ESPN

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?

Sean (New Haven)

Can you discuss Masterson in Cleveland? Immediately into the rotation, Stretch in AAA or will he remain in the bullpen until Spring? What's his outlook in that park? I love his stuff.

Rob Neyer

I love his stuff, too. But he's got a 1.63 K/BB ratio as a starter in the majors, and that's more of what the Indians don't need. Not saying he can't improve, but he's far from a sure thing as a starter.

Seth (Portland, ME)

Who will catch Wakefield when he returns now that V-Mart is here? Tek usually hasn't usually and right now Kottaras does right now, will V-Mart be able to catch the knuckleball?

Keith Law

I think probably not, but 1) as I mentioned earlier, Kid '66 is still on the DL, 2) September and the bigger rosters are just a few weeks away, 3) Martinez figures to play a lot of first base, and 4) Wakefield doesn't figure to pitch a lot in October. Problem solved!individual players, like the Alvarez over Posey/Smoak decision. Full transcript.

We're poised on the precipice of the second half, caught between the cold reality of the first half of the season and the limitless potential of the second half. We're ... bored. Seriously, the Triple-A All-Star Game is all we get today? Couldn't the Nationals and Pirates play at least? It's not like their rosters are exactly swamped with All-Star Game obligations.

A practice round from the British Open? A midweek NASCAR race? Give us something.

It's the slowest day in sports, but that does give us the chance to look back and look ahead. We've been surveying SportsNation for the best each team had to offer before the break. Some of these votes are closer than the Minnesota Senate race, but the leaders as of Wednesday morning are as follows:

National League Team MVP
Dodgers: Andre Ethier
Phillies: Raul Ibanez
Giants: Tim Lincecum
Cardinals: Yadier Molina (non-Pujols)
Rockies: Brad Hawpe
Brewers: Prince Fielder
Marlins: Hanley Ramirez
Astros: Miguel Tejada
Cubs: Derrek Lee
Braves: Brian McCann
Reds: Brandon Phillips
Mets: David Wright
Pirates: Freddy Sanchez
Diamondbacks: Dan Haren
Padres: Adrian Gonzalez
Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman

• Who will lead the NL in home runs, batting average, wins, steals and RBIs?
• 83 percent: Dodgers will win the NL West.
• 61 percent: Cardinals will win the NL Central.
• 71 percent: Phillies will win the NL East.
• Midseason reviews: NL West | NL Central | NL East | NL Cy Young

SportsNation is clear on two things when it comes to tonight's All-Star Game in St. Louis. First, the American League is going to win. And second, a good chunk of the 'Nation isn't happy about it.

Just like political elections (only with much younger combatants, except in the cases of Jamie Moyer and Tim Wakefield), the All-Star Game brings out the regional divisisions in all of us. From sea to shining sea, there are distinct bands of support for the American League and National League. And just like the elections, there are some familiar swing states.

Florida: With both the Marlins and Rays, the state is up for grabs. But barring a recount, the AL holds a 53-47 edge, perhaps thanks to AL East retirees.

California: The A's and Angels never stood a chance against the longstanding order of the Dodgers, Giants and Padres (sound familiar in the Golden State?). The National League holds a commanding 65-35 lead for the hearts and minds of Californians.

Ohio: What should be a battlegrouind between the Reds in the south and the Indians in the north is surprisingly one-sided, 62-38, in favor the American League.

Wisconsin: It hasn't taken Wisconsin long to adapt to life in the National League. In fact, at 82 percent support, it's the NL's biggest stronghold in the country.

Next week in chat: James Carville and Mary Matalin on the wild-card races! (not really).

• Have you switched league alleigances in your life? Vote on All-Star Game issues.
• Voters don't think the All-Star Game should decide home-field advantage.
• 'Nation agrees with Roy Halladay over Zack Greinke for American League.
• Chat: Ask Joe Morgan about the National League's golden years at 1 p.m. ET.

“

Thanks Bud Selig for making baseball to make no sense whatsover compared to other sports. If you win 105 games in the regular season , then your team should be rewarded for having home field advantage in the World Series. What a Joke!!!! You did a good job in dividing up the leagues and having a wild card, but you can change this crap.

” -- bondsbay

“

I'm glad that Maddon decided against Greinke, considering Greinke has about as good of a chance at mattering in the postseason as I do. Halladay is going to win Home Field for the American League, then get traded to the Phils . . .clutch

” -- nslynch713

• Rank all 30 teams at midseason.

As the saying goes, the more things change, the more the Cubs struggle to find .500. At least, that's how we learned it. And by "we," we mean anyone born since 1909.

With the baseball season pausing for its official midpoint at the All-Star Game and its less official one in the firing of the Nationals manager, consider how SportsNation sized up the field after the first week of the season.

1. Florida Marlins
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Toronto Blue Jays

At least the Nationals were properly slotted at No. 30. Congrats on getting that gig, Jim Riggleman. Now the Cubs, Marlins and Braves are fighting for wild-card relevancy, hoping a division leader stumbles, and the Blue Jays are listening to offers for Roy Halladay.

• A Mariners fan, blogger Dawgman0387 gets a little excited about the team's winning record at the break and starts throwing out terms like "World Series run." But hey, with a top three like Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn, maybe he's on to something.
• Things aren't quite as rosy for the Reds. SportsNation blogger xubugg pleads for more "patients" at the plate. We're guessing that's supposed to be "patience," but when it comes to Dusty Baker's lineup experiments, you never know.
• We're all a little worse off having an All-Star Game without "Kung Fu Panda," but a Giants blogger upset that the so-nicknamed Pablo Sandoval won't be in St. Louis takes out his frutrations on the frauds that he feels are the Philadelphia Phillies.

“

Love the Mariners, Wakamatsu, Fedex, Ichiro, Branyan, Griffey Jr., Aardsma, Branyan, "Gutierez", and everyone who has helped turn this year's team into an entertaining winning club.

” -- J.Bertelli

“

[Jim Tracy] took the Rockies from double-digit games under .500 to Wild Card contenders. Not to mention the fact that the Rockies have the best record in baseball over the span that Tracy has been manager. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, expected the Rockies to be in the position they are now. Thus, Tracy definitely deserves to be National League Manager Of The Year, so far, and it's not really that close.

” -- JTRMS45

Back when the season began, voters ranked the Colorado Rockies No. 22 in SportsNation's Power Rankings. Which seems like a bit of a bucket of cold water on the whole "hope springs eternal" thing until you consider they ranked the Giants No. 28, ahead of only the Astros and Nationals. If divisions were restuarants, the NL West was the one that wouldn't survive the next visit from the health inspector.

So maybe it's understandable that despite waking up Friday morning with the Giants and Rockies atop the wild-card standings in the National League, the 'Nation as a whole, and especially the parts to the right side of the Rocky Mountains, remains skeptical that the West will produce two playoff teams.

Then again, when you've got the two best pitchers in the National League through the first half of the season, maybe optimism is lurking like the fog rolling in off the Bay.

• Half of the country -- the half not in the middle -- likes Dodgers for World Series.
• And while far from unanimous, most think the Dodgers can count on Manny.
• More midseason reviews: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL Central | NL East
• Groups: Dodgers Fan Club | Padres | Brandon Webb Fans

“

[Mark Reynolds]? you wanna lead? catch the ball when it is thrown to you..on the fly...by an infielder....and hits you in the chest (or more exact - the glove). you wanna lead? dont strikeout a zillion times. sure you hit some bombs but id rather have you with 10-12 hrs and getting hits with runners in scoring position more rather than waving at the ball as it goes by. you wanna lead? try not being a dolt on the basepaths....10 year olds run the bases better than you most times.

” -- droppin bombs

“

For all you rockies fan and people that have jumped on thier bandwagon I would remind you all your still in 3rd place. Doesnt matter how good the rockies are if they can't beat the dodgers they are not going anywhere. So just settle down there kiddies!

” -- michaeldavies0

“

What I do like is the fact that Manny and Juan are platooning in left field, now that makes sense to keep both of them happy while playing, hitting & contributing to another divisional title, this year with consistent hitting and good pitching the Dodgers might make it to the World Series.... time will tell... Thinking positive without a cocky attitude will afford many wins and good karma.

” -- tmohr48

“

Earlier in the year, I thought I recall reading that the plan with Evereth [Cabrera] was to have him come up and get some experience, protect him , then have him go to A or AA next year. Is there any remote chance that this guy will ever see another day in the minor leagues anytime soon? He is one reason to have hope for the near future. If we can get some value for Peavy, Kouz, et al, we should be in decent shape within 2 or 3 years...

” -- claykirby1969

“

Tim Lincecum is the best pitcher on the face of the Earth

” -- vikg43

• Vote on the biggest snub and other All-Star topics of the hot variety

When it comes to All-Star selections, Keith Law thinks fans failed like a 24-year-old in Rookie Ball with poor plate discipline (too early on a Monday for sabermetric humor?). Then again, SportsNation's occasionally cantankerous guru thinks managers and players didn't fare much better in picking the reserves and pitchers. But until Law is established as baseball's supreme overlord, we're stuck with the current system.

There are 23 first-time All-Stars this year, including Yadier Molina, the first of the Molina brothers to make an appearance (leaving them just 18 Grand Slam titles and two Super Bowl titles shy of the Williams sisters and Manning brothers). The rookies also run the gamut, from 42-year-old Tim Wakefield to 21-year-old Justin Upton, who was born the year before Wakefield was drafted by the Pirates.

And if that doesn't make you feel old, consider that Tim Wakefield debuted for the Pirates in 1992 on a team that also included pitcher Dennis Lamp, who was born six years before Kevin Bacon.

• SportsNation can't pick if it should be allowed to pick the All-Star starters
• No surprise that AL is the overwhelming early All-Star Game favorite

“

pedroia is a great player but based on how he has played this season, he doesn't deserve to start in the all-star game. aaron hill should be starting and kinsler should be the reserve. josh hamilton shouldn't be up there either. adam lind has played phenomenal this season and should at least be a reserve in the outfield. i also think that jered weaver should be there over wakefield. i mean wake is up there in wins, but only because he the sox give him great run support. just look at his numbers, he's pitched mediocre this season.

” -- bkzwhitestrican

“

It's an All-Star game, not a best first half stats game. The fans want to see Jeter becase he's the most famous shortstop and a sure Hall of Famer. Fine. They want to see Pedroia because he's the MVP, you silly people. What's wrong with that? They voted for Hamilton because he was THE story of last year's game. Makes sense. The game is for the fans, and they want to see who they want to see. You Fantasy guys just go play your imaginary All-Star game with your make-believe players...

” -- Captaincompliance

We get that it's nice for fans of the Nationals and Pirates to see their team's jersey at the All-Star Game. But instead of actually using a roster spot on someone from one of those teams, even with the addition of yet another roster spot, we have a simple suggestion

Let fans vote to see which actual All Star who would otherwise have been snubbed should wear that team's jersey during the game. Everyone wins. The best players make the game, and for at least one night every year, Pirates fans get to see what it's like to cheer for a real star in the second half of the season.

Not buying it? We're just ahead of our time. In the meantime, Freddy Sanchez or Zach Duke will probably represent the Pirates in St. Louis, but we're asking you to size up which players most deserve to start.

• Vote for your American League team | Vote for your National League team
• SportsNation claims it values first-half performance over star power

“

Are they going to expand the mascot and bat-boy/girl rosters, too? What about the All-Star Grounds Crew roster? hahaa...this is pointless.

” -- an225

“

the flip side of this is a 9 inning affair where half the players don't get into the game. what does that do for the sport?

” -- lpstudio2

• How would you rank 10 of baseball's all-time best bullpen arms?

By the time Semisonic's "Closing Time" came out in 1998, Mariano Rivera already had a full season as a dominant closer under his belt. More than a decade later, he's still on top of the game. Semisonic, not so much.

As much fun as it is to poke Yankees fans with memories of Dave Roberts and Luis Gonzalez, any fan who ever felt the crushing blow to the solar plexus that came out of nowhere any time Heathcliff Slocumb or Curt Leskanic trotted in for a save opportunity can appreciate Rivera as a ninth-inning institution.

A week ago, SportsNation ranked Joe Torre as its top all-time manager, and it's probably safe to assume he'd stick with Rivera regardless. But who would you hand the ball to in the ninth inning if you had a full Baseball Encyclopedia's worth of options?

• SportsNation's take: Rivera is great, but Jeter is still more of a Cooperstown lock.
• Then again, forget the Hall of Fame; Rivera gets the ultimate respect in the form of props from a Red Sox fan on a SportsNation blog.
• Monday's chat: See what Buster Olney has to say at 1 p.m. ET.

“

Congrats Mo on 500 saves. No doubt Hoffman, Eck, Goose, and a few others are in the elite closer group, but Mo's post season numbers (34 saves 0.75 ERA in 110+ post season games) are so off the chart he has to be considered the greatest closer of all time.

” -- RIPredskins21

“

If you didn't take a little pleasure in watching Mo bat against K-Rod, you're not a baseball fan. I was laughing so hard I almost wet myself when he took that big cut. All kidding aside, it was a pretty good at-bat - and a classic moment from two of the best relievers I've ever seen.

” -- berberage