Typically, following the trade deadline, I’ll write an article explaining the rules for the August waiver trade period. The “trade deadline” that everyone is most familiar with is actually the “non-waiver trade deadline”, where teams can deal players with no restrictions. Trades can still be made beyond that deadline, but eligible players must pass through waivers first, which prevents teams from maximizing their return in some cases.
This year, I didn’t get a chance to do this right away, because of all of the chaos surrounding the Francisco Liriano trade, plus my trip to Morgantown. I figured I was safe — what are the odds the Pirates would make a move so quickly in August?