Weekly Thoughts (8/1/16): Trade Deadline Edition

The MLB Trade Deadline officially passed at 4:00 PM Eastern Time today. Lots of things happened, and I'll share my thoughts on some of those things.

• The Brewers had an agreement to send catcher Jonathan Lucroy to the Indians over the weekend, but Lucroy, who has Cleveland on his no-trade list, vetoed the trade (he wanted his team option for next year voided). Lucroy probably won't be well-received when his new team, the Rangers (they aren't on his no-trade list), whom he was traded to for prospects Lewis Brinson (OF who's 21st on MLB.com's latest top prospects list, 30th on Baseball America's, and 21st on Kieth Law's on ESPN.com) and Luis Ortiz (RHP who's 63rd on MLB.com, 74th on Baseball America, 46th on ESPN.com), goes to Progressive Field. The Indians still got a difference-maker, trading for Yankees left-handed reliever Andrew Miller, who sports a 1.39 ERA and 11/1 K/BB ratio in 45.1 innings (they gave up minor league OF Clint Frazier (22nd on MLB.com/21st on BA/34th on ESPN), LHP Justus Sheffield (93rd on MLB.com/69th on BA), and pitchers Ben Heller and J.P. Feyereisen)  They are probably the team to beat in the American League right now.
• The #2 team to beat is probably Texas, who got Lucroy and Yankees OF Carlos Beltran in the final hours (without giving up top prospect Joey Gallo). They're lineup is scary now, but the question will be their rotation after Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish.
• Speaking of the Yankees, the normally win-minded big spenders realized their current situation and sold, trading Aroldis Chapman, Miller, and Beltran for a solid haul of prospects.
• Jay Bruce was finally traded to the Mets after the deal had to be reworked due to medical concerns. Bruce gives the Mets another big bat, although they now have three outfielders who aren't true center fielders. The Reds got 22-year-old 2B Dilson Herrera and minor league LHP Max Wotell. Herrera joins a crowded infield that includes prospect Jose Peraza (acquired in the Todd Frazier trade last winter) and veterans Brandon Phillips (who vetoed a trade last winter) and Zack Cozart (who came up in trade rumors, but wasn't dealt). It'll be interesting to see how playing time is doled out the rest of this season.
• The Dodgers didn't get Bruce, but they did get A's pitcher Rich Hill and OF Josh Reddick, which helps thief playoff pursuit, though doesn't instantly make them favorites (Hill and Reddick are solid players, but not big-time acquisitions).