The 2016 MLB season will have an extra 24 hours of non-waiver trade deadline action! This is truly exciting stuff for anyone who covers baseball and/or loves following trade rumors.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports first reported the MLB has decided to move the non-waiver trade deadline back to Aug. 1 for the 2016 season. The previous deadline has always been July 31, but that falls on a Sunday this year.
The MLB didn't want the crucial date to fall on a day when teams were playing afternoon games, according to Richard Justice of MLB.com. Justice also clarifies that the change will only be made for the 2016 season.
The MLB confirmed the news on its Twitter account. Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement at the MLB owners meetings in Coral Gables, Fla.
While we're on the subject, there's been previous talk about potentially moving the deadline back a couple weeks or even a month due to the installment of an extra wild-card team in 2012, but it's unknown if those discussions have progressed. Teams have argued that there should be more time to assess one's standing after the playoff pool was expanded.
For example, if a small market team is hovering around .500 on July 31, they still have a clear shot at making the postseason, but they're no lock. As a result, they're also faced with the conundrum of whether or not to buy or sell at the deadline, especially if they have players heading into free agency that they may not be able to retain.
The Tigers, although they're not a small market team, exemplified this scenario this past season. Detroit was 50-52 as the deadline approached on July 31 and had a couple of impending free agents (David Price, Yoenis Cespedes) that were fairly likely to leave in the offseason. As a result, instead of adding players to improve their standing, the club opted to trade Price and Cespedes to get value while they could. The season was lost and they finished last in the AL Central.
The new CBA negotiations will begin in the spring, so perhaps the MLB and the MLBPA will discuss moving the trade deadline back for good.
Otherwise, be prepared to enjoy the extra 24 hours of trade deadline action in 2016.
