Colorado Rockies: How would trades, trade deadline work in 2020?

With a season likely starting sometime in late July, will the trade deadline be moved for the Colorado Rockies and the other MLB teams?

Around this time every year, usually, trade rumors are being bandied about social media for fans to sneer at and, for many, to never come to fruition. Or possible trade candidates could be discussed. In fact, a little more than one year ago, we here at Rox Pile were talking about some pitchers who could help the Colorado Rockies because they were in the thick of the playoff hunt at the time? 2020 is obviously a bit different.

If there is a season at all (and Vegas odds are still well in favor of it even though the owners and MLBPA keep duking it out in the public sphere), the traditional trade deadline would happen within about two weeks of the start of the regular season.

That would likely be moved to some time in August (presumably) but (assuming there is a season), would there be an actual trade deadline or trades allowed at all? If the MLBPA has concerns about a player being around too many people in close quarters, it could be a big issue, especially if the 2020 season is done completely by geography and if rosters are expanded.

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For example, if the Rockies were to only be facing teams in the American League and National League West and trade a player to a team in the East, within a span of 48 hours or less, the player(s) involved in the trade could be in contact with dozens, if not close to 100 players, coaches, and other personnel between two teams, depending on how large the expanded rosters would be.

So it could stand to reason that if one guy in one clubhouse has it, he could spread the virus to numerous people in numerous clubhouses.

The chances of something like that happening are very slim but it is something that may have to be considered. Will there be trades? If so, will there be the resumption of a “waiver trade” period, like what happened before 2019? If players are acquired in September, will they be playoff eligible? Will there be a deadline at all?

The Rockies could be one of the biggest trade partners if trades are allowed as they may look to buy with the shortened season raising their chances at a postseason berth or they could sell as they have more than a half a dozen players that could be free agents either after 2020 or 2021, including Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story.

Those questions are some of the many that will hopefully be answered soon, assuming that we have baseball in a few weeks.