MLB Transaction Freeze Ends Friday, Trade Deadline August 31, More Wrinkles
The DH and putting a runner on second in extra innings aren’t the only things that will be different when Major League Baseball resumes. The late start and truncated schedule will necessitate a few changes, many of which The Athletic’s Jayson Stark laid out in a series of tweets.
The first of those is that the transaction freeze that’s been in place since the shutdown will end this Friday at noon Eastern. In a somewhat more obvious development, the trade deadline has been pushed back a month to August 31. MLB should really keep it at August 15 in the future now that waiver trades are a thing of the past.
There will be a trade deadline this season, sources say. It will be Aug. 31.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) June 23, 2020
As for the rest of the changes for the 2020 season, here’s some more info via Stark:
- Season will start with 30-man rosters. Down to 28 after 2 weeks, 26 after 4 weeks.
- To be eligible for postseason, players must be added to big-league roster by 9/15
- Pitchers/catchers report to camp first, then position players.
- Teams can invite all 60 players to big-league spring training or can send up to 20 players (not on 40-man roster) to alternate site.
- Not all players on 40-man roster must be invited to big-league spring training (but if not must still be paid)
- Teams must submit 60-man player pool names by Sunday at 3 ET
- In-person scouting will be allowed.
- Teams can take up to 3 taxi squad players on road (but if 3, one must be a catcher)
That’s cool and all, but what about the idea of two teams in Nashville made up of unsigned players? I’ve gotta be honest, I have no idea what all is going on here with the whole “pay a fee to Nashville” thing, but this sounds interesting and fun.
Here's a wrinkle I hadn't heard before:
MLB has been talking with Nashville about having 2 teams there of unsigned players, sources say.
They would serve as an emergency pool and would make $400/week.
MLB teams would have to pay a fee to Nashville to sign one of those players.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) June 23, 2020
And one more thing…
One more wrinkle that isn't finalized:
MLB still debating whether to let teams sign players to minor-league contracts
Those players wouldn't count against 40-man big-league rosters but would count against 60-player pools
This would cause massive opt-outs 5 days before openers!
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) June 23, 2020
This will be one helluva roller coaster.
