Would the Sox trade Lester within the division? It depends on what's being offered.

With the Rays suddenly turning their season around, the pitching market has changed. David Price isn't on it anymore, which means the market for Jon Lester has suddenly expanded. That -- plus the Red Sox' realization that they wouldn't be able to sign Lester in October before he hits free agency -- led to the Sox contacting contending teams to let them know Lester was available. According to the trio of Ken Rosenthal, Jon Morosi, and Jon Heyman, a few of those teams have already called back.

The Mariners were in on David Price for weeks -- and during the offseason -- so it's not surprising to see them connected to the Red Sox and Lester. As Rosenthal mentioned, Lester is a Tacoma, Washington native as well, so there's probably an expectation for comfort were he to head out there. While the Mariners don't necessarily need another starting pitcher, upgrading the lineup has proved difficult, and preventing runs works just as well as scoring them. A postseason rotation with Jon Lester, Felix Hernandez, and Hisashi Iwakuma would be devastating for any opponent.

What the Mariners would send for Lester is a bit more up in the air: rookie starter Tajiuan Walker didn't get a mention in that hypothetical postseason rotation in large part because he could realistically be part of a deal. His shoulder woes (and the Mariners' desire to hold on to him) might preclude that, however. With general manager Jack Zduriencik possibly in his final year as general manager if the Mariners don't succeed, though, maybe Walker is a given in a trade for an organization focused on the now.

The Orioles present an intriguing case for a Lester destination if for no other reason than that they're in the same division as the Red Sox. With Lester just a rental, though, the deal is entirely down to whether the O's are fine parting with prospects who could torment them in the future in order to increase their chances to win today. The Orioles' lineup is good, not great, and the pitching staff is in the same boat, so adding Lester to the mix would give them both a better chance of making it to October as well as a real shot at advancing once they're there: Lester wouldn't just be the best starter in an Orioles' uniform in 2014, but possibly the greatest they've had since Mike Mussina at the start of this century.

Could Dylan Bundy give the Sox the top pitching prospect they lack? (Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports)

Unlike the Mariners, the Orioles have plenty to send Boston's way, if they decide that's the course they want to take. Kevin Gausman is in the majors at the moment, but if the Orioles are getting Lester back, then they don't need him around to sport a full rotation. Dylan Bundy is one of the game's best pitching prospects who ranked right near the top before his Tommy John surgery. Bundy might be a steep price to pay for Lester, especially given the two teams share a division, but the Orioles haven't advanced past the Division Series since 1997, and last won a World Series in 1983: if you need any more perspective on how long ago their last success came than just that date, know that Jon Lester wasn't even born yet.

The Sox won't be able to pry both Gausman and Bundy from the Orioles, but if Baltimore is willing to give up one of them as the center piece, then a deal could happen. Bundy is unlikely to replace Lester on a 1:1 basis, but he'd be a better fit than anything Boston has in their own system already.

Heyman mentions the Brewers as being a potential destination for Lester as they try to hold on in the National League Central. The Brewers do not have a stacked farm system, but they do have the pieces necessary to acquire Lester should they decide to part with them. Like with the Mariners, the Brewers were looking at Price, but have now shifted their attention to Lester as one comes off the market and the other joins it.

Jimmy Nelson is the potential center piece here. He's a 25-year-old starter in his second go-round of Triple-A, but he's been dominant: he's more than cut his walks in half, is striking out 3.6 times as many batters as he's walking, and has a 1.46 ERA in 111 innings despite spending his time in the Pacific Coast League. While his home park is in the less offensive division of the PCL out east, it's still not a friendly place to play if you're a pitcher.

Nelson would likely be the second-best pitching prospect on the Red Sox, behind only Henry Owens. Baseball America rated him as the  number 38 prospect in the game in their midseason update, while MLB placed him at number 53. He has velocity that scrapes the upper 90s, and has improved both his control and his secondary stuff in his second attempt at Triple-A. Nelson isn't enough to fix the 2015 rotation on his own, but a future rotation with both him and Owens in it looks a lot better than one without the both of them, and if the Sox are moving Lester (and possibly John Lackey as well), then they need all the help they can get.

The Brewers recently inquired about David Price. However with the Rays winning games at the pace they are, it's highly unlikely they go into sell mode. Could Jon Lester be the fall back option?

*UPDATE: According to a Ken Rosenthal source, the Brewers are no longer in on Jon Lester. Crisis averted.

Earlier today Jon Heyman reported that the Brewers were among teams interested in Red Sox lefty ace Jon Lester. He also suggested that Jimmy Nelson would have to go as the centerpiece in such a deal. I'm quite certain the Brewers are interested in Lester. I question how willing they are to pull the trigger.

Jon Lester is unquestionably an upgrade from Jimmy Nelson and would be the best pitcher in the Brewers current rotation. He's striking out 25.7% of batters faced which would likely go up in the National League. Opponents are batting .235 and he has a 1.12 WHIP. His 2.52 ERA is close to his 2.62 FIP. Adding that to the top of the Brewers rotation, and especially during the postseason, would be a major boon. For one year. And that's my issue.

Jimmy Nelson is not the pitcher he was last year. He was ranked 38th on Baseball America's top 100 list and 53rd on MLB.com's. Where some once question if he was a reliever, they now say he's mid-rotation quality or better. He isn't there yet, but Jimmy Nelson's ceiling is as a number 2 pitcher. He's under control for 6 more years. One can argue that he (plus probably 2 other decent to good prospects) is fair value for an ace like Lester. I'm not going to dispute that. That doesn't mean it makes sense for the Brewers to do it.

Brewers 'testing waters' for David Price

Perhaps the Brewers are more serious about acquiring a frontline pitcher than we previously thought

The best way for any team to win a World Series is to be competitive as often as possible. Swapping 6 years of a mid-rotation or better starting pitcher (plus 2 decent to good prospects) for 2 months of an ace is the antithesis of that. I realize everyone wants a shiny new toy, but it's not worth it.

The Brewers pitching staff has been solid and might not need the addition. Kyle Lohse is statistically having the best season of his career. It doesn't feel that way because he doesn't get the big strike out numbers, but he's pitching close to MLB ace levels. Matt Garza has pitched way better lately than he did in the start of the season and his 3.49 FIP is the second best mark of his career. Yovani Gallardo and Wily Peralta have had their ups and downs but are both solid mid-rotation pitchers who can dominate on a good night. Then there's Jimmy Nelson. As I mentioned, he's not a finished product yet but the Brewers could luck into a 3.00-3.50 ERA the rest of the season with him.

I'm not denying that Jon Lester improves the Brewers or gets them closer to the World Series. But giving up Nelson+ to get him is a desperate move. It's one I don't think is in the best interest of the Brewers. It's a move that entirely ignores future teams. The Brewers can put together almost the exact same team with money to spare next year (which means they can add more talent via free agency). Add to that a full season of a developing Jimmy Nelson and you have at least 1 more competitive season. I also just don't think they need to do it. In my opinion it's overkill.

Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs.

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Escobar ejected.

Another fantastic win for the Rays.

Source: FanGraphs

Scheduling snafu means that this is an abbreviated recap now, so there will be doubly interesting details tomorrow. Four thousand words at least. Some highlights:

• Ben Zobrist homered to tie the game vs. Matt Garza, and then was part of the rally that delivered the win once Garza was pulled.
• Alex Cobb was great, striking out 12(!) Brewers in eight innings, nearly all of those strikeouts coming on his splitter.
• Alex Cobb also disrupted the Brewers reliever, Will Smith, by getting the Rays groudn crew to pour some magic dirt on the mound. Seriously, the guy is amazing.
• Yunel Escobar got ejected for looking down and muttering, because umpires don't like Yunel Escobar. I get it though. When the guy next to me looks at the ground and mutters on the subway, I move to the next car, but if I had the power of an umpire, I'd surely be drunk on it, and would make him leave instead.
• For more details, Steve Kinsella has you covered.

Yovani Gallardo shuts the Rays down through seven.

Probably he won't be traded tomorrow, but he might. David Price is the best pitcher this organization has ever had. He's already won one Cy Young award, and if not for the current ridiculous of Felix Hernandez, he would be on the inside track for another. You'd like to see a pitcher like that go out triumphant, when he goes, the way James Shields did (complete game, one run, two hits, fifteen strikeouts, albeit in a loss). Maybe this was only his last start for the Rays in July, as Price tweeted, but if it was his last ever, well, that's a shame.

Price started off well, fooling Carlos Gomez on a changeup, pounding the zone with a curve that Gomez fouled off, and then freezing him for strike three looking with a 93 mph fastball. The next batter, Jonathan Lucroy, sent a sinking line drive the other way but Kevin Kiermaier got a good jump on it and made a diving catch. Price  then got Ryan Braun to reach for an outside fastball and ground out harmlessly to first base. Braun inexplicably fell on his face as he ran up the line, and one could be forgiven for thinking that today was the Rays' day. It was not.

The bottom of the inning started well enough too. Desmond Jennings hit a ground ball that forced Jean Segura to range to his left, and then snuck under his glove. Segura was originally charged with an error, but the play was eventually changed to a single for Jennings. Ben Zobrist then smacked a single down the line, and when Matt Joyce hit a fly ball to the outfield reasonably well, Jennings was able to tag up and advance. That brought the Rays best hitter, Evan Longoria, to the plate, and he immediately reached for a fastball on the outside and grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. That was the Rays chance, since Yovani Gallardo was about to take control.

I love inter-league games, largely because of days like this. I watch the Rays a lot, and that means that I don't get to see half of the league as much as it takes to be a well-rounded baseball fan. I know very little about Yovani Gallardo other than that he's pretty good and that he gets ground balls. I was pumped to watch him, and he did not disappoint (to any Brewers fans feeling disappointed in David Price right now, try to picture what you just saw except always hitting his spots, and perhaps controlling the inner third of the plate a little better).

On paper, Gallardo's sinker doesn't look that impressive.

via pitchfx.texasleaguers.com

It doesn't have much vertical drop to it, nor does it run armside the way you expect from the game's elite sinkerballers. It only averages 92 mph. What you can't see on the chart is that Gallardo pushes off from the extreme left side of the rubber. His release point is about as far to the glove side as possible. The result is that when he pitches to the outside of the plate against a lefty, the ball really does have noticeable movement away from the batter. It's the same principle that side-arming LOOGYs use with their sliders, just much more subtle and versatile. His slider and curve don't suck, either.

And while I can't say whether it's an important reason for his success, I love Gallardo's delivery. He throws his glove arm forward as his pitching arm goes back, and then pivots them like a see-saw as he comes forward. It's smooth and aesthetically pleasing, and judging by his fine command, repeatable. I wish the Rays offense had managed to do something more in this game, but sometimes the other guy beats you.

The Runs

In the second innings, Aramis Ramirez hit a decent fastball up the middle for a single. Price quickly got two strikes against Rickie Weeks, but then with catcher Jose Molina set up inside, he missed badly outside. Price kept trying to find that inside corner, but he could not, and four straight balls walked Weeks. Price earned a strikeout of Kris Davis despite missing his spot on two pitches, but he then issued another uncharacteristic walk to Mark Reynolds. Martin Maldonado served a changeup on the bottom outside corner up the middle into center field. It looked like Maldonado was looking for the pitch, since it was by no means an easy pitch to hit. The whole inning was an example of just how small the margin of error is in major league baseball. Price made some good pitches, but he also missed badly on some. The Brewers deserve credit for taking the balls and hitting the pitches that they could, but Price did not consistently have the pinpoint command that has made him an ace in this league. Even an ace needs to be right, or he's not an ace anymore.

In the next inning, Jonathan Lucroy reached for an outside fastball and grounded it sharply back up the middle for a single. It was a good piece of hitting. next up, Ryan Braun grounded sharply to Yunel Escobar, who botched his pickup and never could get control of the ball, bobbling it until all runners were safe, rather than a possible double play. Next, Price threw Ramirez a fastball on the outer third, that Aramis tagged well for an RBI single to make the Rays pay.

In the sixth inning, Khris Davis did well to tag a back-foot cutter (that perhaps didn't get as far inside as David Price wanted) for a ground-rule double. The lead runner was erased on a Reynolds fielder's choice, but Maldonado once came through (a pitch after Price missed strike three just inside) with a liner into the gap to score Reynolds from first.

Kirby Yates also gave up a run. Oh well.

It seemed to me that the Brewers' strategy tonight was to look for pitches on the outer third and go out to get them. It's a fine strategy against Price. Many of the Milwaukee hits came on pitches were they were leaning well out over the plate (they also missed some badly on the outside). I do think that Price and Molina would have done well to establish the inside corner a bit more, but it's not like they didn't try at all. Sometimes they just missed. If Price were to hit his spots a bit better, he carves up this lineup with the exact approach he took, so yeah, it's mostly just a matter of execution.

Some other notes:

• I'm bringing it down here, rather than in the body of the play-by-pay, as it will get lost in the negativity. In the third inning, with everything going wrong, with runners on first and second base, David Price threw an outside elevated fastball past Weeks. Both runners were going. Jose Molina kept his glove locked in place while springing to his feet and turning the rest of his body to get in position for a throw. As soon as the ball hit his glove, he began his transfer, and then fired accurately to the front of the third base bag, catching Braun by a mile. Jose Molina is seldom regarded as "elegant" in these parts, but for this play I have no other word. It was a masterpiece of movement efficiency. When he retires in about ten years, I hope the Rays can hire him to teach all of their minor league catchers to move behind the plate like that.
• The Rays, always a tease, loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning. No more magic, though.
• Khris Davis hit a ground-rule double into the Rays tank. That's gotta be a first, right?
• I took the quiz. I'm Dewayne.

Soler and Baez homer, Jokisch pitches a gem as Iowa sweeps a doubleheader. Boise completes an epic comeback.

'Twas the night before the trade deadline, and all through the fields

Not a player was hugging, not even James Shields.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs swept a doubleheader from the New Orleans Zeprhyrs (Marlins), 9-0 and 2-1.

In the first game, Eric Jokisch tossed a seven-inning complete game shutout. He gave up three hits and he walked one. Jokisch struck out six.

Right fielder Jorge Soler hit a two-run home run in the third inning. It was Soler's ninth home run of the season and second for the I-Cubs.  He was also ejected from the game after striking out in the fourth inning. He was 1 for 3.

One inning later, second baseman Javier Baez hit his twentieth home run of the year with two men on. Baez was 1 for 4 and he scored twice.

First baseman Mike Olt opened up the scoring with an RBI double in the second inning. He was 2 for 4.

Yoanner Negrin started game two and won his first game of the season by allowing only one run on six hits over five innings. Negrin struck out five and did not walk anyone.

Kyuji Fujikawa threw a perfect sixth inning. He struck out one.

Armando Rivero pitched the seventh inning and got the save. Rivero allowed a one-out walk, but no other base runners. He struck out two. It was his eleventh save of the season and his first for Iowa.

Soler was 1 for 2 with a walk. He doubled and scored the first run of the game in the second inning.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were extinguished by the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 7-3

Jeffry Antigua started and took the loss. He pitched six innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out two.

Tennessee's three runs came on two home runs. In the third inning, center fielder Albert Almora hit a solo home run, his first HR in Double-A. It was his eighth home run overall. Almora was 2 for 4.

Catcher Charles Cutler hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth, his fifth of the season. Cutler was 1 for 4.

Shortstop Addison Russell was 2 for 4. First baseman Lars Anderson was 2 for 4 and scored on the Cutler home run.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs were boarded and raided by the Bradenton Marauders (Pirates), 9-7.

Justin Amlung started and allowed four runs on eight hits over 4.1 innings. Amlung walked one and struck out one.

Gerardo Concepcion pitched well in his High-A debut. He had 2.2 innings without allowing a run or a hit. He did walk two and he struck out two.

Michael Jensen started the eighth inning and loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. He retired only one batter before giving way to Zack Godley, who allowed all three inherited runners to score and then two more runs of his own. He got the loss after he allowed two runs on three hits over 1.2 innings. He didn't walk anyone (although he hit a batter) and he struck out two.

Center fielder Jacob Hannemann hit a solo home run in the third inning, his first for Daytona and seventh overall. Hannemann was 3 for 5 and scored twice.

Shortstop Marco Hernandezwas 3 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He scored twice and had one run batted in.

Catcher Willson Contreras was 2 for 5.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars were shut out by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 2-0.

Jen-Ho Tseng started, pitched well, and picked up a "L" for his troubles. Tseng went seven innings and allowed one run on three hits. He struck out three and didn't walk anyone.

Second baseman Chesny Young was 2 for 4.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks trailed the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 6-0 after 5 1/2 innings. But they stormed back to top the Canadians, 8-7.

Starter Trevor Graham pitched four innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. Two of the runs were unearned. He struck out four and walked two.

Trey Lang pitched the final two innings. He faced six batters and struck out five of them. The other one he got to ground out to shortstop. It was Lang's first win of the season.

The winning run scored in the bottom of the ninth inning when third baseman Jesse Hodges singled to lead off the inning, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on an infield single and an error off the bat of Danny Canela.

Hodges was 3 for 5 with a double. Canela came on as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and hit a two-run single. He was 2 for 2. He scored one run and had the two RBI.

The Hawks scored six runs in that seventh inning to tie the game up. Shortstop Bryant Flete started that inning off right with a lead-off double. Later in the inning, he hit an RBI single.  Flete was a perfect 2 for 2 with two walks. He scored once and had one RBI.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Angels, 5-4.

The first deadline domino has fallen.

OFFICIAL: #Dbacks acquire OF Mitch Haniger @M_Hanny19 and LHP Anthony Banda @anthony_banda3 from Brewers for OF Gerardo Parra

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 31, 2014

The first move has been made. Gerardo Parra has been traded to the Brewers for two Minor Leaguers.

Parra had been with the Diamondbacks since 2009, and won two Gold Gloves in 2011 and 2013. His best offensive season was in 2011 when he hit a slash of .292/.357/.371 with 8 Home Runs and 46 RBI. He finishes out his Diamondbacks tenure at .274/.305/.326 with 39 Home Runs and 250 RBI.

Haniger was ranked 8th in Milwaukee's system coming into this season by MLB.com, some scouting from that profile:

Scouts thought Haniger could be a quick-moving college bat when he was coming out of Cal Poly in 2012, and so far, he's proved them right. After an injury cut his professional debut short, he returned strong in 2013 and finished the season with an impressive performance in the Arizona Fall League.

Haniger's quick bat produces plenty of raw power. There will always be some swing-and-miss in his game, but his approach at the plate has improved and he squares up balls well.

Haniger was a center fielder in college and has spent some time there as a professional. As an everyday player, however, he profiles best in right field, where his arm is an asset.

Assuming no unexpected aggressive promotion, Haniger will probably report to Mobile.

Banda seems like a fringe prospect at this point, but at 20 years old and in lower levels, still could develop.

Assuming no more trades, it looks like the main starting outfield for the Diamondbacks for the near-future will be Mark Trumbo, Ender Inciarte, and David Peralta.

The Brewers added some defense to their outfield Thursday by trading for Arizona's Gerardo Parra.

The Milwaukee Brewers have made an interesting splash before the trade deadline, acquiring outfielder Gerardo Parra from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The team recently announced the deal, which sends prospects Mitch Haniger and Anthony Banda to Arizona.

Parra, 27, is something of a buy-low opportunity for Milwaukee. He's one of the better defensive outfielders in a game -- a two-time Gold Glove winner -- and remains solid there, but his offensive production has bottomed out in 2014 with a .259/.305/.362 line in 440 plate appearances. There is some word, though, that he's looked "slower" to some scouts.

With his cost increasing through arbitration and free agency looming after the 2016 season, Parra became expendable for Arizona with his declined play this year. The return also isn't terrible for the Diamondbacks, giving them a young outfielder who could potentially take over in Arizona a year from now.

Haniger, 23, was drafted by the Brewers with the No. 38 overall pick in the 2012 draft. He was rated as Milwaukee's No. 3 prospect entering the 2014 season by Baseball America, and has batted .255/.316/.416 with 10 homers in 271 plate appearances at the Double-A level this season. Jim Callis, for one, is a fan:

With 96 minutes to go, new @Dbacks OF Mitch Haniger leads the Best Prospect Traded On Deadline Day race.

— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 31, 2014

Banda isn't as highly regarded a prospect, but at least gives the team some more organizational pitching depth. He's pitched for Single-A Wisconsin this season, posting a 3.66 ERA over 20 appearances (including 14 starts).

It isn't exactly known how Parra fits into the Brewers' outfield rotation just yet. With Carlos Gomez and Ryan Braun obviously not moving anywhere, Khris Davis is the only player likely to lose at bats. The right-handed Davis is slugging .477 with 17 home runs this season, and his production has been steady over the last two months. He does have some extreme platoon splits, though, and Parra can spot him against tough right-handers, at least.

As for Parra, he isn't too concerned about where the at-bats will come from:

Gerardo Parra has no idea where he'll fit into #Brewers OF mix, but he knows this: "They play hard and they play happy. I love that."

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) July 31, 2014

The NL Central leaders added a LH bat and solid outfield defense and versatility.

The Milwaukee Brewers added OF Gerardo Parra on Thursday in a deadline day deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, sending OF prospect Mitch Haniger and LHP Anthony Banda in exchange for the two-time Gold Glove winner.

Parra brings top-flight defense to the potent Brewers outfield, as he has over 300 games worth of experience in each of the corner OF positions in his career and has appeared in CF in 136 games.  His left-handed hitting should also provide the perfect complement to the right-handed bat of current LF Khris Davis, as both have fairly pronounced platoon splits, giving the 1st place Brewers an added threat in their pursuit of the NL Central crown.

Heading to Arizona in the deal is Haniger, who has put up a .732 OPS in 271 Double-A appearances so far in 2014, and Banda, a 20 year old LHP who has a 3.36 ERA in 83.2 A-ball innings.  Haniger was ranked as the 3rd best prospect in a light Brewers system by Baseball America prior to the 2014 season, and Banda was actually drafted by Arizona out of high school in the 33rd round of the 2011 draft (he did not sign, though, and was later drafted in the 10th round of the 2012 draft out of junior college by Milwaukee).

Parra has a little over $1.5 million of his 2014 salary remaining, and he'll be 3rd year arbitration eligible for the 2015 season for Milwaukee.  ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro, and KTAR-Phoenix's John Gambodoro each broke parts of the trade.

The Arizona Diamondbacks traded outfielder Gerardo Parra to the Milwaukee Brewers today, receiving outfield prospect Mitch Haniger and pitching prospect Anthony Banda in exchange. Here's a look at the two new Dbacks prospects.

Anthony Banda, LHP: Banda was a 10th round pick in 2012 from San Jacinto Junior College in Arizona. He's pitched decently this year for Wisconsin in the Low-A Midwest League, posting a 3.66 ERA in 84 innings with an 83/38 K/BB and 84 hits allowed.

Banda is a 6-2, 190 pound southpaw born August 10, 1993. His best pitch is his curveball, which is rated as a plus offering. Midwest League observers also report a decent changeup and a fastball in the 88-92 MPH range. His command can be inconsistent but he has been on a good run lately, posting a 2.28 ERA in his last 10 starts for the Timber Rattlers. He projects as a back-end starter or a bullpen option.

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Mitch Haniger, OF: Haniger was drafted by the Brewers in the supplemental first round in 2012, 38th overall, from Cal Poly.He hit .250/.323/.396 last year in 88 games for Brevard County in the High-A Florida State League, and has posted a similar .255/.316/.416 mark this season for Huntsville in the Double-A Southern League, with 19 walks and 41 strikeouts in 243 at-bats.

Haniger is a 6-2, 215 right-handed hitter and thrower born December 23, 1990. He has gap power but hasn't developed as much home run pop as scouts hoped when he was drafted, although he does have 10 bombs to his credit this season. He doesn't strike out excessively but also doesn't draw many walks, limiting his OBP to this point of his career. Although his physical tools profile best in right field, he's played center field one-third of the time this year and his instincts make him a decent defender there. He'll need more home run power and/or a higher on-base percentage to start at a corner in the majors.

ANALYSIS: Parra doesn't offer the Brewers much hitting but his glove will be an asset for the stretch run. In exchange the Diamondbacks pick up a pair of Grade C+ pitching prospect and a C+/B- outfielder, which seems a reasonable return to me.

What did we get back from the Brewers in exchange for Gerardo Parra?

OF Mitch Haniger

Haniger was a first-round pick by the Brewers in 2012, albeit late in the round, with the 38th overall selection. He has spent this season with their Double-A affiliate in Huntsville, and has batted .255/.316/.416 there, with 10 home-runs. However, it's worth noting that the park in Huntsville is one of the most hitter-friendly in the Southern League, and that may play into Haniger's yawning home/road splits: he's hitting .314 in Huntsville, but below the Uecker Line on the road, and only two of those long balls have come away from home as well. He got off to a slow start, hitting .193 in April, but has come around a bit since then.

MLB.com slots Haniger in as the #10 prospect in the D-backs farm system after the move, putting him between Nick Ahmed and Jake Barrett. At the start of the season, John Sickels had him as the #7 in the Brewers system, saying Haniger had "no glaring strengths, but no huge weaknesses. Does a lot of things reasonably well, good fielder with moderate power, could hit .260 with a decent OBP. Personification of a Brewers prospect." Baseball America ranked Haniger higher, putting him at #3 and calling him the best outfield arm in the Milwaukee system. There's an interesting interview with him on Fangraphs; perhaps worth quoting him at length discussing his hitting approach.

"My approach is pretty complex. It always depends on the situation. Are there are runners on? What kind of game is it? I’m also big on scouting reports. I want to try to find out how the pitcher likes to attack you. That impacts what I’m going to be looking for. I was already doing that when I was at Cal Poly. I’ve made small adjustments, like trying to make my swing as short as possible. But nothing really huge. I have pretty much the same mechanics I did in college. My setup is pretty standard. "I think [my plate discipline] is pretty good. Obviously, there’s always going to be room for improvement, but I like where I’m at right now. Hopefully I can continue to get better."

Haniger made a good showing in Arizona during last year's AFL, leading the league with 24 RBI in 25 games with the championship winning Surprise Saguaros, hitting .280 with four homers and an ..834 OPS. He seems to have a blue-collar approach: "My biggest thing is I always try to play like I've got something to prove — with a chip on my shoulder. Coming into college I wasn't the highest prospect. I always kind of play like I have something to prove. I think that's kind of my motivation. I'd like to keep that throughout my whole career." But I swear, I will cut the first person who uses the G-word...

LHP Anthony Banda

Definitely the lesser of the two prospects received from Milwaukee, Banda was a 10th-round pick in 2012 - ironically, the Diamondbacks had selected him the previous year, in the 33rd-round, but were not able to sign him. He's still young, not turning 21 until next month, making him young for his current level in A-ball. He has worked both as a starter and out of the bullpen for the Brewers' affiliate there, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, putting up a 3.66 ERA over 83.2 innings, with a K:BB ratio of 83:38, He has been unscored upon in his last three appearance, totaling 15 innings, allowing seven hits with 14 strikeouts and five walks.

Here's an interview with Banda from May 2013 in which he talks about being drafted by both the Diamondbacks and the Brewers,and which says "Banda features a fastball that currently sits between 90-93 miles per hour. He also throws a curveball and change up" And, you'll be pleased to here, he is on Twitter, as @anthony_banda3 - Haniger is as well, @M_Hanny19.

Oh right... there was a game today.

pregame

As I write this, I am still quite stunned about the trade the Cardinals just made with the Red Sox. It is a good trade, and I think the team got quite a bit better, but it is still fresh. All I can picture in my head is the media going up to Craig asking for him to comment, and him telling them "No", barely above a whisper, discouragingly shaking his head while in the background Joe Kelly tries not to cry as he packs his skateboard into his backpack. It breaks my heart.

On top of all that, Shelby Miller has to pitch today, just hours after one of his best friends and groomsman in his wedding was traded. That has to be tough. I am pretty wrecked over it - my productivity at my job has been shot, and I don't even really know them. Yes, they are professionals and have a job to do, but they are also human. This cannot be easy for them.

With Allen gone, Matheny's hands are now tied. Here are the lineups for today:

game

I have come to realize in my short life that I am a terribly empathetic person. Sometimes this gets me into trouble or, shall we say, possibly dangerous situations. Empathy is not all it is cracked up to be. In fact, on days like today, I wish I could shut it off, become an unfeeling automaton who views people as a means to an end. But I cannot, not even for people I do not know.  And therefor I simply  cannot distance myself from the human element of this child's game.

And for those reasons, this game was really difficult for me today. I should have been happy. The Birdos seemed to be responding positively to the roster shake-ups, in a manner of speaking. Oscar Taveras hit a beautiful two-run home run in the second to give the Cardinals a temporary lead, then after Shelby Miller surrended two runs on solo shots in the bottom of the frame, the top of the Cardinals order pieced together a few singles to give the team a 4-2 lead. Peter Bourjos tacked on another run with a RBI base hit and Matt Carpenter earned a RBI walk in the top of the sixth to round out the scoring. Runs, that is really what we all wanted. Shelby Miller even pitched well. His breaking ball looked good, he was hitting his spots with his fastball, the only mistakes he really made being the second inning home runs to Jedd Gyorko and Will Venable. But the mood was still somber, like the game was being broadcast in sepia.

But I do not mean to bum you out. The Cardinals traded two players today,yes, and because of that they probably made themselves a stronger team. So let think some happy thoughts. First of all, Oscar Taveras hit a home run. Matt Carpenter is a stud and we should bask in his studliness at every possible opportunity. Shelby Miller pitched like a man on a mission, allowing only three hits (although two were homers). Kevin Siegrist, Pat Neshek and Trevor Rosenthal used thirty-three pitches, not allowing a single baserunner, to tear through Padres order like a Ragnar Lothbrok did to Jarl Borg. Matt Holliday suddenly realized it was the second half of the season. Yadier Molina and Michael Wacha will hopefully be back in September. And now the rotation has been bolstered with the additions of Justin Masterson and John Lackey. There are a lot of good things to look forward to.

post game

LIL SCOOTER'S PLAYER OF THE GAME:

Oscar Taveras is the most honorable recipient of this award, going 1-4 with a home run and two RBI. He led all players in WPA with .119 (with Matt Holliday right on his heals at .109).

Source: FanGraphs

TWEET/GAMETHREAD COMMENT OF THE GAME:

The Cardinals end the road trip 5-5 and head home to take on the Brewers. Adam Wainwright toes the rubber against Wily Peralta. The game beings at 7:15pm CST. Despite recent struggles, a sweep of the Brewers could leave the Birdos alone in first place!

And so here's to Allen Craig and Joe Kelly. No longer on our team, but still in our hearts. Eventually all good things must come to an end. The best of luck to you fine gentlemen in Boston. I wish things could have played out differently. Thanks for thememories.

Dan Straily won his first game as a Cub. Baez and Bryant both homered--is that even news anymore? Everyone else lost.

It's been a long day. A long week, really.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs shut out the New Orleans Zephyrs (Marlins), 4-0.

It was easily the best start in the Cubs organization for Dan Straily. Straily shut down the Zephrys for six innings, giving up just four hits and a walk. He struck out five. It was his first Iowa Cubs win and fifth in the Pacific Coast League.

Arodys Vizcaino pitched two innings for the first time since August 16, 2011. He gave up one hit and two walks while striking out two.

All four of Iowa's runs tonight scored on home runs. Second baseman Javier Baez broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with a two-run blast, his 21st on the season. Baez was 3 for 5.

In the seventh inning, third baseman Kris Bryant snuck one just over the wall right down the right field line for his 35th home run of the year. It came with the bases empty. Bryant was 1 for 4 with a walk.

Two batters later, first baseman Mike Olt rocketed a line drive over the left field wall for his first Iowa home run of the season. Olt went 2 for 5.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies lost to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Reds), 6-4.

Starter Felix Peña took the loss after he allowed five runs in only four innings. He gave up seven hits including back-to-back home runs to lead off the fourth inning. Peña struck out four and walked one.

The Smokies were held without a hit until one out in the eighth inning, when third baseman Christian Villanueva singled to left. The next five Smokies got hits, but they fell short in their comeback. Dustin Geiger went 1 for 3 with a two-run double.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs were hijacked by the Bradenton Marauders (Pirates), 8-0.

Starter Tayler Scott took the loss after he allowed six runs on seven hits over five innings.  However, all five of the runs he allowed in the second inning were unearned thanks to two D-Cubs errors. Scott struck out four and did not walk a batter.

Catcher Willson Contreras went 0 for 1 with four walks.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars were bitten by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 7-3.

Starter Ben Wells pitched 5.1 innings and allowed three runs, two earned. on only two hits. He was wild as he walked five batters and hit one. He struck out five.

Zak Hermans pitched the rest of the way and got the loss. He allowed four runs, three earned, on three hits over 2.2 innings. Hermans struck out five and walked two.

Right fielder Jeffrey Baez doubled twice in a 2 for 4 game. He scored once.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks were grounded by the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays), 2-1.

James Norwood made his first professional start and got his first professional loss. He went three innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out two and didn't walk anyone.

Ryan Williams was impressive tonight with four scoreless innings of relief of Norwood. He gave up two hits, didn't walk anyone and struck out two.

First baseman Danny Canela was 2 for 4 with a double.

Charcer Burks and Jesse Hodges were both ejected from this game.

AZL Cubs

Off day.

Today's lessons revolve around a packed trade deadline.

Yesterday's Results

The Brewers had the day off.

The trade deadline passed yesterday with the Brewers making one acquisition.

Yesterday at 3 pm CT, the non-waiver trade deadline for MLB passed. It was one of the busiest days on the trade deadline in a long time, with several players moving in a flurry of moves. The Brewers did make one move on the day, acquiring OF Gerardo Parra from the Diamondbacks. Parra has been a good outfielder in his career for the Diamondbacks, though was struggling through this season. Even in his struggles, he represents an upgrade as a fourth outfielder for the Brewers, and is a little more than a rental as the Brewers can bring him back next year (though his anticipated contract means it's not an easy decision). It remains to be seen how the Brewers will use him. Early thoughts are as a bench bat & late inning defender, though could also make a couple starts a week to give other outfielders days off.

Meanwhile, around the division, there were moves going on, but nothing too big. After acquiring Justin Masterson on Wednesday, the Cardinals acquired John Lackey yesterday. These moves bolster the Cardinals rotation and also cleared space for a top prospect to be called up, as the Cardinals fight for a playoff spot. On the Pirates side, rumors kept coming up for them (including a fake one that got media coverage about Rays player Ben Zobrist) but the Pirates ended the day making no moves. Same went for the Reds, though towards the deadline rumors came out that they were taking offers on Mat Latos, potentially looking like sellers. Finally, the Cubs made a few moves, but most were building for the future. The fears of David Price coming to the division didn't come true, and Price ended up with the Tigers.

Cram Session

• Adam McCalvy has some quotes from Gerardo Parra and Doug Melvin in his Brewers Beat blog.
• While the month of June has been very demoralizing, Nicholas Zettel of Disciples of Uecker has a reminder that great teams can play awful baseball.
• Trade deadline season is a very uneasy time for players, who don't know if they'll have to make major life changes soon. Todd Rosiak looks at how different Brewers have dealt with it.
• Tim Dillard provides a look into a normal day of batting practice on his blog.

Minor League Update

Division Update

• Cardinals 6, Padres 2
• Diamondbacks 7, Pirates 4
• Reds 3, Marlins 1
• Cubs 3, Rockies 1

This Weekend's Division Games

• Pirates @ Diamondbacks
  Friday: Edinson Volquez vs. Vidal Nuno
  Saturday: Vance Worley vs. Chase Anderson
  Suinday: Francisco Liriano vs. Trevor Cahill
• Reds @ Marlins
  Friday: Mat Latos vs. Jarred Cosart
  Saturday: Homer Bailey vs. Nathan Eovaldi
  Suinday: Mike Leake vs. Henderson Alvarez
• Cubs @ Dodgers
  Friday: Kyle Hendricks vs. Dan Haren
  Saturday: Tsuyoshi Wada vs. Hyun-Jin Ryu
  Suinday: Edwin Jackson vs. Josh Beckett

This Weekend's Action

The Brewers start a critical three-game series in St. Louis tonight. Here are the starting pitcher matchups for the weekend:

Friday: Wily Peralta vs. Adam Wainwright
Saturday: Jimmy Nelson vs. Justin Masterson
Suinday: Kyle Lohse vs. Lance Lynn

The Reds made no moves by yesterday's trade deadline. Was that the right call?

Yesterday's 4 pm non-waiver trade deadline came, and went, and the transactions ledger for the then 53-54 Cincinnati Reds added no new entries.  There was no sell-off for the 4th place Reds, who sat 6 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, yet there was no major acquisition brought in to help them bridge the 4.5 game gap between them and the 2nd Wild Card spot, either.

C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer had a chance to catch up with GM Walt Jocketty last night, and he got a few interesting quotes that may help unravel exactly what the Reds had hoped to accomplish (but didn't).

On the deadline as a whole:

Walt Jocketty said he was frustrated they didn’t get a deal done, but didn’t want to do a deal just to do a deal #Reds

— ctrent (@ctrent) August 1, 2014

Kinda gives off the scent that they wanted to buy if a bargain was there, but didn't feel they needed to buy.

More on the strategy behind their actions/inactions:

Jocketty said #Reds never considered selling — only buying. ‘Do you know who I work for?'

— ctrent (@ctrent) August 1, 2014

Kinda gives off the scent that owner Bob Castellini wanted to buy but perhaps Jocketty tried to prudently temper his boss's expectations a bit.

Finally, a rather cryptic look into the players Walt had his eyes on:

Jocketty said none of the guys they had targeted ended up moving in a trade #Reds

— ctrent (@ctrent) August 1, 2014

That's a pretty juicy detail from a guy who normally keeps his plans held extremely close to his (sweater) vest.

Also of note were a few nuggets picked up by a pair of national media members that may add some insight into where the front office sees the team going between now and the end of the 2015 season.

An obvious decision that, obviously, had no takers:

The #Reds are telling teams LF Ryan Ludwick is available, He's earning $7.5M, w/ $9 millilon mutual option or $4.5 million buyout in 2015..

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 31, 2014

A pretty blatant admission that Luddy's 2015 option isn't getting picked up (and therefore a different LF will be patrolling in 2015).

Easily the biggest Reds-related news of the day, I'd say:

Not only are #Reds not buying. Other teams say they've dangled Mat Latos. Looking for big return of course

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 31, 2014

While no move was made, this tidbit may tell us more about the upcoming offseason than anything else we've heard or will hear.

So, what can we take away from all of this?  Well, based solely on these five tweets (which ain't much), there's still a decent amount of stra-tejay-antone-ery we can kind of parse.  If Walt can be taken at his word, that means the Reds weren't interested in David Price, Jon Lester, John Lackey, or any of the other top-tier pitchers that moved during yesterday's flurry, and that should come as no surprise.  We can also take away that none of Yoenis Cespedes, Jonny Gomes, Martin Prado, Gerardo Parra, Stephen Drew, Kelly Johnson, Austin Jackson, Nick Franklin, Allen Craig, Asdrubal Cabrera, Chris Denorfia, Emilio Bonifacio, or Sam Fuld were on Jocketty's list of must-acquire players, since each of them moved on a deadline day that was rife with action.

We can also assume that Ludwick was being shopped because he's about at the end of his tenure as the primary LF for the Reds, something that's been pretty obvious given his sparse playing time there of late.  With the $9 million salary for 2015 tagged with an expensive $4.5 million buyout (and, of course, the diminished performance), that shouldn't come as any surprise, but it may also be a second clue into what the Reds were shopping for yesterday.  If they wanted Luddy moved and were shopping for a player that didn't get traded yesterday, it means the Reds likely had their eyes on an OF with team control beyond 2014 (which is something they'd intimated in previous weeks).  That means guys like Alex Rios, Ben Zobrist, any of the Los Angeles Dodgers logjam, Marlon Byrd, Alex Gordon, Brett Gardner, or any number of players that fit the mold and did not move may have been on Walt's list but simply would have been too expensive to chase.  Since each of those (and presumably other players) have team control beyond 2014, we can expect talks to continue through the August waiver period and, potentially, throughout the winter, too.

The Latos dangling, however, is the biggest takeaway from this, though.  Given that Latos, Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, and Alfredo Simon are all slated to become free agents following the 2015 season, it's been oft discussed that the already robust Reds payroll would likely not have room to accommodate extensions to more than two of them, if that.  Homer Bailey's $105 million extension already means that the club has locked up one of its impressive stable of pitchers beyond 2015, but the success they've achieved has continued to drive their extension prices through the roof to where a trade of one to help replenish the farm has become a prudent plan.  The hard part will be deciding which ones to try to extend and which ones to trade, and if yesterday's news from Stark is any indication, it appears the Reds may be considering trading Latos for either a young, MLB ready player or a series of high-end prospects, which turns the focus on an upcoming extension squarely on Cueto's shoulders.  It's a hair-splitting choice, but Cueto has dazzled enough this season to make it probably the best one.

That's about it, though.  Of the six NL teams that stood tied or ahead of the Reds in the division and Wild Card standings as of yesterday, five made moves to acquire major league pieces to help in 2014.  The Pittsburgh Pirates were the lone exception to that group, but their mid-season call up of uber-prospect Gregory Polanco means they've at least brought more talent into the mix than when their season started in April.  It seems the banged-up Reds have been been tasked with patching together an unlikely August run until Brandon Phillips and, we hope, Joey Votto can return for a triumphant September, but that seems quite the tall task.  In the meantime, fans will get a good, solid look at Kristopher Negron and Ramon Santiago as Cincinnati chases their 4th playoff appearance in 5 years.

Here's what was said about the Arizona Diamondbacks' late flurry of activity at the trade deadline: from those involved in the trades, those who executed them and outside observers.

The players

"I think everybody dreams to play for the Yankees, and I never expected that in my career. I'm just looking forward to trying to find myself in a good position to play baseball. I felt like I've been up and down all this year, so now in a new place, we'll see how things are going to go." -- Martin Prado

All my fans in Arizona I appreciate your support during my time in Phoenix. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to play for the Dbacks

— gerardo parra (@88_gparra) July 31, 2014

Want to wish @88_gparra and Martin Prado the best of luck with their new clubs. Both teams getting great people not just great players

— Tuffy Gosewisch (@santiagosewisch) August 1, 2014

2 of the BEST teammates/friends I've EVER had in the game. You will be missed Prado &@88_gparra Good luck Hermanos!

— Cody Ross (@IamCodyRoss) July 31, 2014

Thanks to the brew crew for everything. Pumped to be heading to the DBacks! Gonna miss all the great friends I've made the past 2 years!

— Mitch Haniger (@M_Hanny19) July 31, 2014

The front-offices

"He's going to hit home runs in pretty much any park you put him in. He is probably one of the best offensive players in the minor leagues right now. He's like Trumbo. He's like Goldy. We think he is going to hit for an average, drive in runs. You have a chance to have a middle of the order catcher. Big offense."
-- Kevin Towers on Peter O'Brien

"We were very high on him when he was an amateur. Kind of profiles probably more as a corner outfielder, though, he has played center. Speed is probably the lowest grade that we have on him, but defender with a plus arm, plus power, plus hitter. A guy that will probably go to Double-A for us in Mobile, but a corner outfielder that we think could be a five- or six-hole-type hitter here in the very near future."
-- Towers on Mitch Haniger

"Pitching, especially with some of the injuries that we've had, it's a big priority. When you look at the No. 1 responsibility for all of us, it's to present a team that contends, hopefully in October. I like some of the guys on the club but I like the flexibility that we can get financially to move toward those areas of need."
-- Tony La Russa

"All three of our outfielders are right-handed. Parra is a veteran guy who can give those guys a day off or be used in matchups against certain right-handed pitching. He's a Gold Glover. He has experience at all three outfield positions. We got him to play and help us out. He hasn't played quite as much as in the past because the Diamondbacks were experimenting with younger guys."
-- Brewers general manager Doug Melvin

"We're obviously trying to improve our offensive output and give Joe (Girardi) flexible options. We're going to be asking some guys to move around... I think one of his value points is his ability to play multiple positions."
-- Yankees general manager Brian Cashman on Martin Prado.

The pundits

There is only one strategy left, and it's not spending wildly to acquire championship-caliber pitching. The Diamondbacks can't win the money game. They can only trade for a chorus line of pitching prospects, restocking the shelves for another run a few years down the line. So, yeah, the trade deadline was great theater. The A's became America's team, the Tigers countered with their own bold stroke, and the Yankees actually made a deal with their hated rivals in Boston. But in Arizona, the net result was one pitching prospect, and further proof of the long road back.
-- Dan Bickley

dbacks did well to get big power hitter peter o'brien in prado deal

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 31, 2014

This haul might appear underwhelming, but consider what the Diamondbacks gave up: an outfielder with above average defense but little offensive ability who should be platooned and a utility guy who is getting older, doesn’t hit the ball hard and was owed $16M over the next two years. Those assets aren’t going to net you top prospects, and overall, I’d say they got a reasonable return based on the financial and roster flexibility they were able to create in these deals. The most encouraging sign, though, is that the team seems to have shifted its priorities for contention.
-- Jeff Wiser, Inside the Zona

Both deals were about financial flexibility but the Prado deal made the biggest impact. This deal was all about the 2015 free agent starting pitching market. MLB Trade Rumors put together a list of potential starting pitchers and there are plenty of impact guys for the Dbacks to go after... Now the Dbacks have the money to sign an impact arm, and the front office made it clear that starting pitching is priority no.1, no.2, and no.3 this offseason. Overall I think the Diamondbacks made two trades today that will help them this offseason and next year if they can acquire an impact arm.
-- Joseph Jacquez, Venom Strikes

Prado is a useful veteran; O'Brien has impressive power upside but is more of a future role player than a regular. The trade isn't a game changer either way... Parra doesn't offer the Brewers much hitting but his glove will be an asset for the stretch run. In exchange the Diamondbacks pick up a pair of Grade C+ pitching prospect and a C+/B- outfielder, which seems a reasonable return to me.
-- John Sickels, Minor League Ball

The Brewers got better at relatively little cost. There's a lot to like, but a sense that more needs to be done.

In 2008 there was Ray Durham. In 2011 there was Jerry Hairston, Jr. And in 2014 there is Gerardo Parra.

Mitch Haniger's best-case, and I mean best case, scenario as a major league player is basically what Gerardo Parra has been over the past few years. Haniger has not shown a whole lot in the minors with his bat as of yet, but has stuck around the prospect lists with defensive versatility in the outfield. What's the best case scenario for Haniger? It probably looks something like him managing center field or playing excellent defense on the corners and sneaking in an average-ish batting line as a major league player. Interestingly, that's a pretty good summary of Parra's MLB career so far. Put more simply, the talk about Mitch Haniger coming up through the minors reminds me a lot of the talk about Logan Schafer coming up through the minors, and I think the Logan Schafer career track is more likely for Haniger than the Parra career track. Haniger is an asset, but the Brewers did not have to give up much value to make this deal.

Parra has been an intriguing player but is having a very down year so far. In 2011 and 2012, he was roughly an average player overall manning the outfield for the Diamondbacks, which is in no way a knock on his abilities-- average players have plenty of value in this game. He accomplished this by playing above-average defense but also hitting about as well as the league average. That was in part due to him being shielded somewhat from left-handed pitchers. In 2013, UZR really, really, really liked his defense, and as a result he basically graded out as an all-star caliber player if you believe that his defense was 26 runs better than an average corner outfielder. This year he has struggled in all areas. UZR doesn't even like his defense so far, but in the same way a great batter can have a bad stretch of 100 at-bats, a great defender can have a bad stretch of half a season.

The short version of the story is that if you were to go about projecting Gerardo Parra for next season, he's at worst a passable platoon option for an outfield spot and at best an above-average, near-everyday player. The role he is being asked to fill in for the Brewers is to back up all 3 spots, play left field occasionally against tough righties, and probably replace Khris Davis defensively in the late innings. He fits that role really well and did not cost very much to acquire. Even if Parra is non-tendered after this season, that makes this trade probably about even value. If his bat comes back around, he's a viable option for the heavy end of an outfield platoon and a potential asset to play with in the offseason.

If there was disappointment about this trade in the Brewer blogosphere, I think it had much more to do with what might have been. There were essentially 3 ideal types of trade pickups for the Brewers-- a lefty outfielder with a passable bat, a power-hitting lefty corner infielder, and a right-handed reliever. Melvin got the ideal player for target number one. But the Diamonbacks also had an ideal player for target number 3, in Brad Ziegler. He's a righty with a weird, sidearming delivery that makes him extra effective against right-handers-- or so you would think, as he actually has a reverse platoon split on the year. Regardless, he is a good pitcher who would have fit very nicely into the back end of the Brewer bullpen to pair with Smith and Duke in the setup mix right now, and could have been a nice guy to bring on to get a tough right-hander later in the year in certain situations if Jim Henderson and Tyler Thornburg are able to return from injuries and be effective. Had another mid-level prospect brought back Ziegler along with Parra, I think yesterday would have gone from "modest win" to "big win".

Though it does not drastically change any projections for the rest of the season (and for the record, I don't think any moves made in the Central really do), Doug Melvin pulled off a solid trade that provided a valuable role player to 2014 squad, important depth in case of a major injury, and some potential value in 2015. On those grounds, the trade was a success. But there still may be work to be done in August.

Will Smith was lights out to start the season. Lately he's been less than that. Is something wrong with him, or is it just that we were wrong about what he is?

I see this in comments sections and on Twitter all the time: Ron Roenicke broke Will Smith. The narrative is that Roenicke used him too frequently in the first half of the season and now something is wrong with Smith because of it. You'll be hard pressed to get an actual answer as to what exactly these people think is wrong, though. He is fatigued? Is he hurt? Are people just grasping for straws because it's easier and more comforting than actually trying to figure what if anything is actually wrong because the answer to what is wrong with Smith might be that nothing is, which could be the worst answer possible? You might be able to guess where I stand on this whole "argument."

I don't think Roenicke broke Will Smith because I don't think Will Smith is broken. It's true that Will Smith has been used a lot. He's appeared in the second most games out of the bullpen this year. But correlation doesn't imply causation. The leader in appearances out of the bullpen this year is Brad Ziegler. Last year he was second in appearances and obviously he's doing just fine. Like wise with last year's leader Joel Peralta (hit the DL due to an illness this year, not injury) and third place Cody Allen is having an even better season this year. Simply assuming Smith is broken because he was used aggressively for half a season is lazy and very likely inaccurate.

The other reason I don't believe Will Smith is broken is his velocity. One warning sign of an injury is decreased velocity. That hasn't happened to Smith. If anything he's hitting his peak velocity more consistently now than he did early in the season. We can't rely on velocity alone as an indicator of an injury, but we can use it as another point against the possibility.

The real reason I think Will Smith has been less effective lately is that he's regressed to what may very well be his true talent level versus right-handed hitting. That's not something any of us want to hear, but it's looking like the truth. You can view his year to year splits versus RHH here. It's not pretty. Opponent batting average and on-base percentage has gotten worse each year. His opponent slugging dipped last year, but it's now the highest of his three years in the major leagues. That's not encouraging and it might be time to reconsider his ceiling.

Against RHH his LD% is the highest it's ever been. That could be meaningful because those are typically the hardest hits to field. He's also walking an unacceptable 12.2% which in concert with his BAA has resulted in a horrendous 1.77 WHIP. That's pretty bad, but I'm not convinced yet that he is going to have to relegated to LOOGY status. He has increased his K%  versus RHH each year. We have to hope that LD% is just a fluke and that he can lower that walk rate. If he can do that I think he could still develop in to an above average reliever considering his K% potential. He is still relatively young and this is only his first year as a reliever. I think there's room for optimism.

For right now we, though, have to hope that Roenicke stops being so bullheaded about his "eighth inning guy." That or we have to hope the eighth inning lines up perfectly where Smith sees more lefties than righties. I know that the Brewers are having internal discussions about what to do. Maybe we'll see a change sooner than later. I'm just worried their plan was to get a reliever by July 31st and now don't know what to do.

Barring an addition, I would switch Will Smith's role with Zach Duke. I mean, really I would just stop using set "roles" for these guys and play the match-ups more accordingly, but the reality is that RRR feels he has to have that eighth inning guy. The nice thing is, even though Will Smith isn't as electric as he was in April, Zach Duke is. Think of it this way: When we started the season we thought the Brewers had a left-handed reliever that decimates LHH and is fine against RHH and a second lefty who RRR could play match-ups with. That hasn't changed, the better reliever is just not the guy we thought it would be.

Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs

More from Brew Crew Ball

Follow @BrewCrewBallFollow @SBNationMLB

• Thinking through the Haniger for Parra trade
• What we learned: August 1, 2014
• The Brewers still can (and may) make a trade in August
• Trade deadline passes, David Price traded to Tigers
• Brewers acquire Gerardo Parra from Diamondbacks

And you thought Reed was bad.

Quotes

"He's very similar to Goldy [Paul Goldschmidt] when you look at his numbers in the minor leagues. Not saying he's going to be Goldy, but it's power to all fields, it's a guy that's going to hit for an average and it's a guy that's always wanted to catch."

- Kevin Towers on Peter O'brien

Daily D'backs

Diamondbacks bullpen implodes as Pirates roll to victory - azcentral.com

The Diamondbacks wasted a four-run lead and was beaten by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night at Chase Field.

Diamondbacks' deadline deals shift focus to future - azcentral.com

Soon after Gerardo Parra was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, he rang up teammate Martin Prado. Parra had only ever known one organization in his professional career, and Prado was quick to tell his friend and countryman that he knew how he felt.

Diamondbacks make trades, but not the exciting kind - azcentral.com

Major League Baseball's trade deadline made big headlines. There was drama, blockbuster deals and an arms race between those for vying for the ring. The Diamondbacks weren't playing that game.

Pollock hit on hand in rehab game; Anderson taking advantage of rest; Young shortstops holding their own - dbacks.com

Playing in his first game since a beanball from Reds starter Johnny Cueto fractured his right hand, A.J. Pollock was hit on the hand again. A little rest has gone a long way for starter Chase Anderson. Chris Owings, Didi Gregorius and Nick Ahmed have played a combined 254 games in the Major Leagues and have already made an impact on the D-backs infield.

Towers: New prospect Peter O'Brien provides 'an impact bat' - Arizona Sports 620

The Arizona Diamondbacks traded away two prominent players -- in separate deals -- ahead of Thursday's deadline, and general manager Kevin Towers sounded very enthused Friday about the prospect, catcher Peter O'Brien, who was acquired in the second of those moves.

Diamondbacks give Paul Goldschmidt a much-needed 'mental and physical' day off - Arizona Sports 620

Goldschmidt -- who has a .300 average with 19 home runs, an NL-leading 39 doubles and 69 RBI on the season -- played all 28 of Arizona's scheduled games in the month of July. Not to mention, he also traveled to Minneapolis as a member of the National League All-Star team during the built-in midsummer break.

Around MLB

Betts outstanding catch - mlb.com

Season likely done for Matt Cain - USA TODAY

San Francisco Giants right-hander Matt Cain needs surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow, an operation that likely will end his season.

The grand month has brought us a loss and a win so far from the Cardinals vs the Brewers. Masterson was shaky in his debut but the offense was rather offensive, in a good way!

Last night, the Cardinals did not win, and I did not get to watch the game. In fact, I tried to watch it, but I failed. Even tried to write a recap, but fell asleep. Been a barnburner of a week for me, but I did get to see Saturday's game, which was also a bit of a barnburner, a fitting end to the week.

Without further delay...

The scoring began with an Aramis Ramirez single, which scored the newly acquired Gerardo Parra, who was walked by the newly acquired Justin Masterson. The Cardinals answered with a Kolten Wong dinger. He has 7 home runs now and 15 stolen bases, which offsets his horrible OBP.

Masterson pitched well, and then Jhonny Peralta hit his 15th home run of the season. He has been the key new piece to the puzzle for the Cardinals this year, one of the best shortstops in MLB this season. Not to be outdone, Mr. Wong collected a couple more RBI with a sharply hit single, scoring Tony Cruz and Justin Masterson. Then one of the Matts wanted in on the run knocking-in, Holliday matting in another Matt of the Carpenter variety, and Kolten. Gerardo Parra had an errant throw too, which allowed Matt H. to move along to the keystone. The Adams Matt did not get in on the action.

I thought Masterson's slider looked amazing at times, but he walked 3 batters in his first Cardinal start.

Also, Masterson allowed Scooter Gennett to be pesky once again. He is the villain of the Brewers this year, which is not easy since they have two rather douchey bro dudes Braun and Garza, and the nutty Carlos Gomez. His double scored Braun and Lucroy. The Cards threatened but did not score (Tony Cruz double!).

Next, Oscar Taveras put the game into the Cardinals hands with a double, which resulted in two Matts batted in, since Adams and Holliday were on base at the time. After that, Carlos Gomez decided to make it more interesting by doubling in a run.

Fast forward to the ninth inning, where Rosenthal threw a ton of heat, but started off by allowing a hit. He also nearly hit a batter, but it confused the ump. Instant replay ended up helping the Cardinals, and the umps. Trevor struck out a couple batters and earned his 32nd save of the season.

WPA

Source: FanGraphs

Probability benders were Kolten Wong who went 3 for 5 and lead Cardinals batters in WPA. Neshek and Rosenthal were the pitching stars tonight. Both have been quite good this season, but Neshek has really been nothing less than uncanny.

Aramis Ramirez had a great night, but Kyle Lohse had a terrible night (and almost died at the hands of Matt Holliday). Lohse's WPA was -.625! Wow, that's bad. When all was said and done, he gave up 9 hits, 3 walks, 2 home runs, and 7 earned runs.

***

The Cardinals are now tied with the Pirates for second place with the exact same record of 58-51 at the time of this writing, but it looks like the Pirates are going to win tonight vs the D-Backs. Next game is Sunday at 1:15pm, and features the debut of John Lackey as a Cardinal. Hopefully he will do better than Justin Masterson in his debut, since Matt Garza is not a pushover. Almost forgot, Adams made an incredible defensive play tonight, which I think Justin Masterson probably really appreciated. He is going to really appreciate this team's defense!

Lackey solid; seventh inning comeback good enough to give the new Cardinal a win.

Milwaukee Brewers @ St. Louis Cardinals

Matt Garza (7-7, 3.74 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, 100 Ks) vs. John Lackey (11-7, 3.60 ERA, 3.57 FIP, 1.23 WHIP, 116 Ks)

1:15 p.m. CT

Busch Stadium- St. Louis, Missouri

Today's Lineups

Some News-

• Pittsburgh Pirates are taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks.  As of my writing this, the Buccos trail 2-1 in the fifth - MLB.com
• Reds defeated the Marlins 7-3 - MLB.com
• Cubs and the Dodgers are tied 1-1 in the third - MLB.com

Against the opponent (before this game)-

all-time record (150- 114)

2013 (14-5)

2014 (6-5)

Today's game was the 264th regular season bout between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers.

The last time these teams played on August 3 was in 2012.  Recently departed friend Joe Kelly led the Cards to a 9-3 victory over Randy Wolf and his Brewers.

Things we were looking for-

Obviously, the big news today is that this game is John Lackey's Cardinals' debut.  In Craig's series preview, he said this about the newest Cardinal:

John Lackey makes his debut on Sunday. Lackey has been solid this season for the Red Sox with a 3.60 ERA and a 3.56 FIP in just over 137 innings. He is familiar with A.J. Pierzynski so expect him behind the plate. Starting Lackey against the Brewers prevents an awkward matchup against his former Red Sox teammates. John Lackey throws a four seam fastball roughly half of the time, averaging around 93 miles per hour. His second pitch is a slider, but also works in a two-seam fastball and curve. The Cardinals' new acquisitions will be thrown right into a tight a pennant race with the first-place Brewers.

Things that happened-

Top Halves-

John Lackey began his Cardinal career with an impressive strikeout of Carlos Gomez, using fastballs ranging from 93-95, according to gameday.  He got his second out by way of a popup behind the plate from Jonathan Lucroy.  Ryan Braun doubled into the right field corner.  Aramis Ramirez turned a fastball up in the zone back into left, scoring Braun.  Brewers lead 1-0.  Lackey struck out Ricky Weeks to end the inning.

In the second, Mark Reynolds welcomed Lackey to the division by blasting a homer into the left field seats.  Brewers lead 2-0.

A nicely-executed and well-timed double play helped Lackey out of the third, after giving up hits to Lucroy and Braun.

Lackey started to settle in in the fourth, starting to mix in his slider and curve with more regularity.

In the fifth, Hererra knocked a bunt too hard towards Lackey.  It should have been an easy play, but Lackey let it go right under his legs as he went down on it (Lackey's first NL error!).  Luckily, he induced pop-ups from Garza and Gomez, and a lineout from Lucroy to bail himself out.

In the seventh, Hererra singled with two outs.  Roenicke elected to send Lyle Overbay to the plate to pinch hit for Garza after only 71 pitches.  Overbay singled.  Matheny visited John, but was evidently convinced that Lackey should continue.  The wager paid off, and Lackey was able to retire Gomez to end the inning.

Lackey's final line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 109 pitches thrown.

Pat Neshek, #37 came in to pitch the eighth.  He allowed a hit to Ramirez, but kept runs off the board.

Trevor Rosenthal came in to do his closer thing.  He allowed a jam-shot single to Khris Dhavis, then struck out Mark Reynolds.  Herrera worked a walk.  Scooter Gennett pinch hit for the pitcher and worked a good at bat, but struck out on a beautiful change up for the second out.  Trevor hit triple digits (according to gameday) three times on his way to striking out Carlos Gomez to end the game.  It was great that Gomez struck out to begin and end the game.

Bottom Halves-

Garza (and Mark Reynolds) made easy work of the top three in the Cardinal order.

In the second, Matt Adams took a 93 m.p.h. fastball up at the shoulders to take first base.  The HBP was erased on the very next pitch, though, with Jhonny Peralta grounding into a double play.

Garza made easy work of the third and fourth inning contingent of Cardinal batters.

Adams broke through on the hit column for the Cardinals in the fifth, doubling to right field, but that was the only blip (along with the HBP) on Garza's record through the sixth.  Garza's final line: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 71 pitches thrown.

Zach Duke took over the pitching duties in the seventh.  Holliday greeted him to the game with a dinger into the seats just to the left of the batters eye.  Brewers lead 2-1.  Adams followed up with a line drive single to center.  That knocked Mr. Duke out of the game.  The new pitcher, Jeremy Jeffress didn't fare much better.  Peralta singled.  Pierzynski singled home Adams to tie the game at 2-2.  Oscar came in and worked a great AB, showing some great plate discipline by taking some close pitches for balls.  He capped the AB off by lining the go-ahead RBI single up the middle.  Bourjos tried a  safety squeeze bunt, but hit it a bit too hard.  It moved Oscar to second, but AJ was forced to stay at third.   Daniel Descalso pinch hit for Lackey, and struck out to end the inning.  Cardinals lead 3-2.

Will Smith allowed a couple hard liners in the eighth.  Luckily for him, they landed safely in the glove of his center fielder.  He retired Wong, Holliday, and Adams.

Final Notes-

• It was unclear why Garza was taken out after rolling along through six.  He must have been dealing with some issue or another.  He was dominant in his six innings.
• Happy Birthday Fredbird!  lilscoot would have enjoyed being on hand to celebrate with Mariner Moose, Mr. Redleg, Sluggerrr and all the local mascots.
• Lackey lacked some command and pitched up in the zone early.  That led to some good contact and the two runs.  In the fourth or so, I felt like he started mixing pitches better, introducing off speed offerings to keep Brewers hitters more off balance.  Overall, I would call it an encouraging start to his Cardinal career.
• Brooks Baseball broke down Lackey's pitch usage thusly: 34 four-seam fastballs, 40 two-seam fastballs, 15 curveballs, and 20 cutters (sliders).  Here's more on Brooks Baseball about his outing.
• Fangraphs chart. Adams, Pierzynski, and Rosenthal contributed most to the win by fangrahphs' WPA measure.
• Gamenotes: Cards; Brewers

Looking ahead-

Tune in Tuesday as the Red Sox head to St. Louis.  Lance Lynn will be opposed by Rubby DeLaRosa.  Gametime is 7:15 CT.