The 2023 MLB trade deadline has come and gone. As usual, there are those team's that came away as winners, bolstering their rosters for the second-half of the season. And then there are losers, the team's which either made some questionable moves or didn't do anything at all to help their team's. In this article, we'll look at the biggest losers of the trade deadline.

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds have been one of the best surprise teams of the whole season. After finishing with a dismal season last year with a 62-11 record, and an ownership and management that seemed uncaring if they ever did any better, no one saw this resurgent year arriving in Cincinnati. But with a farm full of young talent coming up to the big leagues in the likes of Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, Matt McClain and Andrew Abbott, this team has put everybody on notice this season.

While the current NL Central first place holders are just 1.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers, what the Reds did — or better yet, didn't do — is a bit surprising as this year's deadline came to a close.

The one single move that the Reds made was on July 31, when they traded minor league prospect RHP Joe Boyle for Oakland Athletics' LHP Sam Moll. Moll currently holds an 0-3 record, securing one save, with a 4.54 ERA in 37 2/3 innings, with 46 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Boyle, was ranked as the Reds' No. 28 prospect, coming from the Reds Double-A club, the Chattanooga Lookouts, recording 122 strikeouts and 75 walks in 84 innings. He holds a 4.50 ERA this season. As part of the trade, Cincinnati also received international bonus pool money from Oakland.

That's it. That's all the Reds did. For a team that's as promising as they are this season, it's easy to see why we're classifying them as one of the biggest losers of this trade deadline. Because the Reds needed a lot more than what they traded for.

Adding some bullpen help was definitely one need, especially against left-handers, who are hitting .197 off of Moll, but among the contending teams, the Reds stood out as one in dire need of assistance in their starting rotation. On the last day of the deadline, their starting pitchers' ERA ranked as the 23rd worst in baseball with a 5.21. Though it may be unsurprising to some, Reds' general manager, Nick Krall, was expected seek to make an addition before the deadline to address this glaring concern. However, it looks as if the Reds will depend on the return of arms Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo from injury, hoping they can step up to fill the void.

New York Yankees

Much like the Reds, the same question has to be asked for the Yankees — what did they do at this trade deadline? The only trade the Yankees made was for Chicago White Sox RHP Keynan Middleton. This season, Middleton made 39 appearances for Chicago, having a record of 2-2 with a 3.96 ERA and securing two saves. Over the course of 36 1/3 innings, he allowed 17 runs (16 earned) on 33 hits and 16 walks, while also striking out 47 batters.

You can never have too many arms in what is a long, grueling MLB season. But the Yankees didn't need anymore relief pitching, as they have consistently held one of top bullpens in the league over the last couple seasons. They currently have the league-leading ERA of 3.10 for relief pitching.

What the Yankees desperately needed was some offense, which has been an prominent issue for them since nearly the start of the season. Granted, it didn't help them when Aaron Judge went down with a toe injury for two months, or when guys like Josh Donaldson can't stay healthy, and when the rare occasion he is, he's not hitting. Or even when your other high-salaried slugger, Giancarlo Stanton, either can't stay healthy or keeps from striking out.

In fact, the Yankees just recently set a record while playing the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees were fanned 12 times in the first game of the series against the Rays. The Yankees had 30 strikeouts over two games, their most in a two-game span in franchise history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

It's difficult to perceive just what the Yankees are, though. Even without trade acquisitions, did this team really have the roster, with some added additions, to make a significant run in the playoffs? Or better yet, make the playoffs at all? They're currently in last place in the AL East, 10.5 games out of first place, yet only 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.

“You could see everything from nothing to guys leaving to guys coming,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

The biggest loser out of all this for the Yankees is Judge. Who has fought his way back from a toe injury that more than likely should have been taken care of by surgery, yet he chose to rehab it in other ways, possibly even rushing back to help his Yankees squad. You don't hear this much in baseball history, but the Yankees are losers this time.