Sometimes money can buy you happiness. For instance, I’m sure the Cubs would be happy to be rid of Alfonso Soriano and the remainder of the eight-year, $136 million contract he signed after the 2006 season. According to a recent report from Bruce Levine at ESPN Chicago, they might be aiming for just that. Levine’s source says that the Cubs “would be willing to absorb a high percentage” of the roughly $60 million remaining on his contract, which runs through 2014. That will certainly make him more palatable to other teams, but I still wonder if he’s worth a trade even at a steep discount.

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Blue Jays 7, Mariners 5

Moving the Needle: Rajai Davis breaks the tie with a two-RBI double in the eighth, +.342 WPA. Up 2-1 in the seventh, the Jays tacked on another three to take a 5-1 lead, which, against the Mariners, is as close to a lock as it gets. But they pulled off the comeback in the eighth when two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Miguel Olivo. On a 1-0 pitch he whaled one over the wall in center, tying the game in one swing. It wouldn’t last long, though. In the next half inning Davis smacked a triple into the gap, bringing home both base runners and giving the Blue Jays a 7-5 lead.

Notables

Mike McCoy: 2 for 2, 2 2B. I’m sorry, but there’s really nothing substantial to say about McCoy. Good game, though.

Jose Bautista: 1 for 3, 1 2B, 1 BB. The walk was intentional. He also picked up an RBI on a sac fly.

Also in this issue: Angels 1, Rangers 0 | Diamondbacks 4, Brewers 0 | Tigers 6, Twins 2 | Braves 9, Rockies 6 | Rays 2, Yankees 1 | Padres 5, Marlins 3 | Cardinals 6, Mets 2

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Mets 6, Cardinals 5

Moving the Needle: Angel Pagan walks off with a homer, +.430 WPA. It was a hard-fought battle for the Mets, who found themselves down 4-0 after two and a half. They halved that lead in the bottom half, though, and then tied the score with a two-run shot in the fifth. They then traded runs with the Cards in the eighth, which ultimately sent the game to extras. With one out in the 10th, Angel Pagan lifted the first pitch he saw deep into the right field seats for the game-winning run.

Notables

Carlos Beltran: 1 for 4, 1 HR, 1 BB. Pumping up that trade value again, I see. His two-run shot tied the game in the fifth.

Matt Holliday: 3 for 4, 1 2B. He drove in two and scored two

Also in this issue: Angels 9, Rangers 8 | Brewers 5, Diamondbacks 4 | Red Sox 4, Orioles 0 | Phillies 9, Cubs 1 | A’s 7, Tigers 5 | Rockies 3, Braves 2 | Royals 2, White Sox 1 | Padres 14, Marlins 3 | Twins 7, Indians 5 | Astros 3, Nationals 2 | Yankees 4, Rays 0 | Blue Jays 11, Mariners 6 | Reds 3, Pirates 1 | Dodgers 1, Giants 0

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While some teams are still determining whether they will buy or sell at the deadline, for a few teams the answer is painfully obvious. The San Diego Padres are 14.5 games back in the NL West and 15 games back of the Wild Card, placing them firmly in the sellers column. They’re fielding plenty of phone calls now, mostly regarding their highly regarded relievers, Heath Bell and Mike Adams. But the Padres have some other chips that could potentially help a contender. Outfielder Ryan Ludwick is one of them, but they might be able to get a bit more if they were to shop around their third baseman, Chase Headley.

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Twins 2, Indians 1

Moving the Needle: Danny Valencia brings home the winning runs, +.464 WPA. The Twins had put just five runners on base in the first eight innings, and found themselves down 1-0 as they took their last chance. Chris Perez got a quick out to start the inning, but then he walked Joe Mauer. Michael Cuddyer doubled, leading the Indians to intentionally walk Jim Thome. Valencia then laced one to left, deep enough to score both Mauer and Cuddyer and win the game. Chris Perez was seen in the dugout throwing everything in sight.

Notables

Justin Masterson: 7.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K. Apparently he threw a lot of fastballs.

Francisco Liriano: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 5 K. This is looking an awful lot like his 2008 season. An awful lot.

Also in this issue: Rangers 7, Angels 0 | Brewers 11, Diamondbacks 3 | Orioles 6, Red Sox 2 | Phillies 4, Cubs 2 | Tigers 8, A’s 3 | Rockies 12, Braves 3 | Royals 4, White Sox 2 | Padres 4, Marlins 0 | Astros 7, Nationals 6 | Rays 3, Yankees 2 | Mets 4, Cardinals 2 | Blue Jays 6, Mariners 5 | Pirates 1, Reds 0 | Giants 5, Dodgers 3

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The Texas Rangers have been the talk of the league lately. Just a few weeks ago they were tied atop the AL West, a division that featured no clear frontrunner. The Angels and Mariners stayed close enough to create some intrigue, but it didn’t last long. In a run that started on Independence Day, the Rangers have taken 11 straight and have eliminated at least one division contender, the Mariners, by beating them four times. They now have a four-game cushion. It could have been more, too, had the Angels not put together a modest run of their own.

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Yankees 5, Rays 4

Moving the Needle: Russell Martin draws a walk to bring in the go-ahead run, +.324 WPA. A.J. Burnett had nothing, and it appeared that the Rays would get to him. But after scoring four in the first two innings they failed to score the rest of the way, giving the Yankees a chance to come back, which they did in the eighth and ninth. In the eighth they rallied to load the bases and brought home two runs to tie, and in the ninth they again loaded the bases. It started with an intentional walk to Nick Swisher, but that led to earned walks by Andruw Jones and Martin to give the Yanks a lead. Mariano Rivera finished off the Rays in the ninth and gave the Yanks the victory.

Notables

Evan Longoria: 1 for 3, 1 2B, 2 BB. He drove in two in the first.

Curtis Granderson: 2 for 3, 2 BB, 2 SB. Even when he’s not homering he’s getting things done.

Also in this issue: Red Sox 15, Orioles 10 | Diamondbacks 3, Braves 0 | White Sox 5, Royals 2 | Cubs 6, Phillies 1 | Indians 5, Twins 2 | Indians 6, Twins 3 | Braves 7, Rockies 3 | Nationals 6, Astros 2 | Marlins 4, Mets 1 | Pirates 2, Reds 0 | Giants 5, Dodgers 0

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There’s an adage regarding the trade deadline I heard recently, but can’t remember the source. The idea, essentially, is that if you require additional players in order to contend, you shouldn’t play the role of buyer. The trade deadline is a time for contenders to shore up their rosters for the final third of the season, not for pretenders to sell the farm for a prayer. This year the Pirates might have reason to eschew that logic. They’re playing better than their talent indicates — about seven wins better, according to Baseball Prospectus’s third-order wins — and could come crashing down at any time. But they’re currently just a half game back of first, and without a standout team in the NL Central they could stay in the race with the right upgrades. A rental, however, might not be the way to go.

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Braves 9, Nationals 8

Moving the Needle: Freddie Freeman walks off with a single, +.391 WPA. After ending the third inning at a 2-2 tie, the Braves and Nats played a hectic middle third. In the fourth the Nats scored four to take a 6-2 lead, but then in the fifth the Braves put up a five-spot to take the lead. The Nats jumped right back in the top of the sixth when Danny Espinosa knocked a two-run blast, putting them up 8-7. In the eighth Nate McLouth homered to tie it, and in the ninth the Braves rallied for the win. The decisive hit came off the bat of Freeman, whose single wrapped up a hectic victory.

Notables

Brian McCann: 1 for 4, 1 HR, 1 BB. The question of the AL’s best catcher might be up for debate, but the best catcher in the majors? Right here.

Danny Espinosa: 3 for 5, 1 3B, 1 HR. He drove in three runs. Of his 84 hits this year, 37 have gone for extra bases.

Also in this issue: Orioles 8, Indians 3 | Diamondbacks 4, Dodgers 1 | Tigers 4, White Sox 3 | Twins 4, Royals 3 | Marlins 7, Cubs 5 | A’s 9, Angels 1 | Reds 3, Cardinals 1 | Rangers 3, Mariners 1 | Brewers 4, Rockies 3 | Red Sox 1, Rays 0 | Pirates 7, Astros 5 | Yankees 7, Blue Jays 2 | Phillies 8, Mets 5 | Giants 4, Padres 3

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While the Tigers and the Indians sit atop the division, the AL Central is still a relatively open race. The White Sox and the Twins might sit 5 and 6.5 games out, respectively, but the failure of both the leaders to establish dominance has left questions open. All four of these teams have flaws that could certainly haunt them in the second half. That should open up opportunities for the two trailers to make up ground. The White Sox probably stand the best chance due to their strong pitching staff, which ranks fourth in the league with 14.6 WAR. They’ll need some help on the other side of the ball, though, if they want to seriously turn things around.

I’ve written previously about the team’s folly of using Juan Pierre at the top of the lineup, and at all. Yet he’s not the only one dragging down the offense. In fact, the entire White Sox outfield has accumulated just 1.8 WAR this season, and that includes Carlos Quentin’s 2.4 WAR. While Pierre ranks the lowest at -0.7, the man standing to his left isn’t far behind. Alex Rios has produced -0.6 WAR this season. If this were just a half-season of futility the Sox might have hope for the future. But this is something that has been going on for about a year now.

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