AMERICAN LEAGUE

ANAHEIM ANGELS
Activated DH/1B/C Shawn Wooten from the 60-day DL; optioned RHP Matt Wise to Triple-A Salt Lake. (07.11)

Wooten can hit, that's for sure. What you do with him as far as getting him into the lineup is a mystery. He's not much of a catcher, but can play there, sort of like Rob Fick. He won't embarrass you or anything, but if there's a better option around, use that one. So Bengie Molina shouldn't lose any sleep. Brad Fullmer is left-handed and has hit a little this season, so he should be okay. That leaves Scott Spiezio, who has been moderately useful, but the Angels could use a third power bat in their lineup with Garret Anderson and Tim Salmon, so if Wooten hits, he should probably take Spiezio's job simply based on the fact that he has the ability to cause a lot more damage to the scoreboard.

BOSTON RED SOX
Activated IF Rey Sanchez from the 15-day DL; optioned RHP Sunny Kim to Triple-A Pawtucket. (07.11)

Sanchez will move right back in at second base as many frustrated Red Sox fans continue to curse the day Jose Offerman was born, even if he has been useful for them before.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Acquired IF D'Angelo Jimenez from the San Diego Padres for OF Alex Fernandez and C Humberto Quintero. (07.12)

Jimenez's star sure faded out. He's a hell of a streaky player, but he can play three positions well enough and could provide the White Sox with a great reason to tell Royce Clayton to hit the road.

CLEVELAND INDIANS
Fired manager Charlie Manuel; named third base coach Joel Skinner interim manager; activated RHP Jake Westbrook from the 15-day DL; optioned UT Jolbert Cabrera to Triple-A Buffalo. (07.11)

Signed OF Karim Garcia to a minor-league contract; placed OF Matt Lawton on the 15-day DL; recalled UT Bill Selby from Buffalo. (07.12)

Manuel was in a no-win situation with Mark Shapiro, who is a total dingleberry. I'm not saying Manuel's a great manager, because he's not, but he's a good one that doesn't out-and-out screw up all the time, and even with the knocks on his age and/or health, he should find a job somewhere else. Joel Skinner will get a serious look at being the full-time manager, but I wouldn't place bets on either outcome yet.

DETROIT TIGERS
Activated OF Bobby Higginson from the 15-day DL; recalled RHP Fernando Rodney from Triple-A Toledo; placed 1B Dmitri Young on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 6; placed 3B Chris Truby on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 4. (07.11)

Higgy will soon be out of Detroit if he has his way, and anywhere he goes can only serve to improve his production, including Seattle and Safeco Field. Young should go ahead and get his surgery and sit out this season if he has to, because he's not going to help himself or the team from this point out. Carlos Pena is around to handle first and Randall Simon or Craig Monroe or someone can do the DHing. Truby's injury leaves the Tigers without a third baseman, aka it leaves them with Shane Halter.

NEW YORK YANKEES
Announced that C Alberto Castillo has cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Columbus. (07.10)

Claimed RHP Seth Etherton off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds; transferred RHP Christian Parker from the 15- to 60-day DL. (07.11)

The Reds had to realize someone would claim Etherton, but I guess that's both a reality check of how much future he has (that they didn't care to let him go), or makes them look dumb. I don't know.

SEATTLE MARINERS
Placed RHP Rafael Soriano on the 15-day DL; recalled P Mark Watson from Triple-A Tacoma. (07.10)

TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS
Activated RHP Ryan Rupe from the 15-day DL; placed IF Russ Johnson on the restricted list. (07.11)

TEXAS RANGERS
Purchased the contract of OF Ruben Rivera from Triple-A Oklahoma; activated OF Rusty Greer from the 15-day DL; activated RHP Rich Rodriguez from the 60-day DL; designated IF Donnie Sadler for assignment; announced that C Todd Greene cleared waivers and has accepted an assignment to Oklahoma. (07.11)

Rivera made a great catch in his first game, prompting Tim Kurkjian to remark that he stole a hit, to which I replied, "hahaha." Greer's return is semi-good news, especially if they trade him. I didn't even know Sadler was with the Rangers.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Activated IF Chris Woodward from the 15-day DL; optioned OF Pedro Swann to Triple-A Syracuse. (07.11)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Activated 3B Matt Williams from the 60-day DL; optioned IF Alex Cintron to Triple-A Tucson. (07.11)

The word is that this will cut into Counsell's playing time, but if the Diamondbacks have the sense of a billy goat they'll just put Rudy at shortstop and give Tony Womack's PT the heave-ho. Counsell has outplayed Womack in every way imaginable this season, putting together a useful campaign of Clutch Hits and Getting On Base. Williams will be looked at to provide some power, but in all honesty I can't imagine him hitting more than .270 with 12 homers, or something close to that. And I fear it'll be much worse.

CINCINNATI REDS
Acquired RHP Ryan Dempster from the Florida Marlins for OF Juan Encarnacion, IF Wilton Guerrero and LHP Ryan Snare; purchased the contracts of 3B Brandon Larson and OF Raul Gonzalez from Triple-A Louisville; optioned RHP Luke Hudson to Louisville. (07.11)

Dempster just became the ace of a contending team, and whether or not that's good is hard to decide. He's a talented pitcher with occasional fits of nocontrolitis that's had his arm beat on for the past three years. The fact that he hasn't been hurt so far is kind of surprising, but he's pitched like someone who has something wrong with his arm, so who knows? The Reds either just acquired an affordable and talented young pitcher, or they got damaged goods.

FLORIDA MARLINS
Acquired OF Juan Encarnacion, IF Wilton Guerrero and LHP Ryan Snare from the Cincinnati Reds for RHP Ryan Dempster; acquired RHP Carl Pavano, LHP Graeme Lloyd, RHP Justin Wayne and IF Mike Mordecai from the Montreal Expos for OF Cliff Floyd, Wilton Guerrero, RHP Claudio Vargas and an undisclosed amount of cash. (07.11)

Poor Wilton Guerrero. The Marlins acquire Juan Encarnacion, Carl Pavano and a heap of junk (Snare and Wayne being young is a plus, but you can't tell if they'll be good or not), and the likelihood of both of them being junk is too high for me to think they got enough in return for giving up one of the better hitters in the league and a solid pitcher. Dempster is more of a dump than Floyd, because they're going to need their cash to lock up Penny, Burnett and Beckett for the long-haul.

MONTREAL EXPOS
Acquired OF Cliff Floyd, IF Wilton Guerrero, RHP Claudio Vargas and an undisclosed amount of cash from the Florida Marlins for RHP Carl Pavano, LHP Graeme Lloyd, RHP Justin Wayne and IF Mike Mordecai. (07.11)

I'm all for Floyd's reasoning of not wanting to play in Montreal, but if they just stick him at first base everything should be hunky-dory. They have a hell of a lineup at the top now with Wilkerson, Vidro, Vlad and Uncle Cliff, who, if he plays through not wanting to be in Montreal, should put up his numbers and contribute. Past that there's still a mess, but Fernando Tatis has hit this year and Orlando Cabrera should really start anytime now. The fact that their rotation is rock-solid with Vazquez, Colon, Armas and Ohka only helps their attempt at a wild card run. I'm not saying it'll happen, and I'll be surprised if it does, but it's far more realistic now than it was a couple days ago.

NEW YORK METS
Activated RHP Mark Corey from the 15-day DL and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. (07.12)

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Claimed RHP Brian Reith off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. (07.11)

SAN DIEGO PADRES
Acquired OF Alex Fernandez and C Humberto Quintero from the Chicago White Sox for IF D'Angelo Jimenez; acquired OF Brian Buchanan from the Minnesota Twins for SS Jason Bartlett; activated 3B/1B Phil Nevin and RHP Bobby J. Jones from the 15-day DL; placed RHP Kevin Jarvis on the 60-day DL; placed RHP Eric Cyr on the 15-day DL; purchased the contract of RHP Tom Davey from Triple-A Portland. (07.12)

Buchanan is more or less the same hitter as Bubba Trammell but not quite as good. The Twins did a good job in trading him away and wishing him all the best, because Bobby Kielty has been super and Dustan Mohr has been darn good, not to mention that Mike Cuddyer is bangin' on the door.
posted by Scott Christ at 6:30 PM

There's not a lot here, but I was pressured to update so here you go.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

CLEVELAND INDIANS
Recalled RHP Jason Phillips from Triple-A Buffalo; optioned RHP Jerrod Riggan to Buffalo. (07.06)

DETROIT TIGERS
Transferred OF Jacob Cruz from the 15- to 60-day DL. (07.06)

I renew my complaints toward the Tigers for even bothering to have Jacob Cruz in the first place. It's not a Rondell White situation where he's good while healthy. He's a mediocre fourth outfielder with a little bit of pop while healthy. Big difference, especially on a bad team.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Optioned RHP Mike Fyhrie to Triple-A Sacramento. (07.07)

Extended the lease at Network Associates Coliseum through 2007 with club options through 2010. (07.09)

Well A's fans, there's good news and bad news. The good news is your team isn't going anywhere. The bad news is your team isn't going anywhere cooler than Network Associates Coliseum.

Fyhrie is busted down due to the acquisition of Ted Lilly and Aaron Harang's subsequent and sure-to-be brief demotion to the bullpen. Once Cory Lidle continues to suck, Harang will move back where he belongs.

SEATTLE MARINERS
Placed RHP Ryan Franklin on the 15-day DL, retroactive to June 28; recalled RHP Julio Mateo from Triple-A Tacoma. (07.05)

Franklin has been pretty darn good this season, but the Mariners have a fistful of guys in Triple-A that are probably his equal, including Mateo.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Acquired RHP Mike Fetters from the Pittsburgh Pirates for RHP Duaner Sanchez. (07.06)

This trade makes sense for both teams. At 37, Fetters meets the minimum age requirement for Diamondbacks relievers. Also, he's a big fat guy that could add some color to the clubhouse, pulling pranks on the youngsters with the likes of Mark Grace and Greg Swindell. Haha, I can almost smell young whippersnapper Craig Counsell's cleats burning.

COLORADO ROCKIES
Optioned OF Benny Agbayani and RHP Chris Nichting to Triple-A Colorado Springs; recalled C Ben Petrick and LHP Brian Fuentes from Colorado Springs. (07.06)

Agbayani has rapidly gone from lovable tub in New York to platoon player in Colorado to useless platoon player in Colorado to a member of the SkySox. That's something else right there. This will be Ben Petrick's 200th chance at keeping Colorado's starting catching job, assuming he can wrestle it from Bobby Estallela's clutches at all.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Recalled RHP Bronson Arroyo from Triple-A Nashville; optioned RHP Duaner Sanchez to Nashville. (07.07)

Arroyo stinks. Sanchez has a great name. It reminds me of that old Rob Schneider SNL character, where he's all, "Hey, it's JIM. The JIM-MAN. JIMARAMA. THE JIMMER." It's like this dude's name is Duane but he hangs out with that guy. "Hey it's DUANE. THE DUANE-MAN. DUANEARAMA. THE DUANER."
posted by Scott Christ at 6:20 PM