The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and while there was some movement, it was not the blockbuster deals many were expecting. This lack of major trades has left us questioning which teams are best prepared for the postseason and who the favorites are. The FOX Saturday Baseball lineup featured three division leaders in the American League and three clubs on the fringes of the wild-card hunt.
FOX Sports MLB experts Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner discussed some burning questions in this week’s roundtable. One of the questions was about which team will regret not addressing their starting pitching needs. Kavner pointed out several teams that may have missed the mark, including the Guardians, Padres, Braves, Brewers, Twins, Yankees, and Mets. Thosar highlighted the Yankees as a team that failed to address their rotation adequately, relying heavily on Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon.
When it comes to under-the-radar trades, Thosar mentioned Jazz Chisholm and Jason Adam as her favorites, praising the Yankees and Padres for these acquisitions. Kavner liked the moves by the Diamondbacks and Royals in adding A.J. Puk and Lucas Erceg to bolster their bullpens.
In terms of World Series favorites, Kavner favored the Phillies and Orioles, while Thosar leaned towards the Orioles and Dodgers. Both experts discussed the strengths of these teams and how they improved their title chances with the deadline moves.
The discussion then turned to pitching staffs among AL division leaders, with Thosar and Kavner both highlighting the Astros as having a strong rotation and bullpen for the postseason. They also shared their thoughts on the Giants and Reds, who chose not to be full-blown sellers at the deadline, and which team has a brighter future outlook.
Overall, the trade deadline may not have seen the big moves some were expecting, but there were still plenty of interesting trades and storylines to follow as we head towards the postseason. The experts provided valuable insights and analysis on how these moves could impact the playoff race and which teams have positioned themselves well for a deep postseason run.
