This year’s MLB trade deadline will be different than any that have come previously.
That’s because there will no longer be waiver deals permitted in August. Once 3 p.m. CT passes today, July 31, that’s it for major-league trading in 2019.
Teams will, as they always do, look for loopholes. As far as I know, minor-league deals for players not on 40-man rosters can still happen in August, so clubs will likely make those deals looking for depth as the season goes on. But we won’t see anything like two years ago, when Justin Verlander was dealt to the Astros on August 31, 2017.