The non-waiver trade deadline has passed, and today absolutely did not disappoint those seeking lots of trade action. Several surprising moves occurred, and another Cy Young winner was moved, but it wasn't Roy Halladay…
Trades that happened:
- If at first you don't succeed, try try again. The White Sox tried again, and this time they landed their ace, as Jake Peavy approved a trade to the South Side. The White Sox sent Aaron Poreda, Clayton Richard, Adam Russell and Dexter Carter to the Padres in exchange. Peavy's recovering from a torn tendon in his ankle, but will pitch again in 2009 most likely.
- Another big name on the move, Victor Martinez went to the Red Sox in exchange for Justin Masterson, Bryan Price, and Nick Hagadone. This move made newly acquired Adam LaRoche expendable, and he was sent back to Atlanta for a second tour in exchange for Casey Kotchman.
- The White Sox weren't the only AL Central team to strengthen their rotation; the Tigers landed Jarrod Washburn in exhcange for Luke French and Mauricio Robles. Does this put them over the top as the team to beat?
- The AL Central was a flurry of action, as the Twins acquired veteran shortstop Orlando Cabrera in exchange for minor league shortstop Tyler Ladendorf. The Twins played the waiting game, and it paid off, as they wound up not dealing their #5 prospect, Danny Valencia, whom the A's reportedly originally asked for. The A's even sent $500K as well.
- Yesterday, I said it looked like Scott Rolen would remain in Toronto. Shows what I know. He was acquired by the Reds for Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Roenicke, and Zach Stewart. The Jays are sending $4MM as well.
- Colorado shored up its bullpen, adding Joe Beimel in exchange for minor leaguers Ryan Mattheus and Robinson Fabian.
- We've heard Nick Johnson rumors for months now, and he finally was traded on the last day, within the division, to the Marlins. The Marlins sent Double-A lefty Aaron Thompson to the Nats in exchange. The Nats are paying the remainder of Johnson's salary.
- Who said the Yankees would have a quiet deadline? They acquired Jerry Hairston Jr. in exchange for minor leaguer Chase Weems.
- In a more minor move, the Blue Jays acquired Double-A pitcher Sean Smith from the Pirates for future considerations.
- Finally, the Dodgers acquired Vinny Rottino from the Brewers, sending Claudio Vargas their way for a reunion with his former club.
Moves that didn't happen:
- So many rumors, so few results. At long last, Roy Halladay is… a Toronto Blue Jay. The Jays were clearly not "wowed," as J.P. Ricciardi required. In the end, no team wanted to pay the multiple top prospects that were asked for.
- A few new names were added to the Heath Bell mix, including the Twins, Dodgers, and Angels. However, when the smoke had cleared, Bell stayed in San Diego, right alongside fellow All-Star Adrian Gonzalez. The Padres elected not to move their two best players, both of whom are under control for several more years. According to Jayson Stark, Gonzalez's asking price was "astronomical." The Padres were asking for "three times as much" as the Jays were asking for Halladay. Yikes.
- Several teams reportedly inquired on Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, but all of them came up short. The Red Sox, Tigers, and Rays all asked, and while Jack Zduriencik listened, he eventually rejected all offers. King Felix is staying put.
- Several Royals drew interest, but in the end, Brian Bannister, Mark Teahen, and Willie Bloomquist all stayed put as well.
- The Dodgers and Angels have both been after bullpen arms, and it looks like they'll take those interests into August. Neither team acquired an arm today, so they'll likely be scouring the waiver wires throughout August to add a piece or two.
What was the biggest surprise of the day? Who were the big winners and losers? And most importantly, what do you see on the horizon for August?
Remember, the non-waiver trade deadline passing doesn't mean there won't be more trades flying about in August. Last year, we saw some noteable August deals, including Adam Dunn going to the Diamondbacks. Many analysts have said that due to player salaries and economic situations, this year's non-waiver deadline means less than any before. So check back as MLBTR continues to cover all of the action across the baseball universe!
