With the calendar flipped over to August, the 2023 MLB trade deadline has officially passed. There were not a ton of big moves on Tuesday, but there was some afternoon action, highlighted by the New York Mets shipping off their annual hopes and dreams. Justin Verlander is set to return to Houston, while Max Scherzer has been sent to the Rangers in what were easily the two biggest moves of the day.
For the most part, the deadline went as expected. Most teams in contention made small but efficient moves to upgrade themselves, such as RHP Jack Flaherty to Baltimore, LHP Ryan Yarbrough to the Dodgers, and RHP Aaron Civale to Tampa. There were also some high-profile prospects dealt on Tuesday, including Drew Gilbert, Kyle Manzardo, and Kahlil Watson.
Despite the slower deadline compared to the last handful of years, the moves made were still enough to shake up a number of depth charts across the league. With playoff races about to heat up substantially, August 1st is always entertaining as franchises make their last-ditch efforts to upgrade their rosters. Some of Tuesday’s moves will have fantasy impacts as well.
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Justin Verlander (SP – HOU)
We have to mention Verlander here, as the 1600-plus mile trip from New York back to Houston is probably not only what the 40-year-old wanted but also what he needed for his upcoming prospects. With the Mets quickly becoming (if not already) one of the biggest jokes across sports in general, the upgrade to the Astros is more than apparent. Verlander is surely grinning ear-to-ear, knowing that he will be returning to the team he just won a championship with rather than essentially basement-dwelling five games ahead of the Nationals for last place in the NL East.
Following a rough first couple of months to his campaign, Verlander had been starting to settle in nicely for New York, and he posted a stellar 1.69 ERA across six July starts. Overall, his season ERA has lowered to 3.15, and while he is averaging just five strikeouts per game, his walks are down, and he has allowed just nine homers to opposing hitters.
The change of scenery to Houston is, simply put, perfect timing for the veteran ace. Verlander is going to receive ample run support from the potent Astros’ lineup most times out, and he should be in line for more wins as the regular season winds down. He is also exactly what Houston needs to push for a second consecutive World Series title. They have a phenomenal case to now be considered the 2023 favorites once again.
Jake Burger (3B – MIA)
The Miami Marlins are looking to make the playoffs for the first time in three years, and their intent was noted by the number of moves they made ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. None was bigger than acquiring a new power bat to fill their lineup in Jake Burger. The acquisition was a bit of a surprise, as Burger was considered one piece that the White Sox may have been hoping to retain, but in the end, they were willing to ship him down to South Beach for the southpaw pitching prospect, Jake Eder.
Burger has had a breakout season in the power department to this point, as he has mashed 25 longballs across 294 at-bats. His average has left a lot to be desired at just .214, but Miami was clearly content enough for that type of tradeoff. Across the MLB, Miami has been ranking 28th in team homers per game, and Burger should provide them a solid boost in that department.
With just Jon Berti and Yuli Gurriel listed on the roster as third-base options, Burger should see all the playing time he can handle over the final two months of the season. He could approach or even possibly reach the 40-homer threshold in this timeframe as the Marlins chase a final NL playoff spot.
Jake Alu (3B – WSH)
A winner from the Jeimer Candelario trade to the Cubs on Tuesday, rookie Jake Alu should see a significant run for the going-nowhere Nationals from now through September. Alu is a 26-year-old rookie that was listed as one of the top 30 prospects for Washington headed into the season. He made his debut in May and was just recalled on Tuesday.
A longtime minor leaguer, Alu holds a career .292/.355/.430 slash line across seven seasons. He hits for solid contact and adds a bit of foot speed to his game as well. The kicker for Alu’s prospects over the final weeks and months of the season is that the Nationals have no depth behind him and no reason not to see what they have in him.
Considering the fact that Alu could be playing regularly going forward, it would be unsurprising if he creeps his way up the batting order as the season rolls on. He is definitely someone to keep an eye on as a fantasy bench stash going forward.
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