wait for October.
- Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles have been the best story in baseball this season and look poised to make a deep run into October. Sitting with the second most wins behind only the Atlanta Braves, the O’s youth is flourishing, creating one of the deepest offenses and bullpens. Still, questions surrounding their starting rotation have remained. They’ve gotten by so far but searched for a star at the deadline. Ultimately, they couldn’t find one but made a low-risk, high-reward move that could pay dividends.
Jack Flaherty has been the victim of injuries in recent years after a promising start to his career from 2018-2019. He has been injury free this year, but given the St. Louis Cardinals debacle, he wasn’t putting up the most impressive numbers. A change of scenery was needed. In Baltimore, Flaherty doesn’t need to be an ace. He only needs to give serviceable innings while giving the offense a chance. Through two starts, he’s allowed a combined four earned runs. Flahertys’ stuff has looked electric, holding a 48.5 K% in Baltimore. If he can continue, the O’s could have found a steal.
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