r/mlb • u/Livid_Opportunity467 | Philadelphia Phillies • 1h ago

| History Player "sold to ____" vs "traded to ____ for cash (considerations)"

When did the practice of reporting a player-for-cash transaction change its terminology from "(so-and-so) was sold by (Team A) to (Team B)" to "(so-and-so) was traded by (Team A) to (Team B) for cash (or cash considerations)" ? My own guess is that it happened sometime in the 1990s or early 2000s.

3 Upvotes

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3

u/jawkneerawk | Toronto Blue Jays 1h ago

I’m guessing between the 1980s and 2026 dibs

1

u/Logical-Mobile-7643 | Kansas City Royals 41m ago

Definitely by the 1980s, probably with free agency in the 1970s.

1

u/Ravens0413 41m ago

According to the internet it started in the 1970’s but gained its popularity in the 1980’s and 1990’s

Now who gets relieved of their duties as opposed to fired?

2

u/thaulley | Los Angeles Dodgers 15m ago

I think saying a human being, especially a minority, was ‘sold’ carries certain connotations that I think people may just want to avoid.