Joey Gallo, Adam Frazier, Starling Marte and Eduardo Escobar are off the board. But as the clock ticks down to the trade deadline Friday at 4 p.m. ET, so much more is still in play.
Here are some of the teams, players and executives to watch in what is almost certain to be a frenzied finale to baseball’s trading season:
Some of the interested clubs expected a deal to be in place Wednesday night, giving the parties time to negotiate through Scherzer’s no-trade protection; he will be compensated in some form for giving up his right to veto any deal. But Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo might have been preoccupied by the outbreak of COVID-19 among four Nats players and eight staffers, leading to the postponement of the team’s game against the Phillies.
Interested clubs also note that Rizzo is setting a high price, but as one executive said, “Anyone who thinks the seller is being realistic has probably already acquired the player.” In any case, this is not a deal that can be consummated at 3:50 ET on Friday, not with the complexities involved.
The Cubs
So far they’ve traded only outfielder