The Giants have struggled since trading for Rafael Devers in June, and that put them in "soft sell" mode. They got a respectable return from the Mets for Tyler Rogers, and they sent closer Camilo Doval to the Yankees for four prospects. Then in a bit of a surprise they flipped outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to the Royals.

Three of the past 10 World Series MVPs — Jorge Soler, Steve Pearce, and Ben Zobrist — were midseason acquisitions. In the past 15 years, deals for Justin Verlander, Hunter Pence, Jake Peavy, Aroldis Chapman, and Jordan Montgomery were among those that helped propel teams to a championship.