MLB teams can strengthen down the stretch
The Dominicans Nelson Cruz, Jean Segura and Ramón Laureano, together with the Venezuelan Manny Piña, are part of a large group of players eligible to join new teams in the final stretch of the season, days after the deadline to make trades expired. in the big leagues.
Cruz was released by the San Diego Padres in the second week of July, Segura was traded by the Miami Marlins to the Cleveland Guardians and then released by his new team last week, while Piña was released by the Oakland Athletics. . weekend. Anyone can sign for new clubs, now or later.
Christian Arroyo could also have been in the package, but he agreed to a minor league reassignment (so he wouldn’t lose the rest of his salary this year) rather than immediately declare himself a free agent.
To the average fan, he sounds a bit confusing, after reading so much about the trade window expiration, which in the 2023 season was Tuesday, August 1 at 6 p.m. ET.
The reality is that teams could still sign new players and use them to try to advance to the postseason and even win the World Series. In summary, this is how the regulation of changes at the end of the season works, but first a little history.
Until the 2018 season, the direct trade deadline was July 31, and players who had previously passed the waiver process could trade during the month of August. Since 2019, a single change date has been established and the August 31 deadline for waiver changes has been removed.
The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (2022-26) provides that the commissioner’s office (MLB) has the flexibility to annually move the deadline for trades between July 28 and August 3. That way, the league doesn’t need players’ union approval to move the date in case July 31 and Aug. 1 fall over the weekend.
Under current rules, teams can’t trade players on MLB rosters after the deadline, but nothing prevents them from drafting players placed on waivers (in their cases, clubs are responsible for the player’s outstanding salary without giving anything in return). ). ), signing released players, or even signing someone in a foreign league or an independent domestic league.
Also, and this is very important, teams can trade minor league players. The exception only affects players who are on a Major League roster.
That’s why, in the past two days, the Pittsburgh Pirates have removed pitcher Thomas Hatch from the Toronto Blue Jays’ waiver list, while the New York Yankees have signed pitcher Zach McAllister to a minor league contract, who opted out of another conditional minor league. deal. he had with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
On the other hand, something that hasn’t changed is that August 31 is the deadline to close the rosters that will be eligible for the postseason. No player acquired after August 31 will be eligible to play in the postseason.
In short, under current rules, MLB teams can add help after the trade deadline, although superstar players are now less likely to trade jerseys in the penultimate month of the season.
