Grade the overall trade deadline 2024

[Frobby]

All deals dating back to the Domínguez and Eflin acquisitions should be included in your grade.   What say you?

[G54377]

I think it deserved a high grade because

1. we didn't really give up anything that was going to help in the near future save maybe Norby

2. We didn't give up any of the top prospects, or veterans that would actually play (thus not Hays)

3. every player can be on ( at least) the 2025 team if we so choose

[StottyByNature]

There’s no doubt we are better now than at the same point last week. That should stabilize our regular season trajectory.  We didn’t land a postseason difference maker but I’m ok with not paying the high cost.

Only move I questioned was Rogers but I see why we made the deal.  Felt like a bit much to give up.  

I love that Elias went for guys with multiple years of control.  

[glenn__davis]

I went B-/C+.  I liked most of the moves in a vacuum but really didn't like the Rogers move.  Don't really mind giving up Stowers or Norby, I'm just not convinced Rogers is going to be very good.  But obviously hope I'm wrong.

All in all it was a typical Elias deadline.  Moderate improvements, value added.

[Cuellar35]

At the end there weren't any true difference makers traded.  No Skubal, no Crochet, no Robert, no Guerrero.  Every team was nibbling at the edges.  But with the fact no super team has emerged so far every slight improvement can be a factor.

I always come back to this....the playoffs are a crapshoot, the epitome of SSS.  Anyone, or team, can get hot or get some fortunate breaks and win a short series.  You just try to get in and take your chances.  The additional playoff rounds make it flukier.  

[LookitsPuck]

I’d say B-, maybe a B.

The team is clearly better, but no TOR arm nor elite reliever. They plugged all the holes they needed.

I do like there are controllable arms. 

I would have expected somebody higher impact when giving up a Norby type. That’s my main quip.

The other quip are the bullpen arms have warts. Soto is excellent against lefties, not so against righties. Has control issues. Domínguez is excellent against righties, not so against lefties. I do like that the SP and BP acquisitions push out Irvin, Baker, probably Smith and add Suarez,  Soto, Dominguez. That’s a better bullpen. But there are definitely risks.

[Campmoon]

I'm giving a B+/B.

We improved the team somewhat this year and next though I had wished to see a bigger impact SP and RP. We also kept our top prospects though giving up a lot of depth. 

Moved up from a B-/C+ grade due to the crazy sellers market this year.

[Three Run Homer]

We did not get a frontline starter or a clear upgrade at closer.  But Elias got meaningful upgrades to the back of the rotation and to the bullpen, and didn't have to trade any of our frontline prospects or young stars.   Eflin might turn out to be the best starter traded at the deadline.  Dominguez and Soto should improve the bullpen in the 7th/8th and have closer experience in case Kimbrell melts down towards the end of the season.  

Slater is an interesting acquisition.  Up until this season he would have been the perfect fourth outfielder for this team--he can play all three positions, he hits right-handed and he gets on base.  This season his offense has fallen off a cliff.  Elias is betting that he can turn things around and be a better version of Austin Hays.   

Jimenez is another buy-low upside play.  He was once one of the top young hitters in baseball but he's had injuries and this year he's produced very little.  Again Elias is betting on a bounce back.  The downside to Jimenez is that he blocks Mayo and probably means that Kjerstad is going to go back to Norfolk--I don't see how there is room for both of them on the team.  

[SteveA]

The fact that Skubal and Snell never got dealt, and that apparently there are some health concerns with Flaherty even though he did get dealt, means we got one of the better starting pitchers who actually got moved.   That raises my opinion of that deal from my initial reaction.

We needed:

   -- A front end starter:  we got one of the best that got moved

   -- A back end starter:  we got one.   Probably not one of the best, but still someone who is going to go out every 5th day and give us innings and is better than Povich.  And he's a lefty.

   -- Bullpen help:  we got two pretty good arms.   The one quantity they both possess is the ability to finish off batters once they get two strikes, something that is badly lacking in our pen.   Are they flawed?   Sure, each has a high walk rate, and each has a pretty strong platoon split which makes them vulnerable to one side.

   -- RH bat OF/DH:  we got 3 (Jiminez, Pache, Slater) althought one or two might be gone.   The only really good bat in the 3 is a defensive liability and will make roster construction a bit tricky moving forward.   And will potentially delay the arrival of Mayo.

So we filled every need.   In all four cases, or five if you count the two relievers as separate needs, we didn't get the guy who was at the top of most fan's wish list.    On the other hand, we didn't give up the farm either.   We gave up Austin Hays, who was probably gone after this year, two guys who are potential major leaguers but are blocked, and some lower level prospects.   We cut bait with Irvin.

I think overall we did pretty well.  There are some scenarios where this could turn out to not be as good a deadline once we have the benefit of hindsight:

   -- if Rogers is basically a Flaherty level of ineffective down the stretch and a non factor in the postseason

   -- If Jiminez provides nothing (remember Aguilar) and we would have been better off just promoting Mayo

   -- If the revamped bullpen still isn't good enough and wilts and becomes our undoing in the October crucible

Each of those things COULD happen, the question is how likely is it?

[Aristotelian]

I would give it A-. I did not want us to trade any of Holliday, Mayo, Basallo, or Kjerstad. I think Elias did a good job of filling holes and maximizing return for the guys he was willing to trade. I actually did not expect more than one starter and one reliever, but we netted two of each. 

I wish it helped a bit more this year, but we are going to be scary next year with Bautista and potentially Bradish coming back for the stretch run. Rogers is cheap enough that we have solidified the post-Burnes rotation while still having some flexibility to sign a free agent or extend one of the young stars. 

I would have considered one of our elite prospects for Skubal but I do not believe he was available. I am glad we didn't trade for Crochet after his contract demands.

If we somehow would have gotten an ace level starter that would make it an A, but as it is I can't find much fault with Elias so I think he deserves A-.

[ChipTait]

B+

Thrilled that ownership was willing to take on salary (Eflin, et al).

Was hoping for a Tanner Scott reunion, but not at the prospect cost SD paid.

Not certain what ME and the gang are thinking in regard to a couple of the hitters, but I'm the first to admit I have no clue how to judge talent.  I leave that to you guys.

Very interested to see what the roster looks like by Saturday.

Let's Go O's!

[Birdland in NC]

I gave it a D because we didn’t get a closer, and we really don’t have any chance in the playoffs with Kimbrell closing games. So I feel like we kind of gave up on this season and are looking to regroup next year.   
 

[Aristotelian]

1 minute ago, Birdland in NC said:

I gave it a D because we didn’t get a closer, and we really don’t have any chance in the playoffs with Kimbrell closing games. So I feel like we kind of gave up on this season and are looking to regroup next year.   
 

Seranthony and Soto both have closing experience. Seranthony has a playoff save and sub-2 playoff ERA. 

[ChicagoTerp]

Gave it a C.

Eflin: A

Dominguez: B

Rogers: C

Jimenez: D

Slater: F

G. Soto: B

[Roll Tide]

23 minutes ago, ChicagoTerp said:

Gave it a C.

Eflin: A

Dominguez: B

Rogers: C

Jimenez: D

Slater: F

G. Soto: B

I liked the Eflin deal and the Reilly deal the best and give both A’s. The later since we got our now ranked #15 prospect for a got that was around #30. 
 

Id really like to defer judgment on the rest …. But gave the overall a C as well for now.