Everyone knows the push for the playoffs unofficially begins after the All-Star break each season. Which means that following Tuesday’s midsummer classic, teams will begin the shuffle their rosters in an attempt to improve their chances of winning a pennant or Wild Card by making a trade ahead of the deadline.
This year’s deadline falls on Tuesday, July 31 at 4 p.m. It is the non-waiver deadline, which means that teams can make any trade they want to without worrying about a player being blocked or claimed. Teams will be able to make trades until August 31, but after the first deadline teams will be able to place a claim on anyone traded and block the move.
Leading up to July 31, several teams are expected to be active on the open market, including the Yankees, Astros, Nationals, Rockies and others as buyers, and the Tigers, Athletics, Mets and Phillies as sellers. The playoff fortunes of several World Series contenders could be impacted greatly by a big deadline move — as has happened quite often in recent seasons.
Some highly anticipated targets include Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, who started his career with the Marlins before being moved to Detroit in a blockbuster trade. He hasn’t taken well to the circling rumors, saying Sunday: “If they are going to trade me, trade me. If they are going to trade these guys [my teammates], trade these guys. But I don’t like to come here every day and hear about how they are going to trade this guy and trade that guy. Do something, and then that’s it.”
Other big names possibly to be moved are Tigers’ outfielder J.D. Martinez, Athletics hurler Sonny Gray, Mets reliever Addison Reed and White Sox bullpen arm David Robertson.
Of course, there is no telling which rumors have truth behind them. But as July drags on, the rumors will surely continue to heat up.
