The 2024 MLB Trade Deadline has come and gone and there are some clear changes. Gone are the days of teams either being buyers or sellers. In this modern age, teams are now looking for value and not just giving players away. They are looking to receive some kind of value in return whether they are contending for the postseason or not. Now that the postseason has been expanded, teams will be more inclined to go for it rather than give up. Consequently, this means fewer teams will be selling off players at the deadline. Barring further changes, this is the new way teams will be conducting business at the trade deadline.
The Way Business Is Conducted At The Deadline Has Changed
Before the postseason expanded, teams often knew right away whether they were a buyer or a seller. Sometimes you would ever get a team stuck in the middle who could go either way. It was often expected that a team that is selling would deal away their star player. Sometimes these players would be near free agency, other times they’d have another year or two left of team control. Typically, the team that is selling would give away that player for minor-league prospects. However, in this new age of doing business at the deadline, no team is truly a seller. Instead, teams are now opportunistic in wanting to get value in return while still trying to win games now and next year. In simpler terms, your parents may have told you “The world isn’t black and white, it’s gray.” Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is now gray as well.
The Cubs Wanted To Stay Competitive And Build For The Future
Embed from Getty ImagesAn example of how the trade deadline has changed can be found in the Cubs and Rays deal for Isaac Paredes. On paper, it would be easy to assume that the Cubs wouldn’t be a buyer at the trade deadline. However, despite contenders like the Dodgers and Yankees trying to get him, Chicago decided to acquire him. To get the 2024 all-star, the Cubs gave up MLB-ready Christopher Morel, their 29th-ranked prospect, and another minor league pitcher Ty Johnson. Will this move help the Cubs get to the postseason? Probably not. However, the 25-year-old will have three years of team control after this season. This move not only helps them still be competitive in 2024, but it’ll also set them up for 2025.
The Giants Are Trying To Win Now As Well As Next Year
Embed from Getty ImagesDespite a wild card spot being in striking distance, the San Francisco Giants did a little bit of both buying and selling. At the deadline, San Francisco traded away Jorge Soler, Luke Jackson, and Alex Cobb. However, they also acquired Tyler Matzek and Mark Canha. San Francisco also kept Blake Snell despite the heavy interest from other teams. While the strategy is hard to understand, it’s far from uncommon. The Giants want to win; however, they perhaps want to shed some payroll to sign a more marquee-free agent this offseason.
Teams Had To Overpay Due To Limited Pitcher Availability
Embed from Getty ImagesDue to it being a sellers’ market, teams that were looking to add had to overpay to get what they wanted. For example, the Astros gave up their ninth and 13th-ranked prospects and rookie Joey Loperfido for Yusei Kikuchi. The 33-year-old was the Blue Jays’ fourth starter and at the time of the deal had an ERA of 4.75. He is also slated to be a free agent after this season. Typically, fourth starters with high ERA’s and are scheduled to be free agents don’t command that large of a return. However, given the limited pitching options this deadline, the Blue Jays held all the leverage. This forced Houston to overpay Toronto to fill a need in their starting rotation.
The Baltimore Orioles also found themselves in a similar predicament. With the team needing rotation help and there being a limited number of sellers, Baltimore had to give up more. To acquire Trevor Rogers, Baltimore gave up MLB-ready Kyle Stowers and their fifth-ranked prospect Connor Norby. Before the deal, Rogers had a 4.53 ERA in 21 starts with the Marlins. He hasn’t been the same since his all-star season in 2021 when he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. He does have two years of control. However, in the past couple of seasons, he’s suffered various injuries and has had an ERA of 4.71. However, the Orioles had to cave due to Miami having all the leverage and there being a limited number of pitchers available. Just like the Astros with Kikuchi, Baltimore was forced to pay more than they wanted to for Rogers.
Teams Holding Players Until They Got The Right Deal
Embed from Getty ImagesDespite being sellers, some teams were content with keeping players due to perhaps not getting the offer they wanted. The Nationals perhaps did this with Kyle Finnegan, the Cubs with Jameson Taillon, the White Sox with Luis Robert Jr., the Tigers with Tarik Skubal, and the Angels with Luis Rengifo. Some of these teams think they can compete next year and make another attempt to win. The other teams will perhaps wait until the offseason to try and make a deal again.
This Is The New Major League Baseball Trade Deadline
This is the new way teams will be doing business at the trade deadline. No team is truly going to be a buyer or seller but a value seeker instead. With six teams from each league now able to get into the postseason, this will now limit the number of teams willing to sell. Teams who are true buyers will now pay a premium to acquire a star. Others who don’t receive the off they want will be perfectly content holding on to that player until the offseason. The new way of doing business at the trade deadline can be best summed up by Yogi Berra, “The future ain’t what it used to be.”
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