Trade Deadline Day in baseball is unlike Trade Deadline Day in any other sport. Unlike most of the other sports… Trades actually happen. And, trades that usually lead to success for one or multiple teams.
This is the time of year when MLB GMs make their money. They have to first decide “are we sellers or are we buyers?” “Are we going for it or are we rebuilding?” “Is a rental really worth my prospects?” “Are we in win now mode or planning for the future?”
All these questions lead to today. Some teams have already made moves, while others like to wait as long as possible because they were still figuring out whether they are “buyers or sellers.”
There have been many trades of interest in recent history at the deadline. CC Sabathia to the Brewers in 2008. Carlos Beltran to the Astros in 2004. Curt Schilling to the Diamondbacks in 2000 to name a few.
But in very recent history, The Yankees trading Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs in 2016. That trade worked out perfectly for both teams. The Cubs broke the curse and got their World Series Championship. The Yankees got then big prospect, now star second baseman Gleyber Torres, and got Chapman back in free agency. If you also remember that season the Yankees traded Andrew Miller to the Indians, who played the Cubs in the World Series. Trades… Ya gotta love em!
Image – Steve Lundy/Cubs Photographer
Some trades of note that have already happened:
Manny Machado traded to the Dodgers
Zach Britton traded to the Yankees
J.A. Happ traded to the Yankees
Mike Moustakas traded to the Brewers
Asdrubal Cabrera traded to the Phillies
Eduardo Escobar traded to the Dbacks
Nathan Eovaldi traded to the Red Sox
Ian Kinsler traded to the Red Sox
As you can see the Yankees have been very active. They are currently in a fight for their AL East lives against the thriving Red Sox, so with Judge out three weeks Brian Cashman is trying to get the team stronger for the second half push. Yesterday they traded reliever Adam Warren to the Mariners for international signing money to sign Cuban teenage phenom Osiel Rodriguez. They also traded first baseman Tyler Austin to the Twins for veteran starter Lance Lynn.
Today is the day where teams who didn’t want to give up that extra prospect… May just do it because their backs are against the wall. Today is the day where teams (both buyers and sellers) get desperate. Buyers will give a little extra and sellers may take a little less just go get the deal done.
Who will get dealt today? Who could be the next Aroldis Chapman, traded and help his new team win the World Series. There are a lot of rumors flying around but not a lot of time left to get the deals done, the deadline is today at 4PM Eastern.
Some potential trade rumors floating around:
Could the Yankees reunite with Curtis Granderson?
Could the Braves or Red Sox trade for future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre?
Would the Mets possibly give up DeGrom or Syndergaard?
Is Chris Archer on the move? Yankees have had long term interest.
Could the Phillies land Andrew McCutchen?
Are the Yankees after Cameron Maybin?
Could the chips fall and the Nationals actually pull the trigger and trade away Bryce Harper? Indians have big interest.
Those are just some of the many questions that will be answered today. Will all of those things happen? Probably not. Will a lot of them happen? Too soon to say. But what history has taught us is that we only need one trade that could alter the course of the MLB season.
Stay tuned to branded_sports all day for up to the minute trade deadline information.
-Kevin “That Guy”