Ranking MLB trade deadline’s biggest winners: Who improved most?
NY Post
Some say this trade deadline season was deadly dull. But even in the biggest sellers’ market maybe ever — with a pervasive, unreasonable love of prospects (excepting trade-happy Padres A.J. Preller, of course) and also a few obvious also-rans inexplicably clutching to players with limited control — some teams went beyond the incremental and made real impact.
Sure, big names Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, Luis Robert, Cody Bellinger and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all stayed put. But even if no team hit a grand slam, several scored with moves — both buyers and sellers. Here’s my list of the best work.
They traded 12 of their top 15 prospects while building baseball’s best bullpen. Some figure Huntington Station’s own Preller is doing this because he needs to make the playoffs to keep his job. I say no. It’s just him. (And with beloved late owner Peter Seidler’s brother in some power now, it’s doubtful he’s in jeopardy.)
Anyway, the Padres now have a lockdown pen with Jason Adam and Tanner Scott joining arguably the game’s best closer Robert Suarez, and an outside shot to win the NL West.
Maybe they should get the top spot just for helping engineer two three-team trades. Regardless, they’re just behind the Padres for making good on their promise to go for impact, and ultimately importing Jack Flaherty, the best starter traded.
They did right by reeling in 18 prospects at a time hardly anyone wanted to give up prospects.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Toumani Camara had career highs of nine 3-pointers and 35 points to help Portland beat the Brooklyn Nets 134-99 on Monday night, the Trail Blazers’ largest margin of victory this season.
The Rangers hit the mark with their on-ice ceremony honoring Mika Zibanejad ahead of his 1,000th NHL game Monday night.
PORT ST. LUCIE — For now, Craig Kimbrel is choosing Mets purgatory.
‘Freak of nature: Zion Williamson’s resurgence could pose a Knicks problem versus motivated Pelicans
Zion Williamson is slimmer and healthier for his trip to MSG.
Don’t blame Mikal Bridges for his paltry stats. Blame the role.
Almost a year to the day after a goaltender interference call against Kyle Palmieri lost the Islanders a game against the Blue Jackets that started their season’s death spiral, they were on the wrong end of another controversial call against those same Blue Jackets that might have had the same effect.
On the Queens side of town, the reno began in earnest almost as soon as Francisco Lindor grounded into the 4-6-3 double play. That ended a 4-0 loss before a rare sizable crowd at Miami’s loanDepot Park last Sept. 27, all of them there to witness the final death rattles of an epic baseball calamity.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is being paid handsomely for his breakout season.
Next comes the harder part. Mostly because it can’t get any easier.
It was Kids Day at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, but for the Rangers, it’s been All About The Kids for months.
PORT ST. LUCIE — From the moment he was told he needed surgery on his left hamate bone, Francisco Lindor fixated on the recovery time. Trainers provided the Mets shortstop a six-week pathway to return to play, and Lindor was determined to hit every marker.
Dylan Garand knew the number off the top of his head. He knew that, between the regular season and playoffs, he’d logged over 160 games with AHL Hartford, and he was right. Before the Rangers recalled him Friday, Garand had served as the Wolf Pack’s goaltender 165 times.
SAN DIEGO — As you may have seen elsewhere in this newspaper (and also if you haven’t deleted me yet from your social media), I have a book coming out Tuesday called “The Bosses of The Bronx.” Much of it details the 37 years’ worth of antics, winning, losing, winning again and overall mania of George Steinbrenner’s time with the Yankees.