MLB trade deadline: Winners & losers

Baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline went with a whimper Friday, all the talk of three-way deals and blockbusters fizzling into the Mets acquiring Yoenis Cespedes and the San Diego Padres holding onto every one of their numerous assets. Most of the activity came in the days prior, and it kept the deadline busy enough to warrant the breathless talk about it.

Here, then, are one-sentence summaries of every team’s deadline dealings, with a few getting an extra paragraph to encapsulate their activity.

 

New York Yankees: They whiffed going after Craig Kimbrel, who would’ve made their bullpen the finest three-headed monster since Ghidorah, but are calling up Luis Severino to join the rotation, so the AL East’s first-place team just got better.
Verdict: Good job, good effort.

 

Boston Red Sox: For all of the calls they made – and though they kept quiet, they were trying to get creative – they didn’t have any impending free agents worth much and didn’t want to deal from a core in which they still believe.
Verdict: About right.

 

Tampa Bay Rays: Got rid of Kevin Jepsen and David DeJesus, and will be a frequent target for teams looking to deal this offseason because of their honey hole of starting pitching.
Verdict: Fine.

 

Baltimore Orioles: Added Gerardo Parra to their rotating troupe of outfielders, a fine move but not one that brought the impact sort of player a team with a handful of free-agents-to-be needed.
Verdict: Could’ve done more.

 

Toronto Blue Jays

: Crushed a case of Labatt and went shoppin’!
Oh, and: If you’re going out, like GM Alex Anthopoulos might be, best to go out trying to win a pennant. The Blue Jays are in complete flux, with CEO Paul Beeston gone at season’s end and the failed hire of Orioles GM Dan Duquette for the position in the offseason showing little faith in the incumbent GM. Still, ownership allowed Anthopoulos to raid the Jays’ farm system in getting the best pitcher traded (David Price), the best hitter traded (Troy TulowitzkiTroy Tulowitzki), two arms to help a bullpen in need of it (Mark Lowe and LaTroy Hawkins) as well as the outfielder they needed (Ben Revere). It was classic Anthopoulos, swashbuckling his way through transactions, hopeful this time works out better than his last big run of maneuvers.
Verdict: They’d better make the postseason …

Kansas City Royals: Really, legitimately, truly bought at the deadline, which is still a shock, because these are the Kansas City Royals.
Oh, and: What they bought is really good. Next to the Blue Jays, the Royals received the greatest boon of short-term talent in Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist. Cueto is the starter Kansas City coveted. Zobrist is the Swiss Army knife they desired. And the team with the best record in the AL wasn’t happy to rest on its first-half performance. It’s going for the World Series again.
Verdict: Bravo.

 

Minnesota Twins: All they did was trade for Kevin Jepsen, which isn’t exactly the sort of thing a team looking to hold onto its playoff spot does when the team directly behind it in the standings does what Toronto did, but the Twins recognize giving up future talent for this year would be foolish.
Verdict: Understandable.

 

Chicago White Sox: Did nothing.
Verdict: Makes sense.

 

Detroit Tigers: Sold what they needed to sell.
Oh, and: They did a rather excellent job of the selling. Few teams had better assets to offload than the Tigers, and they may have gotten the most of any deadline dealer in future talent. Getting three hard-throwing left-handers, headlined by Daniel Norris, was a reasonable return for David Price. The Mets overpaid for Yoenis Cespedes, sending Michael Fulmer to Detroit. And even JaCoby Jones, the return for Joakim Soria, has a big ceiling. In 72 hours, Dave Dombrowski completely remade Detroit’s bad farm system into something worth following.
Verdict: Two thumbs up.

 

Cleveland Indians: It wasn’t as much about whom they traded – Brandon Moss in a great upside play for Rob Kaminsky and David Murphy – as whom they didn’t: Carlos Carrasco.
Verdict: Solid.

 

Los Angeles Angels: Needed an impact outfield bat and instead got David Murphy, David DeJesus and Shane Victorino.
Verdict: Underwhelming.

Houston Astros

: Watch what happens when the sellers buy.
Oh, and: As long as Carlos Gomez’s hips don’t lie – “eyeroll” emoji – this is what it looks like when a well-run team never deviates from its plan and executes with great clarity when it’s time. Adding the dynamic Gomez to a team with all sorts of dynamism already – Carlos Correa and George Springer and Jose Altuve are all fun as hell to watch – was a masterstroke, and a rotation of the just-acquired Scott Kazmir, Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers and two of the Vince Velasquez-Mike Fiers-Collin McHugh-Scott Feldman grab bag could be dangerous. This is your AL West favorite – and, when it’s all said and done, it might be the best team in the AL.
Verdict: Winner.

Seattle Mariners: Traded free-agent-to-be J.A. Happ while holding onto Austin Jackson, Hisashi Iwakuma and Fernando Rodney, all the same, for no particularly good reason.
Verdict: About right for them – in the wrong sort of way.

 

Oakland A’s: They jumped the market in trading Kazmir, Zobrist and Tyler Clippard, and came away with a nice haul of prospects to begin their reload for 2016.
Verdict: About right for them – in the right sort of way.

 

Texas Rangers: While they gave up a ton of talent to get Cole Hamels, the Rangers didn’t sacrifice their biggest-ticket prospects, and with Yovani Gallardo sticking around, they’re a sneaky bet to make a run at the postseason.
Verdict: Played the market well.

 

Philadelphia Phillies: Finally.
Oh, and: They did really well. By taking on Matt Harrison’s contract in the Hamels deal, Philadelphia got much higher-end prospects than it would’ve otherwise. And though neither Joey Gallo nor Nomar Mazara came back, Jorge Alfaro, Nick Williams and Jake Thompson all have big ceilings. Nick Pivetta was a really nice return for Jonathan Papelbon, and Alberto Tirado, one of the two pitchers coming back for Revere, could be a special bullpen arm.
Verdict: Ruben played it right! (Even if he’s not in charge anymore … )

 

Washington Nationals: In a market saturated with closers, the Nationals traded for one who is kind of crazy and bumped their effective, should’ve-been-an-All-Star closer to the eighth inning while doing nothing to supplement their position-playing depth problems.
Verdict: Outdone by the Mets? Ugh.

 

Atlanta Braves: The paucity of bats in their system prompted them to sell a solid starter in Alex Wood and a good prospect in Jose Peraza for the lottery ticket of 30-year-old Cuban Hector Olivera, whose success will make or break this deadline for them.
Verdict: TBD.

 

Miami Marlins: Annual tent sale went according to plan.
Verdict: GM still manager, owners still jokes, players still disenchanted, so pretty much status quo.

New York Mets

: Holy hell.
Oh, and: For the disaster that was the failed Carlos Gomez trade – and it was a disaster in all respects – the Mets’ acquisition of Yoenis Cespedes for Michael Fulmer and another prospect erased the awful taste. While they didn’t go as big as the Jays or Royals or Astros, they made a legitimate, concerted effort, which must show how vulnerable they think the Nationals are. Because at just two games over .500, it’s not like the Mets have been world-beaters. And considering what they gave up – Fulmer and Casey Meisner (the Tyler Clippard deal) are both legitimate pitching prospects – an October without any baseball can’t be seen as anything other than a disappointment.
Verdict: Bold, if a bit premature.

Pittsburgh Pirates: This was about as typical a Pirates deadline as possible, in which they don’t make any big moves but fill holes capably, with Aramis Ramirez at third, Joakim Soria in the bullpen, Michael Morse as a bench bat and J.A. Happ to take the injured A.J. Burnett’s place in the rotation.
Verdict: Utilitarian as ever.

 

Chicago Cubs: As hard as they tried to get Tyson Ross and other controllable pitchers, the Cubs weren’t going to spend tangible assets on just this season, so Dan Haren and Tommy Hunter gave them solid arms at a reasonable price.
Verdict: Smart.

 

St. Louis Cardinals: The cost of Rob Kaminsky for Brandon Moss still doesn’t make a ton of sense, nor does adding Jonathan Broxton to a bullpen deep with arms, though Steve Cishek has a chance to do some damage.
Verdict: Confusing, but they’re the Cardinals and get the benefit of the doubt.

Cincinnati Reds

: Even though they’re rich with arms in the minor leagues, the Reds prioritized that in their trades of Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake and did well in doing so.
Oh, and: Not trading Aroldis Chapman didn’t make the most sense – especially with teams gearing up for a playoff run and, as one interested executive said, “Ready to overpay.” He’ll be a plenty good alternative to Greg Holland on the trade market this offseason, though, or at next year’s deadline.
Verdict: One thumb up, with the other reserved for if the pitchers stay healthy.

Milwaukee Brewers: By saying goodbye to Carlos Gomez, Mike Fiers, Aramis Ramirez, Gerardo Parra and Jonathan Broxton, the Brewers did exactly what they needed to: start over and build around a system with a number of interesting assets, particularly center fielder Brett Phillips.
Verdict: Return for Gomez and Fiers a bit light, though Phillips could be a star.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers: Bullied people with their money.
Verdict: Like this.

 

San Francisco Giants: Getting Mike Leake was a quintessential Giants move that makes them better but might not be enough to win them a fourth World Series in six years.
Verdict: Aw, hell, they didn’t look like they were going to win three others, either.

 

Colorado Rockies: In trading away Troy Tulowitzki – a solid trade, actually – they managed to disappoint the face of their franchise on the way out of the door as well as his teammates, who happen to be their future core.
Verdict: Fine baseball move, bad people skills.

 

Arizona Diamondbacks: The failed effort to get Aroldis Chapman left them as one of just two teams not to make any substantive moves, which wasn’t a huge surprise since they’re a fringe contender without any free agents of substance.
Verdict: That weird shoulder shrug thing.

 

San Diego Padres: Acquired left-handed reliever Mark Rzepczynski from Cleveland.
Oh, and: The Padres – the 49-53 Padres – held on to all of their free-agents-to-be (Justin Upton, Joaquin Benoit, Ian Kennedy, Will Venable), couldn’t move the assets with tangible value (Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner, Craig Kimbrel) and are stuck with the contract of James Shields. Yes, it’s true: The Padres’ schedule over the next three weeks goes Miami, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Colorado, Atlanta – the five worst teams in the NL. The Padres are the sixth worst, and expecting a flawed team, no matter how well it’s playing, to not just make up a 7½-game deficit to the second wild card but leap over four teams to do it, borders on lunacy. Most of the Padres’ moves this offseason have gone wrong. The moves they didn’t make at the deadline might be the ones they regret this time around.
Verdict: Losers.

What does Russell Wilson's new deal mean for Eli Manning's negotiations with Giants?

Russell Wilson is down. Next up, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers.

The NFL's preseason grist mill churned out another star contract Friday, with the Seattle Seahawks' Wilson inking an extension that will shift the financial spotlight to other quarterbacks who are circling deals. More specifically, to the ticking clocks of San Diego's Philip Rivers and the New York Giants' Manning, who are each entering the final year of their contracts. Progress for Rivers and Manning has been slow, and that while contract numbers have been exchanged for both players, neither is close to a new deal as the calendar turns to August.

Manning seemed unconcerned as the Giants prepared to take the field for their first training camp practice on Friday, saying he didn't know where his process stood and that Wilson's deal wouldn't change his mindset.

"You'd have to ask the Giants or ask my agent," Manning said. "That's not my concern."

Interestingly, Giants team co-owner John Mara expressed optimism over a deal earlier this week, but also poked at Manning's camp when speaking to the media.

"I think we'll get it done at some point in time," Mara told reporters as the team prepared for camp. "We're just going through the usual things that you go through. The agent asks for the moon, we make a reasonable offer, at some point he'll come to his senses and we'll have an agreement. There's nothing unusual about any of this."

That's not exactly Nikita Khrushchev banging on a podium and wagging his finger at his opposition. But the "agent asks for the moon" and "he'll come to his senses" remarks are out of the ordinary for Giants ownership and Manning's agent, Tom Condon. Historically, the two sides have made it a point to run silent with even mild rhetoric when it comes to financial talks regarding Manning.

At the very least, the Giants have been put on notice that a Ben Roethlisberger-type deal is where the Manning talks are going. Given the similar accomplishments and age of the two players, Roethlisberger's structure and money makes sense for the 34-year old Manning. Roehtlisberger signed a five-year pact in March with a base of $99 million and a guarantee of $60.75 million, including a $31 million signing bonus. He'll make $65 million in the first three years of his new deal, which is expected to be similar to the sweet spot of Manning's next deal.

As it stands, Manning is slated to make $19.75 million this year. He said it never occurred to him to set an artificial preseason deadline to get a new deal done, a tactic employed by Wilson to land his four-year $87.6 million extension. Both the Giants and Condon are expected to push to get the quarterback's next deal done by the start of the regular season.

As for Giants camp, here are some initial observations after Day 1 …

 

Rookie playing a role

 

The Giants filled a healthy amount of need with their draft class, so there should be a few players stepping into solid roles in 2015. Despite missing part of the spring with a leg injury, Owamagbe Odighizuwa has the length, quickness and athleticism to find a rotational spot now that it appears Jason Pierre-Paul will be missing time. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likes to use his defensive line depth creatively, and that could put Odighizuwa in line for a spot in the rotation on passing downs.

 

Veteran fighting for a job

 

Cornerback Jayron Hosley. A third-round pick in the 2012 draft, Hosley suffered significantly while trying to hold down the slot in the nickel package. Indeed, he looked like a virtual certainty that he wouldn't be on the roster if the Giants addressed the cornerback spot in the draft or free agency. But Hosley is going to get one more opportunity in Spagnuolo's new defense, back at the outside cornerback spot. He expressed excitement at the change to a position he deems more natural to his skills. One thing seems clear: If his 2014 coverage struggles linger in training camp, he will sink on the depth chart and could find himself without a job come early September.

 

Key guys in a contract year

 

Cornerback Prince Amukamara. We've already addressed Manning, and we'll get to Jason Pierre-Paul in a minute. Amukamara is slated to become a free agent in 2016 and has an opportunity to land a massive deal … if he can stay healthy and seize on the promise that made him a first-round pick in 2011. The biggest concern for the Giants has been that Amukamara has missed so many games – 20 in his first four years. It's hard to hand a big extension to a guy who keeps breaking down. But the reality is that Amukamara is a skilled young starting cornerback who has been held back a bit by injuries. If he can stay on the field for an entire season and play at a high level, he would be one of the elite free agents in 2016. So long as Manning is under a new deal, the Giants would likely slap Amukamara with the franchise tag in that situation. Either way, it seems Amukamara is in line to make himself some money this year, barring a total breakdown.

 

One extra point (OK, two) …

 

1.) It's worth wondering if there's any way Jason Pierre-Paul's relationship with this franchise can ever recover after the July 4 fireworks incident resulted in an injured hand. Multiple Giants players have said they continue to correspond with Pierre-Paul, but nobody has any idea what is happening with him physically. It's not really the place of the players to ask – and it seems that most don't, out of respect.

"I didn't ask him too much," said defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins, who said he has had some "quick" conversations with Pierre-Paul. "The biggest concern was asking him how he was doing. He sounded in good spirits."

That has been the general consensus of those who said they've spoken to Pierre-Paul, that he sounds like he's doing well and that they've simply tried to be supportive. But the Giants brass is clearly frustrated over the situation, which reached a new low when co-owner John Mara told reporters, "I don't know how many fingers he has. We have no idea what type of condition he is in, and that doesn't give us any comfort. We don't know anything more than you know."

The team and Pierre-Paul were already at odds over money and the team retaining him via the franchise tag. The fireworks accident complicated emotions further, and then on Friday, officials saw the first photos of Pierre-Paul's hand and arm in a sling and heavily wrapped in bandages. Beyond just hurt feelings, you've got to believe a significant amount of trust has been lost between the two sides. Regardless of whether Pierre-Paul comes back in dominating form, it's hard to believe the relationship between the two sides will ever be the same again.

2.) Odell Beckham Jr. may have exploded onto the NFL last year, but that doesn't mean he's officially off the veteran skewer. After missing the preseason and four regular-season games last year, he still has a little further to go to shed the "rookie" status. Apparently the full 16 regular-season games is the standard among teammates.

"I've still got four more games," Beckham said. "Hopefully I can get Rookie of the Week the first week or something like that. … Eli tells me I'm a rookie all the time still, so you just have to take that and keep going every single day. Try and inspire somebody."

Mets acquire offensive help in Yoenis Cespedes

This was a week, all right. Even by New York Mets standards, it was a week. On Friday, nearing the 4 p.m. ET trading deadline, they acquired outfielder Yoenis Cespedes from the Detroit Tigers for two prospects, pending physicals. It was the getting-there, however, that required patience, a hanky and a willingness to follow the tiny bouncing apple.

They’d been walked-off once. Their closer blew a couple saves – one, Thursday, on each side of a rain delay.

They’d discovered a raccoon in the weight room. They’d traded for a reliever (Tyler Clippard) to help set up their suddenly wobbly closer, and before that added Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson.

They’d had one of their set-up men, a former closer who’d just returned from the suspended list, return to the suspended list for doing the same thing that got him suspended in the first place, as apparently he’d fallen face-first into the same pile of PEDs.

The general manager – Sandy Alderson – was rendered “shocked” and “incredulous” by Jenrry Mejia’s casual relationship with the Joint Drug Agreement.

Shocked and incredulous were just stretching their hamstrings, however.

For on Wednesday, they agreed to the trade that would bring them Carlos Gomez, yet backpedaled when they – pick one – either didn’t like Gomez’s hips or didn’t like their own cold feet. As this was being documented across the Internet, the shortstop who was to be sent to Milwaukee for Gomez was at Citi Field. And at shortstop. And getting trade updates from the fans. And so he played the game while he mopped his own tears with his jersey sleeve.

Wilmer Flores was told – heh, heh – it was all a big mistake, that he wasn’t traded at all, so chin up, young man!

Which left the Mets pretty much where they’d started, before the raccoon, before the Clippard trade, before the Mejia issues and the Jeurys Familia issues and before they’d decided Gomez would not be their guy, and that is without the very thing they absolutely had to have by the evening of July 31: some sort of middle-of-the-order offense.

See, first they also have the issue of the Washington Nationals, who, for a lot of reasons, haven’t been as capable as most believed they’d be. They’re still capable enough to be three games ahead of the Mets in the NL East, but, from the Mets’ point of view, that’s a manageable deficit so long as they were able to turn a good trade or two.

So along comes Yoenis Cespedes, the 29-year-old right-handed hitter who once hit 26 home runs and has 18 already this year, who is batting .293 with 61 RBI, who once won a Home Run Derby at Citi Field. He isn’t Mike Piazza but probably isn’t Jason Bay either. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the season, which wasn’t exactly the kind of contract situation Alderson had in mind – Gomez and, for another, Jay Bruce, were under contract through next season – but the deadline was near and the Mets needed a bat. Cespedes is a left fielder, which will allow the Mets to keep Curtis Granderson in right, rather than move him to center. Things do get complicated when Michael Cuddyer comes off the disabled list, but the Mets aren’t in a position for sentiments.

The Tigers acquired right-handed pitchers Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa in the deal, with Fulmer being the better regarded of two.

WSCR-AM in Chicago was first to report the trade.

Cespedes’ departure from the Tigers continues a rebuild there. GM Dave Dombrowski, also a potential free agent at season’s end, has turned David Price, Joakim Soria and now Cespedes into a new direction.

A busy, interesting week for the Tigers, to be sure. But, no raccoons.

Cowboys' La'el Collins in position to rebound from nightmare scenario

La'el Collins was about to board a flight to Chicago in May, to the NFL draft, to the dream come true for a kid from Baton Rouge who was projected to be a top-15 selection as an offensive lineman.

That's when news broke publicly that a Brittany Mills – 29 years old, eight months pregnant and briefly romantically linked with Collins – had been shot and murdered in the doorstep of her apartment complex. Her unborn son would later die also. Worse for Collins, the police were interested in talking to him.

By the time he landed in Chicago, his phone wouldn't stop blowing up and his agent was telling him that he may need to turn around and go home, that the draft was now in flux and in a post-Aaron Hernandez world, the NFL was panicked. The agency, Priority Sports, had already hired a defense attorney and a private investigator and was convinced of Collins' alibi and innocence. But this was the swirl of dwindling hours of the draft.

Rumors fly. Teams scare.

Collins tearfully told family and friends who'd come to celebrate with him that even though he had nothing to do with Mills' murder, the NFL celebration was being deferred.

Collins went home and satisfied the police. He was never an official suspect or even a so-called person of interest and within days he was cleared of any involvement.

The timing couldn't have been worse though; across those lonely days, the draft went off without the 6-foot-4, 305-pound LSU product. Once the early rounds whipped past, his agent controversially threatened to hold out an entire season and reenter the draft. It was an attempt to scare off any team interested in taking him on the cheap in the late rounds.

Meanwhile, Collins was stuck watching on TV until he couldn't stand it, retreating to a darkened room where he cried, prayed and refused to eat. The dream had become a nightmare.

"I didn't know what was going on," Collins said. "I didn't want to know what was going on. I didn't want to think about football."

Eventually the storm clouds cleared. Teams began believing the police. Monday Morning Quarterback would later report the hold-out threat was a bluff, but it worked. Collins was an undrafted free agent and now in a unique situation: rather than have a team pick him, he could pick one. Twenty-nine made contact, some recruiting him hard.

The list was pared until Collins flew to Dallas to meet with Cowboys executives, staff and players at the home of owner Jerry Jones. It went perfectly for both sides. Dallas felt right, but it also had perhaps the best offensive line in the league, one that wouldn't be easy to crack as a starter.

Collins didn't care. He welcomed the competition. He trusted the environment. He coveted the chance to be surrounded by other great players.

He picked Dallas, not an easier path to stardom, and that says a whole lot about him.

____________________

Here at Cowboys camp the division between first string and second is clear. The ones work with the ones, including quarterback Tony Romo, tight end Jason Witten and wideout Dez Bryant. They get most of the reps. The twos wait on the side until they get their chance.

Collins stands with the twos.

Rather than come to a camp as a ballyhooed, high first-round pick with a big contract, always standing with the starters, he's more of just another guy so far here, albeit a very talented one. He signed a three-year deal worth $1.7 million guaranteed, about $15 million less than if Mills' murder occurred a week prior or later and he had the time to work out his innocence.

He says he's done even considering that, though. What happened happened. While he says he doesn't understand why it happened, there is nothing he can do now other than work hard, get better and help the Cowboys win football games.

"It's behind me," he said. "It's in the past. Now I'm just focused on coming out every day and getting better."

While other teams tried to recruit against the Cowboys by predicting training camp scenes like this, Collins battling for playing – or even practice – time, he just shrugs. Everything isn't about instant gratification. He could've come out of school after his junior season but returned for one more year at LSU in attempt to be best prepared for a long career. This is no different.

"It's just a great atmosphere, a great opportunity to come and get better," Collins said. "To compete against great competition. That's what we do each and every day, to make each other better.

"You take what [his teammates can teach him] into consideration," he said. "When you're around veteran guys that know what they are doing, that have done this year in and year out, you just come in and take everything they have done to put them in position.

"So that is what I concentrate on."

For the Cowboys, of course, this is a boon. If Collins is as good as he was projected, then they managed to add extra depth to an already gifted frontline that is an anchor to a potential Super Bowl run. It was like a free first-round draft pick, yet at less cost.

Like everyone else, the team went through a rushed, but relentless evaluation of Collins after the news of Mills' murder broke. There had been no previous red flags, but now the concern wasn't just any off-field issues, but how Collins might mentally and motivationally handle the stress of what happened and the disappointment of how he entered the league. This was uncharted territory.

"We got so many great reports from people at LSU about him, so we were pretty confident about the kind of young man he is," coach Jason Garrett said. "When we got a chance to meet and visit with him, that was all reinforced. We really had no concerns about that.

"I thought he handled the situation really, really well," Garrett continued. "Not many people have gone through a situation like that. The approach he took and the attitude he has, has been really, really positive."

Here on Day Two of camp, there isn't much to evaluate performance-wise. The team's first full-pad practice doesn't come until Saturday. Garrett does point positively to one thing though, after minicamp the coaches gave Collins some technical aspects they wanted him to work on during the five-week summer break.

"He's clearly done that," Garrett said. "We know he's a hard-working guy. We know he's passionate about football. I think he's a guy who wants to be a good football player."

Collins agrees with that. He's here to work, trying to survive the avalanche of information and the speed of the game that all rookies must endure. This isn't how he thought it would go down, but that no longer matters.

It's not where you start, but where you finish and for a guy who for a few fleeting days had to wonder if the NFL would be snatched away from him due to incredibly bizarre circumstances, just being here, just being free to play, is more than enough.

"I can't change what happened," Collins said. "I can come out here and try to get better every day. So I'm just doing that."

With that he heads off the practice field, off to more meetings, off to his own roundabout future.

'Rowdy' Roddy Piper dead at 61

Wrestling superstar "Rowdy" Roddy Piper has died at age 61. Multiple reports indicate that Piper died in his sleep from a heart attack.

"Rod passed peacefully in his sleep last night," Piper's agent Jay Schacter told Variety. “I am shocked and beyond devastated.”

Upon learning of his death, WWE chairman Vince McMahon tweeted that Piper was "one of the most entertaining, controversial and bombastic performers ever in WWE beloved by millions of fans around the world."

Piper, whose real name was Roddy Toombs, is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame, and was one of the core members of the '80s-era WWE (then known as the WWF). Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, Piper competed in the very first Wrestlemania, working a faux-Scottish angle in a tag-team match (along with Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff) against Hulk Hogan and Mr. T, and quickly became one of the sport's most hated villains.

Piper's rivalries with Hogan, Jimmy Snuka and even Cyndi Lauper set the tone for the WWF, helping the wrestling organization achieve the nationwide prominence that it enjoys to this day.

Piper's key gimmick was "Piper's Pit," a mock talk show in which Piper would sit down with fellow wrestlers to talk out the issues of the day. Naturally, the talk lasted less than a minute before the fists flew.

Cubs agree to deal for Dan Haren

The Chicago Cubs agreed to acquire veteran right-hander Dan Haren from the Miami Marlins in the hours before the trading deadline, sources confirmed Friday.

Two games back in the National League wild-card race, the Cubs sought stability behind Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks.

The Marlins will receive shortstop Elliott Soto and right-hander Ivan Pineyro, according to Miami Herald.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported the trade first.

Haren, 34, will be a free agent after the season. The Cubs will be his fifth team since 2012, a journey that has taken him from Anaheim to Washington to Los Angeles to Miami to the North Side. This season has been his best of those, posting a 3.42 ERA and 1.093 WHIP in 21 starts.

Tiger Woods fires season-best 66, in contention at Quicken Loans National

Most no one expected this. Tiger Woods is in contention to win again on the PGA Tour.

Woods shot 5-under 66, tying his low round of the year and setting his best mark in relationship to par, to get into contention at his Quicken Loans National at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va.

The 14-time major winner started his Friday round on the 10th hole, where Woods started a run of four consecutive birdies on Thursday to complete the comeback from a hideous 3-over-through-four start. He wasn't able to capitalize like the day prior, but got off to his now typical slow start, sprinkling in a bogey at the par-5 14th after Woods barely got off the tee following a near whiff with his tee shot. However, Woods again rallied quickly, sticking his approach to the 15th to 3 feet for an easy birdie. Woods played an efficient 18th, leading to a 10-foot birdie to turn under par.

From there, Woods was all systems go. He stuck it close at the first and drained a 20-foot birdie at the fourth, both holes he bogeyed on Thursday. He again birdied both front-nine par 5s, with the second being his last birdie to round out the 66.

At 8-under 142, Woods posted his best 36-hole total since he went 66-61 en route to an eighth title at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, next week's tournament the world No. 266 can only qualify for with a victory, which would get him back into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Woods hasn't put four good rounds together in a long time, so it's easy to hedge and wonder if he'll explode on the weekend under the pressure of securing an unlikely 80th PGA Tour win. However, Woods seems to know something we don't.

"I'm in a good spot. I'm looking forward to the weekend," Woods said with a knowing look. "I'm looking forward to getting after it."

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - JULY 31ST

1912 - RBC soccer team forms in Roosendaal.

1919 - Curt Gowdy, Green River Wyo, sportscaster (ABC) is born.

1923 - Jimmy Evert, American tennis coach and father of Chris Evert is born.
1928 - First woman to win a track and field olympic

gold medal, Halina Konopacka of Poland.

1934 - St Louis Cardinals defeat Cincinnati Reds 8-6 in 18 innings,

pitchers Dizzy Dean & Tony Freitos go the distant.
1936 - Tokyo Japan is awarded the 1940 Olympics (later cancelled).
1949 - Lightning strikes a baseball field in FL, kills SS & 3rd baseman.

1951 - Evonne Goolagong Cawley, NSW Aust, (Wimbledon 1971) is born.
1954 - Milwaukee Braves' Joe Adcock sets record of 18 total bases (4 hrs, 1 double).

1973 - ABA Virginia Squires trade Julius Erving to NY Nets.

1978 - Pete Rose ties NL record hitting streak at 44.
1980 - Rangers snap Orioles pitcher Steve Stone's 14-game winning streak.
1981 - 42 day old, 2nd major league baseball strike ends.

1984 - US men's Gymnastics team won team gold medal at LA Summer Olympics.
1987 - Oriole Eddie Murray hits his 299th & 300th career home runs.

1988 - Miami Dolphins beat SF 49ers 27-21 in London.
1988 - Willie Stargell became 200th man inducted in Baseball's Hall of Fame.
1990 - Nolan Ryan becomes 20th major league pitcher to win 300 games.
1992 - Tamas Darnyi swims world record/Olympics 200m backstroke (1:59.36).
1993 - A's trade Rickey Henderson to Blue Jays.

1997 - A's trade Mark McGwire to St Louis Cardinals.

Patriots ignore deflate-gate on first day of camp

For a few hours, the New England Patriots escaped the maelstrom. Even with media locking the GPS onto owner Robert Kraft's every move and griping for an interview with Tom Brady. And despite a single-prop plane circling overhead for the better part of 40 minutes, towing a banner allegedly from a contingent of New York Jets fans, that screamed "CHEATERS LOOK UP".

The only way it would have gotten more interesting is if that plane had crash landed into Gillette Stadium. At which point both the NFL and the Patriots would have blamed each other for that, too.

But it didn't, and the Patriots found a way to move on. All of which started with coach Bill Belichick arriving to his news conference with a mild smile and a verbal banner of his own: PATRIOTS LOOK FORWARD. That was pretty much the theme of the day – look at what is in front of you, put one foot in front of the other and treat this like any other training camp.

And it seemed to work.

Players asked about Brady just distributed more of the Belichick "think about today" Kool-Aid. And the banner? Well, maybe it was just too high for anyone to notice on the field.

"What plane?" asked Malcolm Butler. "No, I didn't see that."

On the field, Belichick seemed to have gotten what he wanted. Despite all the talk of getting backup Jimmy Garoppolo ready for Brady's potential absence, you couldn't see that plan being implemented on the field. Brady was sharp taking all the first-team reps. Garoppolo was steady taking all the second-team reps. If you pulled film from last year's first training camp practice, this looked pretty much like a rinse-and-repeat from Day 1.

The one difference might have been the fans in attendance, who regularly cheered Brady and screamed like Beatles groupies every time he took his helmet off or made an impressive throw. At one point, Brady ran an end-around gimmick play that resulted in him going downfield and snagging a one-handed touchdown thrown by wideout Julian Edelman. Brady even hot-dogged it a little, catching the pass with his right hand and then switching to his left to stretch over the pylon for the score.

Afterward, you had to wonder if that play was a last-minute addition for the fans – and Brady, too. Brady didn't speak with reporters afterward (whisked away on a golf cart through an entrance not accessible to media), but that didn't stop the team from getting some fan love for him. Within seconds of his gimmick play, videos of the score were bouncing around social media from fan accounts, plenty of positive vibes for the much maligned superstar.

"We thought people would like that," offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said with a grin.

At the very least, Belichick got what he wanted: a good, hard practice in which his star quarterback looked as sharp as ever. And when Day 2 rolls around, the Patriots will be one more day removed from the Brady drama.

"We're practicing for today," Belichick said. "That's all I'm thinking about. I'm not thinking about a month from now, a year from now, 10 years from now, six months from now. I'll leave all that up to you guys and the experts. Just today."

As you might expect, this whole mantra didn't happen without a plan. Indeed, Kraft's fire and brimstone statement on Wednesday was implemented in part to remove Belichick from the media equation. Kraft didn't make the final decision to speak until the morning of Wednesday's news conference, a team source told Yahoo Sports. Almost nobody knew it was going to happen until Kraft walked into the press box behind Belichick.

Kraft had a few goals with his statement. First, he wanted to apologize to the fan base for not taking a fighting posture with the league. Second, he wanted to completely block Belichick from having to answer any questions about Brady's future, which is why the owner stated that he had asked that nobody answer questions before a decision was handed down. Third, Kraft wanted to make certain that he put the onus on the NFL for being deceptive and underhanded during both the investigation and Brady's appeal. Finally, and more interesting, Kraft wanted to keep players, coaches and any other team personnel from making statements about Brady that could ultimately lead to individuals being deposed as part of the NFLPA's lawsuit against the NFL.

As far as the Patriots are concerned, the less the ancillary figures in the franchise get sucked into the Brady suit, the better for everyone. That means no talking, just playing. Fewer league-related statements from Kraft, more team-related crumbs from Belichick.

And until something changes, more Brady and less Garoppolo.

Some other camp observations …

 

Rookie playing a role

 

Draft pundits panned second-round pick Jordan Richards as a reach – which means less than nothing to Belichick. Thus far, the coaches feel like Richards has shown his worth, absorbing defensive concepts and implementing them immediately. He picked off a poor Jimmy Garoppolo pass in the red zone Thursday and looked like a live player in the secondary.

Coming out of Stanford, Richards played safety and was touted by his college staff as essentially being another coach on the field. We know Belichick loves smart players. I'd bank on the coaching staff finding ways to get him on the field as the season goes along, a la Malcolm Butler in 2014.

 

Veteran fighting for a job

 

Wideout Aaron Dobson. Dobson could have easily been cut last year, which is remarkable considering the Patriots' needs for production at receiver heading into 2014. The 2013 second-round pick regressed in his sophomore campaign, looking like a potential bubble player coming into this camp. Yet, with wideout Brandon LaFell on the physically unable to perform list, the Patriots were getting Dobson some quality opportunities on Thursday. Those included some skill position packages including Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. It doesn't get much better than that, and Dobson responded at one point with a touchdown catch in 7-on-7. All of which is exciting for the Patriots, except that Dobson has gotten some good opportunities before, only to fritter them away and tumble down the depth chart. This may very well be his last chance to show he can be productive when given chances. If he slides to the back of the pack again, it wouldn't be a shocker to see him cut.

 

Key guy in a contract year

 

Left tackle Nate Solder. Solder has been a respectable but not elite left tackle for the Patriots, starting 70 of 73 games in his four-year career (including 10 playoff games). He started and protected Tom Brady's blind side for all 19 games in 2014 as well, allowing seven sacks (only one in the playoffs). Solder has said he wants to come back, and the Patriots haven't made any obvious attempts to draft a replacement, so the door is open for a contract extension. If that doesn't happen, and Solder hits the free-agent market at 27 years old, he'll be one of the most coveted players in the 2016 class.

 

Blount blundering

 

Running back LeGarrette Blount didn't practice for the second straight day because he's too out of shape to pass the team's fitness test. Heading into a contract year in 2015 and with the Patriots' backfield opportunities tilted in his direction, you would think he would have arrived ready to go. It's a frustrating situation for the Patriots, who would likely start Blount in Week 1 – if he wasn't suspended for that game for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Blount's attitude and motivation issues led to him being bounced out of Pittsburgh late in the 2014 season. Now New England needs him to take charge of a less-than-loaded backfield. To get off to this start is disappointing.

 

One extra point (OK, two) …

 

1.) You've got to hand it to Patriots head of public relations Stacey James, who is often in the unkind position of acting as the firewall between Bill Belichick and the media. To his credit, James has managed to maintain a wry sense of humor. When a Patriots flight was struck by lightning in 2006, it was James who dryly quipped that if the plane had crashed, "It would have been hard from our perspective to spin that positively."

On Thursday, with James juggling the NFL/Robert Kraft/Tom Brady drama, reporters began needling him about whether or not Brady was going to finally speak to the media. When Brady didn't, it led one reporter to ask sarcastically whether the Patriots' public relations department would transcribe and distribute quotes from Brady's non-interview. James, as is his style, said yes and obliged, handing the reporter a blank sheet of paper.

2.) This was actually asked of Garoppolo:

"Do you like your football hard or soft?"

He said no preference. Smart.

Jon Richter, son of Rams great Les Richter, defends Hall of Fame policy amid Junior Seau controversy

Junior Seau pictured with his daughter, Sydney,
at his induction into the Chargers Hall of Fame

A lot of people got upset last week about a report that Junior Seau's family would not be able to speak at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Aug. 8.

Jon Richter is not among those incensed. And his opinion counts more than most.

The Hall's policy has been in place since 2010, and it calls for a video presentation for inductees who are enshrined posthumously, rather than speeches. It "provides for an expanded presenting video [longer than the videos of living inductees]," the Hall said in a statement last Friday, "followed by the traditional unveiling of the bronzed bust and no additional comments made from the podium."

The first inductee under the new policy was Jon Richter's father, Les. He was one of the best linebackers in the long history of the Rams organization, and later went on to serve as head of operations for NASCAR. The eight-time Pro Bowler and U.S. Army veteran died in 2010 and became a part of the 2011 class.

"I presented my father in the video," said Jon Richter, 54, who lives in Riverside, Calif., where his father lived the last years of his life. "I was probably interviewed for an hour, hour and a half. They parsed it down to 12-15 minutes. I was fully aware that I wasn't going to give a speech."

Richter said the Hall was "very upfront" about the policy and "I was never given the impression by the Hall of Fame that I was going to be able to do that." He went further, saying he felt the policy was appropriate considering the living members could speak for themselves and "I was doing it as a third party." He said even if he were to give a speech, "presenting it in a video was what I would have said anyway."

One notable difference between Richter's situation and the Seau family's is that Richter said he "had no aspirations" about making a speech. The Seaus said they were led to believe daughter Sydney could speak at her father's ceremony, according to a statement by the family's lawyer:

"Unfortunately, the Hall of Fame is unwilling to reverse its decision despite communicating to the family earlier this year that Sydney would be able to speak at the ceremony. Contrary to the most recent statement by the Hall of Fame, the family does not support the current policy that prevents family members from delivering live remarks on behalf of deceased inductees.

"However, the Seau family does not want this issue to become a distraction to Junior's accomplishments and legacy or those of the other inductees."

Although Richter understands the wish to speak on behalf of a loved one, he also understands the reasons to keep the current policy.

"If they were to make an exception, then what's the criteria for making an exception in future cases?" he said. "The enshrinement is an honor, and it's bestowed on very few. To muddy it up because you don't agree with the policies of the Hall …"

"I cannot speak any higher of how we were treated while we were there," Richter continued. "They had to cut [the time] down. The introductions were becoming 45-minute speeches by themselves. They had to shorten it into a show that people would want to buy tickets and sit through it."

Length of speeches has also been an issue. The new policy was enacted after both Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson and Derrion Thomas spoke on behalf of the late Derrick Thomas. Richter said the length of the video was fine with him as well, and that had he given a speech, it would have been only 15 minutes or so.

And what if the Hall decides to go back to the old way?

"That would be the Hall's call," Richter said. "Whatever the Hall decides is completely the Hall's decision. It wouldn't affect me. We've already been there."

Why Ohio State's suspensions aren't a trouble sign for the defending champs

Ohio State’s repeat national championship bid is off the rails.

The Buckeyes have lost focus. They’ve gotten fat and happy. They’re still celebrating last year instead of honing in on this year.

If you want to be an alarmist (or a hopeful fan of an Ohio State rival), you can take that stance after the jarring news at Big Ten media days Thursday that four Buckeyes will miss the season opener at Virginia Tech on Sept. 7. The players’ offense is the old reliable, “violation of athletic department policy.” The suspended list includes potentially the No. 1 defensive player in the nation, end Joey Bosa, and a pair of playmaking hybrid backs/receivers/return men in Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson.

Personally, I don’t believe Ohio State’s title defense is up in smoke. I don’t believe this is symptom of a complacency cancer eating at the program. I don’t believe you can interpret this as a sign of a great comeuppance in Columbus.

That would be an overreaction, and it would ignore the larger truth: the Buckeyes are too deep and talented and well-coached to be derailed by a minor outbreak of knucklehead behavior. Even against a quality opponent like Virginia Tech, on the road, Ohio State can get by for a game without a few stars.

“We’re going to be really good,” said linebacker Joshua Perry, “regardless of who’s on the field.”

Added offensive tackle Taylor Decker: “The guys we’ve recruited could have gone anywhere in the country. So I’m not worried about who’s out on the field.”

More than likely, this is just a case of four guys who got stupid and got caught – possibly twice. On a team of 100 players, popular math suggests that’s not an excessive number. The concern is more with the quality of player in trouble than the quantity.

These are guys who should be transitioning into leadership roles. And with a leadership-obsessed coach like Urban Meyer, this can’t sit well.

Meyer has won big before with his fair share of questionable characters (see: Florida). But all coaches want to come into these summer media confabs extolling the intangible virtues of their teams – the unity, the chemistry, the work ethic. They don’t want to spend their time talking about who’s suspended for the opener.

The default word they use is “distractions.” Coaches hate distractions more than they hate halftime interviews when trailing by two touchdowns.

“There's no perfect team,” Meyer said. “There's no perfect program. And everyone deals with stuff. You know, when you're Ohio State or some of these other big-time programs, stuff becomes a major deal. And this is.”

But Meyer then listed three reasons why this self-described major deal is not really a major deal. He said the team had “the highest graduation rate in the history of Ohio State football.” He said the reports from strength coach Mickey Marotti about summer weight-room work have been good. He said his social-media scouts have detected few flare-ups.

“The indicators, other than this, have been not good,” Meyer said. “They’ve been great.”

Decker backed that up: “I understand the perception [that the suspensions are a sign of trouble], but I’m in that locker room and I’m not seeing it.”

Fact is, Ohio State already may have mitigated the Mother of All Distractions – a three-way quarterback controversy – with the reported move of Braxton Miller to wide receiver. That takes the QB logjam down to just two, J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones, and should lead to one fewer unhappy camper sitting on the bench watching someone else play.

Miller’s challenge will be going from a position he’s played forever to a position he’s played never, and learning the intricacies of it. Now more than ever, he will be needed in that first game.

“Go out and run routes – I’ve seen him do that, and it’s a ‘Wow,’ " Meyer said. “But how does he do with a very good player on top of him?”

Ohio State will be without defensive end Joey Bosa
and three others in its season-opener.

If Miller figures that out well enough to get on the field – and Meyer said he’ll coach him personally on receiver mechanics – the possibilities are endless. Having two accomplished quarterbacks in the lineup opens a new vista of available gadgetry, limited only by the imagination.

“It’s pretty intriguing,” Meyer said. “For a guy who doodles [plays] all day, I’m like a child. It’s pretty exciting.”

The catch will be deciding which of the other two QBs starts. And although Job No. 1 for the Buckeyes starter will still be handing off to stud back Ezekiel Elliott, there is no more intriguing position battle in college football than this one.

Barrett remains more the Meyer soulmate – a steely leader and football obsessive – while Jones is the goofy guy with the greater physical talents. Jones also is the guy who started the three biggest games of last season – Big Ten title game, College Football Playoff semifinal, and the national championship game – and won them all.

It’s tough to put that guy on the bench. But then again, can you bench a guy who finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting (Barrett)?

To sort it out, Meyer is trying to rely on rigorously empirical data. No going with the gut. Grade everything and let the decision be more objective than subjective.

“Basically,” Meyer said, “we’re keeping score of everything.”

Right now, the overall score on this Ohio State team is a minus-four. The defending champs will be without four key players in Blacksburg, Va., on Labor Day night. But barring any further evidence of off-field issues, any belief that the Buckeyes have lost their championship edge is premature.

Dodgers bolster pitching in huge deal with Braves, Marlins

The first-place Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their pitching staff on the eve of the trade deadline, completing a 13-player deal with the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins that sent two starters and two relievers to the NL West leaders on Thursday.

Clinging to a half-game lead over San Francisco, the Dodgers acquired right-hander Mat Latos from the Marlins and left-hander Alex Wood from the Braves, two pitchers who can move right into the rotation behind aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. Also, Los Angeles obtained relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan from Atlanta, adding needed depth to the bullpen.

''To sit here having addressed the biggest areas of need for us in terms of rotation and bullpen, while adding future pieces and preserving the top guys in our farm system, that's a really good outcome,'' said Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations. ''Not only for what it does for the 2015 team, but the position it puts us in for the winter and next season and beyond.''

The rebuilding Braves kept up their massive overhaul, also surrendering top infield prospect Jose Peraza to the Dodgers largely to land 30-year-old Cuban defector Hector Olivera, an infielder who has impressed in the minors since signing a $62.5 million, six-year deal with Los Angeles this year.

As for the Marlins, it was another familiar salary dump. Out of contention in the NL East, Miami rid itself of Latos and first baseman Michael Morse for three minor leaguers. Morse didn't last long with the Dodgers, who designated him for assignment shortly after the trade.

The deals worked like this:

-The Dodgers got Wood (7-6, 3.54 ERA), Johnson (2-3, 2.25, nine saves), Avilan (2-4, 3.58), Peraza (.294 with 26 stolen bases for Triple-A Gwinnett) and pitcher Bronson Arroyo from the Braves, along with Latos (4-7, 4.48), Morse (.214, four homers, 12 RBIs) and cash considerations from the Marlins. Arroyo is coming back from Tommy John surgery and hasn't pitched this season, his inclusion in the deal mainly a financial benefit to the Braves.

-Atlanta received Olivera, who is hitting a combined .348 with two homers and seven RBIs in 19 games at three different levels of the Dodgers' farm system this season, along with injured left-hander Paco Rodriguez and minor leaguer Zachary Bird, a right-handed pitcher. The Braves also got a draft pick from the Marlins.

-Miami acquired minor league right-handers Kevin Guzman, Jeff Brigham and Victor Araujo from the Dodgers, none of whom has pitched above Class A.

While the Dodgers spent lavishly to land Olivera, they decided the organization has enough depth at second base to make the deal.

''It's not that we thought he was expendable,'' Friedman said. ''This lined up with something that we felt like addressed some current needs for us.''

 

To clear room in the rotation, Mike Bolsinger will be dropped despite going 5-3 with a 2.83 ERA in 16 starts.

The deadline for making trades without waivers is 4 p.m. EDT Friday. The Dodgers may not be done.

''I don't want to talk about the deadline in the past tense,'' Friedman said.

Braves general manager John Hart kept up its efforts to rebuild the team for the long term, with an eye toward the move to a new suburban stadium in 2017. The Braves were eager to sign Olivera after he defected and feel he can be a key offensive player for years to come - even though he's yet to play in the big leagues and his age makes him an unorthodox prospect.

They jumped at the chance to trade for him even though it cost them the 24-year-old Wood, who isn't even eligible for arbitration until 2017, and one of their top prospects in Peraza.

''We really tried to sign the guy and the Dodgers came in and blew us out of the water financially,'' Hart said before a game at Philadelphia. ''We like the player, we like the bat, we like the makeup. This is a guy we felt was major league ready and can come in and hit somewhere in the middle of the order.''

Olivera could play second base, third base or even left field in Atlanta, but Braves are more concerned with beefing up their anemic offense. Also, the Dodgers will be responsible for the remaining $16 million due as part of his $28 million signing bonus.

But Olivera has battled right elbow problems - leading to a clause in his contract which tacks on another year at just $1 million if he has Tommy John surgery at any time during the next six years. He currently is sidelined by a left hamstring injury.

That wasn't enough to dissuade Hart.

''Financially, it's just tough to find those bats,'' he said. ''We were able to get a bat we feel is affordable for us because of the fact they paid the signing bonus. We feel this is going to give us the opportunity to do more things to build the club.''

The Marlins dumped two big contracts on the Dodgers, whose record luxury-tax payroll climbed to $297 million. That would lead to a $43 million assessment at the end of the year under baseball's luxury tax.

Latos is making $9.4 million in the final year of his contact, while Morse is getting $7.5 million this year and is owed another $8.5 million next season.

Morse wasn't the only player dumped by Los Angeles after the trade. Outfielder Chris Heisey and right-handers Brandon Beachy and Chin-Hui Tsao also were designated for assignment.

The Marlins had hoped to contend in the NL East with Latos and Morse, part of an offseason overhaul that included the signing of Giancarlo Stanton to a $325 million, 13-year deal.

That plan has been scuttled. After a 1-0 loss to first-place Washington on Thursday, Miami dropped to 13 games behind the Nationals.

''When I have to sit here and say we've made a trade and we haven't added (immediate help), it means something has not gone right,'' Marlins President Michael Hill said. ''We're 18 games under .500 and not performing the way we felt like this team was capable of performing.''

Pirates get reliever Soria from Tigers for minor leaguer

The Pittsburgh Pirates made another move to upgrade their bullpen on Thursday night, acquiring right-hander Joakim Soria from the Detroit Tigers for a minor leaguer.

The 31-year-old Soria was 3-1 with 23 saves and a 2.85 ERA in 43 appearances with Detroit this season. He didn't allow a run in 13 of his last 14 appearances. The deal was made a few hours after the Pirates got versatile reliever Joe Blanton from Kansas City for cash.

Soria will move into a setup role in a bullpen that already ranks among the league's best. Pittsburgh's 2.71 bullpen ERA ranked second to St. Louis for the NL lead.

''We feel it will just lengthen and deepen our bullpen,'' general manager Neal Huntington said.

Pittsburgh gave up infielder JaCoby Jones, a 23-year-old who was recently promoted to Double-A. The Pirates will have to make a move to create a roster spot when Soria joins the team, which opened a four-game series in Cincinnati on Thursday.

Before the game, manager Clint Hurdle noted that the back end of the bullpen has been solid with Jared Hughes, Tony Watson and Mark Melancon, who has converted a club-record 30 consecutive saves.

Kansas City reached the World Series last season with a deep bullpen that took a lot of the pressure off the starters. He said teams want to try to do the same.

''People are going to emulate success,'' Hurdle said. ''The game seems to have gone in that trend.''

Pittsburgh is second in the NL Central to St. Louis and leads the NL wild-card race.

The Pirates are missing Jordy Mercer, on the 15-day DL with a sprained left knee, and Josh Harrison, who is recovering from surgery on his left thumb. Both are expected back to help the Pirates' push for the playoffs.

Detroit also dealt All-Star left-hander David Price to Toronto earlier Thursday in a deal that had taken most of general manager Dave Dombrowski's attention. He said the Pirates expressed an interest on Wednesday.

''This is one we went back-and-forth on today with a couple of clubs,'' Dombrowski said. ''It pretty much came together today. (Pittsburgh) is going for it to try to win, which is understandable.''

Astros acquire center fielder Carlos Gomez from Brewers

Nearly a day after the alleged condition of his hips scuttled a trade to the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez – along with starting pitcher Mike Fiers – was traded to the Houston Astros on Thursday.

The aggressively rebuilding Brewers and hyper-motivated Astros proved to be the match the Brewers and Mets were not. Actually, that they were for a while before they were not.

In less than a full day, Gomez, the highly athletic and in-your-face center fielder, was told he’d been traded to the Mets, told the deal fell apart because of a condition in his hips only the Mets seemed able to see, and then told he was wanted in a pennant race in Houston.

When the Astros were satisfied with Gomez’s medicals, he’d have to say good-bye to his Brewers teammates. Again.

CBS Sports was first to report the Astros had acquired the two players.

The Brewers, who would have added pitcher Zack Wheeler and infielder Wilmer Flores from the Mets, are to receive four minor leaguers from the Astros – outfielders Brett Phillips and Domingo Santana, left-hander Josh Hader and right-hander Adrian Houser. The Astros will receive an international bonus slot, as well, worth $287,500.

Gomez, 29, is under contract through 2016. His salary next season is $9 million. An All-Star in 2013 and 2014, when he bloomed into a slick defender who could also hit for power, Gomez has not produced as well in 2015. He has struggled particularly in the second half, batting .189 over the past two weeks.

Gomez likely will become Houston’s everyday center fielder, in place of Jake Marisnick. He told reporters in Milwaukee he has no concern over the condition of his hips.

Fiers, 30, is 5-9 with a 3.89 ERA in 21 starts for the Brewers. He is controllable through 2019.

The Astros acquired lefty Scott Kazmir from the Oakland A’s only a week ago. Fiers would fit in the back of the rotation, behind Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh, rookie Lance McCullers and Kazmir, and alongside veteran Scott Feldman.

Jets DE Sheldon Richardson busted for allegedly driving 143 mph, resisting arrest

Sheldon Richardson is becoming a headache for the New York Jets. A talented headache, but a headache nonetheless.

Richardson was suspended for the first four games of this season for violating the league's substance abuse policy, reportedly for marijuana use. On Thursday, as the Jets started training camp, there was a story out of St. Louis that Richardson was clocked for allegedly driving 143 miles per hour and then resisting arrest via a high-speed chase on July 14.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Richardson was clocked at that speed in his 2014 Bentley Silver Spur, then "increased his speed, drove off the highway, and sped through a traffic light to try to get away" when officers tried to stop his car. There was a 12-year-old in the car, and two other adults, the report said. Richardson eventually complied with officers' demands to get out of the vehicle and he was arrested. The Post-Dispatch said Richardson was charged with resisting arrest, exceeding the speed limit, following too closely, failing to use lights and failing to obey a traffic signal. Richardson is from St. Louis, and the incident happened in that area. The probable cause report on the Post-Dispatch's web site revealed a few more details. It said Richardson appeared to reach for something between his feet as he was told to stop. The report said a fully loaded semi-automatic handgun was recovered from underneath the driver's side floor mat. The report also the said the officer reported smelling the strong odor of burned marijuana coming from the vehicle.

Before news of the traffic arrest was brought to light, Richardson was explaining his reasons for his other off-field issue, the four-game suspension.

“I’m very disappointed in myself...I brought it on myself, me missing the four games,” Richardson said, according to the Daily News. "Just a little disappointed and embarrassed for my parents’ sake."

Richardson was a first-round pick in 2013 and the NFL defensive rookie of the year. He is one of the best defensive ends in the league. But the Jets would probably be happy if his next few headlines were strictly for what he does on the field.