5 cautious MLB trades that could have a huge impact

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – AUGUST 05: Michael Fulmer #52 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the tenth inning of the game at Target Field on August 5, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Blue Jays 6-5 in ten innings. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

There were big MLB trades that everyone couldn’t stop talking about, but a few under-the-radar deals could produce big results for some teams.

Any baseball fan knows the big names that have been involved in the moves MLB trade deadline. Juan Soto is now with the San Diego Padres, as have Josh Hader, Andrew Benintendi and Frankie Montas all ended with the New York Yankees, Luis Castillo joined the Seattle Mariners, and the list goes on.

There were some shockers, perhaps mostly with the deals that didn’t close. Because the deadline at 6:00 p.m. ET Tuesday had expired and Willson Contreras and Ian Happ were still members of the Chicago Cubssomething no one could have predicted given the rumors surrounding both players.

At the same time, however, sometimes the trades that pay the biggest dividends aren’t the most heralded, but rather the ones that give teams a reliable presence where it’s badly needed, much like the Braves did last year when they added key players to their world Series run.

So if we look at the MLB trades made before the deadline, these five deals could be crucial for later teams.

5. Major trades under MLB’s radar: Michael Fulmer to the Twins

The Minnesota Twins are in pole position for the AL Central race and have taken some cautious steps to try to hold that position. One such trade was the move that got them Michael Fulmer from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for minor-league Sawyer Gipson-Long.

There were many highlights for the bullpen in Minnesota for much of the season, including rookie Jhoan Duran lighting up opposing hitters. One of the issues was the depth of quality though, as they sometimes struggled when their bullpen was edited and they didn’t have the quality weapons to bring them in.

Fulmer is the perfect kind of pitcher to ease those ailments and has already started supplying for the twins since coming into the Detroit trade.

In three appearances so far for his new club, Fulmer is yet to allow a 2.2-inning run while allowing just two hits, two walks and five batters. With Minnesota looking to fend off the up-and-coming Chicago White Sox in the division, Fulmer could be a huge boost to help them hold on to their lead.