Teams can acquire and trade players until next Wednesday, but anyone hoping for a blockbuster trade could be left disappointed as the market has been even slower than in previous years.
All the same, surprises should never be ruled out in the MLB, so here’s everything you need to know ahead of the trade deadline.
When is the MLB trade deadline?
The trade deadline falls at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 31 this year. Up until this season, the date was known as the non-waiver trade deadline, as players could be traded after that date if they first cleared revocable trade waivers, and trades could be completed until August 31.
From this year, however, the July 31 deadline is the only deadline. Players can still be placed and claimed on outright waivers after that date, but trades will no longer be permitted.
Why have the rules changed?
The MLB put its decision to eliminate the August 31 deadline down to its desire to encourage teams to finalize their rosters sooner rather than later. By having just one deadline, the process should be more streamlined and easier to follow. It also has the added bonus of drumming up interest for the July 31 deadline.
Any major deals on the horizon?
This is a difficult question to answer as the market has been soporific so far. The main deals in the lead-up to the trade deadline so far are arguably the Boston Red Sox acquiring Andrew Cashner from the Baltimore Orioles and Homer Bailey being traded to the Oakland Athletics from the Kansas City Royals, who also traded Martin Maldonado to the Chicago Cubs.
The trio are established MLB players but none of these deals would normally be filed in the blockbuster trade category. While nothing can ever be ruled out in the MLB, expecting major deals between now and Wednesday requires a major leap of faith.
Notably, ESPN’s Buster Olney suggested this week that some front offices might go into sell mode, which could kick-start proceedings.
Who are the buyers and sellers?
According to FiveThirtyEight’s playoff odds, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Houston Astros all have more than a 99 percent chance of reaching the postseason. The Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves follow with chances higher than 90 percent, while the Cleveland Indians’ odds stand at over 70 percent and both the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs’ chances of making the postseason exceed 60 percent.
While the eight teams have pretty much nailed on a postseason spot, they are likely to look for upgrades if the right opportunity presents.
At the other end of the scale, the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Marines, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers have zero chance of making the postseason.
The Orlando Pirates, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres can also be added to the list as their playoffs chances are between one and two percent, while none among the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels has a higher chance than seven percent.
With the postseason no longer a viable target, these teams could be looking to reshape their rosters ahead of next season.
That means the teams still looking for a postseason berth—which include the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers—could be active on both sides of the market.
