Almost all September trades are pointless. Any player acquired after August 31 can’t be put on a postseason roster, so they’re never key lineup, rotation, or bullpen cogs. They’re 25th men who might be slightly better than the 25th men they’re replacing, and it’s almost impossible for them to make a difference over a month.
The most pointless September trade ever
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Stanton was picked up specifically for the Red Sox/Yankees series at the end of 2005. And even though there was 35 combined hours of baseball that series (rough estimate), Stanton pitched only one inning of mop-up work.
The Red Sox gave up two (two!) non-prospects to get Stanton on a weekend sleepover. There have been pointless September trades. There will continue to be pointless September trades. But there will never be a more pointless September trade than this one.
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