In the end, the trade deadline saw a ton of action, though most of the big names we expected to get traded found new homes. Madison Bumgarner, Felipe Vazquez, Noah Syndergaard, and Zack Wheeler all stayed put, though the Astros pulled off a stunner to nab Zack Greinke at the last minute, a name few expected to be on the move.
There's still plenty else for Fantasy players to catch up on, however, and we've collected the deals you need to know about right here.
Astros acquire Zack Greinke for Corbin Martin and other prospects
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Greinke is a well-traveled hall of fame-caliber pitcher who has already proven capable of thriving anywhere, and certainly a move to the organization most known for maximizing the output of every pitcher it comes across should be no different. For a full breakdown of this trade, complete with analysis of the many interesting prospects going back the Diamondbacks' way, click here.
--Scott White
Cubs acquire Nicholas Castellanos
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Rarely does the change-of-scenery angle amount to anything more than a talking point, but Castellanos' scenery was so limiting that he might just buck the trend. Going by the factors he most directly controls, he has been largely the same player this year as the past couple years, contributing similar walk and strikeout rates with a similar distribution between line drives, ground balls and fly balls. Mostly what he's been lacking are RBI and especially runs, which have a great deal to do with supporting cast. The home run pace is also down, but not to such an alarming degree that it's crazy to think playing in a deeper lineup could get him back on track.
Stock up slightly for him and down slightly for Jason Heyward, who now will have to get the vast majority of his at-bats in center field, which may be a tougher sell for manager Joe Maddon. I suppose it's also possible Kyle Schwarber or even Castellanos himself could lose playing time, but those scenarios seem less likely.
--Scott White
Giants acquire Scooter Gennett
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What was already a bad season for Gennett just got significantly worse. This venue change from Cincinnati to San Francisco represents one of the worst a hitter could possibly undergo, and there was already a concern that his power surge over the past couple years was largely a product of his environment given that his average home run distance last year was only 377 feet. Since Oracle Park opened in 2000, only three players -- Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent and Rich Aurilia -- have put together a 30-homer season for the Giants, and while 30 homers were never a realistic expectation for Gennett, it shows you how hard of a time he'll have performing at just a 20-homer pace at that venue.
And then there's the small matter of him looking positively inept since returning from a serious groin strain that cost him the first half of the season. It's only 66 at-bats, sure, but no homers and 20 strikeouts compared to just one walk. Already there was a feeling he may not be worth the waiting out given the number of interesting alternatives at second base, and this trade pretty much confirms it.
--Scott White
Diamondbacks acquire Mike Leake
Between Leake and Zac Gallen, the Diamondbacks simultaneously restocked their starting rotation while also dealing away their ace, Zack Greinke. We know exactly who Leake is by now: a command and control specialist whose good starts are often great since he's efficient enough to go the distance but whose bad starts are often miserable because he doesn't miss enough bats. It's been the same whether he's called a hitter's park (Cincinnati) or a pitcher's park (Seattle) home, so he'll remain as streamable as ever with the Diamondbacks
--Scott White
Braves acquire Shane Greene for Joey Wentz
The Braves finally have a closer after suffering through Luke Jackson for most of the season. For about a day, it looked like fellow trade acquisition Chris Martin might get that shot, but Greene is obviously more established in the role, if less than a sure thing, as Chris Towers writes here.
--Scott White
Diamondbacks acquire Zac Gallen for Jazz Chisholm
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It's not often you see 23-year-old starting pitchers with five-plus years of club control and a 2.72 ERA get traded, but the Marlins took a big risk by moving Gallen in a stunning move to acquire shortstop prospect Jazz Chisolm. The Diamondbacks get a cheap young pitcher who is starting to find his way after a slow start, while the Marlins acquire a tools-y infielder with potential plus power, filling both organization's needs.
Gallen is the most immediately impactful Fantasy player here, of course, coming off consecutive starts of seven innings and eight-plus strikeouts. In seven starts so far in his MLB career, he has racked up 43 strikeouts in 36.1 innings of work, albeit with a slightly ugly 18 walks — though nine came in just two starts. Control was never an issue for him in the minors, as he sported a 2.4 BB/9 and walked just 17 in 91.1 innings of work before getting called up from Triple-A, so that might be something we can ignore.
Gallen is probably a must-own Fantasy option at this point, coming off two impressive starts and making the move to a much better supporting cast. The park is only a mild downgrade since the introduction of the humidor in Chase Field last season, and his chances of picking up wins just got a lot better. Gallen doesn't have ace potential, but it's not hard to see how he could be a top-40 pitcher the rest of the season.
On the Marlins' side, they acquired an extremely Marlins-y kind of player. Chisolm has all kinds of tools, in the field and at the plate, but he remains extremely raw, hitting .204/.305/.427 with a 33.7% strikeout rate at Double-A. If he hits, it's probably as a Marcus Semien type. That's worth having around in Dynasty, but he's not a must-own player by any means, especially not in redraft. We won't see him until 2020.
--Chris Towers
Rays acquire Trevor Richards, Nick Anderson for Jesus Sanchez, Ryne Stanek
The Marlins moved two of their rotation options within an hour of each other, with Richards heading to Tampa along with hard-throwing reliever Nick Anderson. Richards flashed potential, but saw his strikeout and walk rates move in the wrong direction and was ultimately sent to the bullpen earlier this week. He could work out of the bullpen for the Rays, where his two-pitch mix could play up, or use him after an opener, but unless he works his way into the ninth-inning discussion or shows improvement as a starter, he won't have much more than AL-only appeal.
For the Marlins, Stanek could figure into the closer job, though he'll need to come off the IL first. Either way, he's unlikely to be much of a Fantasy option unless he is secure in that role. The Sanchez part of the trade is much more interesting, albeit likely with an eye on 2020. Sanchez entered the season as a consensus top-65 prospect, and though he hasn't helped his stock much between Double-A and Triple-A. He's still mostly a projection case, and the fact that he's made it to the high-minors without the power showing up in games is certainly a concern. However, there's plenty of talent here, and he should have a shot to break camp with the Marlins next season, if he doesn't get a cup of coffee in September.
--Chris Towers
Phillies acquire Corey Dickerson
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Well, the Phillies found their replacement for Jay Bruce, who was placed on the 10-day IL with an oblique strain two weeks ago. Bruce was playing nearly everyday before the injury, and Dickerson will likely slide into that left field spot more often than not. We know Dickerson can hit, so if the Phillies can stomach his glove, he probably deserves to be on more Fantasy radars — he's hitting .293/.333/.490 over the last three seasons, and will not be in a better park than he has been since Colorado. He's definitely a winner at the deadline.
--Chris Towers
Athletics acquire Tanner Roark
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There is nothing particularly exciting about Roark. He's the last pitcher you add for a two-start week, and the first pitcher you drop when something more intriguing comes along. Moving from a bandbox in Cincinnati to one of the best pitchers' parks in the game in Oakland, however, could make him a bit more than that. Not too much more, mind you, but perhaps an ERA in the high-3.00s range isn't too much to ask for. You're not running out to add him, by any means, but Roark is an interesting option against good matchups in Oakland, now.
--Chris Towers
Rays acquire Jesus Aguilar
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Aguilar got off to a miserable start that basically spoiled any chance he would provide a return for Fantasy players who invested in him coming off his breakout 2018, and it's unlikely this trade changes that much.
He really has been hitting much better lately, sporting a .297/.370/.547 line with just 15 strikeouts in his last 33 games, but that has only come with 73 plate appearances, as he has largely been in a timeshare with Eric Thames. Aguilar has started just 13 games in that span, and he's joining a team that doesn't exactly have much more room for him in the everyday lineup.
The Rays are perfectly content to swap guys in and out of the lineup, having started three different players over the last four games at both first base and designated hitter — and only two were in the lineup for all four games at various spots. Given that Aguilar is confined to first base or DH, he probably isn't going to see much more playing time in Tampa than he was in Milwaukee. Given the downgrade in home park, this probably doesn't do much to push him back towards relevance outside of AL-only or deeper leagues with daily lineup changes, unless he just crushes the ball and forces their hand.
--Chris Towers
Brewers acquire Jake Faria
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Faria showed plenty of potential in 2017 when he posted a 3.43 ERA in 86.2 innings as a 23-year-old. His 2018 was a disaster, and he's mostly been back in the minors since, where he has a 4.07 ERA in Triple-A. He's racking up strikeouts, and was closer to a K-per-inning guy in the majors, so the pitching-starved Brewers may test him out in the rotation. However, he'll need to regain some of that 2017 form before he's worth a look in anything but NL-only leagues.
--Chris Towers
Nationals acquire Roenis Elias, Daniel Hudson, Hunter Strickland
One team lost its closer, and another lost its best fill-in option, and with Sean Doolittle entrenched in Washington, there's little path for either Elias or Hudson to find saves for the Nationals. These moves aren't earth-shattering, but they do open pretty big holes in two different bullpens, in Seattle and Toronto.
However, in neither case should Fantasy players run out and make some kind of speculative add, because there just isn't much here. The Mariners will settle on a closer, but good luck figuring out who it might be from a bullpen with no active pitchers with better than a strikeout per inning.
The Blue Jays might have moderately more talent, but unless and until Ken Giles is traded, there's no point in trying to find Fantasy value here, either.
--Chris Towers
