Trade Deadline Winners & Losers

Yes, I'm aware of the fact that the baseball trade deadline has come and gone.  But I got caught up in that whole MTV '80s thing before I could give my analysis.  Of course, breaking it down a week after the fact seems like a stupid idea on the surface, but doing it this way also means these guys have already started to make an impact with their new teams.  And even though the Braves and Giants both started to play some really bad baseball immediately after the deadline, one week does not equal a season (just ask the Red Sux about that wonderful month of April they had).  So, I think Atlanta and San Francisco are going to be fine.  In fact, they both fall into the "winners" category.

WINNERS
Braves-They missed out on Carlos Beltran, then Hunter Pence went to the division rival Phillies.  It looked like Atlanta wasn't going be able to get the leadoff-hitting center fielder it needed.  Then they landed Michael Bourn, Pence's former Astros teammate.  Sure, it would be better if he hit right-handed, but that's a minor detail.  The Braves finally have an actual leadoff man again.  And their best center fielder since Andruw Jones was in his prime.  Atlanta already had the pitching.  Now adding Bourn makes the lineup stronger top to bottom.  They're not going to catch the Phillies, but the Braves have to be the favorites to win the NL wild card again.

Giants-San Francisco's had a hole in the lineup since Buster Posey got hurt.  They also had a black hole in left field with Pat Burrell basically standing out there wearing a glove just so he could strike out.  Problem solved and problem solved.  Inserting Beltran into the middle makes the lineup stronger, and the defense is definitely better with Beltran in right and Ross in left instead of Ross in right and Burrell in left.  With that pitching staff, the Giants didn't need to do much.  The Diamondbacks are hanging tight right now, but that's not going to last.  The Giants were probably going to win the NL West again anyway without getting Beltran.  Now it's all but a lock.

Rangers-While the Yankees and Red Sox were busy not doing much of anything at the deadline, Texas was busy getting ready for whichever one they'll play (or both) in October.  Every move the Rangers made was subtle, but they were all smart.  Chris Davis (who strikes out about as much as Mark Reynolds, which makes him the perfect addition to the Orioles' lineup) and Tommy Hunter brought Koji Uehara.  Then they bolstered the bullpen even more by getting San Diego setup man Mike Adams, who I'm shocked ended up in Texas.  Meanwhile, the Angels, who needed help, didn't do anything.  Los Angeles/Anaheim/Orange County/California is hanging in there, but that's only going to last so long.  The Rangers are a better team and they know it.  With this improved bullpen, Texas could easily make its way back to the World Series.

Honorable Mention: Indians-While I'm not sold on Ubaldo Jimenez, Cleveland needed to do something to keep pace with Detroit.  They weren't going to catch the Tigers with the rotation the way it was.  They still won't, but that's because Detroit's better.
Pirates-The Pirates being a buyer instead of a seller at the trade deadline is enough to qualify as a "winner," which is something they haven't been in 18 years.  Pittsburgh's probably not going to make the playoffs, but 82-80 is a realistic, attainable and admirable goal.

LOSERS
Astros-We all know that the Houston Astros were already barely a Major League team when the season began.  Then they traded away the two best players on the team without finding a way to also get rid of the left-handed starter that a lot of contenders wanted.  Although, it might've just been a big game of possum.  If you make a waiver claim for Wandy Rodriguez in August, you don't have to give up any prospects.  But aside from Wandy and that ridiculous contract known as Carlos Lee, this is the NL Central's new Quadruple-A franchise.

Angels-The Angels really needed to upgrade in a couple places.  For starters, their rotation is weak behind Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana.  And their bullpen could use a lot of help.  As for the lineup, another bat, preferably one that can play the outfield, was a must.  Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells and Bobby Abreu are all getting old, and they're nowhere near as good as Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and Adrian Beltre.  Russell Branyan would've been a decent pickup if he did anything other than hit home runs at Yankee Stadium.  They're keeping it close right now, but the Angels are going to see the Rangers pull away soon enough.

Red Sox-Theo Epstein continued his obsession with adding starting pitchers at the trade deadline for little or no reason without addressing the fact that Boston has absolutely no bench to speak of.  However, I will give him a little credit for resisting the urge to get his annual unnecessary extra first baseman.  They also probably need a right fielder better than J.D. Drew.  But their biggest need that went unaddressed was the bullpen.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about the fact the Red Sux didn't get any better.  Boston's still going to make the playoffs.  But I'm not sure a trip to the World Series is as guaranteed as some New Englanders think it is.  I don't think Erik Bedard was the missing piece between going to the World Series or not for this team.  And I'm not just saying that because I'm a Yankees fan.

Honorable Mention: (because who doesn't love an honorable mention "Loser?") Rays-I don't know if Tampa Bay conceded the AL East race, but they certainly didn't act like a team that was trying to get out of third place.  The only logical reason I can think of for keeping B.J. Upton is because they think they'll be good next year (which they will) and wanted to keep their center fielder.  The Yankees and Red Sox are currently better teams.  They were able to get away with standing pat.  If the Rays wanted to make it a three-team race, they had to make a move, which they didn't.
Dodgers-The Dodgers are a mess.  Everyone already knows that.  Their problems are a long way from being solved.  But Hiroki Kuroda didn't help matters by refusing to waive his no-trade clause.  I'm not blaming him.  That's his collectively-bargained right.  But it pretty much sums up the Dodgers' season in a nutshell.  And they somehow ended up stuck with Juan Rivera, too.  The good news is they still have Matt Kemp and Andre Either.