Should MLB move the trade deadline? Why pushing it to mid-August makes sense

New York Times

18-07-2025

With another busy All-Star week behind us, MLB front offices can finally focus on the trade deadline, which is now less than two weeks away. Buckle up.
Over my 16 years as a major-league general manager, the trade deadline was always at the end of July, but a group of GMs long argued for moving the deadline back — to the middle or end of August — and some even wanted to move it up, closer to the All-Star Game, both of which I opposed, as did most teams.
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A lot has changed in baseball since then, but the timing of the trade deadline remains basically the same. It's time to rethink it — and give teams a longer trading window.
This year, the trade deadline falls on July 31 at 6 p.m. ET. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, commissioner Rob Manfred is allowed to set the deadline between July 28 and Aug. 3.
I wondered how today's front office executives would feel about possibly moving the trade deadline, so I recently polled dozens of GMs and presidents of baseball operations from both leagues. As expected, sentiment was mixed.
There was a range of opinions — some were in favor of keeping the deadline where it is, others preferred to move it back and some suggested moving it up to All-Star week.
Asked about moving the deadline, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told me, 'I think it's worth the conversation.'
So, let's start that conversation.
For reasons I'll detail shortly, I would like to see the deadline moved back to Aug. 15. I asked Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski for his thoughts on that, and he said, 'I think it's a good idea.'
I also reached out to Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, requesting their respective stances on moving the deadline date. Both declined to comment.
The trade deadline date will be part of the next CBA negotiations, so the status quo will remain through next year. But, from my perspective, here are five reasons the deadline should be moved to Aug. 15.
1. Beginning in 2021, MLB moved the amateur draft from early or mid-June to July to coincide with All-Star week. The change has been a success in terms of branding and televising the event, so there's little chance it's moved back to June. However, holding it then has forced front offices to focus on the draft leading up to it, which over the past few years has meant that trade discussions don't commence in a meaningful way until after draft week, giving teams just two weeks to make deals before the deadline.
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2. In 2022, MLB expanded its postseason field to 12 teams, which has significantly reduced the number of 'selling' teams and increased the number of 'buying' clubs during trade season. If the deadline were pushed back two weeks, more teams would have dropped out of the race by that point, and they'd be more willing to sell instead of buy or get caught in between.
3. The eradication of August trade waivers (in 2019) has left teams in a precarious position if they endure a run of unexpected injuries in the beginning of August. Those unfortunate clubs have to depend on their farm systems for the final third of the season because they aren't able to replace the injured with major-league players (unless said players are released by other teams). Moving the deadline back would help protect well-constructed teams, making them less susceptible to 'losing the season' over injuries they can't control.
4. Last year was a seller's market — as always, supply and demand shape player value — giving a much stronger advantage to teams with the best and deepest farm systems to acquire the best-available players. As mentioned, moving the deadline back would increase the number of sellers, and reduce the number of buyers, but also allow more buyers to have a more equal chance of acquiring the best players who are traded.
5. A later deadline would also help the sport's visibility because it would shine a light on MLB — more than ever before — for the first two weeks of August. For years, after the trade deadline, the national media has turned its attention to the NFL and the beginning of its training camps and exhibition games. However, if the trade deadline were moved back two weeks, much more national media and fan attention would remain with MLB through Aug. 15, before shifting to the NFL for the end of training camps, the final preseason games and beginning of its season in September.
On the flip side, here are some arguments for moving the trade deadline up two weeks — to pair it with the draft during All-Star week:
1. If you changed the rules to allow for the trading of all draft picks and put the trade deadline at the conclusion of the MLB Draft, all of a sudden, you'd have a huge event.
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2. Then, the league could allow for some restricted trading from the All-Star break to mid-August, with a few rounds of trade waivers, similar to the past era when players could be traded if they cleared waivers, like when Justin Verlander was traded on Aug. 31, 2017, from the Tigers to the Astros, in a deal that helped Houston win the World Series that year.
3. This format would force selling teams to make decisions sooner as they'd realize that by August there will be many more sellers trying to make waiver trades.
Wherever you stand on this issue, there's a lot to ponder. Is it time for baseball to make a change?
Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall is among the front office executives who, in the end, like the status quo on the trade deadline date.
'You can make a case for moving it or keeping it the same,' he said. 'I think if you move it, selling teams will just wait longer to sell. Personally, I would just keep it the same.'
I understand the arguments for moving it up or keeping it the same, but I think MLB should push it back to Aug. 15. What do you think?
(Top photo of Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman: Brian Rothmuller / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)