Since the trade deadline passed without so much as a real ace being traded, I’ve heard the usual coverage (CYA) that individual teams didn’t buy because nobody really was selling at the price anyone wanted to pay.

Whether you’re buying that crap or not, what I do know is that the media and fans are quick to judge the value of the trades on immediate results. Call it recency bias if you want. It’s only natural to react to first at-bats or innings pitched because it’s right in front of us. Delayed gratification for the buyers isn’t an option even if looking beyond today isn’t prudent.

Those of us who aren’t Yankee fans took a certain amount of pleasure in seeing each of their bullpen acquisitions flop in their majestic loss to the Marlins. Life would be so much simpler if every trade was a zero-sum game. After all of the media’s promises of big deals, it’s funny when the best trades involve under the radar players.

Hopefully before lunch tomorrow I’ll post about my experience in Madison today.