Arthur: This trade deadline was the busiest in more than a decade
From SABR member Rob Arthur at Baseball Prospectus on August 2, 2019:
Multiple scribes, from Bob Nightengale to Ken Rosenthal, called this year’s trade deadline some variation of “The Worst Deadline Day Ever.” However, the numbers make a different case. In fact, based on the total number of players moved on July 31, this was the most exciting trade deadline in 11 years.
Transaction activity soared this year, as also noted by Ben Clemens of FanGraphs. There were about 50 percent more moves and traded players this season than last, which was the previous high-water mark in the decade. Compared to a more typical season, like 2014, there was almost twice as much activity this year. Boring, it was not.
The boost in deadline day moves also didn’t take away from earlier in the week, when trades occurred at a similar pace to an average year. Transactions like a three-team swap involving Trevor Bauer and Yasiel Puig highlighted a busy period just before the end of the month. So it’s hard to make the case that this trade deadline was anything other than one of the most exciting in recent memory.
Read the full article here: https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/52082/moonshot-this-trade-deadline-was-the-busiest-in-more-than-a-decade/
Originally published: August 2, 2019. Last Updated: August 2, 2019.