---The Reds trade Ken Griffey, Jr. to the White Sox. Could baseball in Chicago get any hotter? Griffey's defense could be an issue, but he is the big bat that the White Sox need. Junior will join Carlos Quentin as a major offensive force in Ozzie Guillen's lineup. And kudos to the Reds for sending Ken Griffey, Jr. to a contender. A win-win deal for both sides.
---It looks like the Manny Ramirez trade is dead. Am I the only one who is not surprised?
---And yesterday, the Tigers traded Pudge Rodriguez to the Yankees for reliever Kyle Farnsworth. Good move for the Yankees. Bad move for the Tigers.
Okay, now it's time to start live-blogging! (All times are in the pacific time zone).
10:49: The Marlins trade for Arthur Rhodes. You can't help but admire this young team. They may not reach the playoffs, but they are able to contend with an extremely small payroll, little fan support, and without any big-name players. The Rays aren't the only lovable underdog in Florida.
10:51: Nobody covers baseball better than ESPN. Tim Kurkjian, Steve Phillips, Peter Gammons, John Kruk, Buster Olney, Joe Morgan. The list goes on and on.
10:55: Apparently the Mets are not in a position to make a move. Too bad, because a guy like Seattle's Raul Ibanez would be a great pickup for New York. Nonetheless, the Mets remain the favorites in the NL East.
11:03: The Phillies are looking for another arm. Makes sense. With Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins, Philly already is loaded with offense. By picking up a reliever, they instantly become a more well-rounded team. As Steve Phillips said, outside of Joe Blanton and Cole Hamels, their pitching is not that impressive.
11:06: The biggest name most likely to be traded is Pirates outfielder Jason Bay. Bay is one of the game's most underrated talents, and if I were the Rays, D'Backs, or Twins, I'd jump at the chance to acquire Bay.
11:09: Sure enough, Jayson Stark reports that the Jason Bay to Tampa Bay deal is back on.
11:10: According to Jayson Stark, Brian Fuentes is not going anywhere. Smart move by the Rockies. The NL West is wide open, but the Rockies have no chance without their best reliever.
11:13: Cincinnati should be thanking Ken Griffey, Jr. for all the great memories.
11:15: You never know how a prospect will pan out. For every Tim Lincecum, there is a Justin Wayne. And you're thinking, "Who is Justin Wayne?". My point exactly.
11:19: I wouldn't worry about Ken Griffey, Jr. in center field. He'll be reinvigorated playing in the Windy City.
11:21: Every team would love to have a General Manager like Ken Williams.
11:23: Nationals pitcher Jon Lannan could be headed to the White Sox. With all due respect to Minnesota, Chicago looks to be in great position in the AL Central. Still, it should be a tight race for the rest of the year.
11:25: The Twins are expected to call up Francisco Liriano. It's about time.
11:26: They say the Tigers are contenders, but I'm not buying it. GM Dave Dombrowski missed the boat in yesterday's deal by giving up Ivan Rodriguez. I know Jim Leyland's team was in desperate need of an arm due to the loss of Joel Zumaya, but Kyle Farnsworth is no Joel Zumaya.
11:29: Please don't let Greg Maddux go to the Dodgers!!!!
11:31: Many teams are interested in Indians pitcher Paul Byrd. I don't know. At this stage of Byrd's career, there really is no more upside.
11:32: Brian Cashman is a smart guy, but he can't honestly believe the Mariners would give up Jarrod Washburn without getting prospects in return.
11:33: I understand why there is some hesitation regarding Adam Dunn. Sure, he is a great power hitter. He also strikes out way, way, way too much.
11:41: If Maddux wants to stay West, why aren't the Diamondbacks making a move for him? They are a young team, and Maddux would provide veteran leadership for the stretch run.
11:43: Go out and get Tim Kurkjian's book. It's a quick, very entertaining read. Nobody loves baseball more than Kurkjian.
11:44: Where is Brian Sabean? As a diehard Giants fan, I think I speak for Giants nation when I say it is time to start unloading some of our veterans. We want to win next year, so I understand why we're holding on to Bengie Molina and Aaron Rowand. But it is time to part ways with Rich Aurilia and Jose Castillo and get some promising youngsters in return.
11:50: Where are you, St. Louis? You'd think the Cardinals would have to make a deal if they want to keep up with the Cubs and Brewers.
11:54: I know the D'Backs have as good a shot as anybody in the NL West, but the lack of activity by GM Josh Byrnes doesn't send the best message to the fans and players in Phoenix.
11:55: Still, with this being said, I really hope they outlast the Dodgers. Beat LA!
11:56: Tim Kurkjian just brought up another criminally underrated player in Jack Wilson. He gets no buzz, but Wilson is one of the most talented shortstops in the league.
11:58: Scott Reiss just mentioned the possibility of another trade for the Angels. Aren't they good enough already?
12:01: The Cubs are in position to complete a four game sweep at Milwaukee. Not exactly what Brewers fans had in mind.
12:03: I applaud Brian Cashman for picking up Ivan Rodriguez, but I'm not sure Xavier Nady and Richie Sexson will have that big of an impact.
12:04: Could the AL West wind up as the most lopsided division in baseball history?
12:05: With all due respect to Steve Phillips, the Angels absolutely made a great move by acquiring Mark Teixeira.
12:06: Bay Area GM's Brian Sabean and Billy Beane used to earn their money through their many moves at the trade deadline. Today, both have been silent.
12:08: Steve Phillips says the Angels can take over Los Angeles. However, much to my chagrin, the Lakers and Dodgers will always outshine the Angels and Clippers.
12:12: Blue Jays GM J.P. Riccairdi does this every year. He always thinks they're in the race. He is always mistaken. They are 9 1/2 games out. They are not going to surpass the Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees. No shot.
12:17: Let me make this clear: I do not condone his recent behavior. His comments this past week were disrespectful, arrogant, and just plain inaccurate . However, I also think Manny is good for baseball, and good for the Red Sox. I seem to be in the minority on this, but I still think Manny will continue to be productive, and his moody behavior will stop for the stretch run.
12:25: I wonder how Jose Molina feels about the Yankees trading for Pudge Rodriguez. He has to be disappointed, especially considering the fact that Molina was doing a fantastic job in the absence of Jorge Posada.
12:30: Tick tock, tick tock. Only 30 minutes to go before the deadline.
12:31: Jason Bay has to be hoping for a trade. Any takers? The Rays need another bat. I would be surprised if Tampa stays silent and fails to trade for Bay.
12:33: I have never understood why trades are allowed even after the trade deadline, and despite Steve Phillips' best effort at an explanation, I still don't get it. A deadline should be a deadline.
12:39: No teams are showing interest in Braves lefty reliever Will Ohman. Extremely surprising. You can never have a shortage of good arms in the bullpen, especially if they are left-handed.
12:40: An Omar Vizquel mention. I love Vizquel, but I'd be fine with a trade. Emmanuel Burriss is the shortstop of the future for the Giants.
12:43: The Raul Ibanez deal is dead. It looks like he will stay in Seattle.
12:45: Not many major trades today, other than the Griffey deal. But July has been a very eventful month as far as trades are concerned. CC Sabathia, Rich Harden, Pudge Rodriguez, Casey Blake, Xavier Nady, Richie Sexson, Mark Teixeira, and Damaso Marte have all found new homes.
12:48: Was there ever any doubt that Manny would be back in left field at Fenway?
12:49: The winners today are the Marlins and White Sox. Then again, they've had no competition.
12:50: Manny would not have been a good fit for the Marlins. They fair just fine their superb roster of unknowns.
12:56: A possible last minute Manny blockbuster? No way.
12:57: Excellent point by Peter Gammons. The Mariners have fallen way behind the pack.
12:58: The overall winners during this trade season are easily the Cubs, Brewers, and Angels.
12:59: One minute to go! Jason Bay looks to be staying in Pittsburgh.
1:00: There you have it. It's now time to get ready for some truly exciting pennant races.
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