Max Scherzer, Javier Baez Among MLB Stars Dealt On Busy Trade Deadline Day - Forbes

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Topline

A slew of Major League Baseball stars will soon be donning new uniforms after Friday turned out to be one of the most hectic MLB trade deadline days in memory—here are some top players on the move.

Key Facts

The Washington Nationals agreed to send pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner to the Los Angeles Dodgers in return for several highly regarded prospects in the marquee trade of the day, which was announced only about a half hour before the 4 p.m. trade deadline.

The Chicago Cubs were major sellers, trading away several longtime stars who helped the team win the 2016 World Series, sending shortstop Javier Baez to the New York Mets and outfielder Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants, a day after the team traded away first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees.

The Cubs also sent eight-time all-star closer Craig Kimbrel across town to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for second baseman Nick Madrigal and relief pitcher Codi Heuer.

The Philadelphia Phillies landed pitchers Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy from the Texas Rangers in return for three players.

The Minnesota Twins traded starting pitcher Jose Berrios to the Toronto Blue Jays in return for two prospects.

Surprising Fact

Several players whose names were widely circulated in trade rumors before the deadline ended up staying put, like Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies and the Twins' Byron Buxton.

Key Background

Teams making trades leading up to the deadline are usually put into groups of "buyers'' and "sellers," with the buyers taking established players from seller teams that are struggling to compete in exchange for prospects, which the sellers hope to use to build a strong roster in the future. This year's transactions were no different, with the most high-profile trade—Scherzer to the Dodgers—shoring up the team's starting pitching rotation in the hopes of winning a second-straight World Series title.

Crucial Quote

"Let’s just call it what it is. The greatest trade deadline in #MLB history," Jim Bowden, an MLB analyst and former Cincinnati Reds general manager, tweeted Friday afternoon.

Tangent

Baseball is getting some renewed international attention, as the sport made its return to the Summer Olympics for the first time since 2008 on Wednesday. The U.S. opened strongly, defeating Israel 8-1.