As usual, the days leading up to MLB's Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline didn't disappoint. Teams completed more than 20 trades, some more significant than others.
Narrowing down that list to only the biggest deals wasn't easy. For example, you could make a case that the Boston Red Sox's additions of closer Brad Ziegler and starter Drew Pomeranz—especially significant moves if your rooting interest lies in Beantown or you're a fan of the Baltimore Orioles or Toronto Blue Jays—deserve to be included here.
But there were bigger deals that went down, some of which haven't worked out the way anyone involved hoped they would. It's all subjective, of course, but that subjectivity also played a part in the grades each team received on the pages that follow.
Player performance was the main driving force behind a team's grade, but since so many of these deals involve prospects who have yet to break into the majors, potential and upside had to be taken into account as well.
These grades could be drastically different in two weeks, much less two months, when the baseball world will be in the thick of the playoffs. We'll find out whether they're better or worse when we revisit these deals later on.
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