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Baseball Prospectus | Rob Arthur ($): The trade deadline was the exception to the rule of the league sacrificing fun for league economics, whereby the unified deadline actually made for a more exciting time. There were more trades in July in more than a decade, and with blockbusters like Astros and Zack Greinke and the antics of the Mets and Reds, it provided the kind of fun you want to see with something as boring as transactions.
The Ringer | Zach Kram: It wasn’t a fun trade deadline for everyone, as the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers did pretty much nothing to add to their rosters. Sure, Los Angeles had to add Jedd Gyorko, but the Red Sox whiffed on Edwin Díaz, and the Yankees whiffed on Noah Syndergaard and Robbie Ray. It could end up not mattering, but for whomever loses in the postseason, we will look back on this moment.
The Athletic | Eno Sarris ($): The team that added the most marginal WAR were the Indians, even after jettisoning Trevor Bauer, by improving their outfield significantly. The Braves improved their bullpen the most, and, unsurprisingly, the Reds improved their rotation the most.