Yankees general manager Brian Cashman doesn't believe that the July 31 trade deadline is as important as it has been in the past. July 31 is baseball's non-waiver trade deadline, meaning that moves are still possible. "I think over the years, this trade deadline is no longer even in existence," Cashman told Newsday. "...The waiver stuff is not going to prevent deals in August. Guys are going to get through because people are going to be afraid to afraid to claim and get stuck with money that they can't afford. And so the July 31 trade deadline is more of a fictitious one now, anyway. "It's not like it was when Steve Phillips (when he was the Mets' GM) and I were going haywire, claiming everyone on the wire. Those days are dead and buried, because no one can live with a mistake like they used to. Because the economy has changed and has affected everybody both in and out of sports. Although July 31 is approaching, it'll affect some level of players. Most, most likely, will clear. There'll be a very large population to pick from as we move forward, anyway."