Slow Trade Deadline - One Implication of the New CBA

I'd say that Mark Appel was the first casualty of the new MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement.  The inability of the Pirates to pay significantly "over-slot" money for Appel certainly had had an impact on the failed negotations between Appel and the Pirates.  As mentioned in a prior post leading up to the deadline, had the Pirates made an offer higher than the one they reportedly offered Appel, they would have been forced to forfeit a future first-round draft pick (a consequence the Pirates weren't willing to realize).

The next casualty of the CBA could be a slower and quieter trade deadline... at least, I'm bracing myself for that.  With more teams in the hunt and no more Type A/B compensation for exiting free-agents, there will be fewer sellers and fewer teams willing to give up the farm for top-caliber talent.  A smaller pool of available players should bode well for the "sellers" but then again, if the asking prices are too high, the "buyers" might feel inclined to stand pat.  I think that a few motivated teams will emerge but by and large, I suspect that activity will be lighter in 2012 than it was in 2011 when 28 trades were made in the weeks heading up to the July 31st trade deadline.  It will be interesting to see how it shakes out - stay tuned.