MLB Mlb Trade Deadline

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Now that the hands are dealt -- expect for one or two more this month -- we can examine the pennant races to come.

There wasn't much point in assessing the races until after Friday's non-waiver trade deadline, when we know what we're dealing with. Some important pieces will change hands after they clear waivers this month, but they probably won't be difference-makers.

Before we get to the predictions, though, let's talk about one trade that didn't happen.

So you thought that once Matt Holliday went to St. Louis and Cliff Lee wound up with the Phillies deadline day itself would be anticlimactic? Hardly.

Three All-Stars, including a former Rookie of the Year and Cy Young, went elsewhere on July 31, and all that happened while the biggest name on the market all month, Roy Halladay, stayed put.

No, this deadline did not disappoint. There was a flurry of activity right down to 4 PM ET and a legitimate shocker to finish it all off. What better way to wrap up all of the intrigue then with a look at the early winners and losers? Join me -- and a few other members of the MLB FanHouse crew -- as we break it all down after the jump.

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OAKLAND -- The Blue Jays have the best pitcher in baseball on their roster, yet they still came up as losers at the trading deadline.

The players in the clubhouse didn't feel that way. The manager didn't feel that way. The general manager didn't.

We don't know how Roy Halladay feels about it, because he chose not to talk to reporters. Therein lies the clue to what happened here. When Halladay was talking about his status on the trading block at the All-Star Game, he said over and over and over that he was willing to do whatever gave him the best chance to win.

As the trading deadline passed on Friday, with him still wearing a Blue Jays uniform, perhaps he knew that opportunity had passed for him and the Blue Jays.

A major league source has confirmed to FanHouse that the White Sox have obtained injured Padres ace Jake Peavy -- who earlier this year rejected a trade to Chicago -- for lefties Clayton Richard and Aaron Poreda and right-handers Dexter Carter and Adam Russell.

The deal was completed 23 seconds before the 4 PM ET trade deadline, White Sox general manager Kenny Williams said.

"In my world," Williams said, "if you get to a situation where you have a chance to get to the playoffs, you certainly want a chance to dream about being in the playoffs and getting to the World Series and winning the World Series. I simply did not feel as though we were positioned right now to match up against some of the big boys when we're in a short series. You're talking about the Yankees, you're talking about Boston."

The Marlins acquired first baseman Nick Johnson from the Nationals in exchange for former first-round pick Aaron Thompson, a Double-A left-hander, FanHouse has confirmed.

Johnson, who is going to be a free agent at the end of the season, is hitting .295 with six homers. He's got a .408 on-base percentage. The Marlins will presumably move Jorge Cantu to third and Emilio Bonifacio to the bench.

Thompson, 22, was 5-9 with a 4.11 ERA at Double-A. He was the Marlins' first-round pick, 22nd overall, in 2005.

It looks unlikely that Roy Halladay will be on the move, but the Blue Jays did shed payroll Friday afternoon, dealing third baseman Scott Rolen to the Reds for Edwin Encarnacion and two minor leaguers, a source tells FanHouse.

Cincinnati has rapidly fallen out of the NL Central race over the last few weeks, losing nine of its last 10 games to slide into fifth place in the division and draw the ire of manager Dusty Baker, who criticized his team for their lifeless play.

Locked in a tight wild-card race and in need of an offensive boost, the Red Sox struck a blockbuster deal Friday, acquiring catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez from the Indians.

FanHouse first reported that Boston was on the verge of acquiring Martinez Friday afternoon. A source confirmed reports that Cleveland would get right-hander Justin Masterson, Single-A left-hander Nick Hagadone and a player to be named, expected to be Single-A right-hander Bryan Price.

A second source said Boston then traded first baseman Adam LaRoche, the odd man out after Martinez's arrival, to Atlanta. The first source confirmed that was straight up for Casey Kotchman, who could be a defensive replacement at first.

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The A's completed the long-rumored trade of Orlando Cabrera to the Twins, acquiring minor league shortstop Tyler Ladendorf, a source confirmed to FanHouse. The A's are also sending cash to the Twins.

The Twins, seeking middle-infield help, reportedly focused on Cabrera and San Diego's David Eckstein. Cabrera, 34, has raised his average to .280 by hitting .354 since June 16.

The A's had little incentive to keep him because they agreed when they signed him not to offer him arbitration, so they would not have gotten any compensation picks for him if he left as a free agent.

There have already been two massive blockbusters in the last week, but as the clock ticked toward the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline at 4 PM ET a few more went down.

Roy Halladay, Victor Martinez and Adrian Gonzalez were a few of the big names out there, and a number of smaller pieces were on the move. To relive the madness, as brought to you by the MLB FanHouse crew, read the chat wrap after the jump.

The Tigers' biggest need seemed to be a bat, what with their offense ranking 10th in the American League in runs scored. Instead, they traded Friday for lefty Jarrod Washburn, who had been third in the AL in ERA for the Mariners.

A team source said Detroit is still seeking offensive help, although there has yet to be a match with Baltimore for Luke Scott. But there aren't as many impact bats available at the trade deadline, so the front office began exploring bolstering its rotation instead. Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson and Rick Porcello have been very good, but Armando Galarraga had struggled and Luke French was filling the fifth spot.