You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away

It has been a very busy few days, so I apologize to the blog's three loyal readers for my inactivity. The trading deadline has come and gone with a flurry of deals to discuss.

-The Braves get first baseman Mark Teixeria and reliever Ron Mahay
-The Rangers get catcher Jason Saltalamacchia and minor leaguers Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, and Matt Harrison
Teixeira is easily the biggest catch of the deadline. This move makes the NL East race a lot more interesting than it was on the morning of July 30, as first base was the biggest hole in the Braves' lineup. Mahay and Octavio Dotel, who John Schuerholz also acquired, will help upgrade an Atlanta bullpen that ranked in the middle of the pack in the majors. Teixeira becomes a free agent after the 2008 season, and since he is represented by Scott Boras, you can be sure he will look for a hefty pay raise. If the Braves catch the Mets and win the NL East, then the move will have been worth it. But what if Atlanta misses the playoffs in each of the next two years? A lot of experts think the sky is the limit for Salty, and each of the other three prospects has some potential. That being said, I think both teams made out well here.

-The Red Sox get reliever Eric Gagne
-The Rangers get starter Kason Gabbard, and minor leaguers David Murphy and Engle Beltre
This is essentially a two-month rental for the Red Sox, as Gagne becomes a free agent at the end of the season and will surely head elsewhere. It's a good move for Boston in that it strengthens a bullpen that has suffered some recent injuries: Mike Timlin is battling shoulder soreness, while Brendan Donnelly is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery. If Gagne can stay healthy, which is a big if, opponents will have difficulty after the sixth inning facing a Hideki Okajima-Gagne-Jonathan Papelbon combination. However, at least one scout thinks Gagne's stuff isn't what it once was. The only way I like this move for the Red Sox is if they make a deep run in October. If either Gagne or the team falter, I think we'll all look back and say Boston gave up too much.

-The Dodgers get reliever Scott Proctor
-The Yankees get infielder Wilson Betemit
The Dodgers desperately needed bullpen help, and they should find it in Proctor. Despite the fact that he was overused by Joe Torre, Proctor should strive in the pitcher-friendly NL West. Betemit can play multiple positions, and will allow Torre to give Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez occasional days off. However, the Yankees are still in need of bullpen help, and trading away their workhorse, even though he had struggled of late, doesn't make sense unless they find other ways to get to Mariano Rivera. If the Yanks locate that help, whether it be through the waiver wire or the minor leagues, then I say both teams win here. The Yankees get bonus points for holding onto all of their highly-touted pitching prospects and not giving into the temptation presented by quick-fixes like Gagne.

The moves mentioned above were the big ones. I like the Padres' pickups of third baseman Morgan Ensberg and outfielder Rob Mackowiak, as they make the San Diego lineup more versatile in that tight NL West race. Kevin Towers didn't stop there, acquiring relievers Wilfredo Ledezma and Will Startup, and outfielder Scott Hairston. You've got to love general managers who aren't afraid to go out there and make some bold moves to fill holes.

The Mets picked up second baseman Luis Castillo from the Twins for a pair of minor leaguers. Jose Valentin is out for the year, and even when he was healthy, he wasn't putting up the same type of numbers as a year ago. Castillo will do well hitting behind Jose Reyes, but while he is a gold glove-caliber second baseman with postseason experience, he's not the same player he once was. Ruben Gotay had filled in pretty well for Valentin, so I don't think this one is a slam dunk by any means. If Castillo can return to being the type of player he was in Florida, then this move will be looked at as a steal for the Mets, especially if he contributes in October.

Scott Linebrink is one of the most underrated relievers in the majors, but the Brewers gave up a lot for him. If Milwaukee can't stop the bleeding in the NL Central, I think they'll look back and regret this one. The same goes for the Kenny Lofton deal by the Indians in the AL Central.

The Phillies had to go out and get Tadahito Iguchi after the injury to Chase Utley in order to keep pace with the Mets and Braves in the NL East. I think both the Astros and Devil Rays win in the Ty Wigginton-Dan Wheeler deal. If you watched the Yankees-Devil Rays series a couple of weeks ago, you know that there is nowhere to go but up for the Rays' bullpen. What were the Pirates thinking when they acquired Matt Morris? It makes no sense.

Another deadline has come and gone, but the fun doesn't necessarily stop there: don't be surprised if there are a number of waivers deals.