Trade deadline winners and losers

Let's get right to work on grading this year's trade deadline.

WINNERS

TEXAS

The defending American League champion deftly navigated the relief market, refusing to pay the high price for closer Heath Bell and instead giving non-prospects Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter to the Orioles for reliever Koji Uehara, then acquiring San Diego reliever Mike Adams for a pair of young pitchers. Texas has one heck of a bullpen for October, assuming it qualifies.

SAN FRANCISCO

The defending World Series champion picked up the highest-impact player in Carlos Beltran, and the Giants also imported shortstop Orlando Cabrera. Both players fill significant needs and fit a win-now clubhouse.

PHILADELPHIA

The Phillies always get their man, it seems, and their man this year was outfielder Hunter Pence. Yeah, Pence probably is overrated, but he should help the team's offense and is under control through 2013.

ATLANTA

Michael Bourn gives the Braves their best all-around outfielder since . . . Andruw Jones in his prime? Yeah, maybe.

COLORADO

There's something about Ubaldo Jimenez that prompted the Rockies to cut bait on him, an act that would have been unfathomable a year ago. But they sure did well, picking up top Indians prospects Drew Pomeranz and Alex White and two other players.

METS

Sandy Alderson successfully unloaded Francisco Rodriguez and his looming vesting option to the Brewers, then received top young pitcher Zack Wheeler from the Giants for Beltran. Pretty good.

TORONTO

By working to create a three-way trade, the Blue Jays acquired centerfielder Colby Rasmus (and a few other players, plus Mark Teahen from the White Sox) from St. Louis.

DETROIT

The Tigers paid a significant price to Seattle for Doug Fister and David Pauley, neither of whom is an All-Star-caliber pitcher, but Detroit clearly is in win-now mode and filled an important need with Fister.

SEATTLE

The Mariners, out of contention, added to their talent depth with the deals of Fister and Erik Bedard (to Boston).

LOSERS

ST. LOUIS

The Cardinals gave up on Rasmus in return for rental starting pitcher Edwin Jackson and a bunch of spare parts. Rafael Furcal could help at shortstop, but he has been dreadful this season.

YANKEES

Can't blame them for any specific trade they didn't make -- the price on Jimenez was way too high, for instance -- but ultimately, they failed to add to either their starting rotation or their bullpen. They were hoping for better options to arise, and they never did.

ANGELS

They watched the Rangers improve and did nothing to match, imperiling their hopes of winning the AL West.

CUBS

In the midst of this dreadful season, in what turned out to be a seller's market, why wouldn't the Cubs try to unload pieces such as Marlon Byrd or Carlos Peña?

TOO CLOSE TO CALL

CLEVELAND

The Indians bought high on Jimenez, who has plummeted in the last year. Maybe a new environment energizes him. Then again, maybe he's hurt.

SAN DIEGO

The Padres did well on the Adams return from Texas, but is holding on to Bell really the way to go? Will the small-market team seriously re-sign Bell, an impending free agent?

BALTIMORE

An unusually old, experienced haul for Uehara, but maybe Buck Showalter can develop both Davis and Hunter.

BOSTON

Bedard can help. That is, unless he bumps his head on his plane to Boston and misses the rest of the season.