The trade deadline is a little over 24 hours away. Some big names -- like Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and Rich Harden -- have already been moved. Some other big names -- like Manny Ramirez, Jason Bay and A.J. Burnett -- could still be on the move before tomorrow's 4PM deadline.

Join me, and perhaps a few of my FanHouse brethren, for a chat at 2:30PM ET as we go over all the rumors floating around.

July 31 is rapidly approaching. Buy or Sell lets each team know where they stand on the trade market with the deadline right around the corner.

This is the year that the Jays really thought they were going to take that step into the stratosphere of the Yankees and the Red Sox. Of course, you could probably say that about the Blue Jays every year for the last ten. But with the acquisitions of the likes of Scott Rolen and David Eckstein, this was really going to be the year.

Instead, not only were they passed by the Rays, but they've been passed by the Baltimore Orioles. And these are two franchises that haven't been known for great baseball decisions over the past ten years.

With the trade deadline right around the corner, our MLB editor brings you the top five rumors every day until July 31.

- The Mariners are done, and they have been for awhile, which means the next two weeks could bring a flurry of activity in the Pacific Northwest, writes the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's David Andriesen. Perhaps the most intriguing name? Adrian Beltre, who is under contract through 2009 at a somewhat modest $12 million. Beltre won't save a team's offense by himself, but he does have decent pop, he's a terrific defender at the hot corner and he's probably the Mariners' most valuable asset they're actually willing to part with. A reunion with his old team, the Dodgers, could make a lot of sense.

- The Phillies can't be feeling too great about their position these days. The Mets are charging hard in the NL East and the Brewers moved to the head of the wild card class by adding CC Sabathia. All-Star second baseman Chase Utley says he would welcome a pitching upgrade. For now, it appears he'll have to settle for Brett Myers, who will return to the Philadelphia rotation July 23 after a stint in the minors.

The Phillies have been connected to every big pitching name on the trade market that's even been joked about -- from Matt Cain to A.J. Burnett to Erik Bedard. Still, considering the cost and quality of those pitchers and the relative lack of depth in their farm system, the Phils' best bet might be to gamble on Myers, who hasn't pitched nearly as badly as his 5.84 ERA would suggest, returning to form.

July 31 is rapidly approaching. Buy or Sell lets each team know where they stand on the trade market with the deadline right around the corner.

Here's where Chase Utley stands on the trade market:

"You want to know what the possibilities are out there," Utley said Tuesday before playing in his third All-Star Game. "I know our organization wants to win, and if they can find a piece that will fit into our puzzle to give us a better chance, they'll do that."

Sounds like "Buy" to me. Case closed (It's like Utley wrote the blog entry for me). But I suppose you'd like some more details. All right. It's obvious that the Phillies could use a front-line starter. And with CC Sabathia and Rich Harden already gone, they seem to be getting creative ... as a name you wouldn't expect is starting to surface.

The Phillies are desperate for starting pitching ... maybe a touch more desperate than the Brewers or Cubs were when they made their deals for CC Sabathia and Rich Harden. But they didn't get either (and we know they were kicking the tires on Sabathia). And now, the Phillies have dicthed Plan A for Plan A.J. (as in Burnett, get it?)

It isn't known how far talks have progressed, but top Blue Jays executive Tony LaCava was spotted this week watching the Phillies' Double-A Reading team, an indication things are heating up.

The Toronto Globe and Mail reported that the Dodgers also were pursuing Burnett. However, it appears that talks with the Phillies may be more serious.

After Sabathia, A.J. Burnett would wind up being Philly's silver medal. That feeling would be mutual, as Burnett had openly pined for the Cubs. But that was probably just because Burnett was talking to media from Chicago. All A.J. really wants is to play in a place where baseball is "breakfast, lunch, and dinner". Well, with the Eagles residing across the street, football will always be the main course. But baseball is certainly a nice brunch type meal, or perhaps a pulled pork sandwich from Bull's BBQ with a side of crab fries.

Mmmmm ... crab fries.

Poor A.J. Burnett isn't making any friends north of the border these days. First, he sarcastically tipped his cap to a booing Blue Jays crowd after being pulled from a bad outing. Then, a Chicago Sun Times reporter asked him about a possible trade to the Cubs to which Burnett responded:

"As of right now I'm a Blue Jay, and I'm going to pitch to the best of my ability as long as I'm part of this club," he said. "But if something were to happen and I'd have the opportunity to go to a place where baseball is breakfast, lunch and dinner, that would be awesome.

"Right now my focus is with this club, but if something like that were to happen, I'd accept it with open arms."

Hmmm. Perhaps Burnett was merely trying to be nice knowing the reporter was from Chicago, but it was still probably a little stronger and more honest than the Blue Jays, and especially their fans would have wanted it. Trying not to burn bridges in Chicago before he gets there, he might have burned a bridge or two in Toronto. After Sunday's loss to the Cubs, Burnett was asked about the quote, and about how fans might perceive it:

Back in February us FanHouse-ers highlighted one player from each team on whom the brunt of the pressure would lie during the 2008 season, and AJ Burnett was selected as the Blue Jay's main man:

The Jays took a bit of a gamble in signing him in the first place as he had been injured before, but gave him a 5-year deal before the 2006 season. He proved himself very effective during the times that he was healthy, posting sub-4.00 ERAs in both 2006 and 2007. In fact, with injuries to B.J. Ryan and Roy Halladay, the role of "pitching rock" fell upon him and he definitely didn't let the team down.

Last night was AJ's first start of the season, and he did not disappoint: Six innings pitched, five hits, and just the two runs that came off of A-Rod's first (of many! 50+?) homer of 2008. Obviously, it would be silly to make predictions on a player's season after just one performance, but if I was to make a prediction I would say that based on last night's work AJ is on his way to another good year and will make a big impact on his team this year. In fact, if he and Halladay can just stay healthy, the Jays might have a chance at making a playoff run.

Unfortunately for the Jays and their fans, their entire team seems to be affected by something akin to the Pavano Plague ... an injury-free year is highly unlikely. Sorry...

Have the Blue Jays given up on would-be ace A.J. Burnett?

After a season that saw Burnett sidelined for a couple months with injury and called out by his GM for racing with a guy in a chili pepper costume, it seemed that the Jays might want to cut their losses by cutting ties with the guy they'd hoped would form a tough one-two punch with Roy Halladay.

Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi has gone on record saying that the Jays aren't actively shopping Burnett. But they wouldn't shy away from the idea, either.

"We like having A.J. here," Ricciardi told ESPN.com. "He gives us a good opportunity to win in 2008, and that's our main objective right now. But we're open-minded. If someone blew us away, we'd be foolish not to listen. If someone came to us tomorrow and said, 'We'll give you this, this and this for him,' we'd be foolish not to look at it."

So the Jays' options are banking on winning it all with the Halladay-Burnett combo next season or risk losing Burnett, who can opt out of his contract after 2008, to free agency? Here's betting A.J.'s starting for some other team come next April.

As if they didn't have enough to contend with in 2007 with rampant injuries, ill-timed power outages from guys like Frank Thomas and Vernon Wells and the ongoing A.J. Burnett saga, the Blue Jays may also be victims of the so-called "veggie curse."

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) just released its list of "vegetarian friendly ballparks," on which the Rogers Centre ranks seventh. Good news for those Jays fans who abstain from meat, to be sure. But the Toronto Star points out that the 11 ballparks on PETA's list are homes to teams that have won the World Series a combined total of just 17 times. On the flip side, Yankee Stadium, where the meat flows fast and furious, has housed 26 World Series champs alone.

Do the Powers that Be in Toronto see a connection?

"No, we do not," Blue Jays president Paul Godfrey said, his voice rising a comic octave. "How could you believe in any curse when our team is hitting the way they are?"

Still, Jays pitcher Brian Tallet is doing his part to keep the clubhouse well-stocked with meat; the dude's homemade beef jerky is a hit with his teammates.

"Guys on the team really like it," he says. "They're always coming over to my locker to get a piece. They say it's better than all the store brands, so I think that's a pretty good compliment."

Mathematically still in it, the Jays could buck the trend and ride a meat-powered streak to the playoffs. Stay tuned.

It's been a long, strange season for A.J. Burnett; one that began with great promise but slowly dissolved in a haze of chili pepper races, rumors and stints on the DL, where he's been since July 1.

Now Burnett's feelin' fine and anxious to jump back into the action. But the Powers That Be see things a bit differently.

With almost a month away from facing major-league hitters, the team feels Burnett would best be served by facing live hitters at the minor-league level for at least two starts.

"I think he does," Jays manager John Gibbons said when asked if Burnett could use more rehab starts in addition to yesterday's 61-pitch simulated game.

"We'll get together with J.P. (GM Ricciardi) and talk about it. Nothing's definite yet."

Part of the concern may well stem from the fact that the Jays' Burnett-free rotation posted an American League-leading 3.40 ERA through July, while Burnett's replacement, rookie Jesse Litsch, has been one of the team's few 2007 success stories.

Stay tuned.