General managers say the trade market has been surprisingly stagnant, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. The value of a Wild Card berth has diminished under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement, and executives wonder if this change has affected the trade market. “There's not as much incentive to being a Wild Card team as there has been,” one NL GM told Olney. Here are the rest of Olney’s notes and rumors:
- Under the new CBA, the spending money attached to draft picks is more valuable than the picks themselves, one GM said. Teams with large spending limits have more flexibility than other clubs and can pursue players more aggressively.
- Olney spoke with officials who are convinced the Diamondbacks will trade Justin Upton. Here are all the latest rumors on Upton.
- The 43-46 Marlins and the 46-44 Rays could create a significant shift in the trade market between now and the end of July. Both Florida teams are hovering around .500 for now.
- The Marlins will be willing to discuss every player on their roster, including Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Johnson and Omar Infante, if they decide to sell, Olney writes.