Grading trade-deadline hauls in the days — or months or sometimes years — after they were finalized is a preposterous exercise designed to age poorly.
A for-sure superstar will go downhill. A no-name, teenage prospect who was exchanged will grow into a perennial All-Star.
So after a busy deadline for just about everyone except the Yankees, let’s grade Tuesday’s biggest (and local-est) deals:
The all-out Mets not only sell for this year but next as well. They once used Steve Cohen’s money to try to buy a championship, which did not work immediately.
They now will use Cohen’s money to buy a farm system, triggering several trades that might be great for the future but are dismal for this year and next.
The pitching-thin Astros keep pace with the Rangers, who added Max Scherzer, and re-acquire an ace capable of carrying them in October again.
Mets: C+, Astros: A
Pham, a useful player on an expiring deal, fetched an interesting but far-away prospect. Rodriguez, 17, signed for $1.25 million out of the Dominican Republic in January.
The Diamondbacks, with lefty outfielders Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy, likely view Pham as a platoon bat capable of crushing lefties.
Mets: B, Diamondbacks: A
Middleton is a 29-year-old journeyman righty with a 3.96 ERA in 39 games out of the bullpen.
He throws hard, has high spin rates and misses bats, and the Yankees’ pitching minds surely see unrealized potential.
The Yankees, who also added Rangers righty Spencer Howard, tend to maximize relievers.
Carela is a 21-year-old righty starter with 109 strikeouts in 83 ⅓ High-A innings.
Should the Yankees have aimed higher?
Yankees: C. White Sox: B
The Orioles, a legitimate World Series contender, land a righty arm who should augment an overworked rotation, with several young pitchers with innings concerns.
Flaherty brings October experience but suspect upside, holding a 4.43 ERA this year after several seasons of injury.
Selling St. Louis, desperate for pitching, gets a pair of well-regarded arms (Rom has struggled at Triple-A; Showalter has been performing well at Class-A) and flexible infielder Prieto, who had an .868 OPS in Double- and Triple-A this year.
Orioles: C+, Cardinals: B
The Padres, who also picked up the Royals’ Scott Barlow, pushed in even more chips for this year with an innings-eater in Hill and a solid (and now healthy) lefty bat in Choi.
Hill might not be more than a No. 5 starter at this stage of his career, but he is serviceable.
Wolf (who had been Padres’ No. 16 prospect) is the most promising of the Pirates’ haul.
Padres: B, Pirates B
After Bo Bichette suffered a knee scare Monday, Toronto acted quickly to fortify its infield depth.
Combined with the additions of Jordan Hicks and Genesis Cabrera, the Jays have gotten deeper. Svanson is another flier on an arm for a pitching-poor Cardinals club
Cardinals: B+, Blue Jays: B+
Detroit cashes in on Lorenzen during a breakout All-Star season.
More solid than excellent, the 31-year-old might be the Phillies’ No. 3 starter behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola.
The 20-year-old Lee, signed out of Taiwan two years ago, is a promising contact hitter with signs of pop but a long way away.
Phillies: B+, Tigers: B
The Marlins, gunning for a playoff spot, beefed up their bullpen and added plenty of infield power during a busy deadline.
They already had added David Robertson and brought in White Sox slugger Jake Burger in separate trades.
Bell is having a middling season but can hit good pitching and once slugged 37 homers in a season. Cleveland did well to pry Watson, a first-round pick in 2021.
Marlins: B+, Guardians: A-