Unusual season creates uncertainty as trade deadline nears

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The unusual circumstances surrounding the abbreviated baseball season are creating plenty of questions for teams looking to upgrade their rosters before Monday's trade deadline.

The expanded playoff format reduces the number of teams eager to write off the season and make moves aimed at the future. The lack of minor league games makes it tough for teams to decide which prospects to pursue from other organizations.

“This is going to be a really unique deadline, I think, in a variety of different ways,” said David Stearns, Milwaukee Brewers president of baseball operations. “I don’t know that anyone knows for sure how it’s going to play out in terms of volume of transactions and what types of transactions.”

A big question looming over the trade deadline is the uncertain status of the season itself. Why should a team risk its long-term future and trade top prospects to pursue a title when the pandemic could put the entire postseason at risk?

Coronavirus outbreaks have already put the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals well behind schedule this season, though Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels senses there now is more optimism.

“If you would have asked me that question two or three weeks ago, I would have thought it would have been a little quieter than I think it’s going to be now,” Daniels said. “And I think the biggest piece of that is, it really speaks to the confidence level across the industry that we’re successfully playing out the season, and the confidence level that we’re going to be able to crown a champion at the end of the postseason.”

The unique nature of this postseason could reduce the number of teams interested in trading established players to build up their farm systems.

Eight teams from each...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Unusual-season-creates-uncertainty-as-trade-15516545.php