Yankees' and Mets' Deadline Moves Have Not Equaled Wins

The Yankees and Mets were big players at the July 31 MLB trade deadline, but have not seen those moves translate to wins.

The Yankees acquired outfielder Joey Gallo from the Rangers and first baseman Anthony Rizzo from the Cubs. The Mets, meanwhile, traded for infielder Javier Báez from the Cubs. Rizzo and Báez have been productive since the moves, far from the holes in the Yankees' and Mets' lineups.

Gallo however, has seen his numbers dip in pinstripes, hitting just .145 with 8HR, 16RBI and a .666OPS. Gallo was brought in to help the Yankees with his prolific defense and knack for getting on base. Gallo still sits second in the MLB in walks with 106, but has also struck out more than anyone, an astounding 194 times.

The acquisitions have not led to a boost in the standings as the Yankees have allowed the Blue Jays to pass them for second in the AL East. New York sits tied for third with the Red Sox, nine games behind the first place Rays. A 25-16 record since the deadline was aided by a 13-game win streak in August, but was followed by a 2-8 skid.

Much of the Yankees' problem has been the pitching, which was hardly addressed at the deadline. Andrew Heaney was brought in from the Angels but has pitched to a 7.71ERA in nine games as a Yankee. Not quite the guy you want starting in a big game behind ace Gerrit Cole. By acquiring Gallo and Heaney, the Yankees let José Berríos slip through their grasp, snatched up by Toronto who added him to its stout rotation.

The Mets have not fared much better and have seen their grip on the NL East soften. The Mets are in third place, 5.5 games back of the Braves, but sit within 3.5 of the Reds for the second Wild Card spot. Much of that can be attributed to the loss of two-time CY Young winner Jacob deGrom, who has not pitched since July 7.

It's very likely New York won't have a representative in the playoffs this season, let alone the Fall Classic. And that has to be deflating for two teams that have spent big in recent offseasons to snap their respective World Series droughts. The Mets in particular are a disappointment, trading and signing infielder Francisco Lindor to a massive 10-year, $341 million contract. Lindor has played well below his value this season with career lows across the board.

Lindor's most notable moment might be joining Báez in scolding the Met fans who booed the team for poor performance a couple weeks ago.

So, where do these baseball giants go from here? Will manager Aaron Boone be the fall guy for the Yankees at the end of the season? Will Mets owner Steve Cohen go on another Twitter tirade and blow the team up yet again?

The questions are plentiful, and the answers remain uncertain. What we do know is that the deadline acquisitions have not played out in either team's favor, which is hardly surprising. The Yankees went for more pop in a lineup that needed none. The Mets neglected to add a proven starter in deGrom's absence and continued to let the bullpen flounder.

It's what we've become used to seeing from two historic franchises that have forgotten how to build a winning team.