Fading Since the Trade Deadline: The Teams Whose Odds Have Fallen the Furthest

The Cardinals survived Willson Contreras‘ first extended absence due to injury, going 24-16 while their catcher/designated hitter was sidelined for six weeks due to a fractured left forearm. Despite his loss, the ineffectiveness of cornerstones Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, and a host of other issues, they were still in contention for a playoff spot when the July 30 trade deadline approached — not in great shape, but with a roster worth augmenting for the stretch run. But by the time Contreras suffered a fractured middle finger on his right hand as a result of an errant Pablo López pitch on August 24, it was clear that this wouldn’t be the Cardinals’ year. They had already shaken up their roster with a couple of notable demotions, and by the end of the month, they let deadline acquisition Tommy Pham depart via waivers.
The Cardinals aren’t the only team whose playoff hopes withered some time between the trade deadline and Labor Day, just the one that made the most noise on the transaction wire. Based on the changes in our Playoff Odds, here are the teams that suffered the steepest declines from the close of play on July 29 (i.e., the day before the deadline) through Monday:
Team | W | L | W% | Div | WC | Playoffs | W | L | W% | Div | WC | Playoffs | Net Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mariners | 56 | 52 | .519 | 40.6% | 8.3% | 48.9% | 69 | 69 | .500 | 2.5% | 3.3% | 5.8% | -43.1% |
Red Sox | 56 | 50 | .528 | 1.5% | 1.4% | 42.0% | 70 | 68 | .507 | 0.0% | 14.0% | 14.0% | -28.0% |
Cardinals | 54 | 52 | .509 | 7.9% | 14.9% | 22.7% | 69 | 69 | .500 | 0.0% | 0.9% | 1.0% | -21.7% |
Giants | 53 | 55 | .491 | 0.4% | 17.3% | 17.6% | 68 | 70 | .493 | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.4% | -17.2% |
Pirates | 54 | 52 | .509 | 5.8% | 10.1% | 15.9% | 64 | 73 | .467 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | -15.9% |
Mets | 56 | 50 | .528 | 1.5% | 50.0% | 51.6% | 74 | 64 | .536 | 1.0% | 34.7% | 35.8% | -15.8% |