The iMLB Players Association is looking into the three team trade that took place yesterday involving the New York Mets, Cleveland Guardians and Chicago Cubs. The reason the trade has come under scrutiny is that starting pitcher Mike Soroka had ten-five trade protection as a member of the Guardians. Players who have accrued 10 years of Major League service time and spent the past five consecutive years with the same team are awarded 10-and-5 rights. Under these circumstances, a player can veto any trade scenario that is proposed. Soroka reportedly had given the Guardians front office a list of teams that he would approved a deal to earlier this season when the team had approached him about a trade. The Chicago Cubs were apparently not on the list of teams.
The way that the invocation of ten five was subverted in this instance is the Guardians technically dealt Soroka to the New York Mets (who were on Soroka’s list of destinations in which he would waive his right). On paper the Mets than dealt Soroka to the Cubs for the price of one dollar. The reason this scheme to skirt the guidelines was hatched lies in the fact that the Cubs and Guardians were the originally intended trade partners with no involvement from a third team. With a compensation (three Triple A players) agreed upon for Chicago to take Mike Soroka and his burdensome contract, the only hurdle that remained was Mike Soroka’s right to block a trade. That’s where the Mets involvement came into play – and not at zero cost. New York was able to get the Cubs to take pitcher Griffin Canning off of their books in addition to Soroka.
At the end of the day the deal nets the Cubs some highly regarded young talent in exchange for absorbing two veteran pitchers with one year left on their deals (next season). There is nothing confusing about what each of the three teams was looking to accomplish here. The only confusion now that remains is what, if anything, the players union can do about the “conspiracy” here which exploited a loophole and may render the intended protection useless moving forward. With a collective bargaining agreement coming together just last off-season, it will be two more years before there can be any meaningful changes to how these things are done.