There were only a couple of trades, however each trade had its own individual impact on the trade market.
The first deal was Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers. The Texas Rangers reportedly acquired Hamels, cash considerations, and Jake Diekman for Jorge Alfaro, Nick Williams, Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff and Matt Harrison. This is quite a large return for the Philadelphia Phillies, who had Hamels under contract for three more years, with a club option for a fourth year. This signifcantly affects the starting pitching market, including Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner, and most importantly David Price. David Price is now the only premier pitcher on the market, and is being seriously pursued by the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. After the return the Phillies got on Wednesday, teams will now be forced to put their best foot forward in a David Price deal if they want a big name pitcher for this seasons postseason run. Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner, as well as James Shield's values rise as well, and they might be the only pitchers left on the market controlled beyond this season. The Chicago Cubs might look to add one of them, while the Houston Astros are also a team to watch, including in the David Price sweepstakes, as they got rejected by Cole Hamels.
Another trade (that fell through) was Carlos Gomez to the New York Mets for Wilmer Flores and Zach Wheeler. It is reported that Carlos Gomez's medical report was not well liked by the New York Mets, and were not comfortable taking him on. Wilmer Flores, the Mets starting shortstop is also a significant piece. While this particular deal won't happen, it shows the price the Milwaukee Brewers want for Carlos Gomez. It also shows that the Mets are serious about acquiring an outfield bat. The Mets could shift their attention to a different bat like Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce or Justin Upton.
The third potential deal of the day was a three team trade between the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, and Atlanta Braves. The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly acquired Alex Wood, Matt Latos and Jim Johnson. The Atlanta Braves would get Hector Olivera, Zach Bird, and a Competitive Balance draft pick. The Marlins are reportedly getting minor league pitchers Jeff Brigham, Victor Araujo, and Kevin Guzman. This trade shows the Marlins they are building for the future, and could be a price point for a potential starting pitcher deal for a rental pitcher not named David Price. The deal also shows that the Dodgers are targeting starting pitchers, and want pitching depth in their rotation and bullpen. The Dodgers had interest in Cole Hamels, but quickly flipped the switch to acquire a young pitcher who is cost controlled in Alex Wood. The deal also continues the trend that quantity is more important than quality in trade deadline deals this year, and that it's unlikely teams like the Tigers will get a top prospect for trade headlining pieces like Yoenis Cespedes or David Price.
While there are many more pieces that will be moved, including a potentially big day from the Detroit Tigers Thursday, the trades made on Wednesday likely indicates the market value for players on Thursday and Friday.