The 2020 MLB season was an odd one, but that didn’t stop teams from making blockbuster trades.
With the season being just 60 games in length, many fans speculated about whether teams would go all in on winning a title, and several did.
We got the thrill of experiencing a handful of major trades throughout the year.
Unfortunately, not all of those trades still look like good ones today.
These two trades in particular were big deals in 2020, but look like duds this season.
2. Minnesota Twins Acquire Kenta Maeda From Los Angeles Dodgers In Exchange For Brusdar Graterol
In February of 2020, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded veteran starting pitcher Kenta Maeda and catcher Jair Camargo to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol and outfielder Luke Raley.
While it was technically a four-player deal, the two most notable names were Maeda and Graterol.
Graterol was just a prospect at the time of the deal, but he made a solid impact for the Dodgers in 2020, appearing in 23 games and managing a 3.09 ERA, 3.41 FIP, and 0.90 WHIP.
Maeda was initially good for his new club, too, posting a 2.70 ERA across 11 starts in 2020 while fanning 80 batters in 66.2 innings.
Things have changed this season, though.
Graterol appeared in just three games for the Dodgers before being optioned to Triple-A, as the results at the MLB level were not good.
He blew a save and gave up three runs across his three outings, totaling just 1.1 innings along the way.
It would be silly to say that Graterol is a bust, as the sample size this season has been tiny and he was very solid last year, but he seems to need more time.
On the other side of the deal, Maeda has regressed in a big way this season.
The veteran is 33 and aging, and it seems like that may be becoming a factor for the first time in his career.
Maeda has a 4.85 ERA, 5.03 FIP, and 1.44 WHIP this season over 11 starts.
His WHIP this year is almost double what it was last season (0.75) when he led the league in that category.
The #MNTwins can't hit. Alexander Colomé continues to struggle. Kenta Maeda hasn't pitcher well, either.
Twins lose 7-4, which gives them 5 straight series losses and drops them to 7-15 on the season.
— danhayesmlb (@DanHayesMLB) April 28, 2021
This deal looked like a home run for both clubs last season, but it’s a different story this year.
1 . San Diego Padres Acquire RHP Mike Clevinger From Cleveland Indians In Exchange For Huge Package Of Players
At the trade deadline last season, the San Diego Padres acquired starting pitcher Mike Clevinger and outfielder Greg Allen from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for a list of players that included outfielder Josh Naylor, pitcher Cal Quantrill, catcher Austin Hedges, utility man Owen Miller, and pitching prospect Joey Cantillo.
Clevinger was an exciting addition to the San Diego rotation, and he initially lived up to the hype.
He pitched to a 2.84 ERA over four starts with the team and was impressive enough to land a two-year extension.
Unfortunately, Clevinger suffered an injury late in the 2020 season that ultimately required Tommy John surgery.
Padres announced they signed Mike Clevinger to a 2-year contract, and also that he’ll undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2021 season
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) November 16, 2020
As a result, we will not see him this year.
Allen, the other player the Padres got in the deal, is no longer with the team.
Taking a look at the Indians’ return, many of Cleveland’s added players have not yet panned out.
Quantrill and Naylor have shown signs, but are a long way from being considered foundational pieces.
Hedges is batting .144 this season and Miller is batting .109 in 15 games at the MLB level.
Fortunately, Cantillo looks like a promising pitching prospect with a decent ceiling.
On the whole, however, this deal has lost some luster.
