The trade deadline always creates opportunity and speculation about roles for the final two months of the season. This year was certainly no different, with a multitude of transactions taking place. Most of the moves themselves will be covered in our FAAB articles -- AL and NL every Sunday, and midweek mixed -- or the MLB Barometer, so we'll look for some alternative angles to anticipate the fantasy impact of the deadline deals in points leagues.
Winners
Hitters
In something we never would have projected to begin the season, the Giants have had a more productive lineup than Atlanta. Given the number of injuries Atlanta has faced, that could continue, but there's still no doubt that hitting in front of Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson as the team's leadoff hitter is an advantageous situation. Soler did just that Wednesday against the Brewers. Add in the positive park shift, and he has a good chance to turn his season around over the final two months. While Soler is fairly widely rostered, there should be some opportunities to pick him up based on his roster rate at Yahoo and CBS.
Morel has had a disappointing first full season in the majors from an offensive perspective, but the bigger issue was going to be his defense. Morel had -9 defensive run value -- first percentile, per Statcast -- before being dealt by the Cubs. That cast doubt over his long-term defensive home, and his
The trade deadline always creates opportunity and speculation about roles for the final two months of the season. This year was certainly no different, with a multitude of transactions taking place. Most of the moves themselves will be covered in our FAAB articles -- AL and NL every Sunday, and midweek mixed -- or the MLB Barometer, so we'll look for some alternative angles to anticipate the fantasy impact of the deadline deals in points leagues.
Winners
Hitters
In something we never would have projected to begin the season, the Giants have had a more productive lineup than Atlanta. Given the number of injuries Atlanta has faced, that could continue, but there's still no doubt that hitting in front of Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson as the team's leadoff hitter is an advantageous situation. Soler did just that Wednesday against the Brewers. Add in the positive park shift, and he has a good chance to turn his season around over the final two months. While Soler is fairly widely rostered, there should be some opportunities to pick him up based on his roster rate at Yahoo and CBS.
Morel has had a disappointing first full season in the majors from an offensive perspective, but the bigger issue was going to be his defense. Morel had -9 defensive run value -- first percentile, per Statcast -- before being dealt by the Cubs. That cast doubt over his long-term defensive home, and his offensive performance seemingly caused the team to be hesitant about dedicating the DH spot to him consistently. Of his 104 starts this season, only 30 had come at DH. The Rays have already given him that opportunity and presumably had a plan to play him regularly upon acquiring him. This felt like a situation where Morel needed a fresh start, and he got it.
Morel is hitting only .200 while averaging 2.4 points per game (CBS scoring), but his expected stats suggest he deserves better. His skillset is also more useful for points leagues than perception may suggest, as he has a 10.9 percent walk rate and a reasonable 24.4 percent strikeout rate.
Hays had become stuck in a small-side platoon role in Baltimore, but Phillies manager Rob Thompson has made it clear that Hays will get near-everyday run in his new home. That's enough of a reason to be intrigued by his landing spot, and the added volume gives him a significant boost in points leagues. Hitting ninth in the Phillies' lineup isn't ideal, but he does benefit from having Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper hitting directly behind him. Hays should be widely available in most points formats.
Pitchers
The Reds didn't do much in terms of selling, but they did trade Frankie Montas to the Brewers. That leaves Spiers in an excellent position to remain in the rotation for the rest of the season as both Brandon Williamson (shoulder) and Graham Ashcraft (elbow) are far off from a return. Lyon Richardson is the only other starter in proximity to the majors on the team's 40-man roster.
Spiers' skillset isn't league-winning, but he has limited mistakes (career 6.4 BB%, 13.8 K-BB%, 0.8 HR/9) and has a solid offense behind him for win potential.
Birdsong was a victim of his situation, as Alex Cobb (hip) was projected to bump him from the rotation. That changed when Cobb was flipped to the Guardians, leaving Birdsong with a projected return to the majors Sunday. Unlike Spiers, Birdsong has shown significant upside, maintaining a 30.2 percent strikeout rate across a limited sample of 30.1 innings. He's already being added across all fantasy formats, but his roster rate is still only 22 percent on Yahoo and 41 percent on CBS.
Losers
/ There aren't many fantasy-relevant players remaining on the Marlins roster after they traded away Jazz Chisholm, Bryan De La Cruz and Josh Bell. Sanchez and Burger are the closest players they have with a track record, but the situation around them has deteriorated to such a degree that it's difficult to see them excelling in points formats down the stretch.
Sewald had a rocky July, posting a 10.80 ERA and 2.20 WHIP. His 13:4 K:BB is more palatable, but manager Torey Lovullo acknowledged Wednesday that Sewald is struggling with his delivery. The Diamondbacks acquired A.J. Puk, adding another high-leverage arm to their bullpen -- and another option to bump Sewald from the closer role.
Lux has had a miserable season, but he was starting to show signs of turning things around by posting 19.5 and 24 points (CBS scoring) in the last two weeks. He's likely to keep playing time in the short term, but the acquisition of Tommy Edman (wrist/ankle) won't help Lux's case. The Dodgers' plans for Edman aren't clear at this time, so Lux could keep his starting role even once Edman is activated, but his margin for error is now very slim.
Intriguing Names to Monitor
(players that have a much better role but haven't proven enough to be immediate adds)
Vargas has faded into post-hype sleeper territory quickly, but he now has the chance for everyday playing time as a member of the White Sox. He's immediately been slotted into the second spot in the order, in front of Luis Robert. Vargas has averaged only 2.0 fantasy points per game over 131 contests in his career, but he has no pressure to perform and has no competition for playing time. Now is the time for him to show something to get on draft radars for 2025.
There was a widespread call for the Orioles to consolidate some of their hitting prospects to clear a path to playing time for Jackson Holliday and others. They did so, dealing Stowers and Norby to the Marlins. Norby was optioned to the minors but could (should) take over the second base job at some point. Stowers debuted with the team Wednesday and hit third in the lineup. He may be forced into a large-side platoon, but he has a chance for consistent at-bats for the first time in his career.
The Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm in one of the biggest moves of the deadline, but so far they've used him primarily at third base. The team was in the mix for other outfielders, but failed to land Luis Robert, Taylor Ward or any other potentially impactful bat. That leaves Dominguez in line for a promotion. He was activated from the minor-league injured list July 26, and an underachieving Alex Verdugo is the only player that stands in the way of a regular role in the outfield for the 21-year-old.
The Rays couldn't have signaled much more clearly that they are getting ready to welcome Caminero back to the majors. Morel isn't a true third baseman and the team also dealt away Amed Rosario, leaving Jose Caballero atop the depth chart at the hot corner. Caminero has had his season derailed by injury, but he was activated from the minor-league injured list July 20 and should be in Tampa Bay sooner rather than later.
Loperfido moves out of a relatively crowded outfield situation in Houston and gets a clear chance to prove himself as the right fielder of the future for the Jays. Toronto waved the white flag on 2024 at the deadline, so they should let him play through any struggles. Loperfido hasn't made consistent contact early in his career and isn't an immediate add as a result, but if things start to click, he'll be a name to know.
