Enlarge By Brian Bahr, Getty Images With the White Sox out of contention, Jermaine Dye has all the makings of a trade prospect.

That's not to say Beane was neglecting his job. He kept in touch with his colleagues through cellphone calls, e-mails and text messages. A few days after the break, the A's sent catcher Jason Kendall and cash to the Chicago Cubs for backup catcher Rob Bowen and pitching prospect Jerry Blevins.

Beane's absence from what used to serve as the unofficial opening of the marketplace in the weeks before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline reflects the changing nature of deal-making.

GMs say establishing relationships and maintaining constant communication are more conducive to doing business than meeting face-to-face at large gatherings such as the All-Star Game or the World Series, which nowadays draw more marketing folks than baseball operations people. Beane hasn't attended either event in years.

He takes the argument a step further.

"I think the trade deadline is now turning into a lot more media hype than the reality of the deadline," Beane says. "I think, in general, trades are getting more and more difficult to make."

The deadline, Beane says, "used to be a much more intense, exciting time, because there were more trades and there was a lot more action. Now there's more communication before the deadline, so people are talking a lot anyway. But those late nights with pizza boxes sitting in your office for three of four days, I'm not sure those happen too often anymore."

Still, the trade deadline — which has been set at July 31 since 1986 — serves the purpose of forcing teams to make decisions, whereas in the offseason they can take a longer time shopping around.

Last year 14 trades were completed in the 48 hours before the deadline, when the action gets most feverish, with 12 taking place July 31. Among them were separate swaps by the Los Angeles Dodgers in which they acquired future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux and shortstop Julio Lugo. The day before, the New York Yankees received outfielder Bobby Abreu and pitcher Cory Lidle from the Philadelphia Phillies for four minor leaguers.

Beating the deadline by three days, the Milwaukee Brewers sent outfielders Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz to the Texas Rangers for reliever Francisco Cordero, outfielders Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix and minor leaguer Julian Cordero.

Abreu was available because he was due to make $15 million this year, and few teams other than the Yankees could accommodate that salary. Lee, Maddux and Lugo were to become free agents at the end of the season.

Brewers GM Doug Melvin, then a seller as his team faded from contention and Lee's free agency loomed, might be in the market for pitching help to bolster his National League Central-leading club. However, he doesn't expect to see much action, for the Brewers or other teams.

"It seems the same talent level is not available as it was the prior years," Melvin says, adding things could change as the cutoff date approaches. "I've never seen it where it's been this weak as far as players who are potential free agents that teams are willing to trade. I don't anticipate much happening.

"Whereas last year, (Alfonso) Soriano and Carlos Lee were involved. Those were two big-time players who were having big-time years. Now with (Mark) Buehrle signed, I don't see that happening. Some of the other free agents-to-be are either injured or they're not at the top of their game. Clubs aren't going to give up the farm to get those kinds of players."

Teams have become reluctant to give up prospects even for solid players because productive youngsters who are cost-effective allow teams to spend on expensive veterans while keeping the books balanced. "When you have a young player you can control for long periods of time, it's harder to let the guy go," New York Mets GM Omar Minaya says. "Nobody's untouchable, but it's hard to give up young players if it's going to be for rentals."

Among veterans whose circumstances (short-term contract, team out of the race) suggest they'll be available around the deadline are outfielders Jermaine Dye (Chicago White Sox), Adam Dunn (Cincinnati Reds) and Randy Winn (San Francisco Giants), infielders Mark Teixeira (Rangers), Omar Vizquel (Giants), Morgan Ensberg (Astros) and Kevin Millar (Baltimore Orioles), designated hitter Mike Piazza (A's) and pitchers Jason Jennings (Astros), Dontrelle Willis (Florida Marlins), Eric Gagne (Rangers), Danys Baez (Orioles) and Esteban Loaiza (A's).

The majority probably will stay put. The possibility of earning the wild card keeps clubs hopeful for a longer time, so few of them will be dismantling and putting their talent up for bid with an eye to the future.

"I would predict probably 18-20 teams by the deadline will still think they've got a fighting chance," Cubs GM Jim Hendry says. "You've got a whole lot of people trying to add a piece. Of those, maybe 18 or 20, you probably have seven to 10 looking for the same commodity."

That's usually pitching.

The Mets found some in a hurry at the last moment in 2006. Just hours after learning top setup man Duaner Sanchez was lost for the season with a separated shoulder sustained in a taxi accident the morning of July 31, they landed lefty Oliver Perez and veteran reliever Roberto Hernandez from the Pittsburgh Pirates for outfielder Xavier Nady.

Minaya and Pirates GM Dave Littlefield had been talking about Perez for some time, which expedited the agreement. It was no secret Pittsburgh had grown disenchanted with Perez's erratic ways and New York was intrigued by his potential (he led the NL in strikeouts per inning in 2004).

Says Minaya, not addressing Perez and the Pirates specifically: "Sometimes you find out from other people, whether it's through the paper or the Internet, that somebody is not happy, and you place a call.

" 'Hey, listen, I understand there's a problem there. You guys interested in moving this guy?' "

By pulling the trigger, the Mets filled a need with Hernandez and picked up one of their top starters this year in Perez.

The Washington Nationals, on the other hand, overplayed their hand and failed to move Soriano despite widespread belief he would walk after the season.

Sure enough, he signed a $136 million contract with the Cubs in November.

The Nationals' decision to hang on to Soriano came as a shock to many in baseball, especially those familiar with GM Jim Bowden's penchant for making deals. He and Beane on May 2 swapped outfielders Chris Snelling and Ryan Langerhans, whom Oakland had obtained only three days before, in a matter of a few clicks.

"He e-mailed me and said simply, 'Would you do Langerhans for Snelling?' " Beane recalls. "And I e-mailed him back and said, 'Would you?' And he said, 'I'll check and get back to you.' He got back to me in an hour and said, 'Yeah, we'd do it.' And I said, 'Yeah, I'll do it, too.' "

The trade for Kendall fits with Hendry's preference for completing trades before the deadline frenzy.

Four years ago he also swung the deal with the Pirates that netted the Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez more than a week before the deadline.

Nevertheless, Hendry was one of the principals in a four-way trade July 31, 2004, that sent Nomar Garciaparra and Matt Murton to the Cubs, Doug Mientkiewicz and Orlando Cabrera to the Boston Red Sox, Alex S. Gonzalez to the Montreal Expos and minor leaguer Justin Jones to the Minnesota Twins.

Hendry is known as a workhorse among his peers, and he's not afraid to take chances and give up prospects if his team is in contention.

Even for him, though, that was a remarkable trade.

"Nobody would believe that whole thing went from when I got to work that day thinking we weren't going to make any deal to having four teams involved in the last two hours before the clock ticked down. It's a crazy business," he says.

"That was hard. It's hard enough to make the one-on-one deal. That was a little bit out of my element. That's a Billy Beane deal."

Contributing: Mike Dodd, USA TODAY