After posting a Q & A feature about major and minor league affilations on their official website last week, the Syracuse Chiefs are about to end their 31-year marriage with the Toronto Blue Jays.  Chiefs president Ron Gersbacher told the Syracuse Post-Standard that the club will be looking for a new major affiliate for 2009.

As per MLB.com, David Eckstein has been dealt to the Diamondbacks for 23 year-old RHP Chad Beck. 

After the game, the Blue Jays designated Matt Stairs for assignment and traded him to the Phillies.  He's being replaced by Travis Snider.

Knock me over with a feather. The future begins now.

Read about it here.

Jesse Litsch has been recalled and returns to the starting rotation. To make room, John Parrish has been optioned to Syracuse (Parrish still has options?) and Scott Richmond will work out of the bullpen.

The Blue Jays just announced that Dustin McGowan will have arthroscopic surgery to repair fraying of his labrum, next Thursday in Cincinnati.

To nobody's surprise, the Yankees fired the first real salvo in the deadline-driven dealings, acquiring Xavier Nady AND Damaso Marte from the Pirates for four minor leaguers, none of whom is named Hughes or Kennedy.

Whatchathink, Bauxites? And are you hearing anything else? (As always, provide verified links with your reports, please!)

In two unrelated moves ...

Veteran Tony Clark has waived a $500K trade incentive clause and been dealt from the Padres back to the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he played the past three seasons.

And in AL East news, to nobody's surprise, the Yankees have reached a tentative agreement with whiff machine Richie Sexson, who was released by Seattle last week.

Late addition: Joe Blanton to the Phillies!

Per Jason Stark on SportsCenter. Presumably one less team to trade for Burnett.

The A's get Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, Eric Patterson and Josh Donaldson.

Seven Cubs and seven Red Sox were selected to the two sides. Roy Halladay is the only Jay selected to play as Shaun Marcum misses the cut, and a record three Canadians make the team - Ryan Dempster, Justin Morneau and Russell Martin. Also, apparently they take about 32 players per league now, which seems like an awful lot.