The MLB trade deadline can be exciting yet stressful for teams and players. This final chance to add reinforcements before the trade freeze takes effect is invaluable for every club and player.
General managers spend months finding trading partners whose needs align with their own. Once an agreement is struck, it must be submitted to the league for review and approval.
July 31st
The Major League Baseball trade deadline is fast approaching, and speculation about players like Max Scherzer, Jordan Hicks, Lucas Giolito, and Randal Grichuk is already rampant. Things could only intensify leading up to it; teams expected to sell may now buy high-profile assets instead.
This year’s trade deadline will fall on August 1st – one day earlier than last year. MLB implemented this change as part of their Collective Bargaining Agreement to avoid trades overlapping with ongoing games and to avoid having the deadline fall during weekends when most fans are watching their team compete.
At the trade deadline, teams must consider their short-term chances of victory and decide whether or not to purchase or dispose of members from their roster. Teams in contention may seek out one more piece that can propel them over the edge, while non-contending squads may trade veteran players in exchange for younger prospects who may contribute at higher levels later.
Alongside the apparent contenders, several underdog teams hope to make an impression at the deadline. One such underdog team is San Diego Padres, who sit at 5-7 and 10 games out from making a playoff push; they reportedly want to add an offensive player and starting pitcher as part of their plans to make late-season runs.
Red Sox and Cubs teams appear to be in contention, having each added starters over the past week. Meanwhile, Blue Jays and Marlins teams have made additions to their bullpens recently; Miami may be interested in Gleyber Torres from New York; however, New York prefers high-priced prospects Edward Cabrera and Braxton Garrett instead.
August 1st
The MLB Trade Deadline will occur this Tuesday, August 1st, one day earlier than in 2017. Although no specific time of day for the deadline has been provided by MLB yet, most likely 6 pm ET should suffice, and all paperwork related to trades must be submitted by that time.
The trade process typically begins when a team identifies an area of need, such as for power hitters or starters, and their general manager searches for potential trade partners to fill those needs. Once an agreement is made between two or more parties involved in a deal, their general managers submit paperwork directly to the commissioner’s office for processing.
Teams should carefully consider buying and selling decisions and player contracts and salaries when making these decisions. A couple looking to acquire top free agents must be prepared to pay an exorbitant price for them; many players even include “no-trade” clauses in their contracts to prevent trades with specific teams.
Front offices face significant pressure to make sound decisions during the MLB trade deadline, particularly those involved in tight divisional or wild card races. They must choose whether they will buy or sell.
The San Francisco Giants will be buyers at this year’s trade deadline. Farhan Zaidi, President of Baseball Operations for the San Francisco Giants, recently spoke on MLB Network’s Front Office First about being aggressive at this year’s deadline. He expressed interest in being active buyers at it. As they currently sit three years without making the playoffs and need depth added to their roster, they are seeking late-inning relief help as well as starters who can improve pitching rotation and outfielders for later innings relief, and outfield players for outfield positions as potential buyers, Cleveland Guardians might be willing buyers but may hesitate due to holding onto young talent from within their roster – something San Francisco Giants do well despite being three years out from being in playoff contention!
September 1st
The MLB trade deadline is near, and teams are deciding whether to be buyers or sellers. It marks the last chance teams have to make significant roster adjustments during this season – all trades must be submitted by 6 pm ET on August 1. At this season stage, only teams in contention can submit final transactions by that deadline; otherwise, it would remain open.
Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles are in a tight race for first place in the American League East (AL East). Reports indicate they may plan a big splash at the trade deadline, with top prospects expected to switch teams and aggressively pursue starting pitching help and catching depth – with Houston Astros General Manager Dana Brown calling such acquisitions an absolute imperative.
But just because they haven’t made significant moves doesn’t mean all is lost for teams not contending in postseason races; Farhan Zaidi’s San Diego Padres should be watched, according to reports; they are currently below.500 but may make aggressive trade deadline buys, according to recent speculation.
One of the top trade targets will be the Angels’ two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who has drawn significant interest from teams like Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, and San Francisco Giants despite commanding a steep price tag. While it remains to be seen if the Angels would consider parting ways for less than half the season, he could potentially offer significant returns for their investment.
Keep an eye out for Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Greinke, Detroit Tigers Michael Lorenzen and Justin Verlander, San Diego Padres Blake Snell and Josh Hader, as well as St Louis Cardinals Dylan Carlson and Tyler O’Neill from St Louis Cardinals, to keep tabs on. Bob Nightengale of USA Today has noted several potential deadline deals, such as an exchange between Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians involving Carlos Santana.
October 1st
The MLB trade deadline is integral to baseball season and can have life-altering repercussions for both teams involved. Generally, this process begins when one team identifies a need – for instance, a power-hitting hitter or starting pitcher. From there, their general manager searches around the league for potential trade partners who possess these assets; this search can often last days or weeks as potential partners propose and counter-propose possible deals before finally evaluating all aspects before determining whether to move forward with one value or another.
This year’s MLB trade deadline will be Tuesday, August 1, at 6 p.m. ET. Last season’s deadline was moved back from Fridays to stimulate more trading activity; MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred seems committed to this schedule this time.
Given the competitive divisional and wild card races in MLB, front offices are carefully considering their options at the trade deadline – buying teams may look for ways to improve their chances of making it to the postseason. In contrast, selling groups might consider adding young talent to help them contend in future seasons.
One of the hottest trade deadline storylines this year involves Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who will become a free agent at season’s end and has expressed his openness to signing with a contender after half of this season is completed. Unfortunately, the price may be steep!
Texas Rangers are another team attempting to make moves at the deadline. While they have been active in free agency and possess an impressive pitching staff, they need more offense in their lineup. They have expressed interest in Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen who has had a practical year.
Though their record has been poor, the New York Mets still possess valuable assets that could prove profitable at the trade deadline. Tommy Pham and Mark Canha have been mentioned for trade consideration, as have pitchers Noah Syndergaard and Brandon Workman; however, management has shown no intention of parting ways with its best young talent.