MLB Bullets Is On The Trading Block

"I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying."--Oscar Wilde

• As the trading deadline nears, people are starting to wonder who will be the first domino to fall. And the next, and the one after that. Jon Paul Morosi lists the top trade storylines heading into this week. Morosi's first question is about Ricky Nolasco, and the Miami Herald agrees that Nolasco has probably thrown his last pitch for the Marlins.
• This has been mentioned before around here, but Ken Rosenthal says that while the Diamondbacks are looking for another pitcher, they don't want to "rent" an upcoming free agent like Nolasco, preferring to trade for someone under longer-term control. One of their targets is Jeff Samardzija, but they know the Cubs price will be extremely high and according to Rosenthal, Arizona hasn't even called the Cubs yet.
• The Rangers, Giants and Diamondbacks are all interested in Alex Rios.
• Michael Cuddyer now has a 27 game hitting streak. Bill Baer thinks he belongs on the NL All-Star Team.
• Chris Davis has 31 home runs already, an Orioles team record. Despite that, Davis manages to remain modest.
• Orioles pitcher Dylan Bundy underwent Tommy John Surgery last Thursday, and it all went well. Cliff Corcoran questions the platelet-rich plasma therapy that Bundy underwent hoping to avoid surgery, pointing out that it almost never works.
• Josh Beckett also underwent season-ending surgery.
• In good news for the Dodgers, Yasiel Puig had another four hits in a Dodger win on Sunday.
• In other good news for the Dodgers and every other team in the NL West: the gap between first and last is historically close at this point.
• Johnny Cueto isn't out for the season, at least not yet. But he is going back on the DL.
• As the Reds sink, the Pirates rise on the strength of their pitching and defense.
• The Rays beat the Tigers on Sunday, and the two teams do not like each other. Joe Maddon called Miguel Cabrera a crybaby, essentially.
• As the Tigers slide, the Indians have caught them for first place in the AL Central. David Schoenfield does his best Vulcan voice and says "That's illogical, Captain."
• The Mets have plans to limit Matt Harvey's workload. I wonder if they plan to leave him off the postseason roster?
• Jon Heyman says it should be obvious to everyone that Zack Wheeler is not the second coming of Matt Harvey for the Mets. He may not even be a starting pitcher in the long-run.
• He may not be the NL East's next Matt Harvey, but Jacob Turner has been really good lately.
• Despite all the stuff that went down last week, Yankees president Randy Levine said the team is desperate for Alex Rodriguez's return.
• Yu Darvish has a message for the critics of his fastball: "Shut up." He let his fastball do the talking on Sunday.
• Rob Neyer says the Mariners future is starting to look brighter.
• He also wonders why none of the Twins starting pitchers don't strike anyone out.
• Ryan Howard has been pretty awful lately. 0 for 20 with 11 strikeouts. Good thing the Phillies didn't sign him to a long-term deal for a ridiculous amount of money.
• In sad news, former pitcher Justin Miller is dead at age 35. He last pitched for Albuquerque in 2011.
• Jay Jaffe takes a look back at 20 years of Sausage Racing. He also provides video of himself as the Hot Dog.
• Finally, fewer and fewer people are collecting baseball cards.

Many former Hawkeyes athletes end up staying in the Iowa City area permanently.

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