Big names in sports are dealt every year, and we see even more of those trades go down whenever the league’s trade deadline is approaching.
Major League Baseball’s trade deadline came and went on Friday and teams set a record this year by trading 10 different all-stars throughout the season, the most amount of all-stars to ever get traded in a single MLB season.
It all started on July 22, when the Tampa Bay Rays acquired designated hitter Nelson Cruz from the Minnesota Twins. This is the first time Cruz has made the All-Star Game since the 2018 season, but he has just two hits - both being home runs - in 17 at-bats through five games and owns a .118 batting average through his first give games with the Rays.
A few days later on July 26, the second All-Star was traded as the Pittsburgh Pirates sent second baseman Adam Frazier to the San Diego Padres. This was the first time in Frazier’s 6-year career that he was named to the All-Star team. Like Cruz, Frazier is also off to a slow start with his new club, as he has just two hits in 11 at-bats through his first three games.
Two days later, another NL second baseman was on the move as the Arizona Diamondbacks sent Eduardo Escobar to the Milwaukee Brewers. Like Frazier, this was also the first time in Escobar’s career that he was named to the All-Star team, which is kind of shocking considering he hit 35 home runs and 118 RBI with a .269 batting average in 2019.
The following day multiple All-Stars were traded to the AL East as the Washington Nationals sent left fielder Kyle Schwarber to the Boston Red Sox, while the New York Yankees acquired Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers.
Perhaps the wildest trades of them all included two All-Stars in the same deal. First it was rumoured that the San Diego Padres were going to land 8-time All-Star Max Scherzer, but then the Los Angeles Dodgers swooped in and acquired not just Scherzer, but shortstop Trea Turner as well from the Washington Nationals.
The Cubs sent four-time All-Star and 2016 NL MVP Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants. The deal involving the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year was rumoured leading up to the deadline and became official before the deadline hit.
Another first-time All-Star who was dealt at this year’s deadline was pitcher Kyle Gibson, who was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies from the Texas Rangers in the middle of a career-season.
And then to conclude the All-Star deals and the unloading of the Chicago Cubs’ roster, they dealt Craig Kimbrel to the Chicago White Sox in the 7th trade between the two teams since 1990.
Which team made the best trade deadline acquisition?
