2023 Trade Deadline Recap
The trade deadline is always a highly anticipated time of year in the baseball season. There are always exciting last-minute trades and big names moving to different cities.
2023 was no different, with some blockbuster trades that were shocking for fans all over the country. Here are some of the biggest and most shocking trades that stunned right before the deadline.
Max Scherzer: NYM to TEX
After the surprising news that the Mets were trading David Roberston to Miami, Scherzer made a public announcement saying that he would be talking to the Mets’ front office. Soon after, Scherzer’s no-trade clause was waived, and he was soon on his way to Texas. In turn, the Mets received Ronald Acuna Jr.’s younger brother, Luis Angel Acuna.
Justin Verlander: NYM to HOU
Once Max Scherzer bid goodbye to New York, it seemed the next to go would likely be Justin Verlander. Verlander, who also had a no-trade clause, held on longer than his counterpart Scherzer, but when it came down to the wire, he was moving too. Verlander was quickly headed back to the Houston Astros, who he had won a World Series with just last year.
The Mets once again added young prospects, looking to invest in a future team, abandoning their previous “win now” mindset.
Josh Bell: CLE to MIA
Josh Bell has been a hot topic in trade news for the last couple of years, having moved from Washington to San Diego and finally to Cleveland. The first baseman has since found a new home in Miami, trading places with another big name in Jean Segura.
Pitching Galore
Pitching seemed to be the focus for almost every team that was involved in trades during this deadline. The trade deadline is typically used for two things: teams attempting to add to their talent to make a playoff run or teams emptying out their big contracts to start a rebuilding era.
With so many teams wanting to remain competitive, pitching is one of the biggest things to go after. Adding an ace to your rotation, like Scherzer and Verlander, or adding to the bullpen to pad your staff.
Final Thoughts
With the trades all over and rosters essentially set, the race for Wild Cards and the World Series is not too far. Post-season baseball will soon be upon us, showing us just who made the best choices when it came to loading and unloading. The trade decisions can turn out to be some of the most important choices when it comes to paving a team’s way to playoffs and being truly competitive.