The action leading into Monday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline is already picking up. After the Red Sox and Nationals “opened” the gates with the Curtis Mead-for-Connelly Early trade, the Angels and Rangers swung a deal Wednesday night to keep it rolling.
Rumors are flying, and much more will come before this is all said and done. That means there’s no better time to look back on 2025’s epic Deadline, which featured several blockbuster moves that sent ripple effects throughout the sport.
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But which of those deals actually worked out the best -- when we look only at what the major acquisitions did during the rest of the 2025 regular season and the postseason? Sure, Mason Miller is still firing for the Padres (at least for now …), but that’s not important for these rankings. Nor is the price that was paid at last year’s Deadline.
Sometimes, these lists can be a cautionary tale. The big-ticket trade doesn’t always yield positive results. Other times, under-the-radar success stories come to the forefront. Let’s dive in.
Note: The previous rankings listed under each trade accounted for a player’s remaining control, such in Miller’s case, as well as the return. This ranking does not.
1. Mariners acquire 1B Josh Naylor from D-backs
Previous ranking: 11
Regular season: 54 G, 2.2 bWAR, 9 HR, 33 RBIs, .299/.341/.490
Postseason: 12 G, 3 HR, 5 RBIs, .340/.392/.574
The Mariners were so enamored with Naylor’s work down the stretch last year that they committed another five years and $92.5 million to the first baseman this offseason. And who can blame them? Naylor was not only a key leader for the M’s, but he was also scorching hot at the plate as Seattle ran to Game 7 of the ALCS. Naylor delivered five multi-hit performances in the postseason.
2. Padres acquire RHP Mason Miller from Athletics
Previous ranking: 1
Regular season: 22 G, 23 1/3 IP, 1.4 bWAR, 0.77 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 2 SV
Postseason: 2 G, 2 2/3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 8:0 K:BB, 0 SV
Miller quickly became the dominant back-end reliever he is today when he put on the Padres uniform. He and the San Diego super ‘pen helped get the Friars to the Wild Card, though they couldn’t advance against the Cubs. But we’ll certainly remember the absurd 104.5 mph painted fastball Miller used to strike out Carson Kelly in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series.
3. Blue Jays acquire RHP Shane Bieber from Guardians
Previous ranking: 8
Regular season: 7 G/7 GS, 40 1/3 IP, 0.8 bWAR, 3.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP
Postseason: 5 G/4 GS, 18 2/3 IP, 3.86 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 18:6 K:BB
It was uncertain what Bieber would be able to provide after missing some of 2023 and most of ‘24 and ‘25 with arm injuries. But he became the steady veteran rotation presence the Blue Jays needed to make their epic march through the postseason. He was excellent in the regular season, allowing three or fewer runs in six of his seven starts.
Bieber may be remembered most for being on the mound when Will Smith hit the game-winning homer in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the World Series, but Bieber was a key reason Toronto made it there in the first place. That included 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball in Game 4 against the Dodgers.
4. Yankees acquire RHP David Bednar from Pirates
Previous ranking: 4
Regular season: 22 G, 24 2/3 IP, 0.9 bWAR, 2.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 10 SV
Postseason: 5 G, 6 IP, 1.50 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 9:1 K:BB, 2 SV
Bednar slotted in as the steady presence the Yankees badly needed in the back end of the bullpen a year ago. His tenure in pinstripes got off to a shaky start, blowing a save in his first outing, but he was nails pretty much the rest of the way. That included five appearances and just one run allowed in the postseason, despite the Yankees failing to make a deep run.
5. Phillies acquire RHP Jhoan Duran from Twins
Previous ranking: 5
Regular season: 23 G, 20 2/3 IP, 0.9 bWAR, 2.18 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 16 SV
Postseason: 3 G, 3 2/3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 7:4 K:BB, 0 SV
Bednar and Duran were virtually interchangeable for this list. The Phillies, like the Yankees, doggedly sought a closer. And they found a dominant one in Duran. He was strong in the regular season and had just one blemish (a bases-loaded walk) in the postseason; the Dodgers simply were a buzzsaw that the Phillies couldn’t overcome.
6. Phillies acquire OF Harrison Bader from Twins
Previous ranking: 17
Regular season: 50 G, 1.3 bWAR, 5 HR, 16 RBIs, .305/.361/.463
Postseason: 3 G, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .500/.500/.500
Pitchers certainly took the spotlight at the 2025 Deadline. And even among the bats who moved, Bader was a pleasant surprise. He had an above-average .778 OPS with the Twins before the trade but took things to a new level with the Phillies.
There’s an unfortunate “what-if” here, though, as Bader couldn’t contribute in the same way in October. He was removed with a groin injury in Game 1 of the NLDS, limiting him the rest of the way.
7. Padres acquire 1B/DH Ryan O'Hearn and OF Ramón Laureano from Orioles
Previous ranking: 17
O'Hearn
Regular season: 50 G, 0.5 bWAR, 4 HR, 20 RBIs, .276/.350/.387
Postseason: 3 G, 0 HR, 0 RBIs, .222/.364/.222
Laureano
Regular season: 50 G, 0.8 bWAR, 9 HR, 30 RBIs, .269/.323/.489
Postseason: (Not on Wild Card roster due to injury)
The Padres earn extra marks here for acquiring two of the more productive bats who moved at the Deadline, and for having done so in the same deal. O’Hearn was good, and Laureano was great at the plate for the Friars. But O’Hearn went ice cold in the short sample of a Wild Card Series, which Laureano missed with a fractured finger.
8. Mariners acquire 3B Eugenio Suárez from D-backs
Previous ranking: 3
Regular season: 53 G, 0.3 bWAR, 13 HR, 31 RBIs, .189/.255/.428
Postseason: 12 G, 3 HR, 8 RBIs, .213/.275/.426
Suárez was the biggest bat on the market, hitting 36 homers for Arizona before he was moved. The vibes were certainly high, too, when Seattle brought him back after two productive years with the club in 2022-23. His bat didn’t quite live up to its billing after the deal, but he makes this list for some big moments.
Suárez’s two-homer Game 5 of the ALCS, including a go-ahead and game-winning grand slam, will live on forever.
9. Blue Jays acquire RHP Louis Varland and 1B Ty France from Twins
Previous ranking: N/A
Varland
Regular season: 23 G, 23 2/3 IP, 0.0 bWAR, 4.94 ERA, 1.39 WHIP
Postseason: 15 G/1 GS, 16 IP, 3.94 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 17:3 K:BB
Varland, who had a nice year with the Twins before being dealt, was decidedly not the lights-out closer he’s become this season for the Blue Jays. But his postseason numbers in particular don’t show the true value he had for Toronto.
Varland pitched in all but two of the Blue Jays’ postseason games, including 10 scoreless appearances.
(France, who hit one home run in 37 regular-season games with Toronto, was less of a factor.)
10. Astros acquire SS Carlos Correa and cash from Twins
Previous ranking: 2
Regular season: 51 G, 1.4 bWAR, 6 HR, 21 RBIs, .290/.355/.430
Postseason: N/A
Correa going back to the place where it all started was one of the biggest shocks of a thrilling ‘25 Deadline, and he certainly delivered for the Astros. He finishes up our list, though, because Houston finished just shy of the postseason. It lost the tiebreaker with the Tigers for the final Wild Card spot.