MLB’s best rosters? Ranking every contender post-trade deadline

Now that the buzz of the trade deadline is behind us, MLB rosters are mostly set from now until the postseason. 

How have the multitude of deals shaken up the inventory for these playoff contenders? Let’s evaluate it by ranking the best rosters coming out of the trade deadline. 

We’re putting aside how much it cost these teams to acquire the reinforcements they needed, and focusing solely on how improved their rosters are (or aren’t). Only clubs within three games of a playoff spot were considered. 

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1. Baltimore Orioles (65-44; 1st in AL East)

After all the hype of returning to the postseason for the first time since 2016, the Orioles’ 2023 campaign ended with a whimper after they were swept by the Rangers in the ALDS, largely due to their dearth of pitching depth. This time, under new ownership, Baltimore made the necessary moves by trading for starters Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers, as well as relievers Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez. They might have gone for quantity over quality, but stacking up on pitching was still the best path forward.

2. New York Yankees (65-45; 1st AL wild card)

It’s hard to imagine Jazz Chisholm’s first few days with the Yankees going any better than they have. His willingness to play third base has been key, and his power bat should promote him to leadoff pretty soon, as he’s providing the length New York’s offense needed. And while Mark Leiter Jr. was a sneaky good pickup for the bullpen, and there are still some concerns about their rotation for a deep October run, the Yankees have looked dominant again coming out of the All-Star break. 

3. Houston Astros (56-52; T-1st in AL West)

Houston’s extreme overpay for southpaw Yusei Kikuchi remains puzzling, particularly because his 6.42 ERA in 11 starts since June 1 didn’t warrant it. But the Astros got their southpaw to balance the back end of the rotation, and their offense has dug itself out of an early-season hole to once again become one of the top hitting units in the league. Not surprisingly, Houston looks likely to clinch the AL West for the fourth consecutive time. 

4. Seattle Mariners (57-53; T-1st in AL West)

Seattle was one of the clear winners at the deadline thanks to trades for Randy Arozarena, Yimi Garcia and Justin Turner. I’m expecting Arozarena to flourish down the stretch, as he has a tendency to shine brightest in big games and under pressure. Garcia is an excellent high-end relief option, and Turner’s veteran leadership could provide a big boost for younger players. I wouldn’t be surprised if these are the deals that finally lift the Mariners offense out of the bottom-third of the league. 

5. Cleveland Guardians (65-42; 1st in AL Central)

Cleveland seemingly patched up the holes it needed to fix with trades for corner outfielder Lane Thomas and veteran right-hander Alex Cobb. In that way, this was a solid trade deadline for the Guardians. But Cobb has yet to pitch this year, and it’s unclear how effective he will immediately be, let alone in the postseason. But it’s also well past the time to stop underestimating a Cleveland club that has dominated the AL Central for the entirety of the season. 

6. Boston Red Sox (57-50; 2.0 GB in AL wild card)

The trade for catcher Danny Jansen was prudent, particularly because he’s a righty bat that has a .718 OPS against left-handed pitching this season, and that should play well at Fenway Park. Veteran setup man Luis Garcia was another solid move from chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. But adding James Paxton doesn’t move the needle much, and though Breslow fulfilled his wish list, Boston still isn’t on the same playing field as its stronger AL East division rivals.

7. Minnesota Twins (59-48; 2nd AL wild card)

Minnesota followed up its supremely quiet offseason with … another silent trade deadline. The Twins’ only deal was a trade that brought in reliever Trevor Richards from Toronto, and they missed their opportunity to land a starting pitcher amid steep competition and aggressive prices. The club’s financial limitations signal that the entirety of Minnesota’s season has depended on strong production from the current group and clubhouse. 

8. Kansas City Royals (60-49; 3rd AL wild card)

With the 28th-ranked farm system in MLB, it was always going to be tough for the Royals to compete in a seller’s market this summer. That being said, they did well to add pitching depth with right-handed starter Michael Lorenzen and relievers Lucas Erceg and Hunter Harvery, and infield depth with shortstop Paul DeJong. But while Kansas City upgraded on the margins, it certainly didn’t separate itself from the rest of the Central teams.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1. Philadelphia Phillies (65-43; 1st in NL East)

The Phillies are this year’s well-oiled machine with little need for major upgrades or eye-catching names. Still, if there was one area to address, it was in the bullpen, and acquiring the top right-handed relief arm on the market in Carlos Estevez was an excellent move by Dave Dombrowski. Outfielder Austin Hays and his 105 OPS+ will be a solid role player, as the Phillies remain the team to beat in the NL.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (63-46; 1st in NL West)

The Dodgers made the best trade of this deadline thanks to Andrew Friedman’s buzzer-beater acquisition of the best available starting pitcher. Adding Jack Flaherty alleviated some of the concerns in Los Angeles’ rotation, and the front office did well to fulfill its wish to land a frontline starter, which was no easy task this year. The trade for Tommy Edman, who hasn’t played at all this year, assumes some risk, but he will provide roster depth, which was an area that needed to be addressed. Reliever Michael Kopech is a solid boost to the bullpen, too.

3. Atlanta Braves (58-49; 1st NL wild card)

Atlanta had only one move at the deadline, and it was built on concepts of hope and magic rather than filling obvious holes brought on by injuries and underproduction. It will be fascinating to see Jorge Soler back in a Braves uniform (and manning the outfield again), and despite the fact that they could’ve used another arm in addition to right-hander Luke Jackson for pitching depth, their roster is still one of the top clubs to beat in an anticipated October run.

4. San Diego Padres (59-51; 2nd NL wild card)

What a year for A.J. Preller, giving up 12 of San Diego’s 15 top prospects to fill out the roster with Dylan Cease in March, Luis Arraez in May and high-leverage relievers Tanner Scott and Jason Adam at the deadline. Those latest deals bumped up the Padres in the roster rankings, and though concerns remain about their rotation, San Diego’s aggressive win-now decisions make them one of the most exciting teams to watch down the stretch.

5. Arizona Diamondbacks (58-51; 3rd NL wild card)

Arizona still has high expectations after last year’s surprising run to the World Series. Even though the club is fighting for a wild-card spot in a crowded race, Mike Hazen’s D-backs should by no means be counted out as contenders. Relievers A.J. Puk and Dylan Floro are solid acquisitions, and Christian Walker’s injury was promptly addressed by the arrival of first baseman Josh Bell. Still, the club’s success depends on the effectiveness of returning starters Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly.

6. New York Mets (57-51; 0.5 GB in NL wild card)

David Stearns’ assessment of his first trade deadline as Mets president of baseball operations was essentially, if the club was in the Phillies’ position, he might have been willing to be more aggressive. Instead, Stearns made some quiet pickups to fill out bullpen depth, and while starter Paul Blackburn is an interesting new arm, it’s not enough to make up for the losses of Kodai Senga and Christian Scott. Nonetheless, outfielder Jesse Winker is a key lefty bat, and the Mets have been one of the hottest teams in baseball since June 1. They could continue to surprise us all the way to the postseason.

7. St. Louis Cardinals (56-52; 1.5 GB in NL wild card)

St. Louis won the Tommy Pham sweepstakes, and he figures to address the offense’s need for a solid bat against left-handed pitching. Trading for starter Erick Fedde without giving up a single prospect was a huge win for the Cardinals. But, even if their bats get going, this rotation isn’t scary enough to convince me that they could put together a deep playoff run.

8. Milwaukee Brewers (61-47; 1st in NL Central)

Milwaukee is still the NL Central’s top team, as it has been all year, and their decisions at the trade deadline didn’t do much to change that one way or another. Adding starters Frankie Montas and Aaron Civale is all good and well, but with Christian Yelich’s back injury putting into question his availability for the rest of the season, it’s a bit surprising the Brewers didn’t add a bat to the lineup. As the roster stands, it seems like it will be a tall task for the Brewers to somehow advance past the division series.

9. Pittsburgh Pirates (55-53; 2.5 GB in NL wild card)

The Pirates added solid left-handed bullpen depth and were active as buyers on a handful of smaller deals at this trade deadline. But Pittsburgh’s trade for super utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa and outfielder Bryan De La Cruz doesn’t seem like it will be enough to boost the offense and qualify for the postseason. Star rookie Paul Skenes will likely have to wait a little longer to dazzle the national audience in a Game 1 October playoff start.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

---

---