The 2021 MLB trade deadline just passed and teams were busy, giving away players and selling players. Some teams got eye-catching players to take them deep into the playoffs while others traded their best players.
The Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs gave away 17 players in total, 9 from Chicago and 8 from Washington.
The Cubs sent Kris Bryant to the San Fran Giants, their all-star closer Craig Kimbrel to their cross-city rivals the White Sox who now have two All-star closers, Anthony Rizzo to the NY Yankees, Javier Baez and Trevor Williams to the Mets, Tepera to the White Sox in a separate deal, Joc Pederson to the Braves, Andrew Chafin to the Athletics, and Jake Marisnick to the Padres. That is a lot of names that the Cubs gave away. These Chicago fans will not be happy with all the players they lost.
The Nats were another team who gave away a load of players. Max Scherzer and Trea Turner were traded to the LA Dodgers for 4 prospects. The Dodgers are trying to challenge the Giants for 1st and go for the World Series repeat. The Nats also gave away Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison to the Oakland A’s, Jon Lester to the Cardinals, Kyle Schwarber to the Red Sox, closer Brad Hand to the Blue Jays, and Daniel Hudson to the Padres. Nats fans have to say goodbye to more of their stars as it seems that Soto is the only one left.
Those were the big sellers but the Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants landed big players into their stadium. The Yanks received arguably the most powerful hitter in baseball Joey Gallo who can hit home runs for them from the Texas Rangers and got Anthony Rizzo from the Chicago Cubs. Rizzo hit a home run in his Yankee debut against the Marlins. The Yankees are looking for a strong playoff run and need these guys to do it. These trades were definitely necessary for New York.
The two NL West teams also landed big names in California. The Giants got 3rd Baseman Kris Bryant from Chicago which is a good replacement for injured Evan Longoria. Bryant has had an amazing career and is a good piece for the Giants. The LA Dodgers got two big players from the Nats who will be super impactful for them. They beat out their rivals the Padres for pitcher Max Scherzer and landed shortstop Trea Turner. Kershaw is injured, Trevor Bauer is being investigated so they are a bit short on pitching. Once everyone gets healthy, the Dodgers will be stacked with good pitchers like Julio Urias, Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, and Max Scherzer. It will be pure dominance.
These were the big headlines of the 2021 trade deadline. The NL West will have a good fight for the 1st spot and the wild card spot while the NL East are fighting for the 1st spot with the NY Mets. It will be fun to watch the rest of the season and how it plays out. Which team will play the best in the remainder of the season?
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