MLB Trade Deadline Winners & Losers: Royals, Blue Jays, Mets & Yankees Stand Out
The 2015 Major League Baseball trade deadline has passed.
There were a lot of trades across the league that will benefit teams for quite a while. On the other hand, some teams didn't make the necessary moves to improve their roster to the fullest.
Let's take a look at the biggest winners and losers this year.
Winners
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays had a phenomenal trade deadline. They added two quality players on both sides of the baseball. It began when they traded for Troy Tulowitzki. They had to give up Jose Reyes, but this investment will be worth it. In Tulowitzki's debut, he hit a home run with the Blue Jays. But, Canada's lone team still desperately needed pitching. So, they struck a deal with the Detroit Tigers for David Price. Price and the Blue Jays know each other very well considering Price pitching in the American League East with the Tampa Bay Rays for seven seasons. The Blue Jays could make their first playoff appearance since 1993.
Kansas City Royals
The defending AL champions didn't stay quiet at the trade deadline. They lost James Shields in free agency last year, and general manager Dayton Moore wanted another starter. The Cincinnati Reds had been in trade rumors all season long, and they finally pulled the plug in Johnny Cueto. Cueto is on the final year of his contract, so this isn't a long-term investment. The Royals are going all out for a World Series win this year, and you've got to respect that.
New York Mets
New York Mets fans have been screaming at their team to add another bat all season long, and rightfully so. The Mets have the third best team ERA, but rank dead last in total runs scored in all of baseball. The Mets had been in trade rumors with Starlin Castro, but the Chicago Cubs held on to their Dominican shortstop. The Mets did, however, make a great trade with the Detroit Tigers for Yoenis Céspedes, who does have 18 home runs this season
Losers
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees dropped the ball this year. No excuses. The Bronx Bombers have an excellent offense that ranks second in the league in runs scored, but pitching is a huge concern. The Yankees presently rank 21st in team ERA this season, and they had every opportunity to grab a starter. Michael Pineda is in a slump, C.C. Sabathia is pitching terribly, and Masahiro Tanaka is pitching on a limited basis because of his elbow. Cueto and Price would have been costly, but they could have struck a deal for Mike Leake, who instead landed by the Bay with the San Francisco Giants. Can the Yankees current rotation win them a World Series? Only time will tell.
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres still think they can win the National League West despite their losing record at the moment. The Padres were involved in an enormous amount of trade rumors, but didn't make the huge splash that MLB experts firmly believed they would make. It will be tough for the Padres to catch the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in that division. The Padres may not even get a wild card spot this year.
Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1