Rob Neyer

  (4:02 PM)

Happy Deadline Day! I'll be here for the next 45-50 minutes, answering your questions as best I can...

Brian (Raleigh, NC)

Rob, will the acquisition of Jose Guillen put some pop into the A's lineup?

Rob Neyer

  (4:06 PM)

Hard to say. I mean, he's almost certainly an improvement on whichever stumblebums the A's have been sending out to right field this season. But before this season, Guillen's career OBP was .305, and his career slugging percentage was .398. Those aren't good for a 27-year-old right fielder, and so you have to at least wonder if the 2003 Jose Guillen is the real thing.

Rob Neyer

  (4:08 PM)

***UPDATE*** The Giants traded Kurt Ainsworth and Damian Moss to the Orioles for Sidney Ponson. Seems like a great deal for the Giants, who are loaded with young pitching prospects, but can use a veteran like Ponson when October rolls around.

Corey (Albuquerque)

What in the hell is wrong with the Mariners? If the A's overtake them for the West, I am going to be so pissed. Why do they refuse to make a deal?

Rob Neyer

  (4:12 PM)

A year ago on this date, the Mariners were one game ahead of the Angels and five games ahead of the Athletics.

They didn't do anything, and they wound up in third place.

Today, they're four games ahead of the A's, and they haven't done anything. Seems to me they've got a problem when it comes to making the team better.

Vegas baby, Vegas

Did thh BoSox get better by picking up Suppan today? Does this mean that Ramiro Mendoza ia done?

Rob Neyer

  (4:15 PM)

I've seen Suppan pitch a lot of games over the years, and he always struck me as somebody who was just an adjustment away from being a pretty good pitcher. I don't know if he's actually doing anything different this season, but I do think he's a worthy replacement for Mendoza.

Nathan

By giving up Claussen, are the Yankees planning on keeping Weaver for the long haul?

Rob Neyer

  (4:18 PM)

I don't think they're thinking about the long haul. If Weaver works out, great. If he doesn't, they can always sign a free agent or trade for somebody's high-priced veteran. When your budget is unlimited, you don't have to worry about next year.

Zac

The latest from KC is that the Royals picked up Al Lavine and Reggie Sanders, for a combined age of 70, not to mention the fact that Sanders hits in the .250s. What is going on in KC?

Rob Neyer

  (4:22 PM)

Levine's not very good, but he is stingy with the gopher ball, which makes him a distinct improvement over Sean Lowe. And while Sanders isn't great, he does give the Royals a right-handed bat, and should help a little (especially if he takes Ken Harvey's lineup slot when/if Mike Sweeney ever comes back). The Royals needed to do more, but at least they did something.

Rob (Detroit, MI)

What's your take on the ChiSox resurgence? Can they keep it up?

Rob Neyer

  (4:24 PM)

Before the season, I thought the Sox were the best team in their division. And while they shook my confidence for most of the first half, I never did quite give up on them. They've got a fairly tough schedule down the stretch, but I still think they're going to win.

Vince (Pittsburgh)

With the past Sauerbeck trade and now the Suppan trade, the end result is that the Pirates traded Suppan and Sauerbeck to the Red Sox for Freddy Sanchez. That is about right. I will hide my disgust. Who is this Sanchez and is he worth two major league pitchers in any way, shape or form?

Rob Neyer

  (4:27 PM)

Sanchez is a good prospect having a great season in triple-A. No, I don't think he's worth two major-league pitchers, but the Pirates might have, in Sanchez, their second baseman for the next five or six years. So let's wait and see.

Chris (San Francisco)

Ainsworth and Moss seem like a high price for a possible one-year wonder in Ponson. Did the O's get the better of this one?

Rob Neyer

  (4:30 PM)

I think it's a fair deal. In return for what's essentially 10 or 11 starts by Ponson, the Orioles got an adequate starter (Moss) and a kid with a high ceiling (Ainsworth). The only catch is that Ainsworth had that freak shoulder injury, so you never know where he'll be a year from now.

Chris (NJ)

Rob, Do you think the Yankees gave up too much for Boone? Also, being a lifelong Yankees fan, and having seen games from every corner of the stadium, I agree with your assessment of the Stadium. The place is a toilet.

Rob Neyer

  (4:34 PM)

Well, I wouldn't go that far. When the Yankees are playing a big game, the Stadium is electric. But otherwise, there's not a lot separating it from Shea Stadium.

As for what the Yankees gave up to get Boone, 1) they never give young pitchers a chance, anyway, and 2) Claussen has a great arm, but he's coming off Tommy John surgery and has just 39 K's in 69 innings this season.

Justin (Athens)

John Shurholz has apperently been sitting on his hands these past few days. Can the Braves win the World Series with their current rotation?

Rob Neyer

  (4:36 PM)

Sure they can. It's not like they won a bushel of World Series when they did have a great rotation. That said, if I'm them I want to get a little better in the fourth slot.

Jim (Philadelphia, PA)

I was hoping the Phillies would have added another starting pitcher to the four 10-game winners they already have to help their playoff chances. Can these four and Duckworth carry them into the postseason in your opinion?

Rob Neyer

  (4:39 PM)

Most teams don't have the luxury of a solid fifth starter, and I think Duckworth's acceptable in that slot.

Nick (Morgantown)

What is the loss of Aaron Boone to the Yanks gonna do to the Reds? Is Larson ready and mature enough to take over at third base?

Rob Neyer

  (4:42 PM)

The Reds are in good shape at third place, with Larson and a few other guys. Generally, I think they've done about as well as could be expected.

Dave (MI)

Did the Yankees trade Ventura as a dump of an unneeded player or was there actual future planning involved? Or are they not smart enough to do that?

Rob Neyer

  (4:45 PM)

The first one of those. With Aaron Boone aboard, Ventura would have been little more than a well-paid pinch-hitter. And what does it say about the Dodgers, that the Yankees' hand-me-down is an upgrade for them?

John (NC)

So with these moves, who wins the AL East?

Rob Neyer

  (4:54 PM)

They're a tad soft in right field, but essentially the Yankees are now without a single weakness. Which doesn't mean the Sox are sunk, of course. They have to beat out either the Yankees or the A's/M's. And I think they will.

Thanks for all the questions, wish I could have answered more of them. I will be talking about this stuff today on ESPNews at 5:40 Eastern.