Looks like Griffey is going to the White Sox.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/07/31/griffey.whitesox/index.html

Different spin on Ibanez:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8397286/Latest-news-and-rumors-from-around-MLB

The only way I'm OK with the Jays getting Bay is if they don't give up Lind or Snider. I could deal with Cecil being traded (I suppose I could)...  and somehow give away Overbay (eat salary, I don't care). Move Lind to first and put Bay in LF.  Offence improves, infield D takes a hit, and then we just go looking for ways to sign Manny to DH for us next year.

Year  HR/Fly
2004  18.6%
2005  17.5%
2006  16.1%
2007  14.1%
2008  9.6%

This just in, Adam Dunn leads the majors in Home Runs... lazy as all get out though, we wouldn't want him on our club next year. 

Baseball Prospectus says the Jays are 'very close' to landing Ibanez.  It obviously will depend on what goes to Seattle, but sounds like a move a GM trying to save his job would make instead of a move that helps the team long-term.

I'd prefer not to move Purcey until we know what we've got.  He's still a former first round pick.  If they want Davis Romero or heck, Scott Richmond they can have them.

I still think I'd be willing to do Ramirez for Wells and any two of Campbell, Cecil, Jerolman, Sobolewski, Romero, Dopriak, Tolisano, League and Litsch.

There won't be many more chances to unload Wells' huge contract and this might be an opportunity.  The added benefit being that, I'd feel alot more comfortable when the Sox had men at the corners and 1 out :-)

Updated 4:28 p.m.: Manny traded to Dodgers

Manny Ramirez has been traded to the Dodgers in a three-team blockbuster, pending the approval of the commissioner's office, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.

Pirates outfielder Jason Bay is headed to the Red Sox. The Pirates will receive Andy LaRoche and right-hander Bryan Morris from the Dodgers and outfielder Damien Moss and reliever Craig Hansen from the Red Sox.

The Red Sox will pay all of the approximately $7 million remaining on Ramirez's contract.

So the Pirates gave up Bay for 4 players?  Seems like a really good deal for them.

I would have paid that for Bay actually.

It has nothing to do with the trade deadline, but the Jays got some good news today.  Dustin McGowan did not need surgery on his rotator cuff.  He had successful surgery on his frayed labrum today and reports indicate that he should only miss the first couple of months of the 2009 season.

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080731.wsptmcgowan31/GSStory/GlobeSportsBaseball/home

Reports had Tampa pulling their offer for Bay off the table. If true, and if the offer was as reported, then the Rays are either not serious about contending or they have financial constraints and couldn't get ownership to sign on to add Bay's salary. Either way, I'd be extremely upset if I were a Rays fan.

Perhaps it was the Pirates who backed out when the Manny deal came back to life.

Not trading for Bay isn't going to kill the Rays.  They'd apparently rather pay nothing and call up Rocco Baldelli after his rehabilitation stint, than to trade Niemann away.  As scary as it is, I think the Rays are STILL building for the future.

I'm kinda with Frank. I'd have liked to have seen J Bay on T Bay, helping out in the middle of that lineup, goosing the Cinderella story just a little bit.

Perhaps the reluctance to pull the trigger reveals a belief that they don't truly, honestly, legitimately see themselves as being in a position to make a serious push this year, their current record notwithstanding. Or maybe that trigger was never there to be pulled in the first place.

I can't believe that Baldelli's imminent return (for how long?) would have any bearing.

It's worked before. In that city, the team has told fans it's in contention if it begins September single digits behind the playoff leaders. Drives up the television ratings. And that's very important to Toronto baseball.

Tad bit insulting isn't it?

The GM's job might be on the line at the end of the season, an 85 win season might be a big difference versus a 75 win season.   Throwing in the towel might help the franchise long term but might not help the GM in the short term.

I am just glad we kept all our young players.

I'm very glad that the Jays didn't make any moves.  Most of the players that they would or could move are having poor years and the Jays would be selling low.  Trading prospects or young players such as Lind, Snider, or Purcey would be the wrong thing to do in my opinion, since the Jays aren't in contention.

Manny Ramirez a free agent after this year, eh?  Would I ever love to see the Jays spend the $20+ million available from the departure of Thomas and Burnett on Ramirez to DH!  He probably likes seeing himself on TV too much to want to come to Toronto, though.   

First of all, it is always a good time to buy or sell. Whenever there is a great deal on the table, you have to take it. There was no market for any of the Jays' players (there was no interest in Dunn either). I had really wanted to see some movement on the club, but it takes a partner to make a deal. Toronto players aren't as hyped or as coveted as most markets' players are. Public perception of trades would make it difficult for some other GM's to deal for practically unknown players. The only way players we wanted to move (like Zaun or Eckstein), would be if the Jays release them. That option doesn't make any sense yet. When the rosters expand, we better be giving lots of time to the young players to see what will happen.

In looking back at the deals, it seems like Milwaukee overpaid for Sabathia. Pittsburgh took back a poor package for Bay (also Nady and the reliever). Seattle wouldn't give up its players despite being obvious sellers because the market just wasn't there this year. Oakland it appears took an inferior package for Harden. Would Bauxites be pleased with taking an inferior deal for our players? I think probably not. I hope AJ still opts out of his contract this year to get the draft picks. The real question is how to realistically fix the offense.

Finally, does anyone have JP's trading history? Someone should send it into MLB trade rumors.com to have it listed in the GM track record section. Someone should do it as a service for all baseball fans to be able to see.

I wouldn't have said it two months ago, but I hope that retaining Burnett is indeed in the cards.  Janssen and McGowan are question marks because of their surgeries, Litsch might be Chacin incarnate, Purcey and Cecil are unknown quantities, and Marcum hasn't looked good since returning from the DL and faded quickly late in the season last year too.  The pitching depth the Jays had last winter looks to have all but disappeared.

I still remain optimistic for 2009, though.  If I were GM, I'd target Furcal and go after him hard, because a lead-off switch-hitting SS would help the Jays tremendously.  I don't think it's unreasonable to expect Rios to improve and of course Hill and Wells to come back from their injuries.  The Jays will have Lind for the entire season and Snider and Arencibia (44 homeruns between the two of them in the minors so far) may be ready to help out before the end of the year.  Ramirez or Tex are very unlikely, especially because they're represented by Boras, but perhaps Delgado could be convinced to come back to Toronto to DH on a 1-year deal with an option.

The bullpen is there, and if the starters are healthy the Jays will have a good rotation.  Good health and a return to career norms for most of their hitters and the Jays would be in contention.  And of course, some good luck, as the Jays have about the same run differential as the Rays, yet the Rays are leading in the AL East and the Jays are 4th. 

building around next-generation players like Longoria, Kazmir, Chamberlain and Lester.

There's the biggest problem with the Jays.  They won't draft out of slot to get players like Chamberlain, and the only way you get players like Longoria is if you finish near the bottom of the league.  It's no wonder the Rays are finally good, they've been getting the first pick every year for the last decade!  I'm not opposed to rebuilding, but if they did it now they'd be selling very low, and they're not going to get a franchise prospect trading Rolen, especially now.  I think they're a better team than their record shows, and with some luck and good health I still think they can be in the mix next year.

To be fair to JP, his recent drafts look a lot more promising. Some good high school prospects (Snider, Jackson, Ahrens) and college players (Lind, Cooper, Cecil, Arencibia). Too bad it took a few years to figure out that "stocking the system with college arms" wasn't the brightest approach to building a winning team.

I still think we need a new GM, though

I agree.  I think the scouting and development part of the organization is improving every year.  JP has led this and deserves as much credit for it as he does grief for the early strategy.  He has gotten very stale though and has horrible PR skills.  In light of the old is new thing, I'd like to see Beeston or Ash as President and Lacava as GM.