User:RahalMccall69

@@@ The White <a href=http://www.buycelinebags.com>Celine Bags Outlet Store</a> Sox thought they were out of it, and that鈥檚 when baseball had only one wild card per聽league. Now it鈥檚 two, making for more teams believing they鈥檙e in the playoff hunt and, therefore, less willing to part with players they鈥檇 want to trade later in the season, once they鈥檝e concluded they鈥檙e out of the race 鈥?but it might be too late because the deadline聽passed. It鈥檚 probably time for baseball to update its deadlines, change with the times. The July 31 deadline has been in place since 1986, when there were just four playoff teams with all four division winners going directly to the League Championship Series.ta Teams hovering around .500 knew they had no shot at the postseason and acted accordingly at the deadline, attempting deals that would improve their rosters the following year and beyond. Baseball expanded its format in the mid-鈥?0s, forming six divisions, adding a wild card and inviting eight teams to the聽playoffs. Now, with a second wild card, it鈥檚 10. A third of all聽teams. I thought Aug. 31 would be a better non-waiver deadline, giving teams an extra month to determine their direction. A鈥檚 pitcher , when I passed it by him, made a convincing argument from the players鈥?standpoint that Aug. 31 is too聽late. 鈥淵ou want to set your team and have the players together for a playoff run,鈥?said Samardzija, traded from the Cubs more than three weeks before the deadline. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to wait and get them together in August. You want a team to be together and have to earn a playoff聽spot.鈥? Fair enough. So a compromise: Aug. 15. Fifteen extra days. Would still make a聽difference. I asked the two general managers with the most service time in the majors, and , about pushing the deadline to August. Beane said he鈥檚 good with July 31 but said he has noticed fewer sellers with the latest playoff expansion. Sabean said it鈥檚 probably time to change the聽deadline. It would need approval from聽owners. This year鈥檚 deadline was Thursday, when 20 teams were within 6 1/2 games of a playoff spot. There鈥檚 a better chance for more separation Aug. 15. The Rays, not certain about their playoff hopes despite their recent hot run, could have known more about their fate Aug. 15 and possibly could have kept until the offseason. As it was, they were forced to make a call on their season too聽early. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e having so many clubs that are in it, and it鈥檚 difficult for teams in it to unload players. They鈥檒l guard against them carefully,鈥?said former GM ,

now an analyst on MLB Network. 鈥淚f you moved the deadline back two weeks, that could certainly spur a little bit more on the trade聽front.鈥? In 1997, Hart was GM for Cleveland, which was leading the White Sox when they orchestrated their so-called White Flag Trade with the Giants, whose GM was Sabean, his first year on the job. The Giants won the by two games, clinching behind , one of their <a href=http://www.buycelinebags.com>Celine UK Online</a> three new聽pitchers. 鈥淚 can remember sitting around worried about our own team,鈥?Hart said. 鈥淲e had a lot of talent, we were underachieving, we had some injuries. We were very worried about the White Sox. They went out and traded those players. We sort of breathed a sigh of relief when that聽happened.鈥? 鈥?Beane said he didn鈥檛 have the Tigers in mind when making the trade, that it was done to improve Oakland鈥檚 chances to win the division. Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski had a similar view about getting Price, saying, 鈥淲hen I saw they got Lester, I wasn鈥檛 jumping up and down, thrilled they got him, by any means. He鈥檚 a good pitcher. But it didn鈥檛 make a difference in this聽deal.鈥? 鈥?So both GMs, who <a href=http://www.buycelinebags.com>Celine Online Outlet</a> faced off in the Division Series each of the past two years, said they weren鈥檛 trying to one-up each other. But that didn鈥檛 prevent Dombrowski, whose Price trade was announced shortly before the deadline, from telling Beane in a lighthearted text that he had one minute to trade for Chris Sale. 鈥?Headline in the Tampa Bay Times: 鈥淒avid Price leaves Rays, but stadium issue remains.鈥?That could also apply locally, on any subject. 鈥淵oenis C茅spedes leaves A鈥檚, but stadium issue remains.鈥?Even, 鈥淎鈥檚 win 5-2, but stadium issue聽remains.鈥? 鈥?Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. didn鈥檛 make a trade at the deadline though half his team seemed to be on the block. He cited a lack of 鈥渁ggressive action from the other end,鈥?suggesting teams didn鈥檛 make a big push for his guys. Amaro鈥檚 best bet is for some of his high-priced players to pass through waivers and get claimed this month. Expect , , and others to pass through waivers and be made聽available. 鈥? was riding a stationary bike when he was summoned into Cleveland manager 鈥榮 office. 鈥淎ll the blinds were closed,鈥?he said. 鈥淚 figured I was either going to get a beating or get traded somewhere.鈥?He came out unscathed and a聽Cardinal.