Join Curt Bishop on the Exit Velo Podcast as he breaks down every team’s trade deadline acquisitions and gives them a grade based on what/who they acquired and how each move could help or hurt them going forward.
Hey baseball fans. I’m Curt Bishop and welcome back to the Exit Velo Podcast. Today we’re going to continue our grading of what each team did at the trade deadline, and we’re going with the NL Central today. I apologize for the delay on this one, but better late than never, so let’s get going.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers were quite busy this deadline. They already grabbed Willy Adames earlier in the season and Rowdy Tellez in the early part of July, but they really did a lot to shore up their bullpen and their bench. They grabbed Eduardo Escobar from Arizona. They also traded for the Marlins John Curtiss and the Tigers Daniel Norris. They’ve pretty much buried everyone in the NL Central, with the exception of the Reds, who are only five back. The Crew didn’t have to go crazy this deadline, but they made some important moves to try and secure their spot atop the Central. They’re bullpen now has extra arms to go next to Josh Hader and Devin Williams, and their rotation remains strong. We’ll give Milwaukee an A.
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds also made key moves to remain in the race. They’re red hot right now, only five back of the Brewers and just 2.5 behind the Padres for the second Wild Card. Their bullpen had been bitten by injuries, with one of the key ones being Michael Lorenzen. But they added two solid bullpen pieces from the Yankees in Justin Wilson and Luis Cessa. They also added Mychal Givens from the Rockies. Now with Lorenzen coming back, the Reds bullpen looks pretty stout, and with Mike Moustakas returning to the lineup, they look like a force to be reckoned with down the stretch. We’ll give Cincinnati an A as well.
St. Louis Cardinals
Next we have the Cardinals, who finally did something at the deadline for the first time since 2016. But the moves they made were controversial. They added J.A. Happ from the Twins in exchange for John Gant and minor league lefty Evan Sisk. They also acquired Jon Lester from the Nationals for Lane Thomas. Both Happ and Lester have ERA’s north of five, so in some respects, it’s hard to understand what the Cardinals saw in them. Happ was good in his Cardinals debut, going five and allowing just two runs, but Lester has been quite the disappointment, allowing at least five runs in his first two starts as a member of the Cardinals. Both lefties are experienced and have solid resumes. Lester is a proven postseason pitcher, but both of these guys are aging and are past their primes. It remains to be seen if they can help the Cards make a comeback and get into the playoffs, but so far, it’s hard to be impressed. We’ll give the Cardinals a C-
Chicago Cubs
Now onto the Cubs. They pretty much dismantled their team, trading away Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez. In the Baez deal, they got back Mets prospect Pete-Crow Armstrong. They got a nice haul for Craig Kimbrel as well, bringing back pitcher Codi Heuer and second baseman Nick Madrigal. The Cubs obviously had given up on the 2021 season and it was time to sell, but they got some solid returns with some nice prospects in exchange. It’s clear the Cubs are looking towards the future, and so far, they’re off to a good start there. We’ll give the Cubs an A-
Pittsburgh Pirates
Finally we’ve got the Pirates. They said goodbye to Richard Rodriguez, Tyler Anderson, and of course, Adam Frazier. They did pick up Michael Chavis from the Red Sox, who’s a solid young utility infielder that can give them some flexibility; also a guy who never really had a shot with Boston. They brought in a young righty from the Braves in Bryse Wilson in the Rodriguez deal. They got a pretty hefty haul for Frazier from San Diego, one that includes shortstop Tucupita Marcano, so they’re really trying to build for the future. I do think they could’ve done better with some of the other prospects they acquired, but there’s really no reason to believe they’re going anywhere any time in the near future. We’ll give them a B-
Thanks so much for tuning in. We’ll be wrapping up our trade deadline segment tomorrow with the NL West. I’m Curt Bishop and you’ve been listening to the Exit Velo Podcast.
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