MLB Trade Deadline Winners & Losers: Padres Riding High, White Sox Fell Short

The winds of change swept several superstars into new surroundings. OddsJam analyzes which teams changed for the better and the clubs that will find out change isn’t always a good thing.

Find the top winners and losers of the MLB trade deadline, plus their latest World Series futures odds, below.

MLB Trade Deadline Winners

Biggest Winner: San Diego Padres | +1000 at FanDuel

The Padres clobbered a home run by snagging Home Run Derby winner Juan Soto. Soto’s steadfast patience at the plate and magnetic ability to stick to the basepaths earns him constant comparisons to hallowed Hall of Fame hitter Ted Williams.

Fellow superstar Manny Machado welcomes the West Coast newcomer, forming arguably the heaviest one-two punch in baseball. Fans and bettors hope Fernando Tatis Jr. will return with the slugging prowess to make the dynamic duo a terrifying triple threat. 

Signs point to wishes coming true. Tatis begins his rehab assignment this weekend after being out all season healing from a wrist fracture. 

As Tatis closes in on wreaking havoc at the plate again, the Padres acquired the perfect closer on the mound. Saves leader Josh Hader arrived Tuesday. The baseball world widely crowns him the best closer in baseball, despite stretches of uncharacteristic struggles this season. 

Hader crushes when it counts. He has a 1.88 ERA and 0.84 WHIP through 14.1 playoff innings.

The Padres should enter the playoffs with the strongest heart of any lineup, an improved backend with powerful .300 hitter Josh Bell joining and the best closer. 

However, the invigorated team lacks the completeness of the Dodgers or the disgusting playoff rotation the Mets will weaponize barring health setbacks.

The Padres also bemoan setup reliability. The bullpen combines for a mediocre 3.84 ERA, placing the unit 13th in MLB, despite playing in the friendliest pitcher’s park in baseball. Excessive contact pitching presents an ongoing problem. The unit strikes out the fourth-fewest batters.

Takeaway: The roster changes feel as cool as the pacific breezes defensively aiding the new premiere players at Petco Park. I still don’t think the overall roster — particularly in the bullpen or starting rotation after Joe Musgrove  —  blows away the Mets and Dodgers across seven games.

Contender Watch: New York Yankees |  +350 at FanDuel

Underrated hurler Frankie Montas deepens the already strong expected playoff rotation featuring Gerritt Cole, Nestor Cortes and James Taillon (Luis Severino landed the 60-day injury list). Montas finished sixth in MVP voting last year and has a 3.18 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP and sharp strikeout numbers this season.

Solid righty Scott Effross reinforces an already stout bullpen that earns the second-lowest MLB ERA. Current Gold Glover Harrison Bader’s decorated defense assists that cause if he successfully heals from injury.

Departing with Joey Gallow adds by subtraction. Gallow’s putrid performance at the plate lowlighted by a .159 batting average/.282 OBP renders the 2021 All-Star one of the biggest liabilities in 2022. 

Takeaway: The richest get richer. The Yankees possessed everything needed to win the World Series before the trade deadline. Now there’s even more reason for bettors to love odds and batters to hate facing this studly squad.

Value Gainer: Philadelphia Phillies | +4500 at FanDuel

The distance between the Phillies and the franchise’s third World Series victory spans a wide range. The trade deadline closed the talent gap. 

Brandon Marsh and Edmundo Sosa cover spacious ground on defense. Marsh ranks second in range factor among left field. Sosa landed in the top 10 NL defensive WAR last season. The Phillies field opportunities cleanly, but don’t create many plays. The team places near the bottom of fielding percentage and total runs saved.

Better pitching mitigates the impact defense needs to have for victory. Injuries robbed Noah “Thor” Syndergaard of old thunder, but he has adjusted into effectiveness given mortal middle-of-the-rotation expectations.

Former All-Star David Robertson joins the gritty clubhouse as a bullpen cornerstone. He enjoys nice numbers this season, despite playing for a decimated Cubs squad with a hazardous bullpen.

Takeaway: The team faces a steep uphill climb to the top of the World Series mountain. There’s no denying it made a smaller ascension with these moves that boost the chances of reaching the playoffs in a crowded NL hunt.

MLB Trade Deadline Loser

Biggest Loser: Chicago White Sox |  +4500 at FanDuel

The White Sox fell out of favor with the betting public a while back due to the team’s inconsistency and Tony La Russa’s refusal to modernize his managing style.

 A 53-51 record trailing the division leader by just two games hides behind the red flags. Batters create solid contact, leading the AL in team hits and ranking third in batting average. Starting pitching stockpiles strikeouts, which is an asset that transfers well to any ballpark.

Management failed to obtain any new assets. New lefty Jake Diekman allowing 7 walks per nine innings before getting traded and ultimately amassing a 4.23 ERA moves the needle backward.

Getting a couple of the plethora of veteran power threats instead should’ve quelled lineup concerns. A starting pitcher and at least one bullpen arm could’ve upgraded the staff from decent to dangerous. Doing both would’ve kept the “South Siders” heading north in a close race for a guaranteed playoff spot.

“Could’ve, should’ve, would’ve” reverberated through the AL Central. Only the Twins received the message and made aggressive moves to overhaul the bullpen. Bullpen stalwart Jorge Lopez completed the beautiful makeover. The White Sox stood and looked not-so-pretty.

Takeaway: Place that last sentence on the team’s 2022 tombstone on Oct. 3.