Time to Deal

John Buck , pack your bags.

Lyle Overbay, alert your travel agent.

Scott Downs, postpone that team dinner you're hosting.

Jose Bautista, well we'll see, but if you keep knocking big flies, maybe give the real estate agent a buzz, keep him on stand by.

Time for players that are on non playoff contenders to be on high alert. The media , the bloggers and the twitterers.

While we are all losing our minds over the whole IlyaGate saga, my mind and my eyes see the calendar and note we are 10 days until the non waiver trade deadline, so let's take a quick look.

Dan Haren, Arizona Diamondbacks, while his team has largely underperformed this year, Haren is only 28 and under contract for a spell, so it would take a huge offer, as the Snakes would love to go into 2011 with Haren along side Brandon Webb ( at some stage ), so maybe a 30 % chance he's dealt.

Roy Oswalt, Houston Astros, ditto his predicament with another poor team and an ace starter, still in his prime, but has a best before date. Much more likely he will be dealt, and the thinking is the Mets and Phils are both front runners, but do not ignore the Cardinals and possibly the Twinkies, who were in the hunt for Cliff Lee. Never discount the Red Sox, but with Buchholz returning, with Dice K and Beckett returning, they just need to stay close, and hope to get Ellsbury before August 1st.

I would rate his chances at over 50% that he will get dealt, it would be higher, but the owner loves Oswalt, and must want to punish him and have him remain an Astro-Nut.

Adam Dunn, Washington Nationals, easily a marketable slugger, and probably the guy most likely dealt , and the Chicago White Sox have already discussed a deal with the Nats, so expect more teams, likely the Red Sox, and Dodgers to chime in, and make this harder for Kenny Williams, but he has prospects he is willing to move. Chances are 75 % and perhaps higher. Also if the Morneau "concussion " lingers, the Twins become an option.

Ted Lilly, Chicago Cubs, get those bags ready Teddy, you are getting dealt. Sweet Lou would love his lefty to stay put, but Lou is bugging out after this season, so my thoughts are, Teddy is going to beat him out of the south side of Chicago.

Several teams , like 10 have been scouting his starts the last 3 weeks, so the Cubs are going to turn over a lot of their vets, and Lilly will get the ball rolling.

First vacation blog, and I promise more to come.