Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline was highlighted by the trade that sent Nationals megastar Juan Soto to the Padres. And San Diego didn’t stop there, bringing in a host of other key players to help boost its chances of making the postseason.
However, the Padres weren’t the only team to add pieces before the deadline that will affect not only their long-term future, but also their playoff chances this season.
Where does each team stand after the deadline as they enter August?
Our expert panel combined to rank every team in baseball based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schonfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, June Lee and Alden Gonzalez to chime in with observations for all 30 teams.
Week 16 | Second Half Preview | Preseason standings
Record: 70-33
Previous ranking: 1
The Dodgers made a failed run in Soto, took a flyer on Joey Gallo, made a modest upgrade to their bullpen in Chris Martin and didn’t add a starting pitcher, which outsiders identified as their area of greatest need. It was a much more conservative approach to the deadline than Dodgers fans expected — and that’s largely due to the returning players. Dustin May, nearly 15 months removed from Tommy John surgery, has looked good in his rehab outings and could be a difference-maker for a rotation that already leads the majors in ERA. Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol and Danny Duffy could return soon to help bolster the bullpen. And down the road, there’s Walker Buehler, who stands as a major wild card. In short: The Dodgers believe they have enough to win it all. — Gonzalez
Record: 70-36
Previous ranking: 2
The Yankees made several moves to improve their roster at the deadline, adding one of the best pitchers in Frankie Montas and bolstering the outfield with Andrew Benintendi and Harrison Bader. In the process, the team dealt Gallo to the Dodgers, Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals, and will no longer have to rely on Aaron Hicks for as much offensive production. New York could use the extra help after struggling throughout July, going 13-13. — Lee
Record: 68-38
Previous ranking: 3
Justin Verlander’s historic comeback from Tommy John surgery is sure to make his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, an industry celebrity. Of course, Verlander himself has had a lot of work to do in his recovery, which has led him back to his previous level at age 39. Entering his start Thursday, Verlander is 14-3 with a 1.81 ERA, with his win and total ERA tops in the American League. At this point, Verlander appears to be in a three-pitcher race for AL Cy Young honors, joining Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan and Chicago’s Dylan Cease. The amazing Shohei Ohtani is probably in that conversation as well. If Verlander wins it, it will be the definitive statement that he is fully back. He won the Cy Young in 2019, the year before he got hurt, then appeared in just one game in 2020 and 2021. That’s remarkable. — Doolittle
Record: 65-38
Previous ranking: 4
The Mets only added around the edges — upsetting more than a few of their fans — with a platoon DH in Darin Ruf (.886 OPS against lefties) and reliever Mychal Givens (2.66 ERA with the Cubs). However, they had previously acquired outfielder Tyler Naquin and DH Dan Vogelbach. It’s under the radar, but the Vogelbach/Ruf platoon should give the Mets one of the best DH options in the National League after getting little production there most of the season. We’ll see if they regret not adding a lefty. Oh, and they had one more addition: Jacob deGrom returned Tuesday, hit 102 mph and allowed one run over five innings with six K against what was undoubtedly a Triple A-level Nationals lineup. — Schonfield
Record: 60-46
Previous ranking: 7
Juan Soto is headed to San Diego in one of the biggest deals in MLB. Here’s what you need to know about the deal.
What this means for the Padres — and the rest of MLB »
Padres & Nationals Ratings »
I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but the Padres did pretty well for themselves at the trade deadline. It took a massive haul of promising young talent — most notably C.J. Abrams, Mackenzie Gore and Robert Hassel III — but the Padres secured perhaps the best pure hitter since Ted Williams midway through his 23-year season. They had competed on the strength of a deep, strong team, and now they added Soto — and Josh Bell and Brandon Drury — to a lineup that will soon be bolstered by the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. The Dodgers may have a lot of support in the NL West, but they have a battle ahead of them. — Gonzalez
Record: 63-42
Previous ranking: 5
The Braves made another flurry of trades at the deadline, acquiring starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi from the Astros (for reliever Will Smith), reliever Rayzel Iglesias from the Angels (for pitchers Tucker Davidson and Jesse Chavez), outfielder Robbie Grossman from the Tigers and infielder Hire Adriana from the nationals. The biggest news, though, was that somehow in the middle of all this, the Braves signed Austin Riley to a 10-year, $212 million contract extension.
“It’s definitely a goal for me to be here my whole career,” Riley said. “Guys that have come before me, like Hank Aaron and Chipper Jones, it’s pretty special to know that you could potentially have that opportunity.” — Schonfield
Record: 58-46
Previous ranking: 6
With the Blue Jays climbing to second in the American League East standings, one of the keys to this team moving forward will be Jose Berrios, who has a 4.96 ERA this season. There is reason for optimism with Berrios, however, after the righty posted a 3.00 ERA in 36 innings in July while striking out 42 batters — his highest total in any month so far this season. — Lee
Record: 57-46
Previous ranking: 8
You have to admire the Brewers. They are willing to do whatever they think is right to win now and keep their window open as long as possible. The Josh Hader trade was designed to do just that. Being one step ahead is a fine line while trying to win at the same time, but after the dust settles, Milwaukee might not have lost that much in the pen. There have been some cracks in Hader’s armor recently, and the Brewers were counting on the opportunity to trade him now. They probably would anyway in the near future as his salary was growing. — Rogers
Record: 55-48
Previous ranking: 9
Sure, the Cards didn’t pick up starters of the caliber of Montas or Luis Castillo at the deadline, but, like last year, they made moves on the fringes that could land them in the top spot eventually. Jordan Montgomery and Jose Quintana fill the backfield needs, while Chris Stratton does it in the middle of the pen. But is it enough? JA Happ and Jon Lester helped the Cards reach the postseason after being acquired last July, but the St. Louis didn’t make it deep until October. The same could be true of the lineup this season. — Rogers
Record: 57-49
Previous ranking: 12
The Mariners surprised everyone by acquiring Castillo from the Reds, but it cost them three of their top five prospects, including shortstops Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo. However, Castillo is under team control for one more season, giving them the top starter in the rotation to help perhaps limit the innings of George Kirby and Logan Gilbert down the stretch, meaning the Mariners will be heading into 2023 d. with six good starting pitcher options. However, they added nothing of note to the offense, a lineup that is without Julio Rodriguez for another week after he suffered a sprained wrist. They’ll bring Mitch Haniger back soon, but he’ll have to make a huge impact. — Schonfield
Record: 56-48
Previous ranking: 13
2 Connected
The Phillies made three significant trades on deadline day, acquiring starter Noah Syndergaard, reliever David Robertson and center fielder Brandon Marsh, while also acquiring shortstop Edmundo Sosa a few days earlier. Marsh’s trade, to capture prospect Logan O’Hope, may be the most intriguing. Marsh gives the Phillies their best defensive center fielder in years, though he struggled in his first full season in the majors, hitting .226/.284/.353 for the Angels. O’Hoppe, who played in the Futures Game, was hitting .275/.392/.496 with 15 home runs at Double-A. The Phillies gave up a good prospect, but they needed a legitimate center fielder and will hope Marsh’s bat comes through as they push for a wild-card spot. — Schonfield
Record: 55-49
Previous ranking: 11
Depth, depth, depth is the key to the rest of the Rays season. The team has 15 players on the injured list — and quite a few of them are members of the pitching staff. Tampa Bay is missing Wonder Franco, who is still second on the team in WAR among position players. The offense relies on Yandy Diaz, who is hitting .286/.395/.398 with five homers in 93 games played so far this season. — Lee
Record: 55-49
Previous ranking: 10
The Twins continue to cling to a narrow lead in the division while stumbling on the field. Minnesota has dropped 12 of 19 games dating back to July 6. During that span, the Twins have given up 5.8 runs per game, second most in the majors, and only two teams have given up more homers. Of course, the Twins are hoping that their pickups at the deadline will bolster the staff, but the guys on the arm need to continue as well. Since the start of July, the Twins’ rotation has posted a combined ERA of 6.09, with Joe Ryan besting 4.55. Every other starter with more than one out has posted an ERA of 5.92 or worse since July 1. — Doolittle
Record: 54-50
Previous ranking: 15
The keepers did nothing at the trade deadline to speak of (almost literally), and on the field, Cleveland continues to toe the line of breaking even along with the other contenders in their division. To keep things upbeat, let’s focus on the continued dominance of closers…
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