The trade deadline has passed us by and left the baseball world on its side as multiple big name players changed teams. This year’s deadline was one of the busiest in recent memory and the two big name pitchers everyone expected to move moved, but both to destinations that weren’t where many expected them to go heading into the deadline. Even with all of the moves not much has changed at the top of the standings because the teams that made the moves made big moves to stay on top and get them further in the playoffs. Without further ado, the August power rankings.
30. Colorado Rockies (Last Time 28, Down 2)
When healthy the Rockies are the best offense in all of baseball. The problem? Very rarely are they healthy longer than the first two months. Eventually they are going to have to do something with the core of their team, because this core is getting them nowhere presently.
29. Texas Rangers (Last Time 23, Down 6)
The once promising season has completely crumbled. Their top offseason acquisition is done for the year and the rest of the team other than Adrian Beltre has either struggled or spent time on the disabled list. This season has not turned out the way they had drawn it up, hopefully it is not manager Ron Washington’s last because he doesn’t deserve to go out like this.
28. Houston Astros (Last Time 26, Down 2)
The future is bright for the Astros, and we got a glimpse of that future before they too had injury issues. They will not be much trouble the rest of the year because of those injuries, but they will be dangerous in the not too distant future.
27. Arizona Diamondbacks (Last Time 30, Up 3)
This is not the season the Diamondbacks had hoped for, and it only got worse last week when superstar Paul Goldschmidt’s hand was broken by a Ernesto Frieri pitch. This season is all but over for the D-Backs, and it might be the end of the road for manager Kirk Gibson and General Manager Kevin Towers.
26. Chicago Cubs (Last Time 29, Up 3)
Cubs star Anthony Rizzo has recovered from a tough stretch to be one of the top players in all of baseball. This season isn’t going anywhere for the Cubs as they are well behind all four other teams in the National League Central, but with a lot of money available for the 2015 season and Rizzo coming into his own, they are primed to make a move in the division next season.
25. Boston Red Sox (Last Time 20, Down 5)
The Red Sox watched as the Tampa Bay Rays passed them in the division, and decided that for the first time in recent memory that it was time for them to be sellers at the trade deadline. They didn’t trade for prospects, though, they traded two expiring contracts for a year and a half of Yoenis Cespedes and added to more players in another trade to prime themselves for another run in 2015.
24. Minnesota Twins (Last Time 22, Down 2)
The loss of Joe Mauer and the struggles of Josh Willingham have derailed a once promising season. They are still a rebuilding project and 2014 is yet another lost year.
23. Philadelphia Phillies (Last Time 27, Up 4)
The biggest surprise at the trade deadline is that the Phillies didn’t make a single move. They are old and only getting older and if no moves are made through the waiver period (Other than the trade of Roberto Hernandez of course) Ruben Amaro Jr. will probably be out of a job.
22. San Diego Padres (Last Time 25, Up 3)
The Padres have found themselves a new general manager. A.J. Preller has been a part of a great front office with the Rangers and he will need to create a good one in San Diego if he is going to fix the mess that is the Padres.
21. New York Mets (Last Time 21)
There are a few young teams out there that are going to be dangerous in 2015 and the Mets are one of them. If they hang onto Daniel Murphy (He may be traded during the waiver period) this team will have a decent offense in 2015 and with the return of Matt Harvey a top pitching staff in the National League. For now, though, they are just the same old Mets.
20. Chicago White Sox (Last Time 17, Down 3)
Jose Abreu is looking like one of the best players in the league, but the rest of the team around him just isn’t quite there yet. The White Sox like to spend, and if they can build around Abreu and superstar pitcher Chris Sale they may be the team that finally knocks the Detroit Tigers off of the top.
19. Tampa Bay Rays (Last Time 24, Up 5)
They are making a run towards the wild card but yet they still did it and traded David Price. Like the Red Sox, though, they did not trade their superstar pitcher for prospects, but for players that can possibly help them this year and will help them in 2015.
18. Miami Marlins (Last Time 19, Up 1)
Like the Mets the Marlins are going to be scary in 2015. They have been competitive most of the season without stud Jose Fernandez but now with Henderson Alvarez also on the disabled list they are falling back down. When they are healthy in 2015, watch out for this team.
17. Cleveland Indians (Last Time 18, Up 1)
If the Indians played any kind of defense they might be in a better position than they are right now. Michael Brantley has burst out as star of the future and so is Corey Kluber. The future is bright, but if they continue to lead the league in errors in 2015 they’ll be back in the same position.
16. Atlanta Braves (Last Time 8, Down 8)
The Braves were once looking like one of the best teams in the National League, but they have fallen off and the Washington Nationals have streaked to the top. They still have time to make a move but it will be a tough road as they are 4.5 back in the division and 3.5 in the Wild Card with three teams ahead of them.
15. Cincinnatti Reds (Last Time 12, Down 4)
The Reds pitching staff is healthy and it has shown. With the healthy pitching staff they have streaked back into relevance and if the offense can get healthy they will be dangerous to the rest of the division and all of the Wild Card teams ahead of them.
14. Seattle Mariners (Last Time 9, Down 5)
The M’s can kiss the division goodbye, but that doesn’t mean their season is over. The top Wild Card spot in the American League most likely belongs to the team that doesn’t win the American League West and the third spot could end up belonging to the Mariners as they only sit a half of a game behind the Kansas City Royals for the second spot, and if they are in that one game playoff they have a great chance with Felix Hernandez on the mound.
13. Toronto Blue Jays (Last Time 6, Down 7)
The once red hot offense of the Blue Jays fell off when Edwin Encarnacion landed on the disabled list. Lucky for them Encarnacion is on his way back and they also only sit one half game back in the Wild Card. When Encarnacion gets back this team will again be dangerous down the stretch, and if they make a move to add a starting pitcher during the waiver deadline the division could still be in their sights.
12. New York Yankees (Last Time 16, Up 4)
Over the last few weeks the Yankees have made a lot of trades that seemed small at the time, but they are trading huge dividends for the team and have kept them relevant in the Wild Card standings. Now Masahiro Tanaka is on his way back and the race down the stretch will get real interesting.
11. Kansas City Royals (Last Time 15, Down 4)
The Royals are sitting pretty right now in the second Wild Card spot but they have a slew of teams chasing them. This is their best chance of breaking their playoff streak, but if the offense can’t turn around they will likely be one-and-done if they can hold on to that Wild Card spot.
10. Pittsburgh Pirates (Last Time 14, Up 4)
Once the biggest disappointment of the season the Pirates are relevant again. That may not last, though, as reigning National League MVP Andrew McCutchen is now struggling with injury. Right now they have a real shot at again being a Wild Card team, but if Cutch cannot regain health they may be watching their playoff hopes pass them by.
9. St. Louis Cardinals (Last Time 11, Up 2)
At the trade deadline the Cardinals made a move to acquire pitching, but at the cost of a young but proved pitching prospect in Joe Kelly and Allen Craig who had been a cornerstone of the offense. Even without the two of them the Cardinals have a strong future, but it is clear that they are playing for 2014 and want the division, not the Wild Card.
8. San Francisco Giants (Last Time 5, Down 3)
At one point in the season the Giants had the best record in the league and a stranglehold on the division, but then their arch nemesis the Los Angeles Dodgers began a similar streak to the one they went on last season and took over. Now they sit in the second Wild Card spot and still have a chance at the playoffs, but it is going to take a turnaround from their pitching staff to get there.
7. Detroit Tigers (Last Time 4, Down 3)
The Tigers are clearly the best team in the American League Central and at the deadline they made a move that put them on a shortlist for World Series favorites when they traded for Price. Like the Cardinals they lost two key pieces to the future in the trades for pitching, but it’s been clear since Max Scherzer turned down their contract offer that it is 2014 or bust for the Tigers.
6. Washington Nationals (Last Time 10, Up 4)
Once the Nationals got healthy they just took off like a rocket. Gio Gonzalez is healthy and pitching better, but it is Doug Fister coming off of the disabled list that has really helped this team take off. With that solid rotation and the return of Bryce Harper the Nationals could be the team to beat in the National League.
5. Milwaukee Brewers (Last Time 2, Down 3)
Everyone thought the Brew Crew would eventually fall from the top of the National League Central, and for a brief moment it looked like the Cardinals would knock them off. Yet here they are, still in first and looking like the best team in the National League. They have quite possibly the most under the radar MVP candidate ever in Jonathan Lucroy and one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball.
4. Baltimore Orioles (Last Time 13, Up 9)
The O’s have one weakness has been it’s starting pitching staff and over the last 30 days it has been the strongest it has been all season long led by Wei-Yin Chen who is 4-1 with a 3.19 ERA over his last five starts. It is no surprise to most that the resurgence of the staff coincide with the injury to Ubaldo Jimenez who has not looked like the pitcher he was in 2013. If Jimenez can do anything positive when he comes back from the disabled list this team will be dangerous down the stretch.
3. Los Angeles Angels (Last Time 7, Up 4)
Before a run in with their geographic rival Los Angeles Dodgers the Angels looked like they could be the best team in baseball. After losing three out of four to the Dodgers they now sit three games out of the division, but still hold a kung-fu grip on the top Wild Card spot. If the Angels are going to make noise down the stretch and in the playoffs, though, their two veteran position players are going to have to play up to their contracts and the starting rotation will have to pitch the best they ever have.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (Last Time 3, Up 1)
They’ve added another pitcher to their already stellar starting rotation and the offense is coming around, this season thanks to the resurgence of Matt Kemp. It seems clear right now that the Giants are going to have a heck of a time at catching them, and with Clayton Kershaw at the top of their rotation they are going to be tough to beat in any playoff series.
1. Oakland Athletics (Last Time 1)
They traded away the biggest household name they had on the team for two rental players and yet they still have the best record in all of the league. The returns for Cespedes of Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes are obvious moves for this season and Lester is already paying dividends with a complete game shutout in his second start in green and gold.
Wins during the season is not the reason Lester was acquired, though, it’s his playoff experience that was the real reason behind the acquisition. For the first time in their recent playoff runs, the A’s will have someone with experience taking the bump in the key games in the playoffs.