Crash Lannan

Ignoring Nationals' starter John Lannan might be the best trade-deadline non-move by contending teams. Considered a potential target for those looking for left-handed pitching, Lannan was cruising along with nine quality starts in his last ten games. Then came Thursday against Philadelphia.

Lannan's line:

5.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 2 HR

Lannan's ERA jumps to 3.61 after he had worked for three solid outings to pull it all the way down to 3.33. Jason Werth smoked Lannan for home run number 15. Jimmy Rollins hit his 8th in a convincing 8-4 Phillies victory. Kyle Kendrick threw pretty well for the Phils, giving up two earned in 6 2/3 innings for his ninth win.

The Phillies stand alone in first in the NL East thanks to a Mets loss at Florida.

Freakout, then breakout

16 runs, 20 hits, four homers and one ejection makes for one exciting baseball game in Minneapolis. Down 4-3 at the time of manager Ron Gardenhire's ejection for arguing balls and strikes (or really just one particular strike) when he came flying out to complain about a call against Denard Span.

The Twins responded after their firey leader's dismissal. Jason Kubel launched his 14th home run, a three-run shot that proved the game-winner in a 10-6 comeback at the Metrodome. The second-place Twins stand just a game in back of the White Sox with the victory.

Fantasy Impact: By the way, Span scored three runs tonight without getting a hit. He's batting .311 this season, and doing a good job in the leadoff spot. Here's wondering if he's capable of sticking in that role, especially if Carlos Gomez can't get it figured out.

Lowe scoring

Solid pitchers duel in Los Angeles with the D'Backs; Brandon Webb edging Dodgers starter Derek Lowe for his 15th win, 2-1. Their lines:

Webb: 8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Lowe: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Lowe actually outpitched Webb until the seventh, where he gave up both of his runs and left before getting out of the inning.

Drunk on hype

With all the talk about Milwaukee catching the Cubs this past week, the Brewers forget how to hang on to first place once they grab it. Five straight losses, including a four-game home sweep to the Cubs, drops Milwaukee five in back of first-place Chicago.

The Cubs did it with a bit of everything on Thursday, blasting three home runs (Edmonds, Soriano, Fukudome) and getting another pitching gem out of Rich Harden. He went seven, struck out nine and earns his first win as a Cub. The final: 11-4, Cubs.

Big flies against Pettitte

Angels center fielder Torii Hunter extends his hitting streak to 13 games with a three-run homer off of Andy Pettitte in the first inning in the Bronx. Hunter's homer to right center comes right after Vlad Guererro flew out to the warning track in deep left.

Update: The pounding continues all night. LAA smashes three three-run homers. Juan Rivera followed Hunter with his in the third. Vlad whacked his off Chris Britton. Los Angeles roles, 12-6, as Pettitte picks up the loss, giving up nine earned in 5 1/3 innings. Jon Garland pitches well enough for his 10th win, as he's a pretty steady back-end rotation guy in fantasy.

Update: This was the first time in 30 years that three Angels hit a three-run homers in the same game. Can you name the 1978 trio?

Jays wanted Ibanez

Interesting stuff from the Seattle Times on the Blue Jays' late push for Raul Ibanez. Geoff Baker writes in his Mariners Blog:

Why would Toronto do an Ibanez deal? I'd wondered that earlier. Until my buddies back east reminded me of a cardinal rule of covering the Jays that I'd forgotten about during my two years here. That optics mean as much back there as reality at times.

To realists, like most of you, and me, a snowball has a greater chance of lasting the afternoon in this Texas heat as the Jays do of making the playoffs. But in Toronto, the Jays could acquire Ibanez, then tell their fans they still have a chance and that they're going for it.

Everything I read about Toronto sound slike smoke and mirrors these days. They're probably lucky they didn't make the deal as Ibanez is getting up there in age, and Toronto has slugging prospect Adam Lind to fill the position.

Jocketty jovial about Reds' trade

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty spoke with WLW radio about the Griffey trade. The Reds ended up receiving two players in the deal: right handed starter/reliever Nick Masset and left-handed hitting minor league second baseman Danny Richar.

In Masset and Richar, the Reds got two players Jocketty said he's been eyeing for years. Masset will join the Reds and could be with the team as soon as Friday, while Richar will be assigned to Class AAA Louisville.

"Initially we'll use him as a reliever," Jocketty said. "We don't have a lot of depth in pitching. If we had something happen to one of our starters, with (Daryl) Thompson and (Matt) Maloney at AAA it gives us more depth."

Masset, 26, is 1-0 with a 4.63 ERA in 32 games for the White Sox this season. He's also been a starter during his career, starting two big league games, including one this season.

Richar, 25, is hitting .263 with eight home runs and 38 home runs in 60 games for Class AAA Charlotte. He hit .230 with six home runs in 56 games with the White Sox last season.

To make room for Richar on the 40-man roster, INF/OF Ryan Freel was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

"We added quality players we'll control for quite a while," Jocketty said. "That's what you've got to do building an organization."

Masset came to the Sox along with John Danks in a deal for Brandon McCarthy. Danks was then, and is now, the more-regarded prospect. Richar was considered a starting candidate for the White Sox this season during spring training, but a back injury derailed the start of his season. He's never made it back from Triple-A. Richar's got some decent pop for a second baseman.

Pirates haul in Bay-Ramirez deal

Andy LaRoche is the marquee name in this trade. He joins his brother Adam in Pittsburgh to eventually become one half of the LaRoche-LaRoche corners of the Pirates infield. For now, however, he'll have to battle Jose Bautista, who's hit 12 home runs for Pittsburgh at third this year. Andy struggled to get back to the big leagues with an injury problem to start the year. A low draft pick out of community college in 2003, he's blossomed into a valued prospect at the age of 24. In his last six stops in the minors LaRoche hit over .300 five times, with power.

From Boston, Pittsburgh reels in Brandon Moss, a guy who was nothing more than a role player on a talented Beantown roster. He was originally an 8th round pick and turns 25 in September. In 78 at bats in Boston he hit .295 with two home runs.

Both LaRoche and Moss will join the Pirates 25-man roster for tomoror's game in Chicago.

The Pirates also nab two former first-round picks: Red Sox top selection overall in 2005, pitcher Craig Hansen, and Dogers number-one pick from 2006, pitcher Bryan Morris.

Hansen is a big 25-year-old right hander (6'6, 230) who struggled with his command at the MLB level this year. He gave up 23 walks in 30 2/3 innings. He's been used mostly as a setup man and will join the Pirates 25-man roster tomorrow. He was the 26th overall pick in 2005.

Morris, a 21-year-old Class-A righty, is a starter to this point in his career and a pretty good one. He's only 2-4, but owns a solid 3.20 ERA and strikes out a little under a batter over 81 2/3 IP. Like Hansen, he was the 26th overall pick, but in 2006. He'll head to Class-A Hickory.

Fantasy Impact: LaRoche is the best bet to get a shot, but when that comes is anybody's guess. He's been pretty mediocre when called on in Los Angeles, but with extended at bats he could easily unseat Bautista in the Pirates lineup and blossom. Consider him a stashee for now.

Manny in LA-LA Land

So the Dodgers get their batman, the Red Sox get Jason Bay, and the Pirates get some prospects.

I missed the event unfolding (although it sounded like this was hush-hush at the deadline) because I was watching the new Batman movie The Dark Knight. It was OK. The trade is more interesting than the film.

Fantasy Impact: The Dodgers outfield is a crowded place, but Manny and Matt Kemp should remain starters. Interesting that the Dodgers are not a very good defensive outfield. Bay's played well this season, and he'll be a solid fixture for the Red Sox.

Bay to the Jays?

The drama is only getting more interesting. Now the Toronto Blue Jays have inquired about Jason Bay, a Canada native. Pittsburgh's asking price is pretty steep, as both Shawn Marcum and Travis Snider have a lot of potential.

Manny being Maddening

There are now at least two reports on Manny Ramirez getting traded to the Florida Marlins. The West Palm Beach Post reported that an agreement had been reached on Wednesday, but has been no further confirmation. Now, this media outlet picks up on that story and publishes another "Manny to the Marlins" piece.

Baseball Prospectus is reporting similar information.

Update: Ken Rosenthal isn't quiet ready to call it a deal, but he seems to believe the right moves are being made to get the deal done.

Update: Ken Rosenthal proclaims the deal "dead... for now." Talk about twisting in the wind.

Marlins seeing the light

Hard to tell if there's anything more than a columnist guessing here. If this deal is a possibility, however, that giant light bulb you saw going on over the horizon is the imagination of the Florida Marlins, whose pint-sized payroll might make them capable of bringing in not only Manny Ramirez, but also A.J. Burnett. With deals those two players Florida becomes an instant contender in the National League.

If there's nothing to this, what's the point of adding more confusion to trade deadline day, TSN? Odd.

Marlins make move

No Manny, no catcher. For the Marlins, at least for right now, it's Arthur Rhodes. The Fish acquire the lefty reliever from Seattle for minor league pitching prospect Gaby Hernandez. Hernandez has struggled after moving from Double- to Triple-A.

Fantasy Impact: Once a setup man, always a setup man for Rhodes, who stands little chance in notching saves with Kevin Gregg around.

Todd Jones - bum shoulder

The Detroit Free-Press outlines the bullpen-by-committee that will emerge with the Tigers acquisition of Kyle Farnsworth.

With Wednesday night’s revelation that Todd Jones has been battling shoulder pain, it appears that Leyland has three internal options to close games now: Fernando Rodney, Joel Zumaya and Farnsworth.

Detroit’s bullpen alignment remains fluid, as evidenced by Wednesday’s chaotic victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Now we know the source of Todd Jones' problems, but it might take a while to hash out the closer role.

Rumblings in Seattle

Jarrod Washburn's name originally surfaced as a potential trade candidate to the New York Yankees, then the Phillies and Mets, but now the lefty's got a new suitor: the Colorado Rockies.

The same story says the Diamondbacks and Cubs still pursue Raul Ibanez, and it's mostly former Seattle manager Lou Piniella's doing in Chicago.

The Ibañez-to-the-Mets deal may be dead, but Arizona is still interested and, in Chicago, Lou Piniella has asked his Cubs management to look into obtaining Ibañez as a platoon player.

A starter and heart-of-the-lineup hitter in Seattle, most teams view Ibañez as a fifth or sixth hitter – and their offers reflect that assessment. They’re dangling mid-level minor leaguers, not true prospects or big-league players

Fantasy Impact: Washburn's stock rises if he's dealt anywhere other than Washington, just because he'll be in line for more wins. If Ibanez goes anywhere but the Cubs his value should remain as an average-to-above outfield talent. In Chicago, if he ends up platooning, that changes.

Manny to Boston

"Manny being Miserable" was the overnight headline in the Boston Herald. Now The Herald reports that it's less than a 50-50 shot that the Red Sox deal their disgruntled left fielder.

Even though the source said the deal is “far from done,’’ the forward momentum suggests that there is still time before the 4 p.m. trading deadline for the Sox, Marlins and Pirates to work out a relatively complex three-team blockbuster that would send Ramirez to Florida, Marlins outfielder Jeremy Hermida to Pittsburgh and Pirates outfielder Jason Bay to the Sox. The 29-year-old Bay, who plays left field, is hitting .282 with 22 homers and 64 RBI.

While a trade fluctuates between imminent and impossible, we've seen this all before. Last year Boston worked its tail off to rid the enigmatic slugger. It didn't happen. At least for now it looks like it will play that way again.

Prospects of a Rays deal

If the Tampa Bay Rays make no deals today, it may be because they are unwilling to give up any of their top-level minor league talent.

As being reported now, the Pirates could end up with Marlins OF Jeremy Hermida (a young potential star) and two or three good prospects, though there are numerous conflicting reports. Though a deal was not completed, it sounded as if the Rays and Pirates were talking more about a package of prospects, and the Rays have been consistent in saying they would not include their elite ones, such as SS Reid Brignac, LHP David Price and RHPs Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson.

The Rays have a very good, young nucleus at the Major League level, so you'd think they could part with one of the three pitchers for a player like Brian Fuentes or Jason Bay. It's not every year you have a shot at a world title.

Rockies might roll with Fuentes

The Rockies think they still have a shot in the whimpy NL West, and that means Brian Fuentes might not be traded.

"I want to be here," Fuentes said. "We have been playing better. And I think if I stay, we can win. Even I don't stay, these guys can win. But I believe I can help."

The Rockies stand just seven games out of first despite a horrible first half of the season in which injuries drastically starters Matt Holliday, Brad Hawpe, Troy Tulowitzki. First baseman Todd Helton is now on the shelf.

Fantasy Impact: With Manny Corpas and Taylor Buchholz waiting in the wings, Fuentes might just keep his job. It wouldn't be much of a surprise. Fuentes lost the closer role in Denver last year to Corpas, then won it back after Corpas collapsed at the beginning of the year. If Fuentes stays, it's his job to lose, but he's not a number one closer. If he goes, he might become a setup man for a contender. Here's wondering if the Cubs come calling at the last minute.

Update: ESPN concurs.

Junior back to Junior Circuit

Ken Griffey Junior is headed to the Chicago White Sox as long as Griffey OKs the move. Sounds like Ken Rosenthal talked to someone on the inside in Chicago.

The White Sox, leading the American League Central by a game and a half, would use Griffey mostly in the outfield, the source said. However, they do not have an obvious spot for him unless they make another deal.

The Sox are set at the corners with Carlos Quentin in left and Jermaine Dye in right. They could play Nick Swisher at first to open center for Griffey, a move that would reduce the playing time of first baseman Paul Konerko. But Griffey has not played center regularly since 2006.

Griffey, 38, is batting .245 this season with a .355 on-base percentage, 15 home runs and 53 RBIs in 359 at-bats. Earlier this season, he hit his 600th home run.

Fantasy Impact: Griffey might actually lose at bats because he's moving to a team with two better-hitting corner outfielders. Like Rosethal speculates, centerfield would seem difficult for Griffey given the point he's reached in his career. With injuries always a concern, you have to wonder if he can run balls down on a nightly basis in the biggest part of the park. The Sox have added a dangerous lefty bat that's lost a lot of its sting. The safest bet is Griffey becomes a four to five starts a week guy who is spelled on occasion. That situation would benefit both player and team.

Todd Jones injured

Todd Jones, recently demoted as Tigers closer, could end up on the DL after he "felt something" while pitching on Wednesday. This second setback for Jones (notes section of story) in the last handful of days could mean the 40-year-old's time as a closer could be coming to an end.

Fantasy Impact: This is your typical "adding insult to injury," or in this case it would be adding an injury to the already insulted Jones, who is becoming less and less likely to regain his closer role. The Tigers acquired Kyle Farnsworth from the Yankees in exchange for Ivan Rodriguez earlier in the day. Jones' injury and possible DL stint would leave him out of the equation potentially for good.

Rally son of old Notre Dame

That's what the Cubs might be asking of Jeff Samardzija. The rookie, just up a few days with the parent club, might get the call at closer. With Kerry Wood on the DL and Carlos Marmol on the fritz, Samardzija, a former Notre Dame wide receiver, hasn't looked so wide-eyed in the big leagues. He touches the high 90's on the gun, plus he's got impressive sink, and if the Cubs have another gem in this rookie, they can throw the kitchen sink at you.

''We want to get this guy some late-inning, closing experience, on the road especially,'' Piniella said. ''He hasn't had that, and it's part of the education of pitching in the bullpen. I'll tell you what, he looked good. He gave up a run [Tuesday], but that's OK. He threw strikes and pitched well.''

Fantasy Impact: How did this guy play anything but quarterback in college? I'm sure there are several answers to that question. The Cubs' answer at closer is eventually Wood, but if Marmol is no good, Samardzija is a pretty solid stop gap.