Presenting the 2024 All-Trade Deadline Team

Presenting the 2024 All-Trade Deadline Team

Constructing a roster of the best July acquisitions

July 31st, 2024

A busy Trade Deadline season wrapped up Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET, with a number of contenders and playoff hopefuls making an effort to bolster their rosters ahead of the stretch run.

But who were the best of the best of those moved, going back to July 1? To answer that question, we assembled the 2024 All-Trade Deadline team, a 26-man roster of players dealt during that window.

Would this squad be a strong October threat on its own? Read on and decide for yourself. (Each player is listed with the team that traded him and the team that acquired him.)

STARTING LINEUP

Catcher: (TOR to BOS)
Jansen was not having his best season (.671 OPS in Toronto), but the 29-year-old pending free agent posted an .805 OPS (120 OPS+) with 43 homers in 228 games for the Blue Jays from 2021-23. His strong tendency to pull the ball in the air could make him a good match for Fenway Park, and he’s also a wall behind the plate, per Statcast’s pitch blocking metrics.

First base: (TOR to SEA)
He's 39, has mostly played DH this season and hasn’t been driving the ball much (six HR). But Turner still controls the zone, draws walks and puts the ball in play (in the air). He has a .351 OBP and brings extensive postseason experience to Seattle.

Second base: (MIA to NYY)
It’s not clear exactly how Chisholm’s playing time will break down in the Bronx. Primarily a center fielder this season in Miami, he can also play second base and made his third base debut on Monday. Wherever he’s playing, Chisholm’s power-speed package gives him a high ceiling -- he homered twice in back-to-back games on Monday and Tuesday -- even though his actual production has rarely matched his hype to this point.

Third base: (TB to CHC)
Paredes has quite an unusual profile. He makes a lot of contact and draws a lot of walks, but his quality-of-contact numbers are on the far low end of the scale. (This season, he’s in the fifth percentile in hard-hit rate.) Paredes has become a breakout All-Star anyways, knocking 67 homers for the Rays from 2022-24 by becoming both an extreme fly ball hitter and an extreme pull hitter. Will that approach work as well at Wrigley Field?

Shortstop: (STL to LAD)
Edman never suited up for the Cardinals this season after sustaining a right ankle sprain that halted his rehab from offseason surgery on his right wrist. Assuming better health though, he offers a rare level of versatility, as a switch-hitter who is capable of being a plus defender at three up-the-middle positions (second base, shortstop, center field). While that’s Edman’s main selling point, he’s also a high-contact hitter with enough pop to reach double-digit homers in each of his four full seasons.

Left field: (WSH to NYM)
Winker endured a couple of disappointing and injury-marred seasons after making the All-Star team for the 2021 Reds (143 OPS+) but rebounded this year in Washington (130 OPS+). While he doesn’t add much in the field or on the bases, Winker is extremely disciplined at the plate (98th percentile walk rate) and excels against right-handed pitching.

Center field: (WSH to CLE)
He’s really a corner outfielder these days, stretched to play center on this team. Thomas isn’t flashy, but he quietly put together a 20-20 season in 2023 and owns a 110 career OPS+ across six MLB seasons. While he stole 28 bases for the Nats this year, he also was caught an MLB-high 12 times.

Right field: (TB to SEA)
Arozarena shifts from left field to right for the purposes of our roster. The 29-year-old brings some star power to Seattle, given his history as a postseason hero, Rookie of the Year Award winner and World Baseball Classic standout. While Arozarena was slow to get going in 2024, he hit .284/.397/.507 over his final 44 games with Tampa Bay before getting off to a strong start in Seattle.

Designated hitter: (SF to ATL)
His overall numbers this season for the Giants didn’t stand out, but Soler was batting a stellar .280/.374/.486 in 47 games since June 1. He’s certainly capable of getting hot and carrying a lineup, as the Braves themselves saw first-hand during their 2021 championship run, which ended with Soler as World Series MVP.

BENCH

Catcher: (DET to TEX)
Kelly’s offense has fluctuated wildly year to year, but he’s been a league-average bat in 2024 (100 OPS+) and a solid defender behind the plate (above average in blocking, framing and controlling the running game, per Statcast).

Infield: (TOR to PIT)
Kiner-Falefa has played every position except first base, starting his career as a catcher and even making six pitching appearances over the past two years. He’s primarily an infielder though, spending significant time this year at second, short and third, and can provide above-average defense all over. He’s also a high-contact hitter enjoying a career year offensively (.292/.338/.420).

Infield: (CHC to TB)
Morel, who went the other way in the Paredes deal, may ultimately need to transition to a DH role. (His -12 Outs Above Average at third base this season ranks last in MLB at any position.) With that said, there is still a lot of potential in Morel’s bat, even if he has struggled in 2024. Morel, who hit 26 homers in 2023, offers elite bat speed and power but has struggled to make consistent contact.

Outfield: (TOR to LAD)
This roster needs a true center fielder, so Kiermaier gets this spot over a lot of players with better bats. At age 34 and with retirement around the corner, it’s not clear if there is anything left in Kiermaier’s bat (.546 OPS this year). But he remains one of the game’s elite defensive players (plus-10 Outs Above Average) and a joy to watch patrol center.

Outfield: (CWS to STL)
This is nothing new for Pham, who has now been traded at the Deadline four times, including in each of the past three seasons. Renowned for his work ethic, the one-time 16th-round Cardinals Draft pick (2006) has always hit (career 113 OPS+), particularly against lefties. Plate discipline remains a calling card (95th percentile chase rate).

STARTING ROTATION

Starting pitcher: (DET to LAD)
Flaherty looked like an ace in bloom for the Cardinals in 2018-19, finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting in the latter season. Injuries and inconsistency set him back after that, but the 28-year-old righty rediscovered his form after signing with Detroit over the winter, posting a 2.95 ERA over 18 starts. The gap of 27.5 percentage points between his K and BB rates this season ranks second in MLB (minimum 100 innings) to Garrett Crochet.

RHP (CWS to STL)
Once the 18th overall pick in the 2014 Draft by the Nationals, Fedde remade himself in the KBO last season and returned stateside as a new and improved pitcher. The righty, who signed a two-year deal with Chicago, managed to go 7-4 with a 3.11 ERA for the team with MLB’s worst record. While Fedde isn’t a high-octane arm (33rd percentile in fastball velocity, 28th in whiff rate), he has succeeded by keeping hitters off-balance with his four-pitch mix.

RHP (TB to BAL)
Eflin’s Orioles debut on Monday was a solid representation of what the nine-year veteran brings. He wasn’t overpowering, giving up 10 hits, but posted a quality start by pouring in 72% strikes and not walking a single batter for the 11th time in 20 starts this season.

LHP (TOR to HOU)
The Astros will be the next team to try to capture some magic from Kikuchi, who has shined at times but frustrated at others during six seasons with the Mariners and Blue Jays since arriving from Japan. The lefty started strong in 2024 but posted a 6.87 ERA (albeit with a 4.68 FIP) over his final 12 starts in Toronto.

RHP (SF to CLE)
Cobb has yet to pitch in the Majors this year after undergoing offseason surgery on his left hip and encountering some setbacks in his rehab (most recently a right index finger blister that delayed his season debut). With that said, the 36-year-old was a 2023 All-Star who has delivered better-than-average ERAs in four straight seasons, with an overall 110 ERA+ since 2020.

BULLPEN

LHP (MIA to SD)
Scott comes with a lot of strong selling points and one clear drawback. The lefty’s fastball-slider mix is extremely hard to hit, with opponents slashing a meager .127/.264/.180 off him this year. Scott misses bats (94th percentile whiff rate) and induces weak contact (99th percentile hard-hit rate). On the other hand, walks have been a consistent problem throughout his career. Scott’s 14.8% BB rate, the highest in MLB this season (minimum 40 innings), always has the potential to cause some nail-biting late-inning moments.

RHP (LAA to PHI)
Another late bloomer, Estévez finally escaped Coors Field last year, signing with the Angels, becoming an All-Star and saving 31 games. He racked up another 20 saves for the Halos in 2024 while actually pitching more effectively overall (2.38 ERA) thanks in part to a big drop in walk rate.

RHP (TB to SD)
A classic Rays story, Adam bounced around a bunch, including briefly to the Padres, before finding a home at The Trop at age 30 in 2022. In 170 appearances for the Rays, he produced a 2.30 ERA, 30.4% K-rate and 24 saves.

RHP (TOR to SEA)
The 33-year-old García is a low-profile but effective bullpen arm, with a 3.52 career ERA in more than 400 appearances. That included 2.70 for the Blue Jays in 2024, with a career-high strikeout rate (36.5%).

RHP (CHC to NYY)
Leiter became a strong back-of-the-bullpen option for the Cubs over the past few seasons. That’s thanks in large part to a devastating splitter, which opponents are 3-for-57 (.053) against this season, while whiffing on 62.7% of their swings. Leiter returned from a short IL stint on July 9, and over his final seven Cubs appearances threw 7 2/3 perfect innings with 14 strikeouts.

LHP (DET to TEX)
This will be Chafin’s fourth time pitching for multiple teams in the past five seasons. While the 11-year veteran has gone through some ups and downs, he owns a 3.39 career ERA and had been on point for the Tigers in 2024. By throwing his wipeout slider more than half the time, Chafin has eclipsed the 90th percentile this year in chase rate (35.4%), whiff rate (34.4%), strikeout rate (30.9%) and expected ERA (2.78).

LHP (MIA to AZ)
Once the sixth overall pick in the Draft (A’s, 2016), Puk has struggled to find health and consistency. The 6-foot-7 lefty has the stuff to be a lights-out reliever, however. While a stint in Miami’s rotation to begin this season didn’t stick, Puk has found his footing of late. Including his first two outings with Arizona, he has a 15-game scoreless streak (17 innings, three hits, four walks and 26 strikeouts).