Even before the baseball season starts, fans and commentators start talking about the trade deadline. Any team that has a valuable veteran in the last year of their contract is potential trade deadline discussion material. These are all interesting scenarios as they allow every fan to play virtual general manager. However, the reality is that very few deals actually materialize when all is said and done. Here are a few reasons that so few deals actually get done before the trade deadline.
Just a lot of talk
The first, and probably most obvious reason that deals do not get done, is that there was never an actual deal in the works. General managers will never reveal all the discussions that are had behind the scene, but it is clear that people will at least talk. However, that doesn't mean that the deals being discussed in the media are actually being negotiated in baseball offices around the country. Since media coverage can be a bit loose with "sources," all it takes is one person making an off-handed comment about a player for it to develop into a story. Then, a media outlet simply needs to look around the league and see which teams might need a particular player or position. Since most teams need something, this isn't hard. Suddenly, there is a hot rumor that may or may not be able to be substantiated.
Incompatibility
Another reason that deals may not get done is that real life is not a fantasy league or a video game. Some teams do not want certain players and some players have the right to refuse a trade to particular teams. In addition, trades do not break down because a team is unwilling to ask for a player. Rather, teams do not want to give up too much and be on the next list of "worst trades of all time." Teams love proven veterans, but they also love "hot" young prospects, because they know that they may be the next superstar. Not all prospects turn into stars, but teams can be reluctant to let go of players who may stick with the organization for a number of years. Sometimes a team can get a veteran presence, but re-signing them may be a challenge.
Money talks
This leads to what may be the most definitive factor that kills potential deals. Baseball is a business, and as mentioned, life is not a video game. In a video game, players can be traded based strictly on talent, but in real baseball a team has to decide if they want to pay that player. If a team is going to give up part of their future, they want to have some assurance that the player they are getting is not going to walk away at the end of the year. Unfortunately, the team may be equally unwilling or financially unable to pay what it will cost to keep that player around over the long term. The bottom line is that some teams will "roll the dice" and take a chance on a big trade. Other teams choose to play it safe and stick with what they have. Sometimes the big trade will pay off, but other times it will haunt a team for years to come.