Four MLB Trade Deadline Acquisitions Off to Slow Starts With Their New Teams

The MLB trade deadline is a major gamble for teams looking to add some talent to their roster ahead of the final stretch of the regular season. Some teams acquired talent to strengthen their position ahead of the postseason, looking to find the missing piece that would help them get back into the hunt for a postseason spot.

Those gambles don’t always pay off, especially given that the players acquired aren’t given a whole lot of time to get situated with their new organizations. Expectations are that a big-name trade deadline acquisition will immediately perform at a high level for their new club. That, however, is not always the case.

We’re going to look at four trade deadline moves that haven’t gone as expected thus far.

Yankees acquire Heliot Ramos

The Yankees opted against pursuing bullpen depth or looking to upgrade at catcher at the deadline, and instead acquired a pair of bats in Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos. Neither has been great since moving to New York, though Ramos’s performances have been particularly worrisome.

The 26-year-old has just three hits in 11 games, logging a .381 OPS. What’s worse, he already drew the ire of Yankees fans after he failed to hustle out of the box on what could’ve been an infield single during an at-bat against the Blue Jays. At the time, he was in the midst of an 0-for-23 spell at the plate. It’s difficult to judge a player over an 11-game slump, but failing to give 100% for a new team that you’ve yet to produce for is a tough look.

Ramos will have some time to turn things around, though an everyday starting role with the team won’t be guaranteed when reinforcements such as Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger make their way back from the IL. The Ramos trade was meant to help tide New York over until its stars got back to full strength. If he can’t start making hay at the plate, he may find himself designated to a platoon or bench role before long.

Mariners trade for Taylor Ward

Acquiring Ward made plenty of sense for the Mariners, who were looking for an experienced bat to fortify a lineup that’s been highly unproductive throughout the season. Unfortunately, Ward has slumped since being acquired in the trade with the Orioles, logging a .375 OPS across eight games, with just five hits including one extra-base hit. And after drawing 87 walks and logging a .383 OBP in 111 games in Baltimore this season, he’s yet to be issued a free pass with Seattle.

Ward hasn’t elevated the Mariners’ lineup to the degree the team anticipated, and Seattle has been disappointing since the trade deadline, going 4–9 in their next 13 games—including Tuesday's 22–0 blowout against the Brewers—and losing even more ground in the AL West. The M’s now sit eight games below .500 and three games out of a wild-card spot in a lackluster American League. It’s been a disappointing season through and through for the Mariners, who had their best ever finish in 2025 when they reached Game 7 of the ALCS. While the price paid to land Ward wasn’t particularly steep, the 32-year-old is enduring his coldest spell at the plate this season at a most unfortunate time for Seattle.

Seattle Mariners designated hitter Taylor Ward — Taylor Ward had yet to walk as a Mariner entering Tuesday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Red Sox pay a high price to land Curtis Mead

Mead still has plenty of years of control remaining on his contract, but Boston paid a high price (LHP Connelly Early) to acquire the breakout hitter from the Nationals, only for him to suffer a non-displaced fracture in his left wrist during his second at-bat with the Red Sox. His injury absence is a big blow for a team that was hoping Mead, who hit a career-high 17 home runs in 87 games for the Nats, could provide a spark to an offense that had largely disappointed throughout the season.

The Red Sox entered the trade deadline on the heels of a 15-game winning streak, but they’ve cooled off considerably since then, losing seven of their last 11 games. Mead is expected to return later this season, and Boston will need him to make an instant impact when he’s ready to get back to work.

Rays trade for Freddy Peralta

The Rays attempted to fortify their pitching rotation with the acquisition of Freddy Peralta, seemingly hoping they could help him get back on track after a disappointing showing with the Mets. Through three starts with Tampa Bay, Peralta has a 7.53 ERA with 10 strikeouts and five walks in 14 1/3 innings, and has been pulled before the end of the fifth inning twice. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his debut for the franchise, surrendering seven runs (all earned) on seven hits, including two home runs, against the Rockies.

Peralta had a -0.3 bWAR across 22 starts with the Mets. In just three games as a Ray, he already owns a -0.4 bWAR. He’s not been the game-changing acquisition the Rays hoped they’d be getting, and he’ll need to turn things around if he wants to play a meaningful role in their postseason run.

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