Worst Trade Deadline Ever?

[Bodhizefa]

The inactivity is killing me!

[Steve]

Quiet before the storm?

[revo]

Still almost 2 weeks to go. Last year by this date, only Carlos Lee & Jim Thome had been traded.

[swampdragon]

Still almost 2 weeks to go. Last year by this date, only Carlos Lee & Jim Thome had been traded.

when you say "last year" you mean about 1998 right?

[Grinch]

Direct correlation to the extra wild-card team

[Bodhizefa]

Direct correlation to the extra wild-card team

Yup. It's a snoozefest for deadline trades

[schlesinj]

They are saying he did not run out a ball, so he was removed...

[YourPalChrisMal]

They are saying he did not run out a ball, so he was removed...

I remember when you used to give me hugs if I didn't run out a ball when we played slow-pitch.

[Judge Jude]

could be to Pirates with major prospect Alen Hansen involved

lots of stuff shaking out soon

[Kevin Seitzer]

Still almost 2 weeks to go. Last year by this date, only Carlos Lee & Jim Thome had been traded.

Last year by this point we had traded:
Carlos Lee (July 4)
J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon, David Carpenter (July 20)

and the following trades were yet to happen:
Brett Myers (July 21)
Wandy Rodriguez (July 24)
Chris Johnson (July 29)

[Don Quixote]

Perhaps I'm imagining this, but it seems to me that every year we get the "why aren't there more trades?" articles and threads. Dust 'em off, change a few names, resubmit, kind of like a "New England will win the Super Bowl" feature on ESPN.

[Bodhizefa]

Perhaps I'm imagining this, but it seems to me that every year we get the "why aren't there more trades?" articles and threads. Dust 'em off, change a few names, resubmit, kind of like a "New England will win the Super Bowl" feature on ESPN.

I'm not usually a naysayer as far as trade deadlines go. I don't need blockbusters. It's just the total lack of activity this year vs. in years past. There are almost always tons of small deals, and we've seen almost none of that. Combine that with the lack of moderate or big ticket players and you've got a snoozefest so far. It doesn't help that teams like the Royals, Mariners, and Phillies have all decided they need to push through till the bitter end (honestly, for Seattle it's not a big deal to me since they don't have any good players to deal that they can't also give qualifying offers to in the off-season for compensation, but Kansas City and Philly are being daft, in my opinion).

I've never exclaimed another trade deadline (or the months leading up to it) were boring in terms of trades, but this year has been especially quiet.

[Don Quixote]

Matt Garza to the Rangers for C.J. Edwards, Justin Grimm, Mike Olt, and 1-2 PTBNL. Seems like a good return for Hoyer, Theo, et al.

[Bodhizefa]

Matt Garza to the Rangers for C.J. Edwards, Justin Grimm, Mike Olt, and 1-2 PTBNL. Seems like a good return for Hoyer, Theo, et al.

Agreed. I don't have much affinity for Olt, but Edwards is an interesting arm (and Grimm is actually a pretty decent back-end flier type). Olt gives them positional depth and a guy with some power who might be able to figure it out given lots of time (which the Cubs should have). I know there are some reservations about him given the other third basemen in the Cubs' system, but Baez is still pretty far off (and has been struggling due to a mediocre approach) and we haven't seen much of anything from new draftee Kris Bryant (who the heck knows what he might become). Olt will probably come up sometime in the second half and the Cubs will give him some rope to run with for a while.

Garza in Texas is kindof crappy for Garza owners, but it gives him a chance to increase his market value for the off-season while the Rangers extract every ounce of contract year goodness that they can get out of him.

[Don Quixote]

After Dempster last year and Garza this year, which SP goes from the Cubs to the Rangers next year?