MLB trade deadline winners and losers: Dodgers, Cubs and Padres all go big, while the Mets sell nearly a third of their roster

The thing is, though, the Brewers and Rays usually need those prospects in a way the Dodgers don't. Those teams build their contenders via affordable pre-arb and arbitration talent, with free agency as an occasional indulgence. Meanwhile, Zyhir Hope, the crown jewel of the Dodgers' prospect package was — and we're not joking here — the third-best outfielder on L.A.'s Double-A team, according to most prospect rankings, behind Josue De Paula and Mike Sirota.

All of that left the Dodgers without another legitimate suitor to compete against. They paid a completely reasonable (but still considerable for a rental) price, Hope and two high-risk, high-reward pitchers in River Ryan and Brady Smith, in exchange for maybe the one guy available at the deadline who could have meaningfully improved their World Series odds.

They didn't stop there, either. Despite a comically large rotation depth chart, especially with Eric Lauer and Emmet Sheehan not being traded, L.A. still went for Royals starter Kris Bubic, a 2025 All-Star who is currently on the injured list but could be useful down the line.

And with Will Smith and Dalton Rushing both now on the injured list, the Dodgers brought in familiar faces Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia, who can at least offer an improvement on their worst-case scenario at the position.

No organization in sports combines resources, competence and the urge to bathe in the blood of your enemies quite like Andrew Friedman's front office. It was no different at this year's trade deadline.

Chicago Cubs

The Dodgers might have made the biggest splash, but the crown for most total value added at this year's deadline belongs to the Cubs, who overhauled a rotation that badly need overhauling.

The team had already acquired David Peterson from the New York Mets, and the left-hander has been more than solid outside of a bizarre meltdown early last month. Then they got Kevin Gasuman from the Toronto Blue Jays, Clay Holmes from the New York Mets and Braxton Garrett from the Miami Marlins.

Gausman should offer instant impact. Holmes was the Mets' most reliable starting pitcher before he fractured his right fibula in May, but his return from the injured list is imminent. Garrett has looked promising in the past, though he's still trying to find his footing after undergoing internal brace surgery in 2024.

Chicago also landed reliever Ryan Zeferjahn from the Los Angeles Angels and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the Mets, filling two other notable needs.

This team is definitely better than it was a couple of days ago, and it wasn't cheap, with top-100 prospects Jefferson Rojas and Moisés Ballesteros among the several prospects leaving the organization. It probably won't be enough to nullify the Brewers' 6.5-game lead in the NL Central, but this squad suddenly looks like by far the best wild-card team in the NL.

A.J. Preller's lust for competition

Never change, A.J. Preller. We really do mean that.

For the past few years, the San Diego Padres have been seeing the bill come due. They once had one of the most enviable collections of young talent in baseball (maybe the most enviable other than their neighbors to the slight north), but that has deteriorated through a series of win-now trades.

Now, the Padres sit at 58-54 entering play Monday, which is a vast improvement on where they were 10 games ago, and they're one game out of a competitive wild-card race. They have a minus-12 run differential. Their high-priced core is visibly aging.

So, of course, their general manager bought again.

This time, San Diego improved a bad rotation by bringing in Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants and Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers, sending away the Nos. 2, 4 and 9 prospects in a weak system, according to MLB Pipeline.