After being traded

Last postseason, Joc Pederson crushed 3 home runs and collected 9 RBI. Moreover, Eddie Rosario won the 2021 NLCS MVP. In that series, Rosario hit .560/.607/1.040 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI. These two left-handed batters were traded to the Braves last July and they became key players to help the Braves win the World Series title.

 

This season, there are several left-handed batters who were traded before the trade deadline. After being traded, do they make an instant impact?

 

In 2014, David Peralta made it into the big leagues in the Diamondbacks uniform. He spent 9 seasons with the D-backs, hitting .283/.340/.463 with 110 home runs and 468 RBI. In 2022, Peralta was batting .248/.316/.460 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI in 87 games with the D-backs. On July 30, he was traded to the Rays. Peralta now slashes .266/.288/.344 with 5 RBI in 16 games with the Rays.

 

Joey Gallo was traded to the Yankees last July. However, he had a disappointing season in the pinstripes in 2022. Gallo only batted .159/.282/.339 with 12 home runs and 24 RBI in 82 games with the Yankees. On August 2, the Yankees decided to send Gallo to the Dodgers for pitcher Clayton Beeter. Gallo now hits .258/.378/.645 with 3 home runs and 5 RBI in 13 games. Before sending Gallo to the Dodgers, the Yankees acquired Andrew Benintendi from the Royals. Benintendi was hitting .320/.387/.398 with 3 home runs and 39 RBI in 93 games with the Royals. In the Yankees uniform, he now bats .241/.347/.398 with 1 home run and 10 RBI.

 

The Yankees made some moves before the trade deadline. At the same time, the Red Sox acquired Eric Hosmer from the Padres. The Padres signed Hosmer on an 8-year contract in 2018. This season, he played 90 games for the Padres and slashed .272/.336/.391 with 8 home runs and 40 RBI. By far, Hosmer hits .225/.311/.300 with 4 RBI for the Red Sox.

 

In addition, Jake Lamb signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in March and he was called up to the majors in late June. Lamb was hitting .239/.338/.433 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI. In August, Lamb was traded to the Mariners and now hits .200/.294/.267 with 1 RBI. Furthermore, Brandon Marsh was traded to the Phillies from the Angels. Marsh slashed .226/.284/.353 with 8 home runs and 37 RBI in 93 games with the Angels. After joining the Phillies, Marsh hits .250/.294/.313 with 2 RBI.

 

Finally, the Nationals sent Juan Soto to the Padres in a blockbuster trade. Soto was selected to the All-Star game again this year. Before being traded to the Padres, Soto slashed .246/.408/.485 with 21 home runs and 46 RBI. Soto seems to be quite comfortable with moving to San Diego. He now hits .286/.438/.460 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI in 18 games with the Padres.

 

Making trades is a way to help a team upgrade. Last season, the Braves did make some good moves before the trade deadline. Looking back, adding two left-handed batters Joc Pederson and Eddie Rosario was certainly a right decision. This season, several teams decided to acquire left-handed batters before the trade deadline. Joey Gallo and Juan Soto seem to enjoy moving to the West. Nonetheless, some players are still looking for their first home run in a new team and they might still need some time to adjust. Moreover, can some of them make an impact in the postseason as Rosario or Pederson did last year?