Trading Deadline? With the advent of supposed fiscal sanity in the MLB, the deadline is irrelevant to all but a few teams. We may see more trades after the deadline as teams drop out of the race. If the impediment of teams losing players because rivals may put in a waiver claim is effectively wiped out, fringe teams may wait a few more weeks to decide if they are buyers or sellers. September 1- the date that players need to be on the active roster to be included on the playoff roster, may become the new trading deadline.

Before July 31, teams can trade amongst each other without limitation. After, however, a player must pass through waivers. If another team puts a claim on that player, his current team can either pull him back, work out a deal with the team making the claim, or simply allow the player to walk. If the player clears waivers, he can be traded to any team without being blocked. In the past, teams would put claims on players they felt could help others with whom they are in direct competition. With this seemingly more sober economic climate, all but a few teams may block moves for fear of landing higher priced players. It is unimaginable that any contract would not be palatable for the Yankees if Darth Steinbrenner believed it would bolster the Red Sox playoff aspirations. Smaller market teams, such as the Twins, Royals and Expos are less likely to make blocking moves after the deadline because they would not risk taking on salary. Salary dumping, should their playoff chances dim, is now even likelier.

Several high profile 2003 free agents are effected by the irrelevancy of the trading deadline. Superstars like Vlad Guerrero, Carlos Beltran, Bartolo Colon could be moved in August. Ugueth Urbina, Robby Alomar and Carl Everett are candidates for this summer's 'Cliff Floyd Award,' for the player moved most times during one pennant race. Is it hard to envisage Carl Everett in Yankee pinstripes in late August facing the Chump Fox at Fenway, or Uglie Urbina with his Giants hat pulled down to his eyebrows ready to face Shea Hillenbrand? Trades may be made with an eye towards improving a team's postseason performance rather than their chances of getting to the postseason.

The best deal of trading season may have been the Hillenbrand- Kim trade. BK has completely rejuvenated the Sox bullpen, and though he has not had to yet, Hillenbrand has proved capable of carrying a team's offense. It was a remarkably even trade, benefitting both teams immensely. Hillenbrand took some odd shots at the Sox on his way out of the door, undoubtedly affected by 6 months of trade rumors. The D-Backs put together a season- saving run while he was on the disabled list, but his return, along with recent return of Curt Schilling and the Big Unit, negates the need for other major additions.

Putting Kim in the bullpen may have been the best, and most obvious move by Sox manager Forrest Little all year. Kim opened up a spot in the rotation for Ramiro Mendoza, or perhaps soon Casey Fossum, and instantly returned the members of the Bullpen By Comedy, er, Commitee to their past roles. Alan Embree, Chump Fox and Mike Timlin are set up men, not closers. Not to say one of them might not emerge some day, but having each in an undefined, inconsistent role proved disastrous. Who is to say that if the Sox had decided on one closer and given everyone else a defined role, things would not have worked out better. Numbers and statistics are one thing, but there is some basic psychological to factor in too. We perform better when we know what is expected of us in our work, and having no idea what you will be doing from day to day would cause a decline in almost anybody's performance- whether you are selling crack or running a major corporation.

As the final few months of the season unfurl, there are multiple dramas to monitor. The new fiscal landscape changes the game's state, to the benefit of the fandom. Pennant races should last longer as teams are likely to delay having the kind of firesales that the July trading deadline historically precipitates. Predicting a team's chess moves is one of the most exciting things about the game, and now we look forward to more of it, later into the season.