As you'd expect, front offices are currently spending a lot of time preparing for the draft, which takes place June 7th-9th. ESPN's Buster Olney spoke to one GM about the likely timetable on trading: "I think the draft is preoccupying everybody. Once you get past the draft, you'll probably see some stuff start to happen."
Our post yesterday showed that progression to be typical – of the handful of significant June trades in recent years, most took place during the final week. The Pirates and Braves were a rare exception last year, working out the Nate McLouth deal six days before the draft.
One Olney source speculates that teams may be rewarded for shopping veterans aggressively and trying to move contracts quickly. Theoretically, clubs like the Orioles, Indians, and Astros could save more money by offering an extra month of a player's services. Olney notes that "it appears that there are going to be very few teams willing to take on significant dollars."
