The MLB trade deadline was one month ago and now it’s time to look back on the deals that either should or shouldn’t have happened.
I spoke with scouts and executives around the league about the trades or war room strategies they liked, didn’t like or are questioning the most. Let’s dive into what they had to say.
The Cincinnati Reds didn’t do enough
One American League executive I talked to was surprised the Cincinnati Reds (67-74) didn’t do more at the trade deadline. The executive questioned the Reds’ decision to hold onto catcher Tyler Stephenson and starter Brady Singer, who are both playing on expiring deals.
The Reds were five games under .500 at the deadline and not close to postseason contention. They did trade Nathaniel Lowe and Caleb Ferguson, but received minimal in return. They didn’t ship out pending free agents: Stephenson, Singer, Brock Burke or Eugenio Suarez. Suarez was placed on waivers last month, but went unclaimed, which indicates his market was slim to none. Reliever Pierce Johnson, who has a mutual option in 2027, also could’ve been traded but wasn’t.
The Red Sox gave up too much for Adley Rutschman
An AL scout I talked with pointed out that while the Boston Red Sox received a good catcher in Adley Rutschman, they gave up a lot to get him. The Red Sox sent the following package to the Baltimore Orioles: No. 2 prospect Anthony Eyanson, No. 4 prospect Kyson Witherspoon, No. 5 prospect Enddy Azocar, catcher Carlos Narvaez and a player to be named later, which turned out to be No. 13 prospect Harold Rivas.
The Red Sox got Rutschman, fellow catcher Jake Rogers, who was designated for assignment shortly thereafter, and cash considerations from Baltimore. Rutschman, a former No. 1 overall pick, has another year of control in 2027. Rutschman has gotten off to a slow start with Boston, but crushed two homers against his former team on Thursday in his first game back at Camden Yards since the trade. This could be a sign that he’s coming out of his slump.
Marcelo Mayer could be a huge win for the Giants
Speaking of the Red Sox, they also traded former top prospect infielder Marcelo Mayer to the San Francisco Giants for lefty reliever Erik Miller and outfield prospect Carlos Gutierrez. One NL scout I spoke with was surprised Boston did this trade and believes the “value doesn’t add up” on the deal.
“If the Giants can get a two-plus WAR season out of (Mayer), that’s a huge win for them,” the scout said.
While Miller comes along with three years of arbitration and has been fantastic with Boston (0.73 ERA in 12.1 innings), Mayer has six-plus years of control remaining. Mayer was also expected to be the shortstop of the future with the Red Sox, and they gave up on him after only 114 MLB games.
The Cardinals got a lot from their NL Central rival
The same NL scout said the St. Louis Cardinals got “a really good package for two rentals” in the return for starter Dustin May and lefty reliever JoJo Romero. The Cardinals traded May and Romero, both on expiring deals, to the NL Central rival Milwaukee Brewers for minor leaguers Alexander Frías and Josiah Ragsdale.
Frías and Ragsdale are ranked No. 4 and No. 11, respectively, in the Cardinals’ farm system, per MLB Pipeline. It’s fair to question what the Brewers gave up, but Milwaukee has a deep and loaded farm system, so they could afford to give up some top prospects.
Twins overpaid for two relievers
Another NL scout I spoke with believes the Minnesota Twins “wildly overpaid” for two relievers in A.J. Minter and Jeff Hoffman.
“In both deals they traded guys that have real major league upside,” the scout said. “Dasan Hill, who headlined the Hoffman deal, was my highest rated pitcher in their system.
“(Billy) Amick has a real chance to be an impact bat in the Minter deal. Just an exceptional overpay for two relief guys in a playoff race they were likely to fall out of.”
The Twins traded Hill (Twins’ No. 7 prospect), John Klein (No. 17) and Dameury Pena, as well as international bonus pool space for Hoffman and cash. Minnesota will pay the rest of Hoffman’s $3.25 million this season and will get $3.75 million from the Toronto Blue Jays for Hoffman’s $11 million 2027 salary.
The Twins acquired Minter from the New York Mets for Amick and Bruin Agbayani. Minter will be a free agent after the season. Minnesota is currently 67-74 and 4.5 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot, meaning their playoff chances are slim.
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