In the wake of the Angels acquiring Mark Teixeira from Atlanta (great move for the Angels, btw) and the Yankees making upgrads to their team with Nady, Marte, and Pudge Rodriguez…I’m wondering about past world series winners and the correlation between a trade deadline deal and winning the World Series.

Certainly, the Red Sox title years are both marked with big deadline day trades.  In 2004, it was the big trade that sent Nomar packing.  Without a doubt, the 2004 title doesn’t happen without acquiring Orlando Cabrera and Dave Roberts.  Last year saw the acquisition of Eric Gagne.  Yes, he was a disaster, but perhaps the message management sent of “OK, we’re going for it right now” had some impact.  Hard to say of course.

What about other recent WS winners?  The Yankee teams of the late 90s always seemed to be making midseason acquisitions that paid off. 

Some quick research:

2007: Sox trade for Gagne.  He was a disaster, but sox won it all anyway

2006: Cardinals.  Nothing notable.  Did add reliever Jorge Sosa

2005: White Sox.  Added Geoff Blum. Don’t recall him doing anything notable.

2004: Red Sox ship out Nomar.  Bring in Cabera and Roberts and the rest is history

2003:  Marlins. Didn’t do anything.  But Miguel Cabrera had just arrived on the scene

Pretty inconclusive evidence overall.  An expanded evaluation might lead to data supporting deadline deals helping make teams make the playoffs.  But nothing seems to support the trend of a deal directly helping a team win the title.  That makes the Angels acquisition very curious.  Keep in mind, they in front of the AL West by a double digit margin. They’re practically in.  The trade for Teixera is all about October.