Chicago Cubs Rumors: Breaking down the top moves of the trade deadline

Los Angeles Dodgers acquire proven front-line starter

Running right up to the 4 p.m. ET deadline, the best team in baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers, got their man.

Los Angeles acquired right-hander Yu Darvish from the Texas Rangers, sending a trio of prospects (Willie Calhoun, A.J. Alexy and Brendon Davis) to Texas in the deal. Darvish, who will hit the open market at season’s end, shores up a rotation already boasting Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood.

Chicago Cubs

In separate deals, the Dodgers acquired southpaw reliever Tony Watson from the Pirates and Tony Cingrani from the Cincinnati Reds. These were the most notable moves Andrew Friedman pulled off on Monday, bolstering a club on pace for a staggering 114 regular-season wins.

In Darvish, they get a four-time All-Star who has struggled in 2017. In his fifth big-league season, the right-hander owns a 4.01 ERA, 1.168 WHIP and 3.98 FIP in 22 starts. He has struggled badly in his three post-All-Star Break outings, posting an ERA north of 6.00.

A former shutdown lefty

Watson was an elite reliever in the not-too-distant past. From 2013 to 2015, Watson pitched to a sub-2.00 ERA in 222 games as part of the Pirates’ Shark Tank bullpen. He played a major role in the club’s resurgence and return to winning ways.

He represents a very high upside arm. In a winning environment, he may get back to being his dominant self – lending a huge boost to the Dodgers’ pen that already features Kenley Jansen.

Cingrani certainly is a step – or two – below these other two arms. But, hey, depth is depth. (And he’s controllable, which is never a bad thing).

This is the Dodgers’ year. Or, at least, that’s what the front office and fans hope. But, if it happens NOT to be their year, they’ve got plenty left in the system to stay in the hunt for years to come.