The old July 31st trade deadline sure ain’t what it used to be.

The days when teams regularly fleeced each other, sometimes enhancing rivalries in the boardroom that trickled down to the field appear over. A few factors in today’s game have lead to this formerly exciting mid-summer date becoming more of a white elephant on your team’s calender posted in the middle of your fridge.

The Luxury Tax
Since 2003 the Competitive Balance Tax-as it is officially known-has had a profound affect on the game’s movers and shakers. Namely the Red Sox and of course the Yanks have been the teams most penalized by Bud Selig’s continued efforts to bring about that evil term that has forever thrown the NFL into the depths of mediocrity: Parity. Yes we can complain all we want about the thinning talent in our four major sports, but the fact is that player movement, and the inability to retain roster continuity is the reason why it seems that every team is solid, yet a player or two away from dominance.

In year one of the CBT the Yankees doled out in excess of $11 million dollars to MLB coffers for exceeding the $120 million dollar limit. After going over the threshold a second time in 2004, they were taxed at a 30 percent clip, and when it was all said and done, were forced to hand over $85 million of an estimated $315 million in team revenue. The Red Sox following their curse busting, 2004 Series’ win, were greeted with a congratulatory hug, and a bill to be paid to Mr Selig of over three million dollars, due on Jan 31, thank you.

Despite the penalty Red Sox owner and Scarecrow look-alike John Henry believes the tax is what is in the best interests of the game. “From my perspective, even though it will cost us, the stronger the CBT is in the future, the stronger the game will be.”

After George Steinbrenner was hit with his 2005 bill that drilled New York with a 40 percent tab on their revenue he cautioned the commish’s office about the manner in which his teams’ money was being used by the bottom feeding organizations whose palms were about to be greased. According to King George the cash was being pocketed rather than allocated for team payroll. The overall affect of the CBT is that less teams see the need to dump exorbitant contracts than in the past. Conversely the big boys see less reason to take on additional payroll that will ultimately burn them come Jan 31st. Now that is balance.

The Wild Card
This Selig idea is sometimes called the single biggest game saver instituted over his watch. A purest’s nightmare, it brought Baseball one step closer to the other pro sports in terms of value placed on the post-season, as opposed to the thrill of the chase that really is the essence of the term pennant race. With the wildcard came the belief in every fan base that as long as their team remained within a game or two of .500, they were poised to make a late season push. The net result? An extreme gray area of teams who can’t decide whether they are in a buyer or sellers market. And even if they can, any move contrary to upping pay roll is considered a sellout of the organizations desire to win this year.

Market Uncertainty
In the case of Bobby Abreu, a late season trade is a future problem for the team who acquires him. Despite decent numbers over a decent career, Abreu is a fine example of a player who is overpaid not just a little but a lot. With a contract clause that includes veto rights and a sizable extension to his contract if traded, only a team truly desperate for left-side punch would pull the trigger for the 2005 home run derby champ. Another player who brings a little mystery to the table is Alphonso Soriano. While the perpetually disgruntled Senator claims he would like to remain in Washington, one can’t help but ask why. Any team making a deal for this guy must realize his acquisition is that of hired gun not building block of the future.

The Right Way
An increase in teams emphasizing home grown talent has taken the game back to its pre-free agency roots. Maybe the Yankee decline has contributed to this way of thinking. From 1996 to 2000, the Bombers boasted the finest roster in the game, courtesy of great drafts and prudent trades. Other than a Tino Martinez here, or a Roger Clemens there, New York has had little success World Title wise since there decent into the depths of over-priced free agents. Don’t feel to sorry for the Yanks though, how many teams could sign a Carl Pavano for $11 million a year and not feel the affects of that disaster on there financial books?

For all your news on the upcoming trade deadline, keep coming back to Baseball Bigmouth…

This entry was posted on Monday, July 24th, 2006 at 8:01 pm and is filed under Punch N. Judy Pinch-hits, Baseball. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.