Carlos Narvaez came to the Red Sox in December for a pitcher named Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, and absolutely nobody cared. The deal happened in the final hours of the winter meetings, completely overshadowed by Boston’s flashy acquisition of ace Garrett Crochet. Even ESPN didn’t bother writing about it.
Now Narvaez owns the second-highest rating among American League catchers, trailing only Seattle’s Cal Raleigh, while Boston’s supposed starter Connor Wong is hitting .431 OPS in 18 games. When Narvaez crushed a three-run homer on Sunday Night Baseball against his former Yankees team, Aaron Judge provided the perfect reaction to these under-the-radar trades.
“Narvy is a hard worker, a great teammate, one of the best we ever had over here,” Judge told reporters. “He outworked everybody in this room. So it doesn’t surprise me he’s having the success he is this year.”
The 27-year-old catcher had spent eight years in New York’s system, getting just six major league games and going 3-for-13. Boston saw him as a possible backup option, nothing more. Instead, they found a starting catcher who’s become one of the American League’s most productive players at his position.
Atlanta’s mistake becomes New York’s treasure
Griffin Canning’s journey to the Mets reads like a comedy of errors that ended with New York getting a bargain. The Angels traded him to Atlanta for Jorge Soler in October, but the Braves got scared of his arbitration price and released him in November. The Mets swooped in with a one-year, $4.25 million deal.
Now both Atlanta and Los Angeles could desperately use Canning’s services. Through 13 starts, he’s 6-2 with a 3.22 ERA as New York’s fifth starter. His numbers would make him the second-best pitcher on both the Angels (behind Yusei Kikuchi) and Braves (behind Chris Sale).
This represents one of those under-the-radar trades that turned into pure salary dump when Atlanta realized they didn’t want to pay market price for a solid starter. The Mets were happy to take that “risk” at $4.25 million.
White Sox find diamond in prospect package
When Boston traded Garrett Crochet to Chicago, most attention focused on catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery. Chase Meidroth was considered the throw-in, a contact hitter with “mediocre raw tools” and “limited upside” due to lack of power.
Meidroth beat all the higher-rated prospects to the majors and has become Chicago’s everyday second baseman, hitting .296/.385/.365 with eight stolen bases and excellent defense. His plate discipline borders on pathological—he’s walked more than he’s struck out while displaying the kind of contact skills that have nearly vanished from modern baseball.
The 23-year-old represents something extinct in today’s game: a hitter who might reach .400 on-base percentage with sub-.400 slugging. The last qualifying player to achieve those numbers was Florida’s Luis Castillo in 2000, when he hit .334/.418/.388. In an era obsessed with power, Meidroth proves contact and patience still have value.
Cleveland’s pitching magic strikes again
Luis Ortiz came to the Guardians from Pittsburgh along with two other players for Spencer Horwitz, a deal so minor that ESPN barely mentioned it. The Pirates thought they were getting the better end by acquiring Horwitz, but Cleveland’s renowned pitching development program had other ideas.
Ortiz has become Cleveland’s second-most used starter behind only their ace, leading the team in strikeouts while posting solid results. The Guardians worked their usual magic, having Ortiz cut back on his sinker, add velocity to his fastball, and increase usage of his changeup.
The results speak volumes about these under-the-radar trades: Ortiz’s strikeout rate jumped from 19.2% to 25.2% after joining Cleveland. He’s gone from back-of-rotation filler in Pittsburgh to legitimate middle-rotation starter for a contending team.
Phillies’ cash grab pays unexpected dividends
Kody Clemens was designated for assignment by Philadelphia in April when they faced a roster crunch. The Twins claimed him for cash, figuring they needed temporary help after prospect Luke Keaschall broke his arm. Most players in this situation become baseball’s equivalent of temp workers, bouncing between teams until they disappear.
Instead, Clemens has helped keep Minnesota afloat during their transformation from struggling team to playoff contender. He’s hitting .236/.340/.517 for the Twins, who have gone 24-15 since he debuted on April 28. Philadelphia, meanwhile, could use his services with Bryce Harper battling wrist problems.
This represents the classic case of one team’s roster casualty becoming another’s solution, proving that these under-the-radar trades often involve players who just needed the right opportunity.
Cy Young contender emerges from Miami fire sale
Jesus Luzardo’s acquisition from the Marlins generated some attention—ESPN gave Philadelphia a B+ grade for the move. But most expected him to be the Phillies’ fifth starter, possibly getting bumped when top prospects arrived from the minors.
Instead, Luzardo emerged as an early Cy Young frontrunner before hitting a rough patch where opponents apparently figured out he was tipping pitches. After giving up 20 runs in 5⅔ innings across two brutal starts, Luzardo apparently fixed the problem, shutting out the Cubs over six innings with 10 strikeouts in his latest appearance.
The roller-coaster season perfectly captures how these under-the-radar trades can exceed expectations before reality sets in, then exceed them again. Luzardo went from potential ace to disaster to solid contributor, proving that even “known” players can surprise in new environments.
The beauty of forgotten deals
These under-the-radar trades remind us that baseball’s most impactful moves often happen in shadows cast by blockbuster deals. While everyone analyzes the splashy acquisitions, quietly acquired players like Narvaez and Meidroth are changing their teams’ fortunes without fanfare or expectations.
The lesson for fans and front offices alike: sometimes the best trades are the ones nobody talks about, where low expectations meet high opportunity and produce unexpected magic that shapes entire seasons.
