Now that the dust has started to settle on the just-ended MLB waiver-trade period, teams can get to the business of watching the fruits of their labor.
The month of August always presents a set of various issues for teams looking to make upgrades. The waiver process itself is the largest obstacle. For years now, teams in contention have used the month of August to gauge interest in players who could be possible trade chips, either during that month or in the offseason.
Buying teams have much to weigh when making deals as well: assuming the life of a player’s contract, weighing short-term vs. long-term impacts and hoping that the acquisition doesn’t mess with team chemistry.
This season, the month of August didn’t present a tremendous amount of movement, but one deal in particular will make it memorable indeed.
We will take a look at each trade made during the waiver-trade period and attach a grade for both teams involved. Obviously, current results won’t define each trade in the long run, so grades can certainly be seen as subjective in nature.