14 World Series teams boosted by in-season trades

Each summer, contenders around the Major Leagues scramble to add players prior to the Trade Deadline with hopes of bolstering their rosters for a run at October.

Prior to 2019, July 31 was referred to as the non-waiver Trade Deadline, and players could be traded after that date if they first cleared revocable trade waivers. Although trades could be completed after Aug. 31 under the old rules, the last day in August was sometimes colloquially referred to as the "waiver Trade Deadline," as players acquired after that date were ineligible to be added to the postseason roster by their new teams. But now there is only a single Trade Deadline, which in 2024 took place on July 30.

For all the hype that surrounds these in-season trades, how many of them have actually helped teams play deep into October and reach baseball's biggest showcase? We went back to 2000 and picked out 14 teams -- including the most recent champions -- that made difference-making acquisitions en route to the World Series.

Michael Kopech, Tommy Edman and Jack Flaherty, 2024 Dodgers
On the day before the Trade Deadline, the Dodgers joined with the Cardinals and White Sox to pull off a three-team trade, adding Kopech and Edman to strengthen the bullpen and bench for the stretch run.

One day later, Los Angeles made a move just minutes from the Deadline, sending a pair of players to the Tigers for Flaherty, adding a much-needed arm to a rotation that had been ravaged by injuries all season.

With Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler on the injured list and Bobby Miller battling inconsistency, the Dodgers’ need for a starter was clear. Flaherty, who signed a one-year deal with the Tigers after a difficult 2023, was widely considered to be the best starter available after going 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA in 18 starts. The Yankees nearly had a deal done, but New York backed out thanks to concerns with Flaherty’s health. That opened the door for the Dodgers, who sent catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney to Detroit in exchange for Flaherty.

“We had a ton of conversations with a lot of teams over this last week,” general manager Brandon Gomes said after the trade. “We felt like getting an impact starter was a very high priority for us, and Jack is definitely that. His command, his stuff, the swing-and-miss, we feel like that’s a real power option come October, so he fits into this rotation really well.”

Flaherty went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 regular-season starts for Los Angeles, then made five starts in the postseason. His October results were mixed, and while he posted a 7.36 ERA overall, he threw seven shutout innings in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Mets, then held the Yankees to two runs over 5 1/3 innings in Game 1 of the World Series, keeping the Dodgers in the game before Freddie Freeman walked it off with a 10th-inning grand slam.

The deal for Kopech and Edman cost the Dodgers three players: infielder/outfielder Miguel Vargas, and infield prospects Jeral Perez and Alexander Albertus.

Kopech – who went from the worst team in baseball to the best in the trade – excelled for the Dodgers, posting a 4-0 record, six saves and a minuscule 1.13 ERA in 24 appearances. Edman made 22 starts in center field and 13 at shortstop, and while his offensive numbers were solid (six homers, 20 RBIs in 37 games), the 29-year-old really made his mark in October.

Following a quiet NLDS against the Padres, Edman was a one-man wrecking crew against the Mets in the NLCS, hitting .407 with a 1.023 OPS and 11 RBIs in the six-game series, winning MVP honors in the process. Edman carried that momentum into the World Series, where he scored six runs with a .988 OPS in the five-game win over the Yankees.

Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery, 2023 Rangers
Texas’ path to the World Series title began back in 2021, when the Rangers signed Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to big free-agent deals. The following winter, Texas turned to the free-agent market to bolster its pitching staff, signing Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, also making a notable hire in manager Bruce Bochy.

Injuries to deGrom and Eovaldi left the Rangers in need of pitching, so general manager Chris Young got aggressive at the Trade Deadline, acquiring three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer from the Mets for infielder Luisangel Acu?a, the Rangers’ No. 3 prospect. As part of the deal, Scherzer exercised his player option for 2024, with the Mets picking up $35 million of the $57.5 million owed to the right-hander.

“Max's pedigree is of a future Hall of Fame pitcher,” Young said. “The winner that he is, is a perfect fit for what we need right now.”

Young and Texas weren’t done, however. A day after acquiring Scherzer, the Rangers sent pitcher John King and prospects Tekoah Roby and Thomas Saggese to the Cardinals for left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery and righty reliever Chris Stratton.

“We had an opportunity to acquire another starting pitcher and a veteran reliever that we think will both help us,” Young said. “Jordan Montgomery is having a tremendous year. We felt like he was one of the better starters on the market. And given where we are, that we needed to continue to upgrade our rotation. We addressed that.”

Scherzer (4-2, 3.20 ERA in eight starts before landing on the injured list) and Montgomery (4-2, 2.79 ERA in 11 starts) helped Texas survive down the stretch, though some untimely slumps resulted in a 90-win season and a tie with the Astros, who claimed the AL West title via tiebreaker.

Scherzer wasn’t much of a factor in the postseason, throwing a total of 9 2/3 innings over three starts in the ALCS and World Series. Montgomery, on the other hand, was a force throughout October, going 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA in his first four starts before throwing 2 1/3 innings of relief of Scherzer in Game 7 of the ALCS against the rival Astros, earning the win that sent the Rangers to the World Series. The southpaw lost his lone Series start, but finished the postseason 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA in five starts and a relief appearance, a total of 31 innings.

Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler, 2021 Braves
When Ronald Acu?a Jr. went down with a season-ending knee injury on July 10, many assumed the Braves would take the selling route leading up to the Trade Deadline. Instead, general manager Alex Anthopoulos doubled down and went on a shopping spree, loading up Atlanta’s outfield with myriad options.

Five days after Acu?a’s season ended, the Braves traded a prospect to the Cubs for Joc Pederson. Two weeks later, Anthopoulos made a flurry of moves on Deadline day, acquiring Jorge Soler from Kansas City, Adam Duvall from Miami and Eddie Rosario from Cleveland, remaking the Atlanta outfield within a matter of hours.

Duvall (16 home runs, 45 RBIs, .800 OPS) and Soler (14 home runs, 33 RBIs, .882 OPS) each produced solid numbers in 55 games, while Pederson played well (7 homers, 22 RBIs, .752) in his 64 appearances. Rosario played just 33 games after returning from injury, posting a .903 OPS with seven home runs and 16 RBI.

The group really made its mark during the postseason. Pederson had a 1.714 OPS in the NLDS, Rosario won NLCS MVP honors, Soler followed with World Series MVP honors, and Duvall came up with some huge home runs as Atlanta soared to its first championship since 1995.

Steve Pearce, 2018 Red Sox
Pearce started the 2018 season a Blue Jay. He ended it as the MVP of the Fall Classic for the Red Sox, making him just the second midseason acquisition to ever win World Series MVP, along with the Mets' Donn Clendenon in 1969. On a Boston team led by a duo of superstars in Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez, it was Pearce -- acquired from Toronto on June 28 for Minor Leaguer Santiago Espinal -- who came through with some of Boston's biggest hits of the World Series.

In the Red Sox's clinching Game 5 win over the Dodgers, Pearce homered twice to bookend the scoring. His first homer, off Clayton Kershaw, gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the first inning, and the second pushed their lead to 5-1 in the eighth, putting the series away. Those homers came just a day after Pearce crushed a game-tying blast off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen in the eighth inning of Game 4, followed by a bases-clearing double that broke the game open in the ninth. Not bad for someone who was brought in mainly to give the Red Sox a platoon advantage against left-handed pitching.

"We're happy to have Steven join us," president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said when the Red Sox first got Pearce. "He's a proven Major League player. Very quality right-handed hitter. Hits left-handed pitching very well. The type of guy we've been trying to add to the lineup vs. left-handers."

Justin Verlander, 2017 Astros
The Astros made a stunning move, trading three prospects to the Tigers for the former AL MVP Award and Cy Young Award winner, adding Verlander in the final minutes -- seconds, actually -- before the Aug. 31 deadline.

"I think he'll add a dimension we don't have," Astros owner Jim Crane said at the time. "He's pitched well his whole career and has been pitching well lately. I think he'll add a dimension in the playoffs, hopefully, when we get there. I think it's great for the team. I think the players will be excited and fans will be excited."

Verlander earned ALCS MVP Award honors and finished 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in five September starts before posting a 4-1 record and 2.21 ERA in six October outings to help the Astros to their first World Series title.

Andrew MillerAndrew Miller, 2016 Indians
When the Yankees decided to become sellers before the 2016 non-waiver Trade Deadline, Cleveland seized the opportunity to deal for Miller, sending four Minor League prospects to New York.

Miller bolstered an already solid bullpen, giving manager Terry Francona a plethora of weapons to use in a variety of ways.

"We're getting one of the very elite relievers in all of baseball," Francona said.

Miller proved to be just that, pitching to a 1.55 ERA in 26 regular-season appearances. The left-hander recorded at least four outs in each of his 10 postseason appearances, earning ALCS MVP Award honors against the Blue Jays, as Cleveland reached its first World Series since 1997 before losing in seven games against the Cubs.

Yoenis Céspedes, 2015 Mets
The Red Sox acquired Cespedes in a 2014 non-waiver Trade Deadline deal that sent Jon Lester to the Athletics, but the Cuban slugger would be traded again that winter to the Tigers. Only seven months after joining Detroit, Cespedes was traded to the Mets on July 31.

"His presence in the lineup and on the team will raise the energy level, and I hope it raises the energy level in the dugout and in the stands," Mets GM Sandy Alderson said after making the deal. "This is a player that can have a big impact, both in terms of on the field and how the team is perceived."

Céspedes mashed opposing pitchers after arriving in New York, blasting 17 home runs with 44 RBIs and a .942 OPS in 57 games through the end of the season. He homered twice in the NL Division Series against the Dodgers, then drove in three runs in the four-game NLCS sweep of the Cubs. The Mets lost a five-game World Series against the Royals, but Céspedes re-signed with New York after the season, making the NL All-Star team in 2016.

Ben Zobrist, 2015 Royals
The Royals were aggressive at the 2015 non-waiver Trade Deadline after reaching the World Series the previous season, acquiring Ben Zobrist from the Athletics for Sean Manaea and Aaron Brooks -- two days after trading three Minor Leaguers to the Reds for Johnny Cueto.

"Obviously, they have played well and they already have a great club, and then they have the addition of Johnny Cueto," Zobrist said after his deal. "There should be a lot more wins coming. I'm super excited about this. They are already a good team. I just have to try and not screw it up."

Zobrist hit .303 with two homers, six RBIs and an .880 OPS in 16 postseason games as the Royals won their first World Series title in 30 years. Cueto made four starts in October, pitching a pair of gems, including a complete-game victory in Game 2 of the World Series against the Mets.

Jake Peavy, 2013 Red Sox, '14 Giants
The Red Sox acquired the veteran Peavy in a three-team deal on the day before the non-waiver Trade Deadline in 2013.

"He's an intense competitor," Boston GM Ben Cherington said. "I think he'll fit in nicely with the group that we have."

Peavy went 4-1 despite a 4.04 ERA in 10 regular-season starts, then started one game in each postseason series as the Red Sox won their third World Series since 2004.

The following summer, the Red Sox dealt the right-hander to the Giants five days before the Trade Deadline. Peavy thrived in San Francisco, going 6-4 with a 2.17 ERA in 12 starts before winning his San Francisco postseason debut with 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the Nationals. He didn't pitch particularly well in his other three postseason starts, but Peavy picked up his second straight World Series ring nonetheless.

Cliff Lee, 2009 Phillies and '10 Rangers
With an eye toward defending their World Series crown, the Phillies made the biggest move possible, trading for the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner two days before the non-waiver Trade Deadline.

"Obviously the Phillies are the defending world champions, they're a good team, and they're in first place," Lee said. "Honestly, it's an honor, and I look at it as a good thing. If other teams are wanting me and are willing to trade some of their key players and future players for me, it's a compliment."

The Phillies acquired Lee and Ben Francisco from Cleveland, sending four Minor Leaguers back to Cleveland, including Carlos Carrasco. Lee went 7-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 12 starts following the trade, then pitched brilliantly during the postseason, going 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in five starts. The Phillies won all five games started by Lee in the playoffs, including two against the Yankees in the World Series, but Philadelphia lost the Fall Classic in six games.

Lee was traded to the Mariners that winter, then again the following July, as the Rangers bolstered their postseason hopes. Lee pitched to a 0.75 ERA in three starts over the first two rounds of the playoffs, helping the Rangers get to their first World Series in franchise history before losing to the Giants.

Orlando Cabrera, 2004 Red Sox
A four-team trade shook the baseball world at the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline in 2004. The Red Sox traded the face of the franchise -- Nomar Garciaparra -- to the Cubs, receiving Cabrera from the Expos and Doug Mientkiewicz from the Twins.

"We lost a great player in Nomar Garciaparra, but we've made our club more functional," Boston GM Theo Epstein said after making the deal. "We weren't going to win a World Series with our defense."

Cabrera had two solid months after replacing Garciaparra, hitting .294 with six home runs and 31 RBIs in 58 games while playing a stellar shortstop. Cabrera struggled in the ALDS against the Angels, but he starred in the next round against the Yankees, hitting .379 and playing a major role in Boston's unprecedented comeback from an 0-3 deficit.

Cabrera was one of five players to drive in three or more runs in Boston's Fall Classic sweep of St. Louis. The last out was caught by Mientkiewicz, making him part of Red Sox lore forever.

Larry Walker, 2004 Cardinals
The Cardinals already had the best record in the NL when the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline passed, but St. Louis strengthened its lineup a week later by trading for Walker, a five-time All-Star. The 37-year-old Walker waived his no-trade clause, eager for a chance to play in the World Series for the first time in his 16-year career.

"It's a good thing I am going to a team that is 31 games over .500," an emotional Walker said the day he joined the Cardinals. "It is tough not to be happy about that. They are going to the playoffs and have a chance to win the World Series."

Walker hit .280 with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs in 44 regular-season games, then hit .293 with six homers and 11 RBIs in 15 postseason games. However, Walker's first and only World Series appearance was short-lived, as the Red Sox swept the Redbirds, ending Boston's legendary 86-year World Series drought.

Aaron Boone, 2003 Yankees
One look at Boone's statistics with the 2003 Yankees would lead you to believe his stay in the Bronx wasn't very impactful. Think again.

Acquired at the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline for Brandon Claussen, Charlie Manning and cash considerations, Boone took over at third base after the Yankees dealt Robin Ventura to the Dodgers on the same day. Boone hit .254 with six home runs and 31 RBIs in 54 games, but struggled in the ALCS against the Red Sox.

Manager Joe Torre benched Boone for Game 7, but he would later come into the game as a pinch-runner in the eighth, setting up the most famous swing of his career. His 11th-inning walk-off home run against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield clinched the pennant for New York, sending Yankee Stadium into a frenzy. The Yankees fell to the Marlins in a six-game World Series, but Boone's legacy in the Bronx was cemented forever.

"Not a week goes by that I'm not reminded of how big the New York Yankees are or how big their reach is," Boone said after being introduced as the Yankees' new manager prior to the 2018 season. "I've had hundreds of stories told to me, too, about where people were or what side of the ledger they were on."

David Justice, 2000 Yankees
The Yankees had already won three World Series in a four-year span from 1996-99, but the 2000 team spent most of May and June fighting to stay atop the AL East. Enter Justice, a former NL Rookie of the Year Award winner and three-time All-Star, for whom the Yankees traded Zach Day, Ricky Ledee and Jake Westbrook to Cleveland.

"I'm stunned," Justice said after being traded. "But business is business. That's the game we play. I'll go there and play hard like I do everywhere. I've never really felt comfortable there as an opposing player."

He certainly looked comfortable after slipping into his new pinstripes. Justice hit .305 with 20 home runs, 60 RBIs and a .977 OPS in 78 games for the Yankees, but his biggest impact came in October. The 34-year-old hit two homers and drove in eight runs against the Mariners to win ALCS MVP Award honors, as the Yankees went on to win their third straight World Series title.