MLB Trade Deadline UPDATE as of 10:30 Wednesday:

-Several sites and "experts"are reporting that the Marlins, Red Sox, and Pirates are talking about a three-way trade that would send Manny Ramirez to Florida, Jeremy Hermida to Pittsburgh, and Jason Bay to Boston. I still won't believe that Manny will be dealt until I see it, but this deal would make sense for all parties.

-The Dodgers are rumored to have inquired several times about Greg Maddux. They could use another starter with playoff experience.

-Jon Heyman is reporting that the Diamondbacks have offered Chad Tracy to the Reds for slugger Adam Dunn. They are still waiting to hear back at this time.

-The Astros have acquired LeTroy Hawkins from the Yankees for a minor leaguer.

-Jarrod Washburn continues to be coveted by several teams, although I'm not sure why. The Yankees still appear to be front runners. The asking price still seems to be very high, which is why this deal was not completed days ago.

More news to follow...

Yankees Make Move

The New York Yankees made their first move of the 2008 trade deadline by acquiring catcher Ivan Rodriguez from the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. In exchange for the veteran catcher the Yanks shipped reliever Kyle Farnsworth to Detroit.

The addition of Rodriguez is a useful on for the Yankees as starter Jorge Posada is out for the remainder of the season due to injury. The 36year old Rodriguez was batting .295 with 5 home runs and 52 RBI this season for the Tigers.

He's Back!

After announcing his retirement in March, Brett Farve is back in the National Football League as a member of the Green Bay Packers (for the time being). Farve faxed his reinstatement paperwork over to the league office on Wednesday making his long anticipated comeback official.

This move puts the Packers in a tough situation. Coach Mike McCarthy as already said that Aaron Rodgers in their starting quarterback and reiterated those comments on Wednesday following the announcement:

"It's obviously the first step in Brett coming back, but we'll deal with that when Brett is reinstated and have a plan for that when he comes back. He'll (Rodgers) be starting all of the games as the starter. We've talked about possibly playing our first group maybe a little longer, and those are things that we'll discuss. The health of your football team obviously factors into that, so that is our plan going into the preseason with Aaron."

It will be interesting to see what the Packers do now. Farve and the Packers have been going back and forth for the past month trying to come to some sort of resolution. Farve has said for the past month or so that he has wanted to return, while the Packers were hoping that he would stay retired. One possible solution would be to trade Farve. The Packers are rumored to have talked to both the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers but it is believed that Green Bay's asking price is far too high.

Artest to Rockets

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the Houston Rockets have acquired forward Ron Artest from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Bobby Jackson, Houston's first round draft pick in 2009, and a player to be named later.

The acquisition of Artest now gives Houston their own "big three" as he will join all-stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. This move puts Houston right back into the thick of things in a very competitive Western Conference.

Artest, one of the best defenders in the NBA, is most recognized for his fighting incident a few years back as a member of the Indiana Pacers. During the altercation Artest went into the stands where is stuck a fan with a heavy punch. He was later suspended for the remainder of the season.

Angels' Big Day Continues

Just hours after acquiring Mark Teixeira from the Atlanta Braves the Angels nearly capped of the day in style. Angels veteran pitcher John Lackey took a no-hitter into the ninth inning of tonight's game against the Boston Red Sox before having it broken up by Dustin Pedroia, just two outs shy. The Angels went on to win the game by the final score of 6-2. The win marks the seventh in a row for the Angels over the Red Sox this season.

Lackey's near no-hitter would have been the first one thrown by an opposing pitcher at Fenway since 1993. Jon Lester threw a no-hitter earlier this season for the Red Sox.

Teixeira To Angels

Breaking MLB Trade Deadline News—

Accord to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, Atlanta Braves 1B Mark Teixeira has been traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for 1B Casey Kotchman and minor-league Pitcher Stephen Marek.

Just two days before the MLB Trade Deadline, the Angels have now made the first splash in the American League. With plenty of action yet to come, things will get interesting for the next 48 hours...

Hester Ends Holdout

Chicago Bears' all-pro kick returner Devin Hester ended his two day holdout on Sunday when he agreed to a new four year extension reportedly worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million. Hester was unhappy with his previous contract which was due to play him just $445,000 this season. He missed the first two days of training camp but is expected to be back in camp on Monday.

These holdouts seem to be a common theme recently in the NFL. Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant is a camp holdout. After last year's breakout season he feels that he should be paid more like a star running back and less like a rookie backup. Instead of living up to their contracts many players seem to have a "pay me now" sort of attitude instead of putting in their time and getting rewarded for it down the road, the way it is supposed to be done.

Manny On The Move?

One of the biggest rumors in MLB the past couple day has concerned Manny Ramirez and his future with the Boston Red Sox. Manny's antics over his career in Boston have been well documented and then shrugged off as "Manny being Manny." This year however he has crossed the line and the Red Sox appear to have had enough. He pushed a 64 year old traveling ticket agent to the ground, he got in a fight with teammate Kevin Youkilis, and then most recently took himself out of the lineup before a game against the Sox's arch rivals the New York Yankees.

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstien, who has made clear in the past is discontent with many of Manny's antics, has admitted that the Sox are listening to trade offers for the all-star left fielder.

One thing that could potentially be a road block in a trade of Manny Ramirez is the fact that Manny has a no trade clause that kicked in after last season. This gives Ramirez the right to veto any trade agreed to by the Sox in which he is a part of. Today in an interview with ESPN Deportes Manny said that he would not, in fact, block a trade should it come to that. It remains to be seen if he will live up to his word.

"If the Red Sox are a better team without Manny Ramirez, they should trade me; I will not object. I don't have any preferences. I could choose a team that offers me the best conditions or one in the chase for the postseason. I don't care where I play, I can even play in Iraq if need be. My job is to play baseball. If they can get a trade, I'd approve it. If they can't trade me, then they will simply have to inform me by the end of the season that they won't use the options and we'll go separate ways. I don't want to be a problem and a distraction to the Red Sox in such a critical moment of the season. I want to help the team, even if that means I have to go."

The biggest problem I have with this comment is that Manny has been a distraction. He coined the phrase "Manny being Manny." He is the one that makes bathroom trips during the game into the green monster. He is the one who threw a old man to the ground because he would not give him the tickets he wanted. He is the one that brings up his contract situation every time he talks to reporters. He is the one that has put himself and the Red Sox in the position they are in now.

If Manny really wants to not be a distraction he should be a man and live up to his contract and play EVERYDAY to the best of his abilities. Reports have indicated that he thinks he is worth upwards of $25 million a year over the next four years. Even taking out of account his off field shananagans, his play over the last few seasons does not merit $25 million. It is time for Manny Ramirez to stop acting like a child and start acting live a professional. He needs to prove to the world what he is worth as a ballplayer. If he does he will get rewarded, and likely by the Red Sox, the team he has said all along that he wants to play for.

Hot Stove Heating Up!

For the second day in a row a highly sought after player has been dealt to a playoff contender. The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired 3B/OF Casey Blake from the Cleveland Indians for two minor leaguers. The right handed hitting Blake, a free agent to be at season's end, had a line of .289/11/58 this season for the Indians. Blake played a combination of third base and left field this season in Cleveland and is expected to take over as the Dodgers every day third baseman, solidifying a position that has been up for grabs all season in LA.

This is a good pickup for the Dodgers who were in need of another bat as well as some stability on the left side of the infield. Blake's .289 average and 58 RBI led the Indians. As many as seven other teams were rumored to have interest in Blake including the Rays and Mets.

From the Indian's perspective this move made a lot of sense. With Blake's contract expiring at the end of the year they were better off getting something in return rather than watching him walk away and taking their chances with a low compensation pick. One of the players they received in was single A catcher Carlos Santana who is batting .323 with 14 homers and is considered a very good offensive prospect. The other player, a triple A right handed pitcher named Jon Meloan, is 5-10 with a 4.97 era this season.

Nady, Marte Bronx Bound

The New York Yankees have acquired outfielder Xavier Nady and lefty reliever Damaso Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for four minor leaguers. According to Sport Illustrated's Jon Heyman the deal is pending physicals for all six players involved.

The addition of Nady is a good one for the Yanks as outfielder Hideki Matsui is expected to miss significant time due to a knee injury.

Marte, who was coveted by many teams including New York's arch rivals the Boston Red Sox, will serve as the lefty specialist coming out of the Yankee bullpen. The position was previously held by Mike Myers who was released by the Yankees earlier in the season.