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The trades are already bubbling. They may not be the blockbuster everyone is waiting for the Detroit Tigers to pull off, but the MLB trade market is already open for business.
The Royals grabbed right-hander Nate Pearson, a former Blue Jays first-round pick, from the Astros on Wednesday. A day earlier, the Rockies sent closer Seth Halvorsen to the Dodgers to open trade season. Small moves, but they mean the market is live and the clock is ticking.
The MLB trade deadline is Monday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET. That's later than baseball fans are used to. For decades the deadline almost always fell on July 31, but under the current labor deal the date moves around, and this year it slides into August. Teams have a little less than two weeks to decide what they are.
Deals have to be in by 6 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 3. That means MLB has to know about them before 6 p.m., but teams will try to beat the buzzer looking for the best deal and the most leverage. The news will usually keep coming for about half an hour after the deadline to catch up.
No. The deadline is firm. It used to be softer. Before 2019, July 31 was only the non-waiver deadline, and players could still change teams in August by clearing waivers. That back door is closed now.
Yes. Anyone traded before the buzzer is fully eligible for the postseason with his new team. A player dealt at 5:59 p.m. on Aug. 3 can start Game 1 of the World Series.
The league is a muddle. Eleven teams entered Tuesday within three games of .500 and the direction can flip fast — three weeks ago, the Red Sox looked like sellers, then they ripped off a 15-game winning streak and turned into buyers.
The name hanging over everything is Tarik Skubal. The Tigers' ace has won the last two AL Cy Youngs and is the No.1 trade candidate in the sport. The Mets have told teams they're ready to sell, with almost no one untouchable, according to SNY. The Orioles are reportedly willing to listen on catcher Adley Rutschman. And the Padres haven't ruled out moving closer Mason Miller.
There is also the uncertainty about 2027. The labor agreement expires Dec. 1, 2026, four months after this deadline passes, and almost nobody expects it to end quietly. Owners are already making noise about a salary cap and players have said they expect a work stoppage. Front offices aren't just weighing this October, they are making trades against a winter where the sport's whole economic system is being shaken.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB trade deadline is approaching. Who will move?
Continue reading...
The Royals grabbed right-hander Nate Pearson, a former Blue Jays first-round pick, from the Astros on Wednesday. A day earlier, the Rockies sent closer Seth Halvorsen to the Dodgers to open trade season. Small moves, but they mean the market is live and the clock is ticking.
The MLB trade deadline is Monday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET. That's later than baseball fans are used to. For decades the deadline almost always fell on July 31, but under the current labor deal the date moves around, and this year it slides into August. Teams have a little less than two weeks to decide what they are.
Key dates
- Trade deadline: Monday Aug. 3, 6 p.m. ET
- After the deadline: no trades, but teams can still sign free agents, release players and claim players off waivers
- Sept. 1: active rosters expand from 26 to 28 players
What time is the MLB trade deadline?
Deals have to be in by 6 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 3. That means MLB has to know about them before 6 p.m., but teams will try to beat the buzzer looking for the best deal and the most leverage. The news will usually keep coming for about half an hour after the deadline to catch up.
Can players be traded after the deadline?
No. The deadline is firm. It used to be softer. Before 2019, July 31 was only the non-waiver deadline, and players could still change teams in August by clearing waivers. That back door is closed now.
Are players traded at the deadline eligible for the playoffs?
Yes. Anyone traded before the buzzer is fully eligible for the postseason with his new team. A player dealt at 5:59 p.m. on Aug. 3 can start Game 1 of the World Series.
Why nobody knows how this one will go
The league is a muddle. Eleven teams entered Tuesday within three games of .500 and the direction can flip fast — three weeks ago, the Red Sox looked like sellers, then they ripped off a 15-game winning streak and turned into buyers.
The name hanging over everything is Tarik Skubal. The Tigers' ace has won the last two AL Cy Youngs and is the No.1 trade candidate in the sport. The Mets have told teams they're ready to sell, with almost no one untouchable, according to SNY. The Orioles are reportedly willing to listen on catcher Adley Rutschman. And the Padres haven't ruled out moving closer Mason Miller.
There is also the uncertainty about 2027. The labor agreement expires Dec. 1, 2026, four months after this deadline passes, and almost nobody expects it to end quietly. Owners are already making noise about a salary cap and players have said they expect a work stoppage. Front offices aren't just weighing this October, they are making trades against a winter where the sport's whole economic system is being shaken.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB trade deadline is approaching. Who will move?
Continue reading...
