July is when trade speculation escalates to a frenzy in Major League Baseball as clubs assess their current season prospects before the end of month transaction deadline.
The bullish clubs are the buyers and the bearish clubs are the sellers. It’s baseball’s month-long symposium on microeconomics at work.
Most of the airwaves, press, and blogosphere center on the big names that can push teams over the top and command a king’s ransom in return.
This season, players such as Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Derrek Lee, Adam Dunn, and Prince Fielder dominate the media—and for good reason.
But, often times, astute trades that involve players flying a little under the radar can have big impact on the pennant races. A perfect example is the Philadelpia Phillies acquisition of Tad Iguchi to fill-in for an injured Chase Utley that helped them win the NL East in 2007.
Here is a look at 10 “small” moves that could pay huge dividends for contenders down the stretch. Who might be this year’s Iguchi?