What is with the MLB Trading Deadline?

Question

I don't get it. Every year they do this. This year it was August 1 and the Bosox traded Manny right at the 'deadline' yet now Maddox is going to be traded to the Dodgers three weeks later? How does this work? In the NBA the deadline is a real deadline.

Answer 1

In trades there are several conditions that are often referred to as deadlines.  The July 31 deadline is for unfettered trades.  Anybody can be exchanged as long as the partners are consenting.  After that, players have to go through waivers where they are offered to all teams in reverse order of records.  Those teams have a right to claim the player.  That doesn't mean the claiming team will get him, the offering team can rescind it, unless it was an irrevocable waiver  in which, basically, the team is casting the other player off.  A claiming team only has to give the offeror a sum of money.  I think that it is $25,000.  No claims and the player becomes a free agent.  Sometimes teams select a player just to block the move that they feeel might benefit a foe.  Some times a team will announce a trade after a loss that may have slipped them behind a foe in the standings so their rivals have no say in the matter.

The next key date is August 31.  For a player to be eligible for  the post season games he must be on the club's 25 man roster.  An exception is made for players on the DL.

Answer 2

I'm not too sure of this but, the August 1st deadline is for trades without waivers. Now, I don't know when or if the deadline for trades with waivers passes.

Answer 3

Ok, the thing that many people do not understand is that the Trade Deadline is for "Trades". Think about it. Greg Maddux was traded through "Waivers" which means that the San Diego Padres did not want him pitching for them and put him up for grabs for any team to get. Waivers are much different than trades. Sometimes the team gets a player back in return sometimes they dont, other times they get cash considerations.

Answer 4

All this blather about waivers and all is just confusion. Here's the easy way to remember what the trade deadline is about. If a player is traded to your team before August 1, he can play in the post-season for you. If you get him on or after August 1, he can't. That's the easy was to figure what it's all about. The Dodgers think Maddox can bolster their chances to get to the post-season, which they are prepared to play without him. On the other hand, they wanted Ramirez on the team and in the post-season. Easy peasy.

Answer 5

The MLB Trade Deadline was applied on July 31 2008 which means managers aren't allowed to trade players unless they went through the process of Waivers. The Wavier deadline is applied on August 31 2008 which means the only way for players to get on a different team is if they get released then signed. These links will give you some information.....

1) http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/news/trade_deadli...

2) http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2006/08/wa...

These links may not give information but i explained the process in my Paragraph.  

Answer 6

After 8/1 a player must clear waivers.  In Maddux's case every team had a chance to grab him then the Padres pull him back and then they talk with the team who claimed him to try to work out a deal.

Answer 7

its cuz maddux was on waivers, a team can claim him and then they can work out a possible trade. same thing happened wit adam dunn

Answer 8

Gene is wrong.

First of all the deadline is July 31st. Anytime before that players can be traded. After July 31st, a player has to go through waivers to be traded. If no team claims the person off waivers, then that player is free to be traded to any major league team. If a team claims a player, then they have 48 hours to either work out a trade, or that player (and his contract) can be dumped on the team that claimed him. The player could also be pulled off waivers, meaning he wont go anywhere. The deadline for waiver deals is August 31st. After that, a player can be traded through waivers, but they cannot be place on the playoff roster.

Answer 9

The Padres tried to trade him earlier. Since they couldn't get him out of there by the deadline they placed him on waivers and the Dodgers claimed him. Manny was officially traded one minute before the deadline.