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Tick Tock Goes The Deadline Clock, But Rumors Are A Bunch Of Schlock.

In a week, on July 31st, the trade deadline for this season will come and go. And, seeing as the biggest trade that's occured to this point was the Mets sending Francisco Rodriguez to the Brewers, or the Royals sending Wilson Betemit to the Tigers for 2 minor leaguers, it seems as if it might possibly be a quiet week. But, just in case, we'll hedge our bets and discuss some of the players whose names have been mentioned more than Adam Dunn gets hits. Remember, until any deals are finalized, this is all purely speculation from a jaded Yankees fan.

First off, it seems that the marquee trade would be Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran to, well, anywhere. Most reports say that Beltran would most likely remain in the NL East and go to either the Phillies or Braves, but the Red Sox have also been mentioned, while the Giants still seem like they're vying to get him. Since the Mets made it clear that star shortstop Jose Reyes would not be shipped off before his impending free agency after this season, Beltran seems to be the most attractive trading chip they have in Queens. While not necessarily a huge impact player, his offensive prowess would fit nicely in the lineup of a contender like the teams in Philadelphia or Boston. What makes Beltran even more attractive to teams is that Mets ownership has said they would cover the remaining money he's owed this year, which is $6 million that any team he would join wouldn't have to add that to their payroll, a real plus for any small-market teams that may be making a run at him. As to where he may end up, chances are best that he'll be staying in the National League, probably with the Braves or Giants. Either way, it seems that Beltran's days as a Met are numbered, and the number is quite small.

Next, there's Rays centerfielder B.J. Upton. A young player with a sweet swing and swift feet, Upton has been a big part of why the Rays are viewed as contenders, and are able to hold their own in a division that also has the Yankees and Red Sox. In spite of that, Upton's name always seems to be thrown around a lot this time of year. There have been two potential trades that are most heavily discussed amongst fans: a straight swap with the Cardinals for fellow young centerfielder Colby Rasmus (and probably some pitching help for St. Louis), or sending Upton to the Phillies for a few top prospects. While the Rays are notorious for drafting highly-rated pitchers, their young hitters in the farm systems are sometimes less than spectacular, so they could use some heavy hitters with a few good years ahead of them, which the Phillies might be more willing to provide than the Cards. Plus, Upton not only would add a large amount of power to a lineup that can't always support its amazing rotation, but would be playing in the same league as his brother Justin, which would certainly spice up an otherwise boring matchup between the Diamondbacks and the Phils. It seems likely that, if Upton is traded, the Phillies will be his new team, but don't count the Cardinals out.

Speaking of Cardinals centerfielder Colby Rasmus, his name is also mentioned a lot lately. While it's no secret that he and manager Tony La Russa don't get along too well, GM John Mozeliak has stated that he has little to no intent of dealing Rasmus. However, with his season not going so spectacularly, and the Cards in dire need of pitching help, it wouldn't be impossible if they made the aforementioned deal with the Rays for B.J. Upton and some young arms. Other teams that have apparently inquired about Rasmus include the Nationals, who have a moderately weak outfield (including Jayson Werth, who is being paid millions to hit under .220 in the middle of July), and the Red Sox, who are probably envisioning a starting outfield of Rasmus, Carl Crawford, and Jacoby Ellsbury, which would give them 3 ball-shaggers that can get on base and then steal a few. As nice as this scenario may be for Boston fans, it seems highly unlikely that Rasmus will be traded this season, and if he is, the smart money is on him joining the Rays.

Astros outfielder Hunter Pence seems to be viewed as a consolation prize for whatever team that makes a strong bid for Carlos Beltran and doesn't get him. However, Pence is having a pretty terrific year and, after his first All-Star appearance, is projected to have one of his best seasons yet. Unfortunately, he plays in Houston, so it's easy to forget about him. This wouldn't be the case if he gets traded to a contender like the Phillies or Reds, who seem to be the two teams showing the most interest in him. It seems like the Phils are interested in any outfielder that can make contact frequently, but the Reds could have a young, powerful platoon in right field with Pence and Jay Bruce, who would face righthanders while Pence would take care of the lefties. However, the Astros are supposedly asking a hefty price for Pence, most reports say that they want 3 major league-ready top prospects, something most teams aren't clamoring to part with. While the Reds' minor league system has some very impressive young players, they're more likely to opt to cultivate their talent in the organization rather than ship them out for Pence. Still, if Pence is traded, it'll most likely be to Cincinnati.

Padres closer Heath Bell is already heading into free agency after this season, but it seems like San Diego prefers to ship him out and try to get him back in the offseason than take the chance of him signing elsewhere once the year is over. As one of the most dominant closers in the National League, he's likely to pull in some big free-agent dollars if the Padres aren't able to resign him. The Rangers seem to be the frontrunners to get Bell, and are apparently aggresively talking to the Padres about him. He's also piqued the interest of the Cardinals, Angels and Braves. It wouldn't make much sense for Bell to go to Atlanta or Anaheim, as both teams have a young, lights-out closer (Craig Kimbrel for the Braves and Jordan Walden for the Angels) and using Bell as a setup man would be a true waste of his talent. The Rangers would love to have him in the bullpen, since they've stated that current closer Neftali Feliz will be joining the starting rotation within the next couple of years if everything goes well. The Cardinals don't have a very strong bullpen, but since their rotation is pretty durable, and most of their starters eat innings like David Ortiz eats cheesburgers, Bell might not be a great fit in St. Louis either. It's most likely that, should be leave San Diego, he'll land in Arlington or St. Louis.

Finally, although the Rockies have firmly stated that starter Ubaldo Jimenez is not on the trading block, there are still plenty of suitors for him. The Yankees and Tigers have asked about him the most, while the Reds are also curious as to what it would take for GM Dan O'Dowd to deal the ace, who stated that any team that wants to trade for Jimenez would have to send their very best prospects, and that any potential trade would have to "blow [the organization] away". As with Pence, the Reds would have to be willing to part with their top pitching prospects, and the same would be true if they made an offer for Jimenez. The Tigers would love to have him in a rotation that includes Justin Verlander, but it doesn't seem like they have much to offer in return in the way of minor leaguers. While the Yankees have the manpower in their farm system, they're just as hesitant to trade their young players as they are to call them up to the big leagues. Even though the Yanks could use the pitching help the most, all of the teams interested in Jimenez have yet to make an offer to the Rockies. And while the Colorado brass firmly denies that he's seriously being considered as a trade piece, if Jimenez goes anywhere, it'll probably be to the Yankees, who will have to decide if he's worth depleting the farm system.

All of these fantasy scenarios are nice to think about, but if there's the same level of activity this upcoming week as there has been the last few weeks, we'll still be imagining these wonderful situations this time next Sunday when the deadline comes and goes. Stay tuned for info on any and all blockbuster trades.

A Brief Exposition Of Random Musings Regarding The 2011 Season Thus Far (Part 4).

First off, we here at TBF extend our deepest condolences to Shannon Stone, the fan who flipped over the fence and died last Thursday at the Athletics-Rangers game. Stone and his family, especially his young son who was with him, remain in our thoughts and prayers, as is Josh Hamilton, who threw the ball Stone was trying to catch. A truly sad occurrence that hopefully will not be repeated.

Albert Pujols is truly The Machine. Coming back from an injury in 3 weeks that was supposed to keep him out until August? It'll be difficult for the Cardinals to keep him in their uniform if they're not willing to put up the kind of money he deserves. Maybe he really should be the 300 Million Dollar Man (I can just see it now, a Cubs executive pitching to the owners: Gentlemen...we can rebuild this franchise...we have the technology).

Roy Oswalt's still out of the Phillies rotation, and they seem to be doing just fine without him. In fact, since he went on the DL, the Phils have won 8 of their last 12, 2 of which were won by the better Roy. He's supposedly the unsung hero of the Big Phour, but it clearly should be Cole Hamels, who's almost been pushed to the background since the arrival of the Roys and Cliff "Bronx Kryptonite" Lee's glorious return. But my doctor said I need to watch my blood pressure, so I won't go into further detail about my intense dislike of Oswalt.

For the second straight year, and the second time in the past 16, the National League has managed to best the American League in the 82nd All-Star Game, powered by a 3-run shot off of Rangers starter C.J. Wilson by none other than Prince Fielder, the Brewers first baseman who's mounting a very impressive campaign that we've entitled "Hey, There's More Than One Talented, Powerful First Baseman In The National League Who's Headed Into Free Agency After This Season!!" Also making headlines regarding the All-Star Game and break: the Mets traded troubled closer Francisco Rodriguez to the Brewers, a deal that was finalized during the game, and he will share duties with the existing closer John Axford, while Jason Isringhausen has been tabbed as the new closer in Flushing...Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano beat out Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to win the Home Run Derby, and a further emotional level was added in that Cano's father, Jose, was the pitcher for him...adding more fuel to the trade talk fire, Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran flew out to Phoenix for the ASG with the Giants, who've long been rumored to go after him in free agency this season, but according to Beltran, there was no talking about that (meanwhile, Giants closer Brian Wilson stated that Beltran would be a great fit for the team).

Just to really blow everyone's mind, here's a nice little tidbit to end this installment of Brief Expositions: today, July 16th, right after the beginning of the second half when division races begin to heat up...the Pittsburgh Pirates are tied for first place in the NL Central with the Cardinals, and the Brewers are a half game back of both of those teams. Just let that simmer in your head for a little while.

It's More Than A Game, But It's Just A Game.

Twice this season, and three times in the last two, fans have fallen from the stands varying distances, sustaining injuries of varying pain, from fractured skulls to death. While a lot should be said about the preventative measures that need to be taken by MLB and the ballparks, the fans have to be more aware of what's going on when they're watching their favorite players.

There's always an amount of risk inherent in jumping around in a stadium with 30,000 of your closest friends, all of whom are rowdy, drinking, and clamoring to catch a baseball or do something wacky that may get them 5 seconds of fame on ESPN in a highlight reel. Those like Keith Carmickle, who climbed on a small table near a ledge at the Home Run Derby last night to catch a homer hit by Prince Fielder and, unsurprisingly, slipped and almost fell, are putting their lives in great danger and can easily die from a fall caused by their own foolishness. Even those like Shannon Stone, the 39 year old firefighter who died last week reaching over the railing to catch a foul ball from Josh Hamilton at a Rangers game, who are just trying to get a nice piece of memorabilia for their young kids, take a chance when they splay their entire torso over the ledge of a 20-foot drop that ends in a concrete floor. As meaningful as that little sphere of happiness is, it's not worth losing your life or use of any extremities for. Nobody blames the people who fall, as well they shouldn't. But it's not disrespectful of the dead or injured to say that it's their responsibility to be cognizant of their own safety.

Now I know that all my readers (all 2 of you) will think of me as heartless for saying that. You have to understand: Shannon Stone's case was a purely freak accident. The combination of a small railing, Stone wearing flip-flops that provided little traction, and Hamilton not throwing the ball as well as he could into the stands caused a true tragedy. But this story last night, of Carmickle almost falling because he intentionally stood on an unsturdy, narrow table overlooking a similarly sized ledge, is mostly, if not entirely, stupid. It was completely avoidable, and thankfully he wasn't hurt or killed. There's a very fine line between fanaticism and stupidity, but once it's toed, there's very little chance of returning for another ballgame. And on the other side of that coin, there's a large amount of responsibility that has to be placed on Major League Baseball and the ballparks. If conditions aren't safe for drunken morons, or ever sober fathers with good intent, it's unsurprising that the risk of injury and death increases ten-fold. MLB knows this, has known it, and has the means to insure, as best as they can, that the risk is as minimal as possible. So why don't they do it? Some executives on MLB teams say that they can't anticipate the situations that fans will put themselves in to snag a ball, but after 100-some years of fans coming to see ballgames, it's confusing that they don't seem to fully understand the risks by now.

The solution? Take matters into your own hands. If you find yourself perched on a ledge at Safeco Field, Busch Stadium or Rogers Centre, clamoring for one of your favorite sluggers to slam one out of the park and into your outstretched glove, take a moment to figure out just how far your body can lean, if at all, before you're putting a baseball ahead of your own safety.

3,000 Reasons Why We Love Derek Jeter.

June 26th, 1974. In a hospital in Pequannock, New Jersey, Charles and Dot Jeter welcome their first child into the world, a boy.

1991. Dick Groch, a scout for a certain MLB team, begins to take notice of a highly athletic shortstop in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He begins to get to know the young kid, and notices something about him that he likes. He begins trying to sell this to the brass of his team.

1992 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. With the 6th pick in the first round, the New York Yankees select a skinny biracial kid that almost got picked by the Houston Astros or Cincinnati Reds; almost by fate or destiny, he was still available at that point.

May 30th, 1995. A bright-eyed, lanky kid playing shortstop steps to the plate for the New York Yankees at the Kingdome, the old stadium for the Seattle Mariners. He hits a single off of Tim Belcher for his first career hit.

Early 1996. Joe Torre, the newly-hired and already disrespected manager of the Yankees, decides to give the job of starting shortstops to the young man who made his largely unnoticed debut the previous season.

October 26th, 2000. After the Yankees put the finishing touches on their 4th World Series title in the previous 5 years, the staple of those dynastic teams becomes the first player in history to win the All-Star Game MVP award and the World Series MVP award in the same year.

Opening Day of the 2003 season. For the first time in his career, the boy from Kalamazoo goes onto the disabled list with a dislocated shoulder. This would be only 1 of 2 times this has happened in his career to this point.

June 3rd, 2003. After returning from his sole DL stint at the time, the late George Steinbrenner names the already-revered shortstop the 11th captain in Yankees history, and the first since Don Mattingly's last season in 1995.

September 11th, 2009. En route to his 5th championship, and 8 years to the day that a tragic terrorist attack severely damaged the city he loves so dearly, the aging "Boy Wonder" passes the Iron Horse to become the all-time hits leader in a franchise that's seen some of the most historic players ever.

July 9th, 2011. To add an exclamation point to his Hall of Fame-worthy career, Derek Sanderson Jeter hits a home run to record his 3,000th hit, just the 28th player in baseball history to reach this plateau, and the first one to do it as a Yankee.

Need I say more? Congratulations, Derek Jeter. Go Yankees.

There's A First Time For Everything.

We're about to experience quite a few "firsts" in the upcoming days and weeks. And people say baseball isn't exciting.

Twins catcher Joe Mauer will be making his first start at first base this season, seeing as Justin Morneau will be out for a few more weeks or months with yet another injury. Mauer, who is also injury prone, is taking the start in the infield because the Twins brass is still cautious about his legs, and therefore want to give him as many breaks from crouching behind the plate as possible, but prefer to keep his bat in the lineup as much as possible. We here at TBF feel this is actually a great move: it not only gives Mauer a chance to show off some of that hotshot talent that we've only seen flashes of since his 2009 MVP season, but also could help the struggling Twins gain some ground in the standings, even though they're pretty deeply entrenched in the AL Central cellar.

Even though star centerfielder Andrew McCutchen got robbed of his first All-Star appearance this season (something he most certainly deserved), 2011 is the first year since 1992 that the Pirates have finished the first half with a winning record, and the first time since 1999 that they've been over .500 this late in the season at all. Although many are skeptical about whether or not they can keep this level of performance up, but considering that they're somehow beating the Cubs, Astros, AND Reds, and are only trailing the Brewers and Cardinals by 2 games, it wouldn't be surprising to see them in the postseason. Well, it would be, but you get the idea.

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is only 3 hits away from 3,000, which would make him the first Yankee (28th player in history) to reach this milestone. I don't even really need to go into why this one is special, do I? Suffice it to say, a certain writer of this blog will be overly jubilant on the day it finally comes to fruition (and expect the most gushing blog post about Jeter that you've ever seen).

And, for the first time, we'll end a post way earlier than usual, and without mentioning our immense dislike for the Red Sox/Roy Oswalt.