Opinion

The trade deadline was minutes away from becoming a blown opportunity for the Chicago Cubs, team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer.

Just before the 4:00 non-waiver trade deadline, the Texas Rangers made their biggest move by acquiring Ryan Dempster from the Cubs for two minor leaguers.

The move came after the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim traded for Zack Greinke over the weekend and after learning that Neftali Feliz will have Tommy John surgery.

Major League Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone.

If you missed it, it suffices to say that it was a doozy.

The trades started to come fast and furious late on Monday night, and the madness only intensified in the final hours leading up to the deadline. All the while, rumors were plentiful.

Right now, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim appear to have one of the best squads to contend for a World Series title. They have three solid starters in Jared Weaver, Zack Greinke and Dan Haren. They have a reliable bullpen. And any lineup where Albert Pujols is the third biggest threat cannot be trifled with.

The MLB trade deadline came and went with a flurry of deals. Such excitement was bound to have some hilarious fallout. 

The biggest mistake wasn't from a team overpaying for a pitcher, or a down-in-the-dumps team selling off top talent—it was from a news agency being duped by a fake Twitter account. 

The MLB teams that will be fighting for a playoff spot needed to part ways with prospects and add solid veterans, and a few clubs made all the right moves.

These teams will all pass with flying colors as trade grades are handed out, but even among the ball clubs who did well for themselves, there are still some that stood out.

The clubs that added productive players to their rosters will see the benefits in September and October, but for now, they will be praised with top marks.

The Pittsburgh Pirates didn't land any of this year's most coveted trade chips, but they approached the July 31 deadline with a level head and the necessary poise.

Pittsburgh added four players either at, or prior, to this year's trade deadline. Check out NBC Sports' Matthew Pouliot's overview of the Pirates new acquisitions:

Major League Baseball's trade deadline always brings its fair share of surprises and game-changing moves, and this year was no different.

Several contenders picked up some prime additions, including by two bitter divisional rivals.

Other teams, on the other hand, didn't get what they needed or didn't get rid of all their excess baggage.

Here's a look at the winners and losers of MLB's trade deadline on Tuesday.

Like a moth drawn into a flame, fans of the Boston Red Sox were drawn in by the cunning proclamations made by team president Larry Lucchino that general manager Ben Cherington would be able to make "bold moves" at the trading deadline.

3:59 pm: nothing.

4:00 pm: nothing.

The Yankees didn't make the big splash at the 4 p.m. deadline for a player like Ryan Dempster or Matt Garza.

Instead, they made a trade more on need for third base, as they acquired third baseman Casey McGehee from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for reliever Chad Qualls, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.