2024 MLB's biggest winners, losers from the trade deadline

With so many prospects moving, is it fair to definitively declare right now who won or lost the deadline? Probably not. 

Should that stop us from trying? Absolutely not. 

The trade deadline came and went with more of a whimper than a bang. Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, Luis Robert Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Mason Miller, the type of game-changing talents who could have defined the deadline, all stayed put with their respective teams. Baseball's best prospects did, too. 

Still, some contenders made vital moves to better position themselves in October, while others could end up paying the price for shopping more on the margins. Meanwhile, some teams out of contention set themselves up swimmingly for the future, while others were content to bask in mediocrity.

These are the biggest winners and losers of the 2024 trade deadline:

Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers

After a series of depth moves that didn't address their greatest need, the Dodgers hit a game-winning buzzer-beater. Sure, Tommy Edman and Amed Rosario could help fill in at a number of spots on their depleted roster, and Michael Kopech could end up the latest in the Dodgers' long line of bullpen reclamation successes. But the Dodgers are winners here because, in a market with almost no impact starters, they managed to find one. Given his ability to miss bats and limit free passes, Jack Flaherty was the most consequential starting pitcher to change hands at the deadline, and the Dodgers got him at a reasonable cost with the clock winding down. Their October rotation was filled with uncertainty. Now, they have some insurance. 

Loser: Chicago White Sox

Teams were offering a boatload for rental relievers. I can only imagine what they were willing to give for