What does it mean in baseball when a player is traded for future consideration.?

Question

Prime example here, Jack Cust was just traded to the A's from my Padres for a player to be named later. What exceltly does that mean, how does a trade work like that. Also is that based on his performance before the trade or after. Jack Cust was a nobody before the trade and he went to the A's and homered 6 times in 7 games (I know this is only one week, but if he were to keep up a decent pace he could end up with 30+ homers this year, and the Padres gave him up for nothing?) Say it does turn out that he hits 30+ homers this year can we take him back, or at least get someone really good for him? Or did the Padres just let go a good player for nothing in return?

Answer 1

When a player is traded for a player to be named later, it simply means that the two teams have agreed that the to be named player is one of three on the teams' 40-man roster. The teams will agree at a later date, anywhere from the next day to the off-season, as to the identity of that player. It could simply be that the team receiving this player needs to first make room on their 40-man roster in order to receive the player.

Jack Cust is a 28-year-old former first-round pick who has yet to establish himself as a major league player. And there's a reason that he's never had more than 73 AB's in a season.

The Padres didn't let him go for nothing, but there are also times that the player to be named might depend on how well the named player did for the rest of the season.

Answer 2

There are a couple of reasons for going with the "player to be named later." It gives the team - eg. the Padres - time to figure out what kind of player they're looking for in a deal, and it gives them some time to check out some of the other team's prospects who they might want. Failing that, many teams will include the "or cash" option that the Padres did. That way, if you can't find a player you like, at least you get some money.

There are two stipulations to such deals - they must be completed within six months, and the trade has to happen between leagues.

Answer 3

It means, essentially, that the Padres needed to clear a roster spot and Cust didn't or couldn't clear waivers and thus couldn't be dropped without being lost. Essentially, the Padres agreed to send him to the A's for "future considerations" rather than lose him for nothing. It still won't be much - "future considerations" rarely means more than a small amount of cash or a low-level prospect - but it's better than nothing.

Answer 4

two different things.

future considerations means that in the future, if team A wants a trade, and it is close team B has to honor their request and go ahead. kind of like an IOU.

player to be named later means that the whole trade specifics haven't been worked out yet, but the team wants to get their player of the field. the other team works with team A to work out the details and get the trade done as soon as possible.

yeah, they let go of what turned out to be a good player for nothing. sorry

Answer 5

It means the team that traded for him doesn't know what it wants to give up yet, but it will give up something.
A few times, the future considerations ended up being the guy who got traded in the first place, and his old team got him back in the same deal.

Answer 6

It could mean cash, draft pick or a player later on sent to the team that asked for the futuree considerations

Answer 7

Future considerations could mean a player to be named later, a conditional draft pick, money, or even something like adding a home game during next spring training.

It can mean many things.

Answer 8

It means a prospect, however they hven decided who.

Answer 9

It means he sucks so bad, it takes some time to figure out something that is bad enough to trade for him.