Deadline Deals

What this means: The Blue Jays have given up on the wildcard chase. The Mets, who ignored Phillips during the offseason, don't really have a set position in the field ready for Phillips, but will surely play him a lot at various positions in order to bat him leadoff and upgrade the offense.

What this Means: After losing Ramon Martinez for the season and Ismael Valdes for a month as a result of injuries, the Dodgers desperately needed a quality starter to fill out the rotation, and they got one in Carlos Perez. The Grudz/Guerrero exchange gets the Expos out of an arbitration case this winter, but neither player is likely to contribute to their new team. In exchange for Perez, the Expos acquired three promising prospects. They gave up Bocachica, who is almost an ex-prospect by now.

What this means: The Cubs add another mediocre lefty to their bullpen, while the Marlins add some decent prospects to their farm system.

What this means: The Mets had to get rid of Pulsipher once Steve Phillips realized that the pitcher was out of options. In exchange they pick up a player who could be a useful bench player in the future.

What this means: The Athletics must be extraordinarily desperate to replace Mike Blowers at third, and they sent the Jays a non-prospect in exchange for the "privilege" of picking up Sprague's salary for the rest of the year. Billy Beane says that Sprague is not that old, but what he doesn't mention is that he is that finished. The Blue Jays finally get to give Tom Evans a third at third base.