This year’s trade deadline will be slightly earlier than usual, with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reporting that it’ll fall on July 30 rather than the customary July 31. Major League Baseball preferred to have the 4pm ET deadline fall on a day where afternoon games aren’t scheduled to take place, so as to avoid scenarios where players head out to the field as the hours until the deadline dwindle. Doing so eliminates some injury risk and uncomfortable scenarios where a player could be injured during play as a trade surrounding him is completed.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen the deadline moved up or pushed back a day in order to avoid that situation, and it’s unlikely to be the last. For instance, the league pushed the deadline back to Aug. 1 in 2016, the last time it was slated to fall on a Sunday, when nearly every team in the league was scheduled for games in the early to mid-afternoon. With the 2022 deadline also set for a Sunday, that type of shift could happen next year. It’s also possible that the upcoming wave of collective bargaining negotiations could bring about a more substantial change.
Obviously it’s a minor shift for the 2021 campaign, but it’s nevertheless notable for the league’s 30 teams. Today, more than ever, we tend to see Major League teams wait until the last possible minute to determine whether it’s appropriate to acquire help, sell off some veteran pieces or take some form of hybrid approach. It’s also feasible that even a marginally earlier deadline could afford a team an extra start from a pitcher it plans to acquire, which could have a minor impact on the manner in which a trade candidate is valued.
What players have the most value at the deadline? I’m going Trevor Story with one.
Sir this is not an offseason in review post
The Story/Gray/Marquez package is going to be ridiculous.
The better play might be to QO Story and deal Marquez and Gray.
@wajgh. I thought that as well on the QO with Story. There’s been lots of talk on that going away with a new CBA. Anyone heard anything new on the QO?
The pick that was used to draft Story was one the Rockies got for losing a player in the old free agency system. The cycle could continue.
I believe the QO is still after this season before the CBA expires.
Still in effect after this season
Yes the QO will continue until a new agreement takes it away. I think the time to deal Story was this past offseason but hey, stranger things have happened Crime Dog.
The Cubs have 16 players on their roster eligible for free agency next offseason. The way they’ve been playing, they could be the most active seller this summer. But, hopefully, the trading won’t begin until after Memorial Day when we should have a better idea how good (bad?) they really are.
It’s gonna be a buyers market. If u didn’t like the darvish return- it’s gonna be a long season
I think it will be a buyers market for position players but a sellers market for pitchers. This year more than ever, every contender will be looking for pitching
@Joctober’smom Good point about Memorial Day. The 10 game mark doesn’t mean too much, as the Rockies showed last year.
MLB blows it on trade deadline- it should be 8/31. They expanded playoffs which keeps teams in it much later in the season yet made it more difficult to trade through waivers and didn’t expand the trade deadline. Poor decision making on their part. Big names moving in august creates more headlines, helps offset late injuries and gives gms more time to assess their squads
The expanded playoffs aren’t in place in 2021.
Expanded playoffs are awful
Fax
The 5th team wildcard from a few years back is what I’m referencing
at least 2 of these 4 will be gone by July
* Rizzo, Bryant, Baez, Contreras
If I had to guess it’s probably Bryant and Contreras. Somehow I think the Rays will swing a trade for Contreras and a not sure who will scoop up Bryant. Maybe the Mets, Braves, or a competing team in need of a better third baseman.
If the Cubs can land Xavier Edwards in a deal for Contreras, that’d be swell.
The Rays MO is to trade players nearing free agency for prospects they can control cheaply for years, not the other way around.
I mean the Rays have worked their magic and Mejia is playing well, and Zunino calls a good game.
Bryant looks a lot better so far this season than in years past. They should cash in soon
i dont see anyone but Bryant being dealt. I feel if anyone CHC wants to extend Baez, they can deal with Rizzo in FA, and Contreras isn’t an imminent FA and might be best dealt in the offseason.
I hope all Pirates front office employees didn’t already plan their vacation for that weekend. Huntington doesn’t care if your tyke has never been to Disney World. You kid’s dreams are no bigger than his expectations.
Scuse me but what does it matter what Huntington cares???
I didn’t think Huntington still had any role with the Pirates
He doesn’t. People he has been gone since October 2019..
**People forget that he has been gone since Oct 2019
Huntington < Cherington — my mistake. The "ington" stuck with me. The difference is a “hunt” and a “cher”. If I could turn back time
Great recovery with the “if I could turn back time”, well played.
An inside source has informed me that it took 2 weeks for MLB and the MLBPA to agree to move the deadline.
@yankess500
So you’re saying they came to an agreement on this in record time. Ahahaha
In other words, July 30 will be the last day Jose Ramirez and Eddie Rosario will be Indians.
Wish they’d go back to midnight deadline. I loved staying up late waiting for those last minute deals to come through.
I second back to midnight or Trading 365 days a year.
I know having the players play unnecessary games are bad, but I just love seeing players get traded mid-game and watching the fans applaud him as his teammates all tell him bye.
Mets trade for Kris Bryant and Craig Kimbrel in exchange for Robinson Cano and JD Davis
Bout the extent of what mets have to offer in a trade
Of course there can be just about no smaller sample size than 4 games…but Kimbrels line so far is simply 4.7 IP with 9 k’s. Every other metric is zeroes !!!!!
I know we all know how good he was, but just in case from 2010-2018 his ERA was 1.89 and a whip of 0.91 !! just to put those numbers in perspective. Mariano’s numbers were 2.21 ERA and whip of 1.00. Just one minor difference…Kimbrel’s numbers are over 9 years, Mo’s numbers were his career…..19 years !!!
Oh and of course, Kimbrel not so good in the Post season. While Mo was actually MUCH better in the post season than in his career
Thats real bad for the cubbies
I know your former GM made you think Cano has value, but he doesn’t. The only way you’re trading Cano is if you include a high end prospect.
@ 24TheKid;
First to name a Mets “high end prospect” that other teams think is a “high end prospect” wins a week for 2 on Delusional Island.
Spot on. Most delusional fan base in professional sports when it comes to prospect value
Alvarez, Mauricio, Allen, Crow-Armstrong…. Mets have some high end prospects, they’re just far away. The delusion lies with those who must obsess on the made up narrative of “lol Mets” and crap on everything about the team.
This is you just dreaming that your boy Brodie is on the Cubs. No one is taking Cano. I could see a Bryant trade but this is awful.
Other teams better get moving on acquiring Chris Davis.
Dang. On July 31, 2004, I was the best man at friends’ wedding, I had introduced them. She was a yankee fan and he was a Red Sox fan. His nephews were crying because Nomar had just been traded. The rest is history. It makes their anniversary easy to remember and he thinks he broke the curse. Don’t change the deadline! It messes with my memory which is already not in the greatest shape.
Great story lol
The deadline also used to be at midnight instead of 4 ET
I second it back to midnight or get rid of date and be all year round.
Trade Deadline on the last Monday of July or the first Monday of August looks ideal to MLB.
This is the wrong move, it should be on Monday, August 2
Deadlines that fall on weekends are moved later not earlier to not penalize anyone based on the calendar!