• Somehow, some way, Kevin Gregg is still with the Cubs. Maybe other teams realized he’s not good? Heck, saying Gregg hasn’t been good lately is a bit of an understatement. He’s posted a 5.79 ERA over the last month (13 appearances) but his 6.67 xFIP is even uglier. As 2013 has marched along his strikeout rate has tailed and his walk rate has climbed. While some speculate Gregg could be moved in August, it’s still somewhat surprising (to me at least) the Cubs didn’t get something (anything?) for him. Even with his recent regressions, his cool 3.05 ERA should have gotten some needy team to toss a C-level prospect back.

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The San Diego Padres have acquired starting pitcher Ian Kennedy from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for reliever Joe Thatcher, relief prospect Matt Stites, and a compensation pick in next year’s draft.

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Brooklyn, New York — Toss the hype aside. LJ Mazzilli has quietly, steadily put together an excellent professional debut season.

After the Mets drafted him out of UConn in the fourth round, the son of former Met Lee Mazzilli, was rushed into the spotlight of a media blitz.

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Yes, today’s officially the last day “hug watch(TM)!” Well, “hug watch” or “I’m tipping my clubhouse guys lots of money in non-descript envelopes” watch.

Whatever the case may be, it goes without saying  you’ll want to keep an eye on the trade deadline today. With three afternoon games, maybe you’ll want to get into one of the early Draftstreet pools, so you’re probably going to want to steer clear of guys like Alex Rios, Michael Young, Hunter Pence, and Michael Morse. Keep an eye on all moves for you daily lineup leagues, too. No use starting a zero while someone is packing their bags and taking a cross-country flight.

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A.J. Burnett continues to defy the odds. When the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired him from the New York Yankees, it was considered nothing more than a salary dump for the Yanks. At that point, Burnett had endured two straight seasons with a +5.00 ERA, and was entering his age-35 season. 35 season. Very little was expected of Burnett. But something clicked when Burnett arrived in Pittsburgh. At an age where most pitchers are trying to survive, Burnett has been able to thrive. But the Pirates saw promise in Burnett. By stressing his sinker, the Pirates have been able to turn his career around.

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After weeks of speculation, Jake Peavy has finally been traded. He departs the windy city for the land of clam chowder and from a team going nowhere to one right in the thick of the AL East race. Or more simply, he is is changing the color of his sox from white to red. My initial thought is that this move produces a nice boost to his fantasy value. But let’s dive into the numbers and find out if this is actually the case.

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Today’s Roto Riteup is especially designed for the trade deadline. Since nothing else trumps deadline news, here’s one angle for viewing some of the players who are most likely to be moved by the end of today.

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• “I wish they all could be California girls beards.” The Beard returns, this time to LA as Brian Wilson signed with the Dodgers today. The deal is worth $1 million with incentives. Wilson will start in the minors but should be in LA by mid-August, at which point he should be used as a righty in late innings, setting the table for Kenley Jansen. I’m not sure what to expect from Wilson but the Dodgers weren’t the only interested team, so he certainly showed something enticing during his throwing sessions. We’ll have to see how Wilson looks like before making any conclusions but Wilson certainly has a good chance of pitching in big spots in LA and should be monitored by those in hold leagues. And if it doesn’t work out, I guess Wilson just wasn’t meant for these times.

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News today is that Cody Asche is being promoted from AAA Lehigh Valley and conventional wisdom says it’s not to be a bench bat, which means Michael Young is likely to be dealt before the trading deadline. If Asche does indeed find himself the starting third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, all formats take notice.

Asche was selected in the fourth round of the 2011 draft out of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln after hitting .327/.424/.639 with 12 home runs and 27 doubles in 208 at bats. In two and a half years in the minors, he’s amassed a career .287/.343/.438 line with his best year being 2013 at AAA where he hit .295/.352/.485, totaling 15 home runs, 24 doubles, and 11 stolen bases over 404 at bats.

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After updating the DL information and looking at some pitchers returning from the DL yesterday, today I will now examine at a few other players and publish an updated PAIN and HURT leader board.

• Jason Marquis’s season has ended with him needing Tommy John surgery. He had been dealing with pain for a little while before the final snap.

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