Ranking 5 Teams That Didn’t Do Enough at the MLB Trade Deadline

1. Pittsburgh Pirates — Selling Big, But Missing the Mark

Key Trades

3B Ke’Bryan Hayes → CIN for LHP Taylor Rogers, SS Sammy Stafura + cash

LHP Taylor Rogers → CHC for OF Ivan Brethowr

LHP Caleb Ferguson → SEA for RHP Jeter Martinez

RHP David Bednar → NYY for C Rafael Flores, C Edgleen Perez, OF Brian Sanchez

LHP Bailey Falter → KC for LHP Evan Sisk, 1B Callan Moss

The Pirates moved recognizable names but still left major trade chips untouched. Veterans like Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Tommy Pham, Andrew McCutchen, and Andrew Heaney — all set to hit free agency — stayed put.

While Pittsburgh Pirates did land prospects ranked No. 7, No. 15, and No. 23 in their system (MLB.com), the decision to trade Hayes — under contract through 2029 — and Bednar, with a year of control left, raises eyebrows. Hayes’ elite glove (16 OAA, 99th percentile) makes the move to division-rival Cincinnati even more baffling. Given their rebuild window around Paul Skenes and top prospects like Konnor Griffin, this feels like a misstep

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4. Boston Red Sox — Good Gets, But Not the Big Swing

Key Trades

OF James Tibbs III, OF Zach Ehrhard → LAD for RHP Dustin May

1B Blaze Jordan → STL for LHP Steven Matz

The Boston Red Sox improved their pitching staff for a postseason push but missed out on bigger names like Joe Ryan or Sandy Alcántara. May’s debut in Boston was rocky, while Matz, a pending free agent, has been effective in relief.

The cost? Tibbs, Boston’s No. 5 prospect and centerpiece of the Rafael Devers trade earlier this year. With the 15th-best starter ERA heading into the deadline, adding a frontline arm could have been a series-changer. Instead, Boston settles for incremental upgrades.

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3. Atlanta Braves — Patchwork for a Sinking Ship

Key Trades

Future considerations → STL for RHP Erick Fedde + cash

Cash → NYY for RHP Carlos Carrasco

RHP Austin Smith → COL for RHP Tyler Kinley

RHP Rafael Montero → DET for SS Jim Jarvis

Injury devastation defined the Atlanta Braves' 2025 season — all five Opening Day starters hit the 60-day IL. Instead of long-term help, the Braves added Fedde (DFA’d by St. Louis) and Carrasco for rotation depth, plus Kinley for the bullpen after sending out Montero.

While innings-eaters make sense for a bruised staff, the lack of future-focused moves suggests they’re banking on a healthy 2026. Fedde and Carrasco’s underwhelming seasons won’t excite fans, and Kinley’s value hinges on a bounce-back away from Coors Field.

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2. Los Angeles Angels — Buying in a Lost Season

Key Trades

LHP Jake Eder, 1B Sam Brown → WSH for LHP Andrew Chafin, RHP Luis García

OF Wilberson De Pena + Future Considerations → NYY for 3B Oswald Peraza

Nine games out of the AL West and 4.5 games back in the Wild Card race at the deadline, the Los Angeles Angels added bullpen arms instead of selling veterans like Tyler Anderson, Kenley Jansen, Kyle Hendricks, and Luis Rengifo. Taylor Ward, under control through 2026, also stayed despite trade speculation.

With playoff odds under 1%, shipping prospects from an already bottom-ranked farm system for short-term bullpen help is hard to justify. Chafin and García bolster MLB’s worst bullpen by fWAR (-0.9 pre-deadline), but it’s an October-long-shot gamble that sacrifices tomorrow for a slim shot today.

1. Pittsburgh Pirates — Selling Big, But Missing the Mark

Key Trades

3B Ke’Bryan Hayes → CIN for LHP Taylor Rogers, SS Sammy Stafura + cash

LHP Taylor Rogers → CHC for OF Ivan Brethowr

LHP Caleb Ferguson → SEA for RHP Jeter Martinez

RHP David Bednar → NYY for C Rafael Flores, C Edgleen Perez, OF Brian Sanchez

LHP Bailey Falter → KC for LHP Evan Sisk, 1B Callan Moss

The Pirates moved recognizable names but still left major trade chips untouched. Veterans like Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Tommy Pham, Andrew McCutchen, and Andrew Heaney — all set to hit free agency — stayed put.

While Pittsburgh Pirates did land prospects ranked No. 7, No. 15, and No. 23 in their system (MLB.com), the decision to trade Hayes — under contract through 2029 — and Bednar, with a year of control left, raises eyebrows. Hayes’ elite glove (16 OAA, 99th percentile) makes the move to division-rival Cincinnati even more baffling. Given their rebuild window around Paul Skenes and top prospects like Konnor Griffin, this feels like a misstep

For all your MLB deep dives, check out our friends at Just Baseball.