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• Your rankings: Which contenders made the wisest moves in baseball's trade market?

Not since fantasy baseball owners haggled through the summer of 2003 have Jim Thome, Jose Contreras and Billy Wagner mattered this much in a trade market.

Of course, even as Thome and Jon Garland headed to the Dodgers and Contreras made his way to the Rockies, their old employer was left with a smoldering reminder of the perils of trading. Alex Rios? Hitting worse than .200 with the team. Jake Peavy? Might not pitch until 2010.

A month ago, voters picked the White Sox to win the AL Central. As recently as three weeks ago, SportsNation still had them neck and neck with the Tigers. Now? Well, at least 58 percent of voters think Ozzie Guillen should keep his job in the Windy City.

• 55 percent of SN thinks Contreras won't help; 72 percent of Colorado disagrees.
• 51 percent of SN thinks Wagner won't help; 61 percent of Massachusetts disagrees.
• Is Jim Thome more a Hall of Fame lock than Manny Ramirez? SN voters say yes.

• Vote: Are the White Sox a playoff team? | NL contenders or pretenders?

They say you can't get something for nothing, but the White Sox did just that in adding outfielder Alex Rios for the stretch drive. All they had to do was agree to pay a minimum of $61.6 million. Only in baseball, which seems to have roughly the same effect on the laws of economics as black holes have on the laws of physics, could that make some sort of sense.

Taking advantage of the loophole that the trade deadline isn't, in fact, an actual deadline on trades, the White Sox landed the two-time All-Star after claiming him on waivers from the Blue Jays, who were probably looking to trade Rios but willingly handed him over without compensation given the opportunity to escape his contract. Got all that?

The upshot is the White Sox now have another bat, and possibly Jake Peavy's impending return, to chase down the Tigers in the Central or claim the AL wild card.

Of course, with a crowded outfield, Ozzie Guillen just has to find a place to play him. Just what Guillen needs, another mouth to feed and another batter to protect.

• With a healthy Peavy, SN says White Sox would have better pitching than Tigers.
• Rankings: Are the White Sox a top-10 team? Weigh in on MLB Power Rankings.
• Beyond the Nation: ESPN Chicago's Jon Greenberg on Kenny Williams' gamble.
• Groups: Chicago White Sox | White Sux Haters | American League Central

Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd promise not to retaliate against each other with anything more than words on today's edition of "SportsNation" TV.

Argue the hot topics, vote on the biggest stories and chat during the show, on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. and midnight ET.

Note: Broadcast voting results as of afternoon ET.

Do you consider Alex Rodriguez a clutch baseball player?
A-Rod hit a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the 15th Friday to beat Boston 2-0. He hit another home run last night. Is that clutch?

Would you use some of your trick plays during an NFL preseason game?
Titans punter A.J. Trapasso faked a punt and then scored on a 40-yard touchdown carry. Should you save tricks for a real game or test them?

Does Ozzie Guillen's warning protect his batters?
Does Guillen's warning mean any player can now take a shot at the White Sox and the Sox won't be able to respond without getting in trouble?

Are the Red Sox too old to win a World Series title?
The Sox senior players, Jason Varitek, Mike Lowell and David Ortiz, went 3-for-33 with one RBI against the Yankees. Are the Red Sox too old?

Would playing a round of golf with Tiger Woods bring out the best or worst in your game?
Would you be so in awe of Tiger that you'd use a driver instead of a putter? Or would you play your best?

Is Tom Brady's best football ahead or behind him?
Tom Brady led the Patriots to a perfect regular season and a near-perfect postseason. Can he ever do better? (Vote below!)

What is "SportsNation" TV, and how do you make your voice heard? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.

Vote: Which sport is best at handing out vigilante justice on the field of play?

Ozzie Guillen is unsubtle.

This has become somewhat of a universal truth these days, along the lines of "Superman is strong" and "The Red Sox can't hit." Ozzie speaks his mind regardless of the consequences, like a modern-day Winston Churchill -- only in this case, Ozzie is defending his players from beanballs instead of serving as the last bulwark of Western civilization. Other than that, they're totally alike.

If you're going to hit White Sox players, be warned: Ozzie says it's no more Mr. Nice Guy. Some might say that this kind of open airing of hostile intent is counterproductive; after all, umpires will be scrutinizing your pitchers more intensely, possibly leading to more ejections. Then again, it's always nice to know that your manager has your back, and that even an accidental beaning will be answered in kind.

That being said, the White Sox are only fifth in the majors in HBPs, with 20 fewer beanings than their ostensible antagonists, the Cleveland Indians. Never let numbers get in the way of good rhetoric.

• Almost 60 percent of SN thought off-the-field retaliation for beanballs was out of line.
• Seven out of 10 voters think the retaliation code results in more batters hit.
• 62 percent of SN thinks Ozzie is better than he gets credit for.
• Groups: Chicago White Sox Fans | White Sox Fans | American League Central

• Rankings: Which teams occupy the top spots in SportsNation's Power Rankings?

"Boy, that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand in a hurry." -- Ron Burgundy

Nobody on the Yankees killed a guy, or threw a trident, during a four-game weekend set against the Red Sox, but behind SportsNation's AL MVP pick the Bronx Bombers did their best in a sweep to extinguish whatever remaining life their rivals had left in the division.

After Thursday's loss, we looked at how SportsNation's faith in the Red Sox had faded over the past two months, but that was in the context of winning the AL East. But when the Mariners are closer to you in the playoff race than you are to the Yankees, it's time to start worrying about just making the playoffs.

• Only 52 percent of SportsNation predicts the Red Sox will make the postseason.
• Voters split as to whether Rangers or Rays are the main wild-card competition.

But the Red Sox weren't the only contender floundering over the weekend. The Marlins made the NL East a race again by sweeping three from the Phillies (not that the Phillies were alone, considering 87 percent of SportsNation discounted the Marlins last week).

And the Dodgers, who once held a seemingly insurmountable lead in the NL West, head to San Francisco having lost three of four to the Braves and with their lead down to 5.5 games over the Giants and Rockies.

• A month into the season, only 22 percent of voters expected an NL West fight.
• Giants now slight favorite to earn the NL wild card over Cubs and Rockies.
• Vote: Weigh in with your take on the issues of the day in MLB.
• Chat: Buster Olney talks about all the pennant races at 1 p.m. ET.
• Groups: Florida Marlins Rock | National league | Dodgers Fan Club

• Vote: How do you see the baseball landscape?

There is, of course, baseball being played outside the Bronx this weekend. For instance, the Pawtucket Red Sox square off against the Norfolk Tides, and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees -- fresh off taking three of four from Pawtucket -- face the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs. And people say there are no good nicknames anymore.

Sorry, we got a little caught up in the Sox-Yankees quagmire for a second. What we meant is that there are plenty of perfectly compelling MLB series taking place this weekend without the participation of either Terry Francona or Joe Girardi. Not surprisingly, exactly which of those series matters most depends on where you live, but the Rangers and Angels hold a slight edge on the rest of the field nationwide.

Almost a month ago, SportsNation tabbed the Rangers as the second-best bet to overtake a division leader, behind only those inescapable Yankees. And just this week, the team from Texas ranked No. 7 overall in SportsNation's MLB Power Rankings. But at 4.5 games behind the Angels in the AL West, a bad weekend in Anaheim would be costly.

• Tigers still lead Central but SportsNation picking White Sox to win in the end.
• 67 percent say a healthy Jake Peavy would give White Sox pitching edge on Tigers.
• Another shoe to drop? Half of SportsNation expects a major August waiver deal.
• Beyond the Nation: Detroit Free Press' Michael Rosenberg on the AL Central race.
• Groups: Texas Rangers | Tiger Den | THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS GROUP

The trade deadline has passed, and big names keep being announced as the dust clears. Perhaps the biggest name moved was Indians C/1B Victor Martinez (to the Red Sox), but the White Sox also made a splash with the acquisition of Jake Peavy. Both players strengthen their respective new teams, but are they all that's left?

Rob Neyer can't tell you that; he's not a psychic, people. But the man's full of analysis over what definitely did happen.

In the aftermath of Mark Buehrle's perfect game last week, the second no-hitter of his career, SportsNation was rather divided as to whether or not he would throw another no-no during his career. For a long stretch Tuesday night against the Twins, it looked like he might throw another this month. No doubt, that would have perked up his Hall of Fame chances a bit.

Buehrle lost the perfect game on a walk and the no-hitter on a single, both in the sixth inning, but he did set a record by recording 45 consecutive outs between the two starts (a record previously shared by White Sox reliever Bobby Jenks and the immortal Jim Barr, who finished his career with a 101-112 career record). And while it's an impressive feat, SportsNation ranks it decidedly behind Orel Hershiser's 59 consecutive scoreless innings.

But putting aside the record Buehrle did set in defeat, where would a second consecutive no-hitter have ranked? Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak may be the most iconic single-season record in the game now that the home run record is mired in a morass of morality, but would seeing someone match that really be any better than seeing someone match Johnny Vander Meer's (that's him, above) back-to-back no-hitters?

• SportsNation predicts Twins finish second in AL Central, miss wild card.
• Wednesday's chats: Rob Neyer at 12 p.m. ET | Steve Phillips at 2:30 p.m. ET
• Groups: Chicago White Sox Fans | Minnesota TWINS!!!!!!!!!! | American League Central

Jim Parque sure picked a good day to come out as a disgraced former White Sox pitcher.

A day that began in Chicago with the White Sox answering questions about a guy most of them never played with (and who said his use of performance-enhancing drugs came after leaving the team) ended with one of his few remaining former teammates forcing a much more pleasant revision to the game's record books. Mark Buehrle's perfect game was just the second of this century and No. 18 all time (counting Don Larsen's World Series gem).

Yes, there have been more Arena Bowls in our sporting history than perfect games.

Of course, as rarely as perfect games come along, they're New York City cabs compared to catches that top Willie Mays' over-the-shoulder grab in the 1954 World Series. Dewayne Wise gave it his best shot Thursday, leaping high and extending an arm over the fence to preserve Buehrle's perfection in the ninth inning. but SportsNation rules it wasn't good enough to unseat the Say Hey Kid.

• Some token of perfection will head to Cooperstown, but voters unsure if Buehrle follows
• White Sox fan illiniking07 blogs his appreciation for Buehrle, an "easy guy to root for and admire" and a steal of a late-round pick more than a decade ago. It's true; Buehrle seems like a likable guy -- and not just in comparison to Ozzie Guillen.
• Giving Skip Bayless a run for his contrarian money, windsormountain uses Buehrle's perfect game as an opportunity to announce his divorce from baseball. We hear you and award you half of the Washington Nationals.
• Friday's chat: Get Jerry Crasnick's take on perfection at 12 p.m. ET
• Groups: The SOX Fan's CUBS will CHOKE Group | American League Central

The National League can't win the All-Star Game, but pictures of the week still tips its hat to Dodgers fans, whose team has the best record in baseball, with a photo from stevevas22.

Click on the images to view a larger version of the picture and to comment. If you have a great picture or saw one you think the world should see, leave a brief description and a link in the comments.