The Atlanta Braves are focusing on adding a left-handed reliever before the trade deadline, according to a report from Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Bowman notes that the team's wish list includes Mike Gonzalez (Brewers), James Russell (Cubs), and, to a lesser extent, Wesley Wright (Astros).

Padres to Yankees: We're not giving you Headley

The Yankees asked about the third baseman, but were told that he is not available.

While the possibility of the Cubs dealing Russell has long been considered unlikely, Gonzalez has said that he believes he will be traded before the deadline, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

The 35-year old spent three seasons (2007-2009) in Atlanta, and primarily served as the team's closer during that time.

The Brewers are known to be shopping him along with right-handed relievers Francisco Rodriguez and John Axford, and the Dodgers, Red Sox, Orioles, Tigers and Diamondbacks are among the teams who have scouted the trio.

The Braves recently were turned away after inquiring about Twins' closer Glen Perkins, according to ESPN.com's Jim Bowden. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported recently that Atlanta has also shown interest in Mariners' lefty Oliver Perez, although Seattle is known throughout the league as a "hesitant seller". Before the White Sox shipped Matt Thornton to the Red Sox, the Braves were among the teams pursuing him, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.

Other lefties who could be made available in trades include Javier Lopez (Giants), Michael Dunn (Marlins), and Charlie Furbush (Mariners). Another option for the Braves could be Red Sox' reliever Ryan Rowland-Smith, who has been excellent on the season with Triple-A Pawtucket but has not been rewarded with a promotion. According to a source, Rowland-Smith has an August 5th opt-out date in his minor league deal with Boston.

Although they are now focused on left-handed help, the Braves have previously been linked to available right-handed relievers like Joba Chamberlain of the Yankees and Kevin Gregg of the Cubs. It is almost certain that they will add one or two relievers before the July 31st deadline.

More from MLB Daily Dish:

• Padres trade rumors: San Diego looking to sell
• Giants trade rumors: Tigers, others interested in Tim Lincecum
• Eighty percent chance Garza is traded before start
• Join the MLBDD community and write a fanpost!

Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez could return from the disabled list on Monday, reports Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

With the team also getting left fielder Ryan Braun back from the bereavement list, the Brewers will get two of their best hitters back for the second half. They have struggled this season, despite signing pitcher Kyle Lohse and getting an excellent performance from Jean Segura.

Ramirez has been on the DL since July 7 with a knee injury, but things have gone as scheduled and he should not have any hitches before his return.

The 35-year-old Ramirez is hitting .271 this season with an OPS of .773. His power numbers have been down this year, but taking some time to get healthy could be beneficial to him.

More from SB Nation:

• Rumor: Rangers close to acquiring Garza from Cubs

• Brisbee: 5 shocking predictions for the 2nd half

• Minor League Ball’s midseason prospect rankings

• A-Rod positioned to play hero

• Longread: Brooklyn’s field of broken dreams

The Houston Astros have put Bud Norris on the trading block. It feels like there are trade rumors swirling around Norris every year but it seems the 2013 trade deadline is the best opportunity for Houston to trade him for the most value. With the Chicago Cubs supposedly asking a king's ransom for Matt Garza, a free agent to be with a long, detailed injury history, Norris provides a more controllable, younger alternative. Only arbitration eligible for the first time this season, Norris won't be a free agent until 2016 when he'll be 31.

The Astros aren't going anywhere this year or the next and they have a couple young, high-upside arms in Jarred Cosart, Lance McMullers Jr. and Mike Foltynewicz developing in the minors. Having a pitcher who will be getting more and more expensive through the 2015 season doesn't seem necessary for a team that isn't going to be competitive in the not-so-distant future. Therefore, Bud Norris is an intriguing trade option for contending teams and others that are looking for an innings-eaters that could be a stable back-end rotation piece.

Player Analysis

As mentioned before, Norris became arbitration eligible for the first time this past winter and settled for a $3 million salary with the Astros, making him the highest paid player on Houston's roster. He'll be a free agent after the 2015 season so he provides some intriguing long-term value. Norris isn't very expensive this year but he's on pace to have the best season of his career so he may be due for a raise next year.

Norris doesn't boast a very eclectic pitch arsenal with a four-seamer, sinker, changeup and slider. Since debuting in 2009, his fastball velocity had been steadily decreasing but has seen a bounce back in 2013, averaging about 93 MPH. Velocity may have somewhat returned in 2013 but his strikeout rate has plummeted. From 2009 until 2012, it hovered around 22-23% but has dropped to 16.7% this year. But he is posting a career low 7.4% walk rate!

Once thing Norris has always had a problem with is home runs. His HR/FB% has usually been 1-3% higher than the league average, leading to an xFIP that has always been lower than his ERA and FIP. Since we have three full seasons to work with, it could be assumed that he was going to continue to be homer-prone. But right now, Norris is sporting a 5.8% HR/FB rate. His batted ball profile has been practically identical with his career norms so it seems that he has been getting lucky and not making a significant improvement. The midseason xFIP of 4.35 warns of an impending regression in the second half of 2013.

Norris has had his fair share of nicks and bruises and has only eclipsed 180 innings once. At the All-Star break in 2013, he had thrown 114 innings. Batters are making contact more often (79.6% contact rate in 2013) and he's thriving on a significant boost in first-strike percentage (65.2%) so he's seemingly become more efficient. His BABIP is higher than it has ever been (.326). At this rate, it looks like Norris is getting a little bit unlucky with balls put in play but he's getting ahead of batters more often than before. It's looking like he might be able to reach 190, maybe even 200 innings this year. He's not going to be on the leaderboards with innings pitched but durability shouldn't be a concerned.

Overall, Norris has been slightly better than replacement level over his first three full seasons, averaging 1.4 fWAR every year. At the All-Star break, he's already accumulated 2.1 fWAR in 2013. He is still just 28 years old and may still be improving but we have a pretty good snapshot of the pitcher Norris is: decent-to-good strikeout rate with average control and prone to the long ball. If we're buying into his significantly lower HR/FB rate in 2013 and expect it to continue, Norris could end up being worth more than three wins this year. Earning just $3 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility, he is definitely going to command more next year. Wins are worth about $5 million and Norris should continue to be worth one-and-a-half wins and possibly more throughout 2015. Arbitration should keep his salary down, leaving teams the ability to extract considerable value from an innings eater with good strikeout potential.

Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports

Market Analysis

Who are the other starting pitchers believed to be on the block? Teams such as the Brewers, Twins, Marlins, Cubs, White Sox, Mariners, Royals and Padres can arguably be considered out of contention and may be positioned as "sellers."

Of these eight teams, I think we can safely say that those controlled, dominant starting pitchers such as Jose Fernandez, Felix Hernandez and Jeff Samardzija. Teams have apparently been lining around the block to inquire about Chris Sale from the White Sox but after signing a team-friendly, long-term deal, I highly doubt he'll be wearing a different uniform after July unless Chicago is completely blown away by some offer.

Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports

But there are a couple controllable starters that may be on the block such as Yovani Gallardo, Carlos Villanueva and John Danks. Gallardo is an intriguing option to "buy low" as he's in the middle of his worst season but has a proven track record of being a productive starting pitcher, accumulating 12.4 fWAR from 2009-12 and averaging 195 innings a season. He's earning $7.75 million this year but his salary will rise to $11.25 million next year. The deal also holds a $13 million team option in 2015 with a $600,000 buyout. Younger than Norris at just 27 years old, Gallardo may be the best controllable starter if Milwaukee puts him on the block.

Carlos Villanueva was signed by the Cubs in October for 2 years and $10 million to serve as a back-end starter who could also shift into the bullpen. Although his strikeout rate has dropped, Villanueva's walk rate has improved and his groundball percentage is at its highest since 2008. This and a significantly lower fly ball rate have led to a career low 3.77 FIP/3.85 xFIP. Chicago isn't going to catch the Cardinals, Reds or Pirates and have already traded Scott Feldman and are currently weighing offers on Matt Garza, who is likely to be traded this week. With another starter about to be traded, I think the Cubs will keep Villanueva this year to hold down the back-end of their rotation.

John Danks had shown serious promise when he was younger, breaking out with a 3.44 FIP in 195 innings for the White Sox in 2008. Injuries have sidetracked his career throughout the past couple years, culminating with surgery to repair a capsule tear in his left shoulder in the summer of 2012. He's been able to pitch 62.2 innings before the All-Star break but doesn't seem to be getting the excellent results that he used to. More prone to homeruns than ever before, his ERA and FIP have swollen to 4.31/4.64 but his xFIP argues that he's still a productive pitcher. His batted ball profile has been very similar to his successful years so perhaps he's just been getting unlucky with his HR/FB rate. Danks has never had substantial strikeout potential and has thrived on control. Although it's rather smaller sample size, Danks has posted an impressive 3.2% walk rate. Still only 28 years old, there may be some good years ahead for Danks. But with the upside comes a hefty price tag. From 2013 until 2016, Danks will be earning $14.25 million. Contending teams may not want to take a risk on an expensive pitcher coming off of major shoulder surgery.

There are also a handful of free-agent-to-be starters that are believed to be available such as Matt Garza and Phil Hughes. Much has been written about Garza over the past few weeks and appears a lock to be dealt.

The Yankees have been staying afloat in the AL East race despite tons of injuries to their aging core. With Michael Pineda waiting in the minors and Phil Hughes a free agent to be, New York has understandably been fielding offers for the intriguing pitcher. Hughes has shown some promise over his career but struggles with inconsistency and durability, leaving doubt about whether he would be a rotation upgrade for some contending teams. Inquiring teams may be thinking of him as a bullpen piece that he excelled in earlier in his career. Needless to say, Hughes may get traded but I think more teams will be interested in the similar but cheaper and more controllable Norris.

Potential Matches

Should Rangers not get Garza, sources say they've been in on Bud Norris. Other teams in on Norris: Pirates, Dodgers, Jays, Giants and more.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 18, 2013

Jeff Passan has kindly done most of the work already, listing some possible matches for Bud Norris. The Rangers keeping tabs on Norris as an alternative to Garza isn't surprising nor is the Giants as Ryan Vogelsong and Tim Lincecum may be pitching their last seasons in San Francisco. Toronto is interesting because even if Josh Johnson leaves this offseason, Kyle Drabek should be recovered and able to slide into his rotation spot. Considering how unlucky the Blue Jays have been with starting pitching injuries over the past couple years, they actually make for a conceivable landing spot. Personally, I'd expect the Angels and Indians to jump into the bidding war as dark horses as well.

The Rangers

Texas always seems to be looking for ways to improve their rotation. With Colby Lewis still rebuilding arm strength after last year's Tommy John surgery and Matt Harrison not expected back until September, Jon Daniels and company may view Norris as a better option than Martin Perez as the fifth starter. With a farm system plentiful with young, high-upside players, Texas will quickly have the upper hand over its competitors. Perhaps they could dangle an intriguing ranked prospect such as Joey Gallo in trade talks.

The Giants

Tim Lincecum and Ryan Vogelsong are free agents to be and San Francisco has to be concerned with Matt Cain's sudden implosion this year. With reigning NL MVP Buster Posey still performing well and Pablo Sandoval assumingly getting healthy over the All-Star break, don't be surprised if the Giants make a run at the up-for-grabs NL West. Their playoff odds are low but an acquisition such as Bud Norris could stabilize their rotation and allow them to try to trade Lincecum for outfield help. Edwin Escobar or Andrew Susac could pose as decent trade bait that Houston could ask for.

The Blue Jays

Toronto made a big splash this offseason and traded a lot of their rising talent but still have some prospects to spare. Josh Johnson is due to become a free agent next year, J.A. Happ is recovering from concussion symptoms and Brandon Morrow continues to struggle to stay healthy. The instability of their rotation may be the primary factor in their reported interested in Norris. That being said, Kyle Drabek should be back for the start of 2014, Esmil Rogers has had some great spot starts and they always have the option of stretching Brett Cecil out, even though he has been lights out in the bullpen. With Houston owning all of the leverage in trade talks, I think Toronto acquiring Norris could be considered a long shot.

The Dark Horses

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Angels reported as a potential landing spot for Norris. Joe Blanton has been a disaster since signing with Anaheim, Jason Vargas (a free agent to be nonetheless) is still recovering from a blood clot and Tommy Hanson, hasn't been able to stay healthy and effective. The Angels aren't rolling out a gigantic payroll just to be a distant third behind Texas and Oakland and I think Norris would be a better option than Garrett Richards or Jerome Williams.

Matt Garza and Zack Greinke: A Trade Comparison

Matt Garza is sure to be on the move. How does he compare to last season's "big-time starting pitcher on the move,"Zack Greinke?

The Indians have reportedly been interested in Matt Garza but I think they will fall short as playoff contenders this year. Detroit should run away with the division in the second half and the Rays, Rangers and Athletics are simply better teams that will be duking it out for the wildcard. Therefore, Cleveland should be looking for future pitching help instead of for the present. Scott Kazmir was a scrap heap pickup that has been pitching better as of late but Norris would provide more durability and innings in the long run. Ubaldo Jimenez has an $8 million team option for 2014, which Cleveland will likely use, but if he falls apart in the second half, they could have Norris as insurance.

Overall, Bud Norris has been a serviceable innings-eater that could be a viable #4 or #5 starter on most teams. Cheap and controllable with strikeout potential, he provides considerable long-term value for inquiring teams. Although he may not be as attractive as other controlled starters such as Gallardo, Norris is in the middle of a career year and may continue to improve. With such a low payroll, the Astros shouldn't really have a burning desire to trade him but if they're planning on getting two top prospects for Norris, perhaps now is the best time to sell high.

. . .

All stats courtesy of Fangraphs and Brooks Baseball. Contract information courtesy of Baseball Reference.

Mike Mulvenna is a writer for Beyond the Box Score.

You can follow him on twitter @mkmulv.

The Streamer Report provides you with daily startng pitcher streaming selections for owners who prefer to stream starting pitchers on a daily basis. This report identifies starting pitchers who are owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues, and who either has a decent track record vs their opponent, has pitched well of late, or has a decent matchup.

Here are some streamer pitching options for Saturday:

Saturday's Streamers

Zack Wheeler vs Phillies

Wheeler is owned in 37.7% of ESPN leagues and faces off against the Mets at home on Saturday. Wheeler is coming off his longest outing of the season, going 7 innings, giving up just one run on 3 hits, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts.

Nathan Eovaldi vs Brewers

How does a guy that is 2-0 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in his first five starts of the season only owned in 2.1% of ESPN leagues? Eovaldi has gone at least 6 innings and given up 3 runs or less in each of his 5 starts this season.

Dan Straily vs Angels

Straily is owned in just 5.3% of ESPN leagues and is coming of two of his best starts of the season, giving up just one runs vs the Pirates in 6.1 innings, and tossing seven shutout innings vs the Cubs.

More from Fake Teams:

• Streamer Report: Friday's Pitching Streamers
• Waiting in the Wings: Taijuan Walker
• Freddie Freeman: Overrated fantasy first baseman
• Jonathan Lucroy: Underrated fantasy catcher
• Minor League Level Review (Low-A and Below): Appel and Gray Debut, Quinn and Gallo Hurt
• 2013 Midseason Position Rankings: First Base
• Fake Teams Podcast Episode 18: The Tools of Ignorance
• Head-to-Head Risers and Fallers: All-Star Edition

We're all excited about the potential for a top-5 pick in next year's draft, so on a lark I decided to take a look at the remaining opponents for the Brewers. There are 21 series yet to be played, against 14 different opponents. Most of those are familiar faces - NL Central foes like the Cubs, Cardinals, Reds, and Pirates, so that should give you a pretty good sense of how things are going to go in the second half.

But we here at Brew Crew Ball like to be thorough, so what you'll see below is a color-coded table assigning a difficulty to each team based upon its win total this season. Let me anticipate the objection: straight wins are not necessarily an accurate reflection of talent. I'll concede the point. But that's what we're going to use, because it's quick and dirty and seems to pretty well correlate with our gut sense of who's good and who's not.

The lowest-win team (Astros) have 33 wins, and the highest-win team (Red Sox) have 58. That breaks down into about a 5-win range for each level (it doesn't quite even out, so I threw an extra win in the most difficult level). And as a gamer, I couldn't pass on the opportunity to assign difficulty labels based on Diablo III.

Now that you've got the scale down, here's how the Brewers remaining schedule looks:

Things start off easy enough for the Brewers, with some cupcake matches against the Marlins and Cubs. But once mid-August rolls around, they're in a world of misery. We're talking nine circles of hell, with numerous series against the Cardinals, Reds, Pirates, and a series against Atlanta thrown in for good measure. August and September are not going to be pretty.

All told, the Brewers have 68 games remaining. Of those 68 games, nearly half (33) are against some of the most difficult opponents in baseball; all but three of those are against opponents with at least 53 wins. There are 10 "Inferno"-level series against just one "Easy" series. Nearly 68% of the team's remaining games come against opponents with at least 43 wins, and it's arguable that some of those teams - particularly the Angels and Giants - will be more dangerous than their rank suggests.

Those chances of a top pick are looking pretty good after all.

The non-waiver trade deadline is a mere 12 days away, and third base is a position of need for the Dodgers.

The team has used a combination of players this season trying to fill the hot corner. Luis Cruz began the season as the starter but before the end of April hit his way out of a full-time job. Cruz started 20 games at third base, Nick Punto started 14 and Jerry Hairston started 11 at the position. Juan Uribe, in what has been a remarkably resurgent season, has helped stabilize the position somewhat with 49 starts at third.

Dodgers third baseman are 26th in MLB in OPS (.631), 24th in batting average (.232), 21st in on-base percentage (.305), 28th in slugging percentage (.326), 25th in wOBA (25th), 22nd in wRC+ (76), 27th in total bases (111) and tied for 26th in home runs (five).

Offense isn't everything, of course, and thanks to the defense of Cruz, now gone, and Uribe, the Dodgers are closer to the middle of the pack, 14th overall in FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement (1.7).

The bulk, if not all of that production has come from Uribe, who is hitting .270/.343/.413 with 10 doubles and five home runs in 71 games. Uribe's OPS+ of 113 is higher than Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp and A.J. Ellis, and compared to his putrid production in the first two years (.199/.262/.289 in 2011-2012, a 54 OPS+) Uribe has been a godsend.

But to count on Uribe going forward is a risky proposition. Uribe has started 22 of the last 32 games at third base, with the 35-year-old Punto and 37-year-old Hairston in reserve. Acquiring a third baseman with some stability is obviously preferred, but is there anyone out there?

Aramis Ramirez

The 35-year-old is hitting .271/.359/.414 with five home runs and 11 doubles in 51 games this season after averaging .297/.359/.534, 28 home runs and 97 RBI over the previous nine years. He is currently on the disabled list with a left knee injury, but could be back as early as Monday, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Finding out if Ramirez is healthy will go a long way in determining whether the Dodgers want to take on the remainder of his $10 million salary this season (approximately $3.8 million if acquired Tuesday), $16 million in 2014 and a mutual option for 2015 or a $4 million buyout, per Cot's Contracts.

With the Brewers 18 games under .500 they might be looking to offload other pieces as well, like one of their relievers or even starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo, so Ramirez and his salary could be part of a larger trade.

Michael Young

The standard wish list of Phillies, starting pitcher Cliff Lee and second baseman Chase Utley, requires a loss of faith by the Philadelphia front office in their ability to contend. But a deal for the 36-year-old Young, a free agent after the season, seems far more likely to happen regardless of what happens on the field for the Phillies in the next two weeks.

Young is hitting .288/.344/.414 with 18 doubles and six home runs in 89 games, and honestly would anyone be surprised if the Bishop Amat grad and UCSB Gaucho ends up in Los Angeles? The Phillies are only on the hook for $6 million of Young's $16 million salary in 2013, so they may not be in a huge rush to save roughly $2.3 million.

Trevor Plouffe

The 27-year-old is hitting .265/.323/.445 with 10 home runs in 2013, on pace for a roughly similar season to 2012 when he hit .235/.301/.455 with 24 home runs. There is no real indication that Plouffe is even on the block, but 20-year-old Miguel Sano is a top 10 prospect in all of baseball and could take over at third base for the Twins in a year or so.

Plouffe has one year, 162 days of service time and will be a Super Two in 2014, the first of four years of arbitration eligibility, making this a long-term play.

Chase Headley

What a difference a year makes. Headley finished sixth in the National League MVP race in 2012, but now the 29-year-old is hitting just .229/.330/.359 with seven home runs in 82 games in 2013. Perhaps the Padres wouldn't require a king's ransom for the player looking less like the one who hit 23 home runs in 75 games after the 2012 All-Star break and looking more like the one with 51 home runs in his 697 other major league games.

But Headley, who is making $8.575 million in 2013 and has one more year of arbitration eligibility before hitting free agency, sounds like he isn't going anywhere any time soon. As Jon Heyman of CBS Sports noted Wednesday, "People who have spoken to the Padres have the impression it would take a special prospect to make the Padres even consider a trade for Headley."

To help us get ready for this weekend's Marlins series we talked to Michael Jong of Fish Stripes about his team and this series. His answers to our questions are below:

BCB: The Brewers won't see 20-year-old All Star pitcher Jose Fernandez this weekend but they will see 22-year-old Jacob Turner on Friday, 23-year-old Nathan Eovaldi on Saturday and 23-year-old Henderson Alvarez on Sunday. Are the aforementioned four the future of this franchise?

FS: Some of those pitchers will be, and some of them will not. Jose Fernandez is guaranteed to be a major part of the rebuilding process in Miami, as he appears to be a bona fide ace-in-the-making for the Fish, as evidenced by his All-Star rookie season. Jacob Turner appears to be the most promising of the remaining pitchers, as he has a former top prospect pedigree and has flashed some above average stuff in his time in the majors despite mediocre strikeout numbers.

Nathan Eovaldi has one interesting thing about him: a 96 mph fastball that has significantly changed his ceiling, if he is able to keep it up. Outside of that, he remains the same starter with the same issues with his breaking pitches not missing bats. Henderson Alvarez has the lowest ceiling of the four as he has a distinct lack of strikeout stuff, but he may serve as a capable starter if he maintains those ground ball rates.

BCB: Speaking of Fernandez, He's already thrown 104.2 innings this season. Is there a plan in place to keep his workload down over the next few months?

FS: The Marlins are aiming to restrict Fernandez to 160 or so innings, akin to the treatment of Stephen Strasburg last season. Not counting the 2012 minor league playoffs, Fernandez has only thrown one season of 130 professional innings, so the Fish do not want to push him too hard and would like to have this season be a buffer between a full-fledged year on the mound and his lower workload in his professional career start.
3) The Marlins are dead last in the NL in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, batting average (.233), OBP (.292) and slugging (.340). Is this offense really that bad?

Part of the problem involving those awful numbers is that the Marlins were out a good number of hitters to start the season. The team did not have Logan Morrison (.282/.371/.518 in 97 plate appearances) until early June, and the team lost Giancarlo Stanton (.250/.357/.458) for a month as well. The team has been significantly better on offense since those two players returned to the lineup, as they went from a pathetic 2.7 runs per game scored to 4.0 runs per game.

Having said that, part of the problem is indeed inherent to the club. The Marlins are giving regular playing time to guys like Jeff Mathis (,196/.279/.337), Adeiny Hechavarria (.240/.277/.324), and a platoon of veteran zombie Placido Polanco (.251/.313/.297) and minor league journeyman Ed Lucas (.269/.345/.315). Outside of Stanton and Morrison, no hitter is batting above the league average. Part of it may be bad luck, but the Fish are also loaded with bad hitting talent.

BCB: Mike Redmond is having a rough season in his managerial debut. What can you tell us about his tendencies?

FS: I saw nothing of particular interest in Mike Redmond's managerial skills versus those of other managers. He does not seem to lean towards any one direction; he is less aggressive in forcing sacrifice bunts than previous managers like Ozzie Guillen and Fredi Gonzalez. Likewise, he is less aggressive on the bases than Guillen was last season, but his personnel is also different. The Marlins' bullpen has been managed better than it was in the past, but Redmond's work there is not out of the ordinary.

The only egregious decision thus far that has been made is regarding Justin Ruggiano's playing time. While Ruggiano has had an up-and-down season, his playing time has also fluctuated despite him being obviously better on the field and at the plate than Juan Pierre. If there was one bone to pick with Redmond, it would be that one.

BCB: What does the trade deadline look like for this team? With Ricky Nolasco already gone, are they likely to make any more significant changes?

FS: The Marlins have said that they are not looking to make any more significant changes to the roster. The team is stuck in a situation in which its best trade chips are also players the team wants around for a few more years because they hold good value, which is exactly why they are valuable trade chips. While teams have clamored for Giancarlo Stanton, he is in no way leaving in 2013 until well past the World Series. The Fish likewise have no interest in trading closer Steve Cishek because of his valuable remaining team control years. Relievers like Ryan Webb and Chad Qualls may be on the move, but the Marlins' roster does not figure to change much by the end of July.

Thanks again to Michael for taking the time, and check out Fish Stripes for more on the Marlins!

When I ran the suggestion box a couple of weeks ago, one of the complaints I received anonymously is that I spend too much time "hawking" my radio appearances. If you also feel that way then I should probably warn you: This is a post where I'm going to hawk one of my radio appearances.

Per usual: Justin Hull of 95.3 WSCO and I will sit down at 2 pm today to talk Brewers and the trade deadline on The Home Stretch.

I'll be in studio with Justin for most of an hour today taking your questions, which you can send in any of the following ways:

• Call us at (866)653-1570.
• Email HomeStretch@gmail.com.
• Tweet us at @BrewCrewBall or @JustinHullRadio.

Listen in live or check back later for the archived audio, or listen in live and then listen to it again later.

And finally, we're (almost) back to baseball.

By the time this post publishes the Brewers will be slightly more than two hours away from sending Kyle Lohse (3.67 ERA, 4.46 FIP) to the mound to open the second segment of the 2013 season. Lohse is pitching on one day of extra rest after facing the Diamondbacks on Saturday and allowing five runs on four hits over 6.1 innings.

With the exception of a single rain-shortened start in June, Lohse has pitched six innings or more in each of his last nine appearances. He's done that, somehow, without ever throwing more than 103 pitches in a game. The only real chink in his armor over that period of time has been the long ball: He's allowing almost one and a half homers per nine innings since June 1.

Lohse has faced the Marlins nine times in his career, including three times in 2012 when he posted a 2.08 ERA against them over 21.2 innings. Five current Marlins have faced him ten times or more:

He'll face 22-year-old righty Jacob Turner (2.33 ERA, 2.89 FIP) in his ninth start of the season. Turner is pitching on eight days of rest after beating the Braves on July 10 when he allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings. He's thrown six innings or more in seven of his eight previous appearances this season.

Turner pitches his home games in a very pitcher-friendly park in Miami, but it's still worth noting that he's given up just one home run over 54 innings this season. That's a rate he's not likely to maintain for the rest of the season, but it's still impressive. He throws a low-to-mid 90's fastball, curve and slider.

Turner received a no-decision in his start against the Brewers on June 11, pitching seven innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts. No current Brewers have faced him ten times or more.

Tonight's lineup is as follows:

Norichika Aoki RF
Jean Segura SS
Ryan Braun LF
Jonathan Lucroy C
Carlos Gomez CF
Juan Francisco 1B
Rickie Weeks 2B
Jeff Bianchi 3B
Kyle Lohse P

Everyone in the bullpen is, of course, well rested:

• Francisco Rodriguez, Jim Henderson and Michael Gonzalez last pitched on Sunday.
• John Axford last pitched on Saturday.
• Brandon Kintzler last pitched on Friday, July 12.
• Burke Badenhop last pitched on Wednesday, July 10.
• Tyler Thornburg is sitting on 13 days of rest and counting.

It was hot in Milwaukee today, and the forecast calls for a chance of thunderstorms tonight. There's a strong chance the roof will be both open and closed at various times this evening.

W: Kyle Lohse (6-7)
L: Jacob Turner (3-2)
S: Francisco Rodriguez (10)

HR: Juan Francisco (12), Carlos Gomez (15)

MVP: Kyle Lohse (+.367 WPA)
LVP: Ryan Braun (-.084)

Box Score
Win Expectancy Graph

Well, that was kind of fun.

The Brewers opened the second "half" of the 2013 season with a 2-0 win over the Marlins tonight, powered by Kyle Lohse and the long ball. Lohse pitched six shutout innings tonight and allowed five hits, walking none and striking out five. He needed 105 pitches to record 18 outs, but was able to overcome fouling a bunt off his face early in the game.

The most encouraging development of the day might be Carlos Gomez's 15th home run, snapping a 2-for-34 skid. Two of his last three hits have been homers. Aside from tonight's pair of homers, though, the Brewers only had three other hits.

Francisco Rodriguez recorded the final three outs for for his tenth save of the season and 304th of his career. He's now recorded double-digit saves in nine of the last ten seasons.

This series continues tomorrow night at 6:10. Yovani Gallardo will take on Nathan Eovaldi with a possible series win on the line.

Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez will remain on the disabled list for 10 to 14 more days with knee soreness, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

Milwaukee placed Ramirez on the disabled list July 8, two days after leaving a game early following a diving catch. He missed much of April after spraining his left knee while sliding into second base on April 5 against the Diamondbacks. The same injury occurred just a month prior to that, during spring training, causing Ramirez to miss 10 days.

Ramirez initially said that he planned to take it slow with his recovery and would not rush back to the lineup, mentioning he probably came off the DL too quick earlier in the season.

The 35-year-old has played in just 54 games this season due to the various injuries. In addition, he said that he had been playing with soreness in his knee since his April strain. The injuries have clearly affected his power numbers as Ramirez's .414 slugging percentage is his worst since 2002, when he was 24 years old and playing for the Pirates.

Ramirez had been mentioned as a player the Brewers could possibly trade, but with his DL stint extending up to or past the trade deadline, any hopes of trading Ramirez are effectively dead. He could be a candidate for an August trade as his contract may allow him to pass through waivers and thus be trade-eligible.

More from SB Nation:

• Matt Garza trade talks continue

• 50 baseball-related metal names

• Royals Review: Dayton Moore has to go!

• The man who would be a fake Cubs mascotl

• Longread: Brooklyn’s field of broken dreams

Midseason Fantasy Position Rankings

In case you missed our Midseason Fantasy Position Rankings, here are links to each of our rankings published thus far:

• 2013 Midseason Position Rankings: Second Base
• 2013 Midseason Position Rankings: First Base
• 2013 Midseason Position Rankings: Catcher

Fake Teams Podcast, Episode 19: Sticking to our guns

I had the pleasure of joining Zack and Andrew on Thursday night's podcast to discuss our Midseason First Base Rankings, where we discussed Chris Davis and his pursuit of 60 home runs, Albert Pujols, Michael Cuddyer andYonder Alonso, among others. You can listen to our thoughts as follows:

MP3

ITunes

Desmond Jennings: Starting to reach his potential

A few years ago, Rays outfielder Desmond Jennings burst onto the fantasy scene hitting 10 home runs and stealing 20 bases in just 63 games. That two month stretch caused many fantasy writers, including me, to overvalue him heading into 2012 fantasy drafts. We all know what happened last year, as he was a bit of a disappointment, hitting just .246, but he did steal 31 bases. He started this season slowly, but has picked things up at the plate when spring turned to summer.

Yesterday, he went 3-4 with a walk and two runs scored, raising his triple slash line to .271-.329-.452 with 11 HRs, 65 runs, 37 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 22 attempts. After hitting .245-.297-.461 in June, Jennings has heated up in July, hitting .339-.426-.542 with 2 HRs, 15 runs, 10 RBI and 6 stolen bases in just 59 at bats. He is currently on pace for 18 HRs and 25 stolen bases, and fantasy owners should be happy with that. But, I have to say that I expected him to steal more bases this season, and maybe we are seeing him focus on stealing more bags here in July.

Alex Rios: Responds after being benched

Current trade target Alex Rios did not help his trade value on Friday night, as he was benched after not running out a ground ball. He rebuilt his trade value on Saturday, though, going 3-5 with a HR, 2 runs and 5 RBI in the White Sox 10-6 win over the Braves. Rios is now hitting .275-.330-.442 with 12 HRs, 48 runs, 47 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 25 attempts. He is quietly on pace for a 20 home run and 30+ stolen base season.

The Pirates, Red Sox and Rangers are rumored to be interested in Rios. His fantasy value will increase if he is dealt to either the Red Sox or Rangers, but should Rios get dealt to the Pirates, I think his fantasy value drops a little as PNC Park is a pretty good pitchers park.

Round'em Up

Another player mentioned in trade rumors a few weeks ago, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, had a big game on Saturday, going 2-4 with a HR and 3 RBI in the Phillies 5-4 loss to the Mets. Utley isn't the top fantasy second baseman anymore, but he is still pretty productive. Thus far in 2013, Utley is hitting .278-.336-.521 with 13 HRs, 44 runs, 36 RBI and 7 stolen bases in 9 attempts. Utley is a free agent at the end of the season, and I could see him landing in Los Angeles.

I have been saying it for awhile now, but Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda is one of the more underrated fantasy starting pitchers. Yesterday, he limited the Red Sox to 2 runs on 5 hits, a walk and 4 strikeouts in the Yankees 5-2 win. Kuroda is now 9-6 with a 2.65 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and a 88-25 strikeout to walk rate in 125.2 innings. Kuroda has given up 2 runs or less in 7 of his last 10 starts, and in 13 of his 20 starts overall.

I recently wrote about Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, opining that he is an underrated fantasy catcher. He made me look good last night, going 4-4 with a HR, double and 2 RBI, and is now hitting .286-.330-.493 with 14 HRs, 28 runs and 54 RBI. He is on pace to put up a 24 HR, 91 RBI season. Pretty damn good for a catcher.

Is it time to remove the ace label from Justin Verlander? Verlander stepped on the mound to face a young Royals team which he has owned in his career. In 25 career starts, he owns a 15-2 record with a 2.56 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Last night, his pitching line was full of crooked numbers, as he gave up 6 runs, 5 of which were earned on 8 hits, 4 walks and just 3 strikeouts. Verlander is now 10-7 with a 3.69 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and a 128-49 strikeout to walk rate in 131.2 innings. His 3.69 ERA and 3.35 walk rate is his worst since 2008.

Angels starter C.J. Wilson is quietly putting up a pretty solid season on the mound. Last night, he shutout the A's on 3 hits, 2 walks and 8 strikeouts over 8.1 innings in the Angels 2-0 win. Wilson is now 10-6 with a 3.15 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and a 118-49 strikeout to walk rate in 128.2 innings.

More from Fake Teams:

• Keith Law's Midseason Top 50 Prospects
• Coming Soon To A Stadium Near You: Eddie Gamboa, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
• Waiver Wire: 10 Under 10%
• Waiting in the Wings: Taijuan Walker
• Low Level Prospect Revisited: Victor Sanchez, RHP, Seattle Mariners
• Roto Roundup: Brad Miller, Will Myers, Brandon Barnes, and Others

Minor League Player of the Day: After hitting a pair of home runs yesterday, outfielder Scott Schebler continued his power surge on Saturday night by hitting yet another home run. Saturday's home run increased Schebler's tally to 21 on the season.

Triple-A: The Isotopes dropped the third game of a four game home series against the Omaha Storm Chasers on Saturday, losing by the score of 4-2. The Isotopes fell behind early and came up short despite a rally in the 9th inning. Starting pitcher Rob Rasmussen took the loss after allowing four runs in six innings of work as he fell to 0-4 on the season. Meanwhile, Nick Buss hit his 13th home run in the 9th inning, but the next two batters would strikeout to end the game.

Double-A: Unlike the Isotopes, the Lookouts would rally late in the game to overcome their deficit for the victory, beating the Birmingham Barons by the score of 6-5. After not scoring in the first two games of the series, Chattanooga scored 6 on Saturday behind the long ball, as five of the six runs crossed the plate via home run. Entering the 9th inning down one run, Jan Vazquez and Jeremy Moore each clubbed a solo home run, giving Chattanooga the lead. Top prospect Joc Pederson went 1-for-5 with 2 strikeouts, but did steal his 27th base of the season.

High Class-A: After a slow start to the second half of the season, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes have now won 11 of their past 14 games, after beating the Modesto Nuts by the score of 7-6. This time the Quakes fell behind early against one of the top performers in the California League in Daniel Winker, who entered the day with a 2.43 ERA. Despite striking out 8 times against Winkler, the Quakes touched him for three runs in six innings of work, setting up for the comeback in the later innings of the game. Two of those runs scored off one swing of the bat from Scott Schebler, who hit his 21st home run on the season. It was an all-around offensive effort, though, as the Quakes recorded 12 hits and 5 walks on the night.

Low Class-A: The Loons won their 4th straight game by the score of 4-3, after taking advantage of defensive miscues made by the Clinton Lumberkings. Entering the 9th inning in a 3-3 tie, Robbie Garvey forced the issue by stealing second base and advancing to third on a throwing error. He would then score after Clinton made their second error of the inning on a throwing error by third baseman Jamodrick McGruder. Great Lakes likely loses the game without Brandon Martinez's fine outing on the bump, as the starter tossed seven innings of two run ball. Top prospect Corey Seager went 1-for-4 with a double.

Rookie (Ogden): Despite leading 7-5 in the 9th inning, the Ogden Raptors allowed eight runs in the final frame and couldn't recover, falling to the Helena Brewers by the score of 13-7. Jacob Rhame and Ricky Perez combined to allow eight runs (five earned) while recording just two outs. Third baseman Alex Santana went 3-for-3 with a double in the loss.

Coming up: Once again, all eyes will be on teenage sensation Julio Urias as the 16-year-old will make his 11th start of the season for the Great Lakes Loons. Urias is currently posting a 2.80 ERA across 35 1/3 innings of work. Lindsey Caughel, who has been brilliant over his last two starts, will look to continue his success for the Quakes. Also, Zach Lee is scheduled to start on the bump for the Lookouts on Sunday.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

Ogden Raptors Box Score (Rookie)

Good morning prospect watchers. Let's get down to business.

***In my work queue: Prospect Retrospectives for Erik Bedard, Marco Scutaro, Chris Davis, Brooks Kieschnick, and Jef Kent. Prospect of the Day tomorrow will be Junior Lake of the Cubs. I will also be looking at Drake Britton of the Red Sox, Michael Choice of the Athletics, and Josh Satin of the Mets this week. I am also working on the Top 20 Prospect List reviews. . .not new lists, but reviews of the pre-season lists to get a feeling for how things are going in each farm system. We did the Twins and Rangers earlier today.

We will also cover any prospects involved in deadline trades.

***Chicago Cubs prospect Arismendy Alcantara went 3-for-4 with double and two runs scored yesterday for Double-A Tennessee, raising his season line to .284/.359/.477. His future division competitor in the middle infield, Kolten Wong of the St. Louis Cardinals, went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for Triple-A Memphis, raising his season line to .301/.359/.464.

***Kansas City Royals pitching prospect Kyle Zimmer made his debut for Double-A Northwest Arkansas yesterday with strong results: six innings, three hits, one walk, seven strikeouts, no runs. After a spotty beginning to the season he was pitching quite well recently down in High-A, so it is good to see him maintaining the momentum in his first game at a higher level.

***Houston Astros outfield prospect Robbie Grossmanwent 5-for-5 for Triple-A Oklahoma City yesterday. He has had a hot July, hitting .377/.457/.557 this month. He'll get another shot in the majors later this year if he maintains his current pace.

***Milwaukee Brewers 25-year-old farmhand Jason Rogershit three homers for Double-A Huntsville yesterday. Rogers is not a hot prospect and is old for the level, but the former 32nd round draft choice (Columbus State University, 2010) has done enough to keep himself employed in the upper minors for awhile, hitting 13 homers this year.

***San Diego Padres prospect Keyvius Sampson rang up 12 strikeouts in seven shutout innings for Double-A San Antonio yesterday, giving him a 2.67 ERA with a 94/30 K/BB in 84 innings this year. He was ineffective in four Triple-A starts back in April, but he's been blowing away the Texas League, pitching excellently in six of his last seven starts. Another chance at Tucson seems likely soon.

***Boston Red Sox prospect Matt Barnes was also excellent yesterday, fanning 10 in seven shutout innings for Double-A Portland, allowing three hits and three walks. He now has a 4.75 ERA in 78 innings with a 91/31 K/BB and 84 hits allowed. I think it less likely that he'll see Triple-A this year; he's been more erratic than Sampson from start to start.

More from Minor League Ball:

• Texas Rangers 2013 Top 20 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review
• Minnesota Twins 2013 Top 20 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review
• Minor League Ball Gameday, July 20
• Where did this guy come from? Eric Stults of the Padres
• Minor League Ball Gameday, July 19

Dobry wieczor all! (Good evening all!)

Absolutely amazing show. Two rookies making their case in the NFL join us -- one former Badgers standout, the other a South Florida linebacker looking to make his mark in Green Bay. Plus, a fellow Polish-American who breaks down Packers' training camp.

8:00 to 14:00 mark - Scott and I talk a little about Phil Mickelson's victory at The Open Championship

15:00 to 31:50 - Green Bay Press Gazette's Wes Hodkiewicz talks with us about Packers training camp, some position battles to discuss and notes from the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Ceremony

32:00 to 45:00 - San Diego Chargers and former Wisconsin Badgers CB Marcus Cromartie stops by to chat with us again. He talks about the opportunities in San Diego, his expectations and goals and what he's seen in the first few months of being an NFL player.

48:00 to 56:55 - Green Bay Packers' linebacker and seventh-round draft pick Sam Barrington jumps on the show to talk about his shot in the NFL, his expectations, his South Florida career and being a part of a historic franchise like Green Bay.

58:00 to end of the show - We talk Brewers, All-Star Game, and our "Dupas of the Week!"

Next week: Plenty of Badgers talk after Big Ten Media Days. Scotty will be covering the event for B5Q, so we'll have tons of audio and all of the news right here.

The Streamer Report provides you with daily startng pitcher streaming selections for owners who prefer to stream starting pitchers on a daily basis. This report identifies starting pitchers who are owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues, and who either has a decent track record vs their opponent, has pitched well of late, or has a decent matchup.

Before I get into Monday's streamers, here is a look at how my streamers from Saturday performed:

Zack Wheeler vs Phillies - 4.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Nathan Eovaldi vs Brewers - 4 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, L

Dan Straily vs Angels - 7 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, L

Combined stats: 15.2 IP, 25 H, 10 ER, 4 BB, 14 K, 2 L, 5.75 ERA, 1.85 WHIP

Monday's Streamers

Since I am late in posting this Streamer Report, I will just list the streamers without comments:

Dan Haren vs Pirates

Drew Pomeranz vs Marlins

Bronson Arroyo vs Giants

Is Matt Garza still a Cub?

• As the trade deadline nears, more rumors start flying. Francisco Rodriguez has revived his career in Milwaukee and now three teams, the Dodgers, Tigers and Red Sox, are interested in acquiring him for the stretch drive.
• Brewers and former Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez comes off the DL on Monday, and the Red Sox and Yankeesare both interested in trading for him.
• Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholzis going to see Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion on his shoulder. That's bad news for Boston. Remember my rule of thumb: no baseball player ever gets a second opinion if the first one was good. That's especially true if the second opinion is from Dr. Andrews.
• What does this have to do with trades? Well, if Buchholtz is healthy, the Red Sox aren't interested in picking up another pitcher. But if he's not . . .
• I try to stay away from Cubs news, but Jay Jaffe lists six Cubs not named Matt Garza who are likely to be dealt. I think he has some sort of quota of names that he had to list and ran out early because he names five sensible names and then mentions Starlin Castro. OK, he does admit he's the least likely name on the list to be dealt.
• Ken Rosenthal thinks the Philliesneed to face reality and sell off their high-priced veterans. The Phillies are where the Cubs were three years ago. Except the Cubs didn't have a World Series Championship six years previous.
• Rosenthal also says that the Red Sox are rushing to get Dustin Pedroia signed to a long-term deal (even though he's under contract until 2015) because they don't want Robinson Cano's next contract to set the market for Pedroia.
• Alex Rodriguez was supposed to come off the DL today, but instead he has a grade 1 quad strain.
• Jon Paul Morosi thinks this is bad for ARod. Not just because he's hurt, but because this may have been Rodriguez's last chance to get back in the good graces of the Yankees and their fans.
• The Marlinshaven't scored in 37 innings, the longest streak since the 1985 Astros. Surprisingly, the '85 Astros won 83 games and were second in the NL in scoring that season. The Astros ran into Ed Lynch, Doc Gooden, Joe Hesketh, Jeff Reardon, Bryn Smith and Bill Gillickson at the Astrodome and Olympic Stadium. One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong. . .
• The Mariners only got one hit yesterday, but they still managed to score four runs off the Astros and win 4-2.
• Erik Bedard started that game and pulled himself from the game after 6.1 innings without allowing a hit. Bedard's reasoning was that he was at 109 pitches and with his injury history, it just wasn't worth it to risk his health for a no-hitter in a pretty meaningless game in the larger scheme of things. I actually think that shows some intelligence and courage, although I'm sure he'll be criticized for it. As far as pitch counts go, more on that later. Bedard ended up getting the loss.
• More bad Astros news: Center fielder Brandon Barneshit for the cycle on Saturday. The Astros still lost.
• The Astros DFA'd a couple of ex-Cubs: Carlos Pena and Ronny Cedeno.
• Tommy Rancel thinks RaysChris Archeris a pitcher on the verge of a breakout. He also mentions Jeff Locke and Tyler Chatwood in similar terms. Boy, that Archer kid sounds like the type of guy we'd like to trade Garza for. OK, it's not like Garza hasn't been good for the Cubs.
• Baseball's reigning ironman is Prince Fielder, who has played 440 straight games. He only missed one game in the past 767 games because of a bad case of the flu. He explains that it was a stern look from his dad as a kid that makes him never take a day off.
• Matt Harveythinks ESPN embarrassed him. And not for posting naked pictures of him. He's OK with that. And apparently not because they let Around the Horn on the air, either.
• Blue Jays hurler Mark Buehrle says "Maybe we were overrated."
• Expos fans attended Sunday's game at the Rogers Centre to campaign for a return of baseball to Montreal. I'd be a lot more supportive of them (and I do support them) if I wasn't positive that they would want a return of the name "Expos" and their "ELB" logo.
• Christina Kahrl notes that Mike Troutis having just as good a season this year as last. There can be no doubts about his talent anymore.
• The Twins owners are arguing that they're team is worth a lot less than people claim. Of course, the people who they're arguing with are the IRS and they've just gotten a big tax bill. But does anyone seriously think that controlling interest in the Twins in 2009 was only worth $24 million like the Pohlads claim? Certainly the IRS isn't buying it. MLS teams sell for more than that.
• Wrigley Field isn't the only park with a bird problem. In fact, they don't even have the worst problem. The seagulls at AT&T Park have become a real problem. There is no legal way to get rid of them short of hiring a falconer, and that would cost around $8000 a game. (But seriously. Falconers get $8000 a day? I went into the wrong profession.)
• Terry Francona is not moving Nick Swisher out of the cleanup spot. At least not for now.
• The Diamondbacks are slumping. They're not getting the clutch hitting that they were earlier this season. Wow. All those guys who were clutch before aren't anymore. It's almost like it's not a real skill.
• Scott Miller looks back at the life of Bud Selig and the impact he's had on the game.
• Yoenis Cespedeshasn't played since winning the HR derby. He has a sore wrist. He might take batting practice today and see how he feels.
• Finally, the next time you scream at Dusty Baker for ruining Mark Prior's career (and honestly, we don't know that he did that), consider the case of Tomohiro Anraku. Last year, the 16-year-old Japanese phenom threw 772 pitches in five games over nine days. Then his arm gave out. It's a long article worth reading from ESPN the Magazine that illustrated the differences between American and Japanese culture. Not just baseball culture, but a lot more than that. For Americans, the solution to his arm problems are rest and maybe surgery. For the Japanese, the answer is that he needs to throw some more.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.

Even before July 6th, the day Andrew Miller took the tumble that resulted in a season-ending injury, the Red Sox were in need of reinforcements in the bullpen. The loss of the upstart relief ace was a big loss on top of that, though, as Miller had been surprisingly successful this season with a 164 ERA+ that was helped out by over 14 strikeouts per nine innings. When the injury happened, much of the attention went to the fact that Miller was a lefty, and the Red Sox would need to bring in another one to fill that hole. They did so soon after, sending Brandon Jacobs to Chicago in exchange for LOOGY Matt Thornton. Saying Miller was only a left-handed arm sells short what he meant for this team, though, as he was a late-inning pitcher who could come in regardless of the handedness of the opposing batters. This season, he pitched against eleven more right-handed batters than lefties, and was actually much better against the righties. While Thornton was a fine player to trade for, they still need to replace Miller's electricity, and Francisco Rodriguez could be the perfect guy to make that happen.

Since bursting onto the scene in Anaheim the year in 2002 when they won the World Series, Rodriguez has been one of the top relief pitchers in the game. He was given the nickname K-Rod for his propensity for strikeouts, and that has been a skill that he hasn't lost as of yet in his career. In the last three season, the Brewers' reliever has struck out 9.5 batters per nine innings, and a total of 25 percent of the batters he has faced. Just this season, he has rebounded from a rare average season in 2012 to a 1.14 ERA (350 ERA+!) in 23-2/3 innings with 9.9 K/9 and 3 BB/9. Even though it feels like he's been around forever, Rodriguez is still just 31 years old, and his velocity is still intact. Though his average fastball speed this season has been 91 MPH, he's been regularly hitting 93-94 on the gun, which is indicative of his 30 percent K-rate in the past month (12-1/3 innings).

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports

On top of his statistical positives, Rodriguez has a long history of pitching at the back end of the bullpen, and has been able to throw in multiple roles. Just this year, he's bounced between the closer role and a setup role in Milwaukee. As much as people, myself included, would like to see bullpens utilized in such a way that pitchers wouldn't be constrained to a specific role like that, it's the way it is right now. A lot of guys are a lot more comfortable being in a defined role, so it is nice to see that Rodriguez can handle switching between roles, since he's done so multiple times in his career. This is especially important for the Red Sox, who have Koji Uehara holding down the closer spot right now, but it would be nice to have someone who can step in and give the him a rest, as he's been used a ton so far this season.

There is no doubt that Rodriguez will be available this month, since the Brewers are clear sellers, and he is a free agent at the end of the season. While bullpen help is always at a premium this time of year, and there are sure to be multiple clubs calling Milwaukee's front office for K-Rod's services, he shouldn't have an exuberant price tag. The Red Sox are in a good position to give the Brewers the type of package that can win this sweepstakes, since they have a glut of players who will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter. The price would definitely be more than someone like Brandon Jacobs, but Cherington and company could surely part with a package of midlevel prospects, which should be enough for Rodriguez. Whatever the group of players is, it would be worth it as long as it doesn't involve any of their truly great prospects.

Red Sox trade rumors: Bud Norris a match for Boston?

The Red Sox might be more interested in Bud Norris than Matt Garza. Does that make sense for a team with as much talent in the minors as Boston?

Despite all of the talk for the team needing starting pitching help, the back-end of the bullpen is still an area of great need if the Red Sox want to make a real run for the postseason. This need was apparent when Miller went down, and the recent news that Andrew Bailey may be out for the remainder of the season has only made the hole even bigger. As reliable as Craig Breslow has been this season, him being the third-best arm in the bullpen isn't great for this team, especially with Junichi Tazawa being as shaky as he's been as of late. Flipping some of their excess in the farm system for Francisco Rodriguez could be exactly what this bullpen needs. John Farrell always talked about how important it was to have someone like Miller in the bullpen, who could come in and get a strikeout or two to get out of jams. Well, Rodriguez is as close to Miller as they will be able to find on the market, and he's being made clearly available by the Brewers. It's up to Boston to get it done, and finally settle the needs that have been ailing the bullpen for over a month.

Read more Red Sox:

• Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia talking record extension
• Red Sox trade rumors: Sox could be "major threat" in Matt Garza sweepstakes
• Five Red Sox prospects in Fangraphs mid-season top-50
• Red Sox position prospects, in word cloud form
• Now is not the time for Xander Bogaerts

The Miami Marlins scored two runs in the third inning against Taylor Jordan and the Washington Nationals in the final game before the All-Star Break, one in which the Fish lost in 10 innings, 5-2. Since that time, the Marlins have not scored a run, and there have been three games after that one. The Marlins were shut out of the three-game series versus the Milwaukee Brewers, being outscored 9-0 in the set. This marks the second time in two years that the Fish have been shut out of three consecutive games, and it also marks the longest consecutive scoreless inning streak since the 1985 Houston Astros went 42 straight innings without a run.

The Marlins' offensive futility has been well-noted here, but the Fish have taken their struggles to yet another level over the weekend. The Marlins' failure to score a single run is endemic of a team-wide problem with offense combined with some bad luck over the weekend. The Marlins outhit the Brewers on Friday night, but two solo home runs allowed by Jacob Turner cost the team a potentially winnable game. Yesterday, the Marlins grounded into three double plays in situations in which they could have brought a runner home.

But bad luck is just part of the reason for this latest streak of awfulness. Outside of a streaking Adeiny Hechavarria (eight hits in 16 plate appearances in the four-game streak), no Marlin is playing well. This is especially true for the faltering middle of the lineup. Giancarlo Stanton is the Marlins' best player, but he has just one hit in the last four games (18 plate appearances) and has struck out seven times along the way. Logan Morrison also has just one hit in the last four games in 17 plate appearances. Marcell Ozuna has just two hits in that time frame.

But blaming just the middle of the lineup would be unfair to them, as the entire cast has been very bad. After a perfectly acceptable month of June on offense, the Fish have dropped back down in a big way this entire month, not just in the four-game scoreless streak. The Marlins are hitting just .216/.293/.317 (.272 wOBA), worse than their already-terrible season line. That batting line is worse than all but one other team this month, and this streak is merely a terrible extension of the team's fall back into offensive futility.

The Marlins broke their own record for lack of scoring, which they set unsurprisingly last season. Last year, the Marlins had a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies in which they were shut out of the final two games. The team followed with being shut out by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the next game as well. The club finally scored in the last outing, holding the scoreless innings streak to 30 innings.

The Marlins have a little more not-scoring to do to catch the Major League record, and that may be the only upside to this offensive hot mess. They may have broken the team record, but the Fish still have about a game and change to go to break the overall Major League mark. The record was set in the mid-1940's and was at 48 consecutive innings, meaning the Fish would need at least one extra-innings game tonight to break tie and/or break the record.

The good news is that the Marlins will face off against the Colorado Rockies and their hapless pitching staff. Drew Pomeranz (8.76 ERA, 8.08 FIP in 12 1/3 innings) will take the mound tonight. Even better news, the Fish will be in Coors Field, where most teams can probably score a bunch and where Giancarlo Stanton enjoyed a ridiculous set of games last season.

The Dodgers bullpen didn't allow a run in the weekend series against the Nationals, and in fact has been pretty much untouchable for most of July. But that doesn't mean the Dodgers aren't looking to upgrade their relief corps at the non-waiver trade deadline. In fact the Dodgers have been heavily scouting the Brewers recently, per Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.

Knobler mentions Francisco Rodriguez as a prime target, but also notes the Brewers are willing to shop John Axford and Michael Gonzalez as well. This is not much different than what Knobler reported on July 9, and with nine days left before the July 31 trade deadline the intensity of rumors will only increase.

But this passes the sniff test, because the Dodgers seemingly always go after relief pitchers in season under general manager Ned Colletti. And if there is closing experience - as is the case with Rodriguez (294 career saves), Axford (106 saves) and Gonzalez (56 saves) - Colletti is even more interested.

Here are the relief pitchers acquired via trade midseason by Colletti, and their career save totals at the time of the trade:

• 2012: Randy Choate (six), Brandon League (54)
• 2011: none
• 2010: Octavio Dotel (104)
• 2009: George Sherrill (55)
• 2008: none
• 2007: Scott Proctor (one)
• 2006: Elmer Dessens (five)

In three of the last four seasons Colletti has traded for an experienced closer at the trade deadline, and will likely do so again this season. Colletti was in Washington D.C. and told reporters he is focused on acquiring relief pitching this trade season, per both Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times and Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

This is before even considering what's in store for Carlos Marmol, he of the 117 career saves and currently pitching for Double-A Chattanooga.

Without knowing the exact deals being discussed, it's hard to judge a trade. Especially if the Dodgers aren't just looking at relievers. Perhaps they are scouting the Brewers in hopes of luring third baseman Aramis Ramirez as well, though his current stint on the disabled list does cloud matters.

If we're just talking deals for a single reliever, it's hard to imagine the Dodgers are giving up any of their top prospects. Depending on the deal, expect next tier pitchers like Duke von Schamann, Ross Stripling to be mentioned, as well as others like Rob Rasmussen or Garrett Gould. Perhaps the Dodgers will try to acquire more international slot money as well, depending on the trade partner.

But the Dodgers will likely get a relief pitcher. It's our job over the next nine days worth of rumors and (mis)information to determine what is real and what is not.