MLB Trade Deadline News

MLB Trade Deadline News

Nick LaRosa, writer

July 31st, 2014 is Major League Baseball’s trade deadline. This year it didn’t look like many trades were going to happen, but in fact many did. From a Cy Young award winner being dealt, to rivals trading with each other for the first time in 17 years, this trade deadline had it all. The best part about this deadline will be watching how these teams perform after losing or gaining these players.

Arguably the best team in baseball right now, Oakland A’s, made a trade with the Boston Red Sox to acquire Boston’s ace, Jon Lester. In return the A’s traded their home grown slugger, Yoenis Cespedes. Before all the trades went down, Oakland’s pitching staff was arguably the best in baseball. After these trades, they are the best pitching staff in baseball. And you can tell that Billy Beane (Oakland’s GM) is going all out this year to get the city of Oakland a championship. With the additions of aces Jeff Samardzija and Jon Lester, combined with Oakland’s Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir, and Jesse Chavez this starting pitching staff’s average ERA is a whopping 2.76!! This pitching staff can carry this team, even though there is no need with their explosive offense that has a run differential of +162. There is no doubt that this trade has made the A’s the team to beat in all of baseball.

Besides an ace getting traded, there was a Cy Young award winner dealt as well. David Price is now a new member of the Detroit Tigers. From a three-team trade involving the Rays, Tigers, and Mariners we can clearly decide who got the best part of the deal. The Tigers pitching staff too is very good, but not great, even though they include two recent Cy Young award winners as well. After this trade, the Tigers have the past three Cy Young’s on their roster. No one thought that the Tigers were players in this trade deadline, but they came to play. With the decline of their offense they don’t look like a contender, and with the rest of the AL central teams creeping up in the standings the Tigers needed to get their edge back, and making this deal got them their edge.

The last trade that blew people away was the Yankees and Red Sox making a deal that sent Stephen Drew to New York and Kelly Johnson Fenway bound. These rivals haven’t made a trade with each other since 1997, but desperate times call for desperate measures for the Red Sox. Also with Derek Jeter retiring at the end of this season, the Yankees will need a temporary shortstop replacement, and Stephen Drew is the answer. Drew’s contract of $10.2 million for this year seemed a little steep, but that’s what the Yankees do to, make them earn their contract money.

In the end it turned out to be an exciting trade deadline. History was made and players were dealt, and fans can’t wait to see how their team does for the rest of the season.