Did you know that the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline has only been around since 1986? It had been June 15 for the previous six decades, and the deadline has made a lot of other twists and turns to get to where we are today. The first trade deadline was established in the National League in 1917. After August 20 of each year, players had to clear waivers within the league before they could be sold or traded to another team (of either league). The AL established a similar rule in 1920, with a deadline of July 1. In 1921, both leagues agreed on a trade deadline of August 1. Following the 1922 season, the deadline was changed to June 15, where it remained for decades. Throughout the years, trade season has remained one of the most active periods on the MLB calendar and has held new meaning with the rise in popularity of fantasy baseball. Let’s take a look at some of the trades that have happened, and some that may happen soon.
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Machado a Dodger
By now many of you have heard that the Baltimore Orioles traded Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a handful of top prospects. Owners in AL-only leagues are upset that they have lost him and NL-only owners should, and probably will spend most of their FAAB money to acquire him. Machado hit .315 with 24 homers and 65 RBI with Baltimore, and while the change in home parks is a bit of a downgrade, he will be worth every penny for new owners. In addition, every hitter in the Dodger lineup immediately gets an upgrade in fantasy value as a result of this deal.
Indians get a Helping Hand
The Indians pulled off a trade with the Padres to acquire relief pitcher Brad Hand and right-hander Adam Cimber in exchange for highly touted catching prospect Francisco Mejia. Hand and Cimber immediately boost a bullpen that has been a trouble area for the Tribe this season, while San Diego nets Cleveland’s top prospect in return. However, Hand’s fantasy value takes a hit as he will serve as a set-up man for Cody Allen. Mejia was batting .279 with seven home runs and 45 RBI in 79 games for Triple-A Columbus. He made his big league debut on Sept. 1, playing in 11 games with Cleveland last year and one game this year. The Padres are going nowhere this year and should eventually call him up. He is worth a stash if you have some room.
Oakland acquires a closer
The Athletics have acquired closer Jeurys Familia from the Mets in exchange for minor league right-hander Bobby Wahl and third base prospect William Toffey in the deal, as well as $1 million in international slot money. Oakland would use Familia as one of its setup men, according to an earlier report from The San Francisco Chronicle, as the A’s will continue to use Blake Treinen as their closer. The Mets could move multiple pitchers before the trade deadline. Nine teams have reportedly checked in on starter Zack Wheeler, while the Mets have also considered trading aces Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.
Trade Deadline Deals to Come?
It’s now time for the remaining dominoes in MLB’s trade deadline market to fall, including Mike Moustakas of the Kansas City Royals. He is probably one of the biggest names mentioned in trade talks. However, the Dodgers sold the farm for Machado and are off the table. The Yankees do not appear interested in adding Moustakas as a first baseman, as they were a week before the All-Star break. The Phillies lost out on Machado because they weren’t willing to part with top prospects for a rental they will try to acquire in the offseason. But Moustakas, batting .249 with 19 homers and 58 RBI, won’t command nearly as much as Machado. Anaheim is a possibility and Moustakas would be an upgrade over David Fletcher, the rookie replacement for the injured Zack Cozart, who is batting .250 with eight RBI and five runs scored in 27 games.
The next big name that could be dealt is Baltimore reliever, Zach Britton. To this point, the Astros, Cubs, Yankees, Phillies, and Red Sox have all been connected to Britton in some fashion. Britton’s past seven appearances have been scoreless, but beyond the bottom-line results, he’s made some encouraging gains in terms of sinker velocity. His ground-ball rate has been a superlative 68.8 percent in that time as well. The latest reports indicate the Cubs are making a strong bid for Britton.
Chris Archer has recently expressed interest in “playing for a winner”. Given that Archer only just returned from the DL, his next few outings my help determine whether another organization puts a compelling offer on the table.
#Rays lunchtime read: From the look and sound of things, it's time for the #Rays and Chris Archer to say goodbye https://t.co/zOU0LBtSl7
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) July 20, 2018
Mets pitcher out due to childhood ailment
Noah Syndergaard will be placed on the 10-day disabled list because he contracted hand, foot, and mouth disease. The ailment is more common in children than adults and is caused by Coxsackievirus A16 or Enterovirus 71. It is believed that Syndergaard picked up the hand, foot, and mouth disease working at a youth camp during the All-Star break. Corey Oswalt will temporarily take Syndergaard’s spot in the rotation.
Zimmer to have shoulder surgery
Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer is out for the year after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. The projected recovery timetable spans anywhere from 8-12 months, which puts Zimmer’s return in the second half of the 2019 season. The Indians have stated that they have every reason to believe that he’ll make a full recovery by next summer, though it’s not yet clear whether or not he’ll need additional time to readjust to a full workload when he takes the field again.
Ohtani cleared for throwing
Shohei Ohtani‘s sprained UCL showed improved healing and, as a result, he has been cleared to begin a throwing progression. It was initially believed he would undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. Then the thought was that Ohtani wouldn’t pitch again for the rest of the season, but this update suggests a possibility he could return to the mound before the season is over.
https://twitter.com/SportsPostHome/status/1020375285546606593
Cespedes to have surgery?
Yoenis Cespedes told reporters following the Mets’ 7-5 win over the Yankees on Friday that he may require season-ending surgery to relieve the suffering from calcification in both of his heels. The pain doesn’t seem to be debilitating, at least for the time being, but Cespedes had said that any discomfort in his heels causes him to stand, walk, and run differently, which presents a definite problem if the club intends to ramp up his workload going forward.
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