The Giants and A's Did Nothing at Deadline for Differing But Equally Valuable Reasons

To the shock of literally no humans, the Giants and Athletics did nothing at the trade deadline, and for differing but equally valuable reasons.
 
For the A's, they'd done their team-improving deal already by picking up New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia for a few beats (as opposed to a full song). There are still players that can be collected in August, but for the most part the A's will be what they are now.
 
The Giants, though, had nothing to do that would help them in their present predicament, and little to offer that would help others. They'd been pestered about relievers Tony Watson and Will Smith, but that would represent full surrender, and they'd been asked gently about outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who wouldn't fetch the return he would have two months ago, let along two years.
 
In other words, the A's shopped and got something they liked, The Giants browsed and went home no better or worse than they are.
 
The problem for San Francisco, of course, is that being no better of worse still leaves them 10th in a five-team race – or if you prefer, third in a two-team race.
 
Neither position is enviable, and the team's collective resume and disabled list provides even less reason to hope. Since the trade deadline is all about hope – either the adherence to or abandonment of – the Giants were not going to be players.
 
Nobody should be surprised by this, of course, not even the true believers who think they are only a week out of a playoff spot. The Giants' best selling point this year is that it isn't last year, but at a time when every other team above them in the National League standings made a move for a useful major leaguer, the Giants were vaporlocked.
 
Meanwhile, the Dodgers, who already had dealt for shortstop Manny Machado, doubled down with second baseman Brian Dozier from Minnesota and then grabbed reliever John Axford from Toronto. Arizona grabbed third baseman Eduardo Escobar from Minnesota and relievers Brad Ziegler from Miami and Jake Diekman from Texas. Colorado took reliever Seung-Hwan Oh from Toronto, a-a-a-a-and . . .
 
The Cubs got pitcher Cole Hamels from Texas as a rental. The Brewers dealt for third baseman Mike Moustakas from Kansas City and second baseman Jonathan Schoop from Baltimore. Pittsburgh got Tampa starter Chris Archer and Texas reliever Keone Kela. St. Louis got reliever Chasen Shreve from the Yankees (but dealt outfielder Tommy Pham to Tampa for prospects, so figure that one out) . . . a-a-a-a-and . . . 
 
Philadelphia got catcher Wilson Ramos from Tampa and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera from the Mets. Atlanta starter Kevin Gausman from Baltimore, relievers Brad Brach from Baltimore and Jonny Venters from Tampa and outfielder Adam Duvall from Cincinnati. Even Washington, whose only bold move was to announce that they would not be trading outfielder/franchise-face Bryce Harper, had gotten Kansas City closer Kelvin Herrera earlier in the month.
 
In short, the Giants are in stasis. If this ruins your day, well, your day didn't stand much of a chance to begin with, and you need a pop to take the edge off. And the A's bolstered their bullpen for a run at the one remaining American League playoff spot, which is more than they usually do, by a lot. If that makes your day appreciably better, maybe you need a pop too.