MLB Trade deadline: international bonus pool money can be a factor
Two teams made space for a superstar that never came but it might have paid off in a different way.
The trade deadline is fast approaching, and the baseball world is buzzing with a flurry of trade rumors. Teams are monitoring players, sending offers, and their front office phones are ringing nonstop. A couple of key moves could be the difference between simply competing and becoming a true World Series contender, or perhaps clearing the path for other organizations to make a postseason run.
Two teams expected to be aggressive at this trade deadline - and currently in the playoff hunt - are the Toronto Blue Jays and the San Diego Padres.
Common ground
Remember the bidding war for Roki Sasaki this past January, when the Dodgers, Padres, and Blue Jays emerged as finalists for the Japanese phenom? That high-stakes race left some aftershocks.
The Blue Jays traded for international bonus pool money, bolstering their funds in case Sasaki chose them, or simply to ensure money wouldn’t be a limiting factor, giving them a potential competitive edge. The Padres, for their part, also prepared accordingly and ended up with a sizable pool to work with.