Rosenthal: The trade deadline is the latest example of the life getting sucked out of the sport - The Athletic

A scout put it well last week, saying, “The trade deadline is just like the game on the field. Everyone is sitting around and waiting for the three-run homer.”

The game on the field in 2019 — from defensive shifts to platoon-based lineups to third-time-through-the-order removals of starting pitchers — is all about playing the odds.

The game off the field, with risk-averse, value-obsessed clubs all using the same analytically driven playbooks in free agency and trades, also is becoming little more than a math equation.

In both aspects, the life is getting sucked out of the sport.

“There’s much less gambling, which the odds rightly suggest you should avoid,” one general manager said this week. “But that’s not much fun to watch.”

The Astros and Diamondbacks rescued what otherwise might have been The Worst Deadline Day Ever on Wednesday, completing the Zack Greinke blockbuster with just moments to spare before 4 p.m. ET. The...

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https://theathletic.com/1110046/2019/08/01/rosenthal-the-trade-deadline-is-the-latest-example-of-the-life-getting-sucked-out-of-the-sport/

2019-08-01 13:22:20Z
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