Trades: refunds, parades, borrowing.

Quitters never win and winners never quit.

What happened to that sentiment?  Trades during the season should be banned.

Thoughts on the most recent frenzy of player movement undermining the integrity of the season.

1. Refunds!  Yes, teams that quit should return the ticket and merchandise money to their fans.  At the very least those quitter teams should return money spent on:
- games to be played after July 31
- merchandise related to players traded.

How about a juicy class action law suit?  Bait and switch violates basic consumer rights.

2. Should a rented player participate in a public celebratory event such as a victory parade?  If the New York Mets win the tournament, should their rented slugger Yoenis Cespedes, most recently of the Detroit Tigers, ride up Broadway on a float through the canyon of heroes? If the Yankees win the tournament and Cespedes expects to sign with them for next season, should Cespedes get a head start and ride in their parade?

3. Why not simply borrow players?  Suppose that Miguel Cabrera was not injured but the Detroit Tigers still thought that they could not qualify for the tournament.  The Tigers trade David Price, who, like Cespedes, will be a free agent after the season, to Toronto so that Price can be the Blue Jays staff ace for the two months of his rental.  But Cabrera is signed to a fat long term contract.  Why not loan Cabrera to another team for two months and get him back for next season?

Cabrera

Wouldn't the Mets prefer Cabrera over Cespedes?  So the Mets send the same players to Detroit whom they sent for Cespedes, plus a player to be named later.  Then after the tournament the Mets name the player later: none other than Miguel Cabrera!  There is precedent for this.

Obviously, much of this player movement would undermine the integrity of the season.  That's what any trade during the season does.

Traded for nobodies by teams that quit: Price, Cespedes, Cueto, Hamels, Kazmir. Saturday, August 1, 2015 3:37 PM