Stark: Welcome to life after the first ‘real’ trade deadline
From SABR member Jayson Stark at The Athletic on August 1, 2019:
They slipped the big announcement into a press release on March 14, in between rule changes on mound visits and All-Star voting:
The trade deadline will remain July 31; however…
So welcome to the however portion of the 2019 season. The deadline has come. The deadline has gone. However… you know those fun and fascinating August waiver trades that used to be such an integral part of stretch-drive baseball? Sorry. Not this year. Outlawed.
What we saw Wednesday was one deadline in baseball that was an actual deadline. What a concept. And the thinking behind making this change sounded awesome in theory. What could baseball do to create A Big Event that would rival the NBA and NFL drafts – a must-see attraction that would alter rosters across the sport? How about one true trade deadline, with no second chances!
Read the full article here (subscription required): https://theathletic.com/1110920/2019/08/01/stark-welcome-to-life-after-the-first-real-trade-deadline-heres-what-you-need-to-know/
Originally published: August 2, 2019. Last Updated: August 2, 2019.