Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports
There were four different strategies that contending teams used at the trade deadline:
1) Make the necessary moves to improve for the rest of the regular season, with the hope being to secure one of the six playoff spots in each league and/or to ensure home-field advantage.
2) Build the optimal 26-man roster to win in the playoffs, even if that meant winning fewer games in the regular season, or, in the case of the Padres, completely blowing up their farm system.
3) Upgrade around the margins, but don’t do anything drastic.