Expected to be a quiet affair, the 2020 deadline appears poised to exceed the hype. First, let’s look at the moves that have been made thus far.
The Padres have been the most aggressive team to date, adding slugger Mitch Moreland, reliever Trevor Rosenthal and two catchers – Austin Nola and Jason Castro. Moreland has been stellar this year (1.117 OPS) and is expected to play regularly despite having mediocre career numbers against southpaws. Whether he was dealt or not, Moreland (career .770 OPS) should have been expected to slow down in September.