Max Scherzer and Trea Turner in Dodger Blue, Kris Bryant on the way to the Golden Gate. Javier Báez joins the Mets, Craig Kimbrel crosses the city to the White Sox, José Berríos moves north of the border.
Well this was really an all-star closing day.
After a run that swapped Nelson Cruz, Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo and Adam Frazier, even more big names switched teams during a hurricane on Friday.
From contenders adding to their roster to the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals who also ran their roster, this has been a monster day for movements.
“They all feel busy, but today was non-stop,” said Chris Antonetti, Cleveland’s president of baseball operations, who made three trades.
“We executed a number of trades, but there were probably at least a dozen others that we seriously considered and exchanged different ideas at different times,” he said.
Several playoff chasers chased the guns, with Toronto landing Berríos, Philadelphia bringing in Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy, Boston adding auxiliaries Hansel Robles and Austin Davis, and St. Louis taking over starters Jon Lester and JA Happ.
“I felt this was one of the most active trading deadlines I can remember,” said Atlanta’s GM Alex Anthopoulos, who closed a number of deals.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made the most noise, bringing in Scherzer and Turner for a talented quartet of young talents. The ace and star shortstop could help them fill a three-game gap behind the NL West leading San Francisco Giants who brought Bryant well into their lineup.
While much of the day depended on which teams added players – Atlanta got Adam Duvall, Jorge Soler and Eddie Rosario, among others, and emergency helper Richard Rodriguez – it was also about which clubs fell apart.
The Cubs swapped key pieces from their 2016 World Series championship, sending Báez to the New York Mets and Bryant to the Giants the day after sending Anthony Rizzo to the Yankees. The Cubs also treated Kimbrel, their dominant close Crosstown player, to AL Central’s leading Chicago White Sox.
“I would like to personally thank Anthony Rizzo, Javy Báez and Kris Bryant,” said Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts in a statement. “Together they played a crucial role in one of the most successful runs in the history of the Chicago Cubs.”
“They have each secured a place in the hearts of Cubs fans everywhere. As their days together as Cubs came to an end, they gave us memories that we will keep forever, ”he said.
The Nationals were busy too. They exchanged Scherzer and Turner, the keys to their 2019 title, along with Lester, Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison. That came after they dealt Kyle Schwarber, Brad Hand, and Daniel Hudson Thursday.
“It’s a tough decision, but often a decision is made for you,” said Mike Rizzo, Nationals general manager. “It was like this this year and we recognized where we stand and what work we have ahead of us. We have decided to start a building process that will allow us to compete at the highest level. “
Rizzo joined fellow All-Star Joey Gallo with the Yankees in trades that closed on Thursday. New York added Angels starter Andrew Heaney just before the 4 p.m. EDT deadline on Friday.
Rizzo was in Miami with his new team for Friday night’s game. Looking ahead, there was still time to remember the recent past.
“Did a lot of special things in front of a fan base that hasn’t seen a World Series in 108 years. These moments will never be taken from us, ”he said.
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