Former Major League Baseball general manager turned ESPN analyst Jim Bowden graded all 30 teams based on their trade deadline moves Sunday.
The White Sox, which along with the Diamondbacks were the only two teams not to make any change to their active roster at the deadline, earned a D grade for standing pat.
The Cubs, which acquired pitchers Dan Haren and Tommy Hunter, earned a B.
Here’s what Bowden said of the Sox, which he ranked 27th of the 30 MLB teams.
The White Sox were caught between being a buyer and seller, so they basically stood pat. Credit the players for putting a five-game winning streak together and saving Jeff Samardzija from being traded, although they should have.
The Cubs were able to fill their two biggest needs, with a starting pitcher (Dan Haren) and a relief pitcher (Tommy Hunter). Haren is having a great season and will definitely help their rotation, and Hunter has a power arm that manager Joe Maddon will know how to use effectively. The best part of their deadline is they didn’t move any of their top or good prospects and are continuing with their long-term plan.
You can view all the rankings here.
