We’re going through every trade since Tuesday.  Quite a deadline, but not as chaotic as last year.

Royals get: Ben Zobrist, cash

A’s get: Sean Manaea, Aaron Brooks

The Royals were the favorites for Zobrist after the Mets bowed out.  I’m not sure this is the piece the Royals needed.  They addressed pitching, but I didn’t feel like they needed anything else.

Zobrist is mostly going to play outfield for Kansas City.  He’s so versatile, and was the best utility player on the market by a mile.  Outfield, if they were going to add something else, was the top priority for them, in my opinion.  Sure, they got that, but I feel like they over-paid for Zobrist, when they could have gotten strictly an outfielder like Justin Upton or Carlos Gomez.

The prospects going to Oakland are juicy.  Sean Manaea now ranks as the A’s No.4 prospect, and top pitching prospect.  The A’s got great value for Zobrist, and they were going to coming into it.  I just didn’t expect that team to be Kansas City.

Nationals get: Jonathan Papelbon, cash

Phillies get: Nick Pivetta

The Nationals now have one of the best bullpens in baseball, and look around.  Teams aren’t building super rotations as frequently as monster bullpens.  The Nationals, since they have a faulty defense with a -14 DRS, need good pitching, whether it’s starting or relieving.  They’ve now completed the relieving side, as they had already taken care of the starters long ago.

The Phillies were going to get value out of Papelbon, and they did with Nick Pivetta.  Pivetta is now the Phillies No.10 prospect, in what’s a deep farm system.

Angels get: David Murphy, David DeJesus

Rays get: Eduar Lopez

Indians get: Eric Staments

These were really two separate trades, but I’m putting them together since they were made within 10 minutes of each other.

Everyone was confused with the Angels when this went down.  First, they traded for two outfielders with the name David.  Secondly, this gave them a 3rd left fielder on their active roster.

Everyone then settled down and figured it out:  With Matt Joyce struggling, the Angels were going to platoon Shane Victorino and David Murphy in left field, then platoon at DH with David DeJesus.  That’s their thinking.

I mean, I guess.  Murphy hasn’t exactly been great in left since he joined the Angels (Did you see Wednesday night’s Angels-Astros game?? LOL).  They’re in the middle of a division race, so I guess they’re doing what they think will work.  Good luck with that.

Neither prospect is in either teams’ top 30, nor have I heard of either.

Rangers get: Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, cash

Phillies get: Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Matt Harrison, Jake Thompson, Jered Eickhoff, Alec Asher

We knew Cole Hamels was gonna get moved.  We’d been talking about it for almost a year now.  After a huge race, the Rangers ended up the winners.

After Hamels threw a no-hitter Saturday, offers from teams were increased, but I didn’t expect the no-hitter to play a huge role.  I thought his value would remain the same.

Turns out, the Phillies over-sold Hamels.  He desperately wanted out, which was something I’d thought decrease his trade value.  Teams dropped out as the price got higher.  Now that we see what that price was, I totally get why teams like the Giants, Dodgers, and Astros dropped out.

Look at what the Phillies got.  Three of those names are future stars, and all five prospects are in the Rangers’ top 30.  Matt Harrison seemed to be a throw-in since the Rangers got more than Hamels out of the deal.

Jorge Alfaro has huge upside as a catcher, with a Yadier Molina-like arm.  Nick Williams is a huge name, and will be a great offensive outfielder.  Those are only two of the five prospects the Rangers gave up, in a deal that’s gonna have huge repercussions in the future.

The Rangers currently sit 8 games back in the AL West, and 4 games back in the Wild Card.  However, unlike most pitchers on the trade market, Hamels is locked up.  His contract is through 2019, where he’s owed a ton of money till then.  This move isn’t only about this season for Texas.  It’s about the future of their rotation.  Paring Hamels with Yu Darvish next season (and for many seasons to come) will be fun, especially for Rangers fans.

But is giving up five top 30 prospects, including two future stars, worth it?

It depends on what a team values more.  Position players or pitchers.  Free agents or the draft.  The Rangers have been able to sign free agents for awhile now, and draft really well (as this trade shows).  Texas may not make the playoffs this year, but they sure have some promising pieces.  Pieces that they know will turn out.

That’s the risk everyone has to take.  Unless the trade totally backfires, there’s no way all five prospects the Rangers traded will live up to their potential.  That’s a win right there for Texas.

Again, this is not going to be a trade that we immediately know who’s the winner.  This may go on until Hamels’ contract is up.  Or until the Phillies call up the prospects the obtained.

Then there’s the argument of “Well, the Rangers made this trade without giving up Joey Gallo, Chi Chi Gonzalez, or Nomar Mazara.”  Ok, well, they still gave up three of their top 10 guys, where two of those will be stars.  It did seem however, that Mazara and Joey Gallo were untouchable, and had the Phillies asked, there might have been an “How dare you?” from one of the Rangers’ front office people.

This was all about the future for both teams.  Who gets the higher reward, that remains to be seen.

Pirates get: Joe Blanton

Royals get: Cash

After the trade above, this is a little bit of a dud.  Again, super bullpens.  More on the Pirates later.

Cardinals get: Brandon Moss

Indians get: Rob Kaminsky

With Matt Holiday being out again with an injury, this makes perfect sense for the Cardinals.

Holiday being hurt again isn’t only bad for the Cardinals, but it just sucks as a baseball fan.  This just isn’t his year.

Anyways, Moss is a huge get for St. Louis.  He gives them the offense they lack without Holiday, and man, Moss is clutch.

It came at a price though.  Rob Kaminsky is now the Indians 3rd best prospect overall.  The left hander has dizzied batters in the minors with his curveball.

This trade is gonna get underrated, and’ll be important down the road.  I just don’t know what side of it that’ll come from.

Blue Jays get: David Price

Tigers get: Matt Boyd, Daniel Norris, Jario Labourt

The Blue Jays needed an arm, badly.  Their pitching is what’s keeping them out of the playoff hunt, as they sit 6 games back in the division and 2 games back in the AL Wild Card race.

For now, Toronto has to get back into the race.  Getting David Price is huge for that.  He immediately becomes their ace.

Detroit was gonna get a nice package back for him, and they sure did here.  Daniel Norris is promising prospect who’s had a rough year, but ranks 25th overall in the MLB Prospect rankings.  Matt Boyd, a rookie who’s gone 0-2 in the majors so far this season, is also promising.  Though his ERA is an ugly, ugly 14.85, his WAR in his two starts is only a -0.5.  It could be a lot worse.

Jario Labourt is a throw in here.  I’ve honestly never heard of him.

For Toronto, while Price will most likely be a rental, this gives them an ace moving forward.  Whether they make the playoffs or not, this move shows they’re truly all in.  Not everything pays off, but the Blue Jays are making themselves playoff contenders with their moves.  Now they need a run, and that’s something they’re plenty capable of.

Yankees get: Dustin Ackley

Mariners get: Jose Ramirez, Ramon Flores

Dustin Ackley was the best utility player on the market after Ben Zobrist got traded.  New York has had issues at 2nd base and shortstop this season, as they’re last in WAR at 2nd base with a -1.4.  Ackley’s been sub-par on offense this season, but is big upgrade at 2nd base per DRS.  Ackley can move around, as said above, but his defensive production drops at other positions.

Dodgers get: Mat Latos, Alex Wood, Jim Johnson, Michael Morse (more on him later), Bronson Arroyo, Luis Avillan, Jose Peraza, cash

Braves get: Hector Olivera, Paco Rodriguez, Zach Bird, draft pick

Marlins get: Kevin Guzmen, Jeff Brigham, Victor Araujo

Before this trade was completely finished, we’d been talking about it for 48 hours prior.  When the whole thing was confirmed, it totaled to a three team, 13 player, blockbuster deal, where the Dodgers receive multiple impact players, the Braves get a very nice prospect, and the Marlins continue to be the Marlins.

Let’s break it down team by team…

The Dodgers acquired two starters in this deal, after losing out on Cole Hamels and David Price.  There were rumors that Alex Wood could be flipped, but that was when we thought the Dodgers were landing one of the two bigger pitching names.  Los Angeles was looking to upgrade their rotation, and they end up getting two guys who’re solid.  Mat Latos has had a rough year, partly due to the offseason trade that sent him from the Reds to Miami.  However, it gives the Dodgers a reliable arm.  They know what they’re getting out of Latos.

Alex Wood is only 24, and has had a good year at 7-6 and a 3.54 ERA.  This is a guy who still has development to go through, but it gives the a promising young arm, who can help them immediately.  Jim Johnson has had a pinball career, but it pitching well this season with a 1.4 WAR.  He gives the Dodgers another bullpen arm, which again, we know what teams have done so far with this deadline:  Super bullpens.

Michael Morse got DFA’d, then traded, and Bronson Arroyo got traded again.  Nothing to see here.  Jose Peraza is ranked as the No.30 prospect in baseball, which seems like a straight up swap for Hector Olivera.

The Braves get one big piece out of this, and that’s international prospect Hector Olivera.  After signing a major contract with the Dodgers in the offseason, he hadn’t been called up, and was battling injuries.  The Braves were happy to have him, since they were the runner-up to the Dodgers for his services.  Getting rid of Alex Wood can’t feel good, but when you’re trading with multiple teams, lots of players get tossed around.  Wood happened to be one of those.

Then there’s the Marlins, who continue to be the Marlins.  Trying to save money by letting solid players go and getting nothing back for them.

That’s a tad bit of a stretch, but they basically got two prospects who have some potential back for a solid starting pitcher and good outfielder.  Jeff Bigham and Victor Araujo rank in their top 30, but the Marlins could have, if they wanted to, gotten more back.

Pirates get: Joakim Soria

Tigers get: JaCoby Jones

I think the Tigers should just put a pitching machine out there for the other team to hit when their starters come out.  Detroit needed bullpen, even though they are in fact sellers.  The last thing they should of done was trade relievers, and that’s what they did with Joakim Soria.

It came at a price for Pittsburgh.  JaCoby Jones is now the Tigers No.11 prospect in their farm system.

However, the Pirates are doing what many other teams are.  Building a super bullpen in front of their defense, which in the Pirates case, is pretty average.  Soria is reliable, and gets out of the disaster which is the Tigers’ bullpen.

Astros get: Carlos Gomez, Mike Fiers

Brewers get: Josh Hader. Adrian Houser, Brett Phillips, Domingo Santana

After one of the weirdest trades not to happen, Carlos Gomez got sent to Houston instead of the Mets.  There was no question the Brewers were going to move him, it was just a matter of when.

With George Springer hurt, the Astros have been struggling in right field.  Getting Gomez gives them a solid outfielder and a bat, which the Astros seem like they can’t get enough of.

Houston was also looking for another pitcher, and they got one in Mike Fiers.  The Brewers were unlikely to move Fiers earlier this week, but obviously the Astros threw in more prospects to make them move him.

Speaking of those prospects, two of them are Top 100 in the MLB.  Brett Phillips is the 39th ranked prospect in all of baseball, and could be the outfielder of the future for the the Brewers.  Domingo Santana is another promising outfielder, who has an insane OPS in the minor leagues.

The Astros, with this deadline, have established themselves as a serious threat, and look like the best team in their division.

Giants get: Mike Leake

Reds get: Adam Duvall, Keury Mella

San Francisco has had a sketchy rotation all year when it comes to injuries.  The Giants pushed for Cole Hamels, but as we read above, the price was way too high for them.  Mike Leake became officially available yesterday, so the Giants jumped on a cheaper, but still solid starter.  Leake will jump right into the rotation with Tim Hudson hurt.

The Reds got a good deal here, and I’m very sad to see Adam Duvall go from San Francisco.  However, the Giants are thinking long term, and hope to re-sign Leake when he becomes a free agent at the season’s end.

Orioles get: Gerardo Parra

Brewers get: Zach Davies

The Orioles have had trouble making up their minds at this deadline, but now it’s clear they were buyers.  Gerardo Parra is a good bat, and is exactly what they were looking for.  However, I feel like the Brewers over-sold him, as Zach Davies was the 3rd best prospect in the Orioles system prior to the trade.

Cubs get: Dan Haren

Marlins get: Elliot Soto, Ivan Pineyro

I like this move for the Cubs.  It wasn’t expensive, as neither prospect is in the MLB Top 100.  Dan Haren is getting old, but is having a good season at 7-7 with a 3.42 ERA.  They needed one more arm.

Blue Jays get: Ben Revere

Phillies get: Jimmy Cordero, Alberto Tirado

Hey look!  The Blue Jays traded for someone who doesn’t hit home runs!  It’s a miracle!   Anyways, Revere is having a nice season offensively, but I don’t really see why the Blue Jays did this.  They already got what they needed.  They over-exceeded going “All in”.  It’s low risk considering what they’re giving up.  There was a team who could’ve used Revere more than Toronto.

Twins get: Kevin Jepsen

Rays get: Chih-Wei Hu, Alexis Tapia

The Twins had to upgrade their bullpen.  I was telling friends that, if a move was going to happen for them, it would be in the bullpen.  Kevin Jepsen has a 0.6 WAR on the season, which is fine.  His low ERA is a better sign at 2.86.  Minnesota got a better setup guy for Glen Perkins.  With their starters 18th in innings, they need a strong bullpen to take over.  That’s been part of the problem this season… Why they blow leads and such.

A’s get: Felix Doubront

Blue Jays get: Cash

Remember when Felix Doubront was good?? Yeah, happier times then.

Mets get: Yoenis Cespedes

Tigers get: Michael Fulmer, Luis Cessa

The Mets, after flopping on Carlos Gomez and Jay Bruce, finally got their bat.  Yoenis Cespedes has been a pinball the past two seasons, but he makes impacts offensively and defensively.  He loves Citi Field, as the Home Run Derby two years ago showed.

This completes the Mets’ week.  They landed Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson, Tyler Clippard, and Yoenis Cespedes in a week, filling holes and boosting offense.  This is huge for Mets fans.  They’ve been complaining forever.  Their ownership has realized the time is now.

Cubs get: Tommy Hunter

Orioles get: Junior Lake

This deal came across late, as did the one below.  I love Junior Lake, though he’s had a rough year and hasn’t played much.  I think it was a little tough for the Cubs to move him.

The Cubs wanted to get someone for the bullpen, and they got that in Tommy Hunter.  He’s been solid this season with a 3.63 ERA, but has a small WAR value, and gives up a lot of hits.  The Cubs were desperate, and when you’re desperate late, Tommy Hunter’s the type of guy you end up with.

Pirates get: Michael Morse, cash

Dodgers get: Jose Tabata

Oh there’s so many storylines with this trade.  First, Michael Morse did end up getting flipped, as many expected him to.  However, we thought the Dodgers would trade him to get some big name.  I’m pretty sure they weren’t trying to trade for Jose Tabata, who became famous after this.

Morse gives the Pirates some more offense.  He was DFA’d after being acquired by the Dodgers.

Pirates get: J.A. Happ

Mariners get: Adrian Sampson

Pirates making moves late!  I’ve always liked J.A. Happ.  His story’s very cool after he was struck by a line drive in the head in 2013.  Anyways, he’s struggled this year, and the Blue Jays were probably going to pull him out of the rotation had he not improved.  The Pirates are gonna do something with Happ.  I don’t know….   It’s pretty surprising that Seattle got an actual person out of this trade.  I thought, when it first went down, it’d be for cash.

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That’s all the trades from Tuesday onward!  Here’s a list of winners and disappointments.

Winners:

• Royals
• Blue Jays
• Mets
• Astros
• Phillies
• Dodgers

Disappointments: 

• Padres
• Yankees
• Red Sox
• White Sox
• Twins (kinda)
• Marlins
• Reds
• Diamondbacks