The MLB trading deadline arrived at 6 PM Eastern on Monday, and once the dust settled, lots of big names changed destinations. Today and tomorrow, we’ll run down the results on a team-by-team basis, sorted by buyer-seller status. Tomorrow, we’ll tackle the National League - today, it’s the American League’s turn.

There was no bigger buyer in either league than the Texas Rangers. Obviously, their biggest move was the acquisition of ace starter Max Scherzer from the Mets in exchange for top shortstop prospect Luisangel Acuna. Did a deep dive on that one earlier this week. The Mets sent $35.5 million along in the deal, essentially buying a high-end prospect. Acuna has made my statistically-based list of top minor league prospect rankings in each of the last three seasons, with a peak rank of #31 in 2022.

The Rangers also added lefty starter Jordan Montgomery, an underrated mid-rotation starter, along with reliever Chris Stratton. in exchange for a prospect package headed by RHP Tekoah Roby and INF Thomas Saggese. Roby ranked #28 on my midseason top pitching prospect list, with Saggese at #57 among position players. The former was a Top 50 pitcher in 2022, the latter a Top 100 position player in both 2021 and 2022. They also brough aboard defensive specialist catcher Austin Hedges aboard to help deal with the loss of Jonah Heim to injury. The Rangers parted with significant prospects, but the moves make them a postseason favorite.

The Houston Astros needed to keep pace with the Rangers, and did so by bringing Justin Verlander back to town. The Mets added big-time cash in this deal as well, with $35 million netting them outfield prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford. Both were near the very top of my midseason position player rankings (Gilbert at #31, Clifford at #7). Both were 2022 Astros draftees, Gilbert in the 1st round, Clifford in the 11th, and both project as MLB starters and potential stars. In fact, I believe the prospect evaluation community is a little light on both guys. The Mets did a nice job of scouting here, but the Astros are in win-now mode and got their guy.

The Los Angeles Angels didn’t buy to the extent of their AL West rivals, but sent a clear signal that they’re fighting to the end with Shohei Ohtani. In a pair of deals, they brought on starter Lucas Giolito and reliever Reynaldo Lopez from the White Sox and OF Randal Grichuk and 1B C.J. Cron from the Rockies. They did give up a top catching prospect, Edgar Quero (#33 2022 position player ranking per my method) in the Giolito deal, along with pitching prospect Ky Bush (#174 in 2022). The Rockies’ deal cost them minor league pitchers Mason Albright (#135 in 2022) and Jake Madden. Ultimately, these may have been ineffectual desperation moves on the Angels’ part, but if you’re not moving Ohtani, you have to try to win with him.

The Tampa Bay Rays have a knack for getting the most out of starting pitchers, and to that end added Aaron Civale from the Guardians, but did so at significant cost, sending 1B Kyle Manzardo to Cleveland. Manzardo was my #5 ranked position player in 2022, and though he hasn’t been quite the same this season, he has a chance to be an impact bat. They also brought fringe roster pitchers Adrian Sampson and Manuel Rodriguez over from the Cubs for reliever Josh Roberson.

The Toronto Blue Jays made a couple of moves, both with the St. Louis Cardinals. They added closer Jordan Hicks in exchange for minor league pitchers Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein, and then acquired SS Paul DeJong for High-A pitcher Matt Svanson. Both Robberse (#90) and Kloffenstein (#96) barely made my midseason Top 100 this year, and while Svanson’s numbers are great, at 24 he is very old for his level. Hicks is a high-risk, high-reward type, and it his performance that will decide the success of that deal.

The Baltimore Orioles checked in right before the deadline, acquiring righty starter Jack Flaherty from the Cards in exchange for minor league INF Chris Prieto and pitchers Drew Rom and Zack Showalter. Prieto made my 2023 position player list at #265, and Rom was my #40 pitcher in 2022. Showalter is only 19, and the 2022 11th rounder’s career is off to a fine start. This looks to be a solid return from the Cards’ perspective for a rental player.

In the early stages of deadline season, the Boston Red Sox were light sellers, sending Enrique Hernandez to the Dodgers for low-end relief prospects Nick Robertson and Justin Hagenman. They then made a light buy right at the wire, acquiring 3B Luis Urias from the Brewers for minor league righty Bradley Blalock. Urias is only 26, can play multiple positions, and conpares favorably to the departed Hernandez - assuming the Sox want to tender him a 2024 contract.

Not sure what the New York Yankees are up to. They acquired reliever Keynan Middleton from the White Sox for minor league arm Juan Carela, but he’s not going to move the needle for this bunch. They had more pressing needs, and gave up my 2023 #81 minor league pitching prospect for a slight bullpen upgrade. They also snatched fallen pitching prospect Spencer Howard from the Rangers in a cash deal.

The Cleveland Guardians sent Civale to Tampa for Manzardo, in hopes of clearing up their 1B/DH issues. They made room by dealing incumbent Josh Bell to the Marlins for INF Jean Segura (who was then released) and former top prospect SS Kahlil Watson. Watson is still only 20, and he bounced up to #161 on my 2023 midseason position player prospect list. It’s a bold post-hype pickup for the Guardians, an under-the-radar savvy move. They can still contend without Civale, Bell and Amed Rosario (gone to the Dodgers for Noah Syndergaard) in the awful AL Central.

The Minnesota Twins rearranged deck chairs in their bullpen, acquiring Dylan Floro from the Marlins for Jorge Lopez. Floro is the more reliable of the two, while he lacks Lopez’ upside and risk.

The Oakland Athletics made a couple of minor moves, sending INF Jace Peterson to the Diamondbacks for minor league pitcher Chad Patrick and big league reliever Sam Moll to the Reds for power arm Tim Boyle. Boyle’s the more intriguing pickup, the #126 2022 minor league pitching prospect according to my method.

The Detroit Tigers are likely to rue not being bigger sellers than they actually were at the deadline. They had a deal in place with the Dodgers for staff ace Eduardo Rodriguez, but the player refused to wave his no-trade clause. Bad on the Tigers for not having a backup plan in place for the free agent-t0-be who cannot be extended a qualifying offer. The club did move solid starter Michael Lorenzen to the Phillies for infield minor leagie infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee, my #69 position player prospect in 2022. Decent return, but a missed opportunity overall for the Tigers.

I was pretty disappointed in the Seattle Mariners deadline effort. Thought they had the talent to buy, but instead they sent closer Paul Sewald to Arizona and OF A.J. Pollock and fringe 40-man infielder Mark Mathias to the Giants. The return from the Diamondbacks is interesting - both INF Ryan Bliss (#71) and OF Dominic Canzone (#182) made my midseason 2023 top position player prospect list, and major league UT Josh Rojas could get quite a bit of playing time down the stretch.

Not really sure what the Kansas City Royals are up to. They moved UT Nicky Lopez, LHP Ryan Yarbrough, RHP Scott Barlow and RHP Jose Cuas - admittedly middling players - at the deadline, for seemingly unattractive returns. They got fringe MLB arm Taylor Hearn for Lopez, a slick fielder and light bat with remaining years of control. Hearn had been plucked by the Braves from the Rangers just days earlier in a minor cash deal - and the Royals gave away an actual asset for him. They acquired 1B Devin Mann and SS Derlin Figueroa in the Yarbrough deal - Mann is 26 years old, and Figueroa is a 19-year-old still in rookie ball. Barlow netted RHPs Henry Williams and Jesus Rios from the Padres. Williams is a former 3rd rounder who has a chance but has had limited success in the minors to date, and Rios is a rookie ball reliever. Cuas went to the Cubs in exchange for Quad-A bat Nelson Velasquez, another player with seemingly limited upside. None of the players acquired made my lists of top position player or pitching prospects in 2022 or 2023.

I wrote about the Chicago White Sox trade of Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Dodgers for minor league pitchers Nick Nastrini and Jordan Leasure and backup MLB OF Trayce Thompson here. Nastrini is the big piece here - he was my #62 minor league pitching prospect in 2022. As covered above in the Angels section, C Edgar Quero was a big get in the Giolito/Lopez deal - great pickup there. See the Yankee section above for the stealth acquisition of pitching prospect Juan Carela.

They also sent reliever Kendall Graveman to the Astros for catching prospect Korey Lee. Lee’s bat has definitely gone backward in recent seasons, but he still projects as a potential defense-oriented MLB backup. Lastly, they somewhat surprisingly sent 3B Jake Burger to the Marlins for minor league lefty Jake Eder. Eder has always been highly regarded, but has had a hard time staying healthy. All in all, the White Sox are still a mess at the MLB level, and they didn’t pick up any surefire studs in their deadline clearance sale.