The 2023 MLB trade deadline and the days preceding it may not have emitted the full-blown blast that fans were initially hoping for, but it still had a little bit of everything.

A couple of future Hall of Fame pitchers were dealt, the Los Angeles Dodgers were snubbed, the Miami Marlins added pieces to further compete for a playoff berth and the Los Angeles Angels went all in to better increase their odds of retaining one of the greatest baseball talents we have ever seen.

I would say that qualifies as an eventful day, one that could be even more historically prominent depending on how the postseason unfolds. Though, we live in a modern age where gut-reactions are so prevalent, so let's do our best to quickly sort everything out and determine who emerged victorious from this annual frenzy.

With another MLB trade deadline officially in the books, let's break down the three big winners.

Astros

The fair place to start seems like the Houston Astros. They are just getting healthy, are only a half-game behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West and now bring back a crucial member of the 2022 World Series team who just so happens to be one of the best pitchers of his generation in Justin Verlander.

They may have given up a lot to claim it- top outfield prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford-, but this franchise is long past the point of worrying about the long-term future. That type of thinking helped Houston build its empire, and now the main focus is prolonging it as long as possible. Trading for a 40-year-old Verlander might not buy the team more than a year or two, but if those lead to two more titles no one will ever gripe about a depleted farm system.

Heck, no one should do that even if the Astros fall short of the Fall Classic. This is the position all front offices chase. Regardless of all of the shame and asterisks that came with the 2017 sign-stealing scandal, the Astros are the standard in baseball today. They ensure that their roster is perennially in shape to contend, thereby affording themselves the opportunity to add star players midseason.

Verlander does not only possess sterling career credentials to go with a 3.15 ERA in 2023 (1.69 in July). He is a familiar face who is comfortable in the clubhouse. The same can be said for reliever Kendall Graveman (3.48 ERA), who the Astros acquired from the Chicago White Sox last week.

Surely confidence is bursting through Minute Maid Park, as the defending champs get the band back together for what figures to be a wild postseason push.

Rangers

The very team that Houston will be pushing against on the road to October, the Texas Rangers, also come away from the trade deadline a deeper and more prepared team. Much like the divisional race, this week of transactions was closely contested between the two budding rivals. One can easily argue that Texas is the supreme winner after all of the moves they made.

General manager Chris Young has had his eyes on the prize well before Aug. 1, gaining crucial bullpen help in veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman in early July before then securing a major coup in Max Scherzer on Saturday. He then acquired Jordan Montgomery from the St. Louis Cardinals for further rotation reinforcements.

That was probably enough, but Young did not rest on his laurels Tuesday. A trade was completed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for defensive catcher Austin Hedges.

The Rangers have not relented since they spent a half-billion dollars on their middle infield. Aside from a devastating bad break for Jacob deGrom, the extravagant business approach has produced tremendous results. That is in large part because of players like Adolis Garcia, Josh Jung, Jonah Heim and Nathaniel Lowe all coming into their own. A solid foundation allowed the organization to stay aggressive ahead of the deadline.

It certainly did not hurt that the New York Mets will be paying a big chunk of Max Scherzer's contract. The three-time Cy Young has not been at his best in 2023, but he should have another gear in him. Playing behind one of the best offenses in the MLB should help, too. Though, maybe most importantly, Scherzer leaves an environment rife with disappointment and media negativity. Perhaps a move down south changes the mojo around him.

The 39-year-old will not inspire quite as much confidence in fans as Verlander would have, but he comes with a wealth of big-game experience. His 3.58 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 27 postseason appearances makes him a perfect fit for a franchise that needs to relearn how to win baseball games deep in October.

Jordan Montgomery should pass the gut-check test, too, after putting together multiple solid seasons with the hyper-scrutinized New York Yankees. He has been a steady force for the St. Louis Cardinals and currently has a 3.11 ERA. Martin Perez and Andrew Heaney already give Texas a couple of lefty arms in the starting staff, but Montgomery is far more reliable.

While he serves as insurance for Nathan Eovaldi- just placed on the 15-day injured list with a forearm strain- Austin Hedges fills a similar role for the currently sidelined Jonah Heim (10-day IL, wrist soreness). He leads all catchers in framing runs and ranks third in strike rate, per Statcast. His bat will bring down a deep lineup for the time being, but he adds strong value behind the plate nonetheless.

Phillies

Dave Dombrowski will do everything in his power to try to put his team in position to vie for a World Series title. The Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations did so again hours before the MLB trade deadline. Michael Lorenzen might not be the flashiest acquisition, but he addresses a weakness on a roster otherwise well-equipped to make another deep playoff run.

While I understand that Jack Flaherty and Aaron Civale might carry more upside than Lorenzen currently does, the reason the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays were bumped in favor of the Phillies is because I see this squad as being more championship-ready. You are your record, but Philadelphia has already proven adept at getting hot at the perfect moment.

While both the lineup and pitching staff have underachieved, there is just too much talent for this team to not turn things around. And that is with the Phillies already in a National League Wild Card slot. Simply put, if guys like Trea Turner and Aaron Nola step up, trading for Lorenzen could be a true difference-making move.

The 31-year-old right-hander, perhaps being motivated to prove that he is more than just the Detroit Tigers' mandatory All-Star selection, has come out of the break blazing. He has lowered his ERA to 3.58 and is peaking just in time. Chemistry also should not be a problem, considering Lorenzen knows members of the team, per John Clark of NBC Sports Philly. The Phillies will still have questions surrounding their pitching, but another quality arm should be a boost for the offense.

Throw in the versatility of Rodolfo Castro, who Dombroski acquired in a deal that sent lefty Bailey Falter to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and this team had a fruitful MLB trade deadline. There were plenty of others who made out well in the past week, but these three stand out as franchises who might have just put the finishing touches on a championship-caliber season.