MLB Trade Deadline 2017: Bad Teams are Buying High

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Bad teams are buying high at the MLB Trade Deadline 2017. Is this a foolish tactic, or a smart new trend by teams with no hope for the playoffs this season?

Seesaw Sports debate, where Dan Salem and Todd Salem throw down on the NFL, MLB, NBA, and more, only on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.

 

Todd Salem:

Some of the moves surrounding the MLB trade deadline 2017 make perfect sense. The Chicago Cubs continue to send off prospects in the hopes of recapturing that perfect roster they maintained last season. They have already caught and passed the Brewers after trailing them by 5.5 games at the all-star break. Now Chicago is set up for another postseason run. This is smart.

Moves made by the New York Yankees are also logical. This team is in first place by the narrowest of margins and wants to make the postseason with their young core. The same goes for the scalding hot Kansas City Royals. Kansas City has gotten itself back in the postseason hunt and has added a number of players in an attempt to secure a spot. Good move.

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Not every team acquiring pieces these past few days has fallen into such categories, though. What do you make of actions by the New York Mets, for example? The Mets are 48-55, 14 games out of the NL East lead. Yet they just sent prospects to Miami for closer A.J. Ramos. Ramos isn’t a free agent until after next season, but this move still left many scratching their heads, including Ramos himself.

What about the Minnesota Twins’ acquisition of Jaime Garcia? They traded for the veteran starter and then flipped him to the Yankees days later. When Minnesota got Garcia, it was 49-48. The team promptly lost four of its next five games, leading to Garcia being dealt away. If your margin for error is that fine at the end of July, maybe you shouldn’t be buying veteran assets to begin with, hmm? I suppose it was a smart gamble if the Twins knew they had time to resell Garcia elsewhere, but it was certainly risky, not to mention whatever such a flip-flop does to the clubhouse.

The Texas Rangers also made an odd deal, sending Jonathan Lucroy to the Rockies. The deal makes sense on the surface, with Texas out of the hunt and selling a veteran to a team in contention. But Texas gave up an elite pair of prospects in the deal to get Lucroy just last season. Now they sell him off for a player to be named later. That is the epitome of buying high and selling low. Just because it’s the trade deadline doesn’t mean a trade has to be made.

 

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Dan Salem:

Its one thing for legitimate contenders to trade prospects for proven talent in the hopes of going deep into the playoffs. It’s an entirely different story when below average teams like the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins are buying up players like league leaders. Yet I’m on the fence regarding the pros and cons of making such a move.

Common sense seems to tell us that when your baseball team is bad, you trade your best guys for younger talent. At the MLB Trade Deadline 2017 there are plenty of teams interested in adding proven players for much more than they are otherwise worth. The Red Sox added Addison Reed, formerly of the Mets. The Kansas City Royals added Melky Cabrera, formerly of the White Sox. These players are not game changers, but are considered ‘major’ acquisitions in July. I believe dealing is smart for all parties, not just those with something to play for. The Mets were able to deal Reed because they added Ramos. I like Ramos and think he will continue to be an excellent player. If the price is right, shouldn’t a team add a guy at the deadline? Why does their place in the standings matter?

The goal of the MLB trade deadline 2017 is to get better. This is the goal of every team, and this goal must be more important than getting a major haul for your best player. Teams can’t win without great players, so its refreshing to see below average ball clubs making moves to improve, even if the playoffs are not happening this season.

 

 

Dan Salem is Lead Editor, Staff Writer, and Featured Vlogger at BuzzChomp. He’s also a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone, as well as an Actor, Writer, Director and Producer. Get lost in his Youtube comedy channel PillowTalk TV. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Instagram.

Todd Salem is a Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also the New York Giants Lead Writer at Pro Football Spot, a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone, and a Featured Columnist at College Sports Madness, among others. Follow him on Twitter.

 

 

MLB Trade Deadline 2017 Photo Credits: Sporting News and MLB Daily Dish

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