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ESPN's Buster Olney talks waivers in his latest blog post, and I can't help but join in.

• The Twins are currently seven games out in the AL Central.  If they slip further from contention, Olney wonders what will happen if they place outfielder/designated hitter Jason Kubel on waivers later this month.  He projects currently as a Type B free agent.  I wonder if the draft pick alone would compel a non-contending AL team to make a claim, with less than a million bucks remaining on his contract after August.
• Olney sees such a scenario as possible for Rays reliever Kyle Farnsworth, who profiles as a Type A.  He could see the Blue Jays jumping in for the draft picks, though I imagine the Rays would keep him for the same reason.
• Would Reds catcher Ramon Hernandez or Padres closer Heath Bell make it to an NL contender?  Or would Type A status again factor in?  Olney sees the A's pulling back Josh Willingham rather than dumping his contract, probably because he's a Type A currently.  I wonder if Willingham would accept an arbitration offer though. 
• Cubs first baseman Carlos Pena is a good candidate to be moved as a salary dump, with half of his $10MM due in January.
• Astros lefty Wandy Rodriguez is expected to clear waivers, with over $38MM left on his deal through 2014.  Just to play devil's advocate: Wandy is a bargain this year with just $2.27MM remaining, so it's possible one contender could decide they can stomach three years and $36MM from 2012-14, and make a claim.
• Guys like Carlos Quentin and Jeremy Guthrie would be claimed, but dealing them in the offseason probably makes more sense.

Last August, players such as Jim Edmonds, Mike Fontenot, Derrek Lee, Brian Fuentes, Manny Delcarmen, and Jeff Francoeur were traded, while Cody Ross, Rod Barajas, and Manny Ramirez were claimed off waivers.  The previous year Carl Pavano, Aubrey Huff, Ivan Rodriguez, Billy Wagner, Jon Rauch, Scott Kazmir, Jose Contreras, Jon Garland, and Jim Thome were dealt, and Alex Rios was claimed off waivers.  So while nothing compares to July, we'll still see some veterans change teams this month (though the White Sox should probably cool it on the waiver claims).  Nearly everyone will be placed on waivers, but here's my speculation on some who could be dealt or claimed this month, or who might clear waivers at least.

• Rays: Johnny Damon, Kelly Shoppach, Kyle Farnsworth
• Blue Jays: Aaron Hill, Mark Teahen, Frank Francisco, Rajai Davis, Trever Miller, John McDonald, Jose Molina, Brian Tallet
• Orioles: Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Gonzalez, Kevin Gregg, Cesar Izturis, Mark Hendrickson
• White Sox: Jake Peavy, Alex Rios, Adam Dunn, Juan Pierre, Omar Vizquel, Will Ohman, Ramon Castro
• Twins: Joe Nathan, Carl Pavano, Matt Capps, Jason Kubel, Jim Thome, Kevin Slowey
• Royals: Kyle Davies, Bruce Chen, Jeff Francis, Matt Treanor
• Athletics: David DeJesus, Josh Willingham, Coco Crisp, Brian Fuentes, Hideki Matsui, Conor Jackson, Rich Harden
• Mariners: Chone Figgins, Jack Wilson, Chris Ray, Jamey Wright, Adam Kennedy
• Mets: Jason Bay, Ryota Igarashi, D.J. Carrasco, Scott Hairston, Tim Byrdak, Willie Harris, Jason Isringhausen 
• Marlins: Mike Cameron, Javier Vazquez, Omar Infante, Wes Helms, Greg Dobbs, DeWayne Wise
• Nationals: Ivan Rodriguez, Jonny Gomes, Rick Ankiel, Todd Coffey, Livan Hernandez, Chien-Ming Wang, Laynce Nix
• Reds: Francisco Cordero, Ramon Hernandez, Edgar Renteria, Miguel Cairo, Dontrelle Willis, Jeremy Hermida, Fred Lewis
• Cubs: Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Zambrano, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Pena, John Grabow, Rodrigo Lopez, Reed Johnson, Koyie Hill
• Astros: Carlos Lee, Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers, Jason Michaels
• Rockies: Aaron Cook, Huston Street, Mark Ellis, Rafael Betancourt, Ty Wigginton, Ian Stewart, Ryan Spilborghs, Jason Giambi
• Dodgers: Hiroki Kuroda, Ted Lilly, Jonathan Broxton, Casey Blake, Juan Rivera, Juan Uribe, James Loney, Rod Barajas, Matt Guerrier, Jamey Carroll, Dioner Navarro, Mike MacDougal, Aaron Miles
• Padres: Heath Bell, Aaron Harang, Chad Qualls

I left off a few players who would easily clear waivers but I can't fathom being dealt, such as the Mets' Johan Santana.  Contenders also have movable parts such as Austin Kearns, Pat Burrell, Mark DeRosa, Xavier Nady, Arthur Rhodes, and Matt Diaz.

Here are the trades that went down in the NL West in July..

Diamondbacks

• Acquired right-handed sidearmer Brad Ziegler from the Athletics for first baseman Brandon Allen and reliever Jordan Norberto.
• Acquired right-hander Jason Marquis from the Nationals for shortstop prospect Zach Walters.
• Acquired Ryan Langerhans from the Mariners for cash considerations.

Dodgers

• Acquired catcher Tim Federowicz, reliever Juan Rodriguez, and starter Stephen Fife from the Red Sox in a three-team deal that also involved the Mariners.  The Dodgers sent outfielder Trayvon Robinson to the M's.  Seattle also received outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang from the BoSox while Boston received starter Erik Bedard and reliever Josh Fields from Seattle.
• Received outfielder Alex Castellanos and roughly $2.5MM from the Cardinals for Rafael Furcal.
• Acquired outfielder Juan Rivera from the Blue Jays for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Giants

• Acquired Orlando Cabrera from Cleveland in exchange for outfield prospect Thomas Neal.
• Acquired right fielder Carlos Beltran and cash considerations from the Mets for pitching prospect Zack Wheeler. 
• Acquired Jeff Keppinger from the Astros for right-handed pitchers Henry Sosa and Jason Stoffel.

Padres

• Will receive a player to be named later from the Pirates in exchange for right fielder Ryan Ludwick.
• Acquired pitching prospects Joe Wieland and Robbie Erlin from the Rangers for reliever Mike Adams.

Rockies

• Acquired Joe Gardner, Alex White, Matt McBride and a player to be named later from the Rockies for Ubaldo Jimenez.  The deal is expected to include left-hander Drew Pomeranz once he's eligible to be traded in mid-August.

In conjunction with the popular Twitter feed @closernews, CloserNews.com had its firm launch in July, which proved to be both an exciting and extremely busy time. Because of the wealth of high-profile relievers who were candidates to be dealt before today's 3 pm CT non-waiver trade deadline, there was no shortage of material to cover, regardless of which deals ultimately came to fruition. Chasing saves, after all, sometimes demands hitting the waiver wire in anticipation of a bullpen shakeup, so it can be a chess match of considering all the speculative moves in advance.

Here's a look back at the month that was at CloserNews.com — the deals that were done, some that weren't, and the closer-related fantasy fallout.

• The Brewers acquired Francisco Rodriguez from the Mets. K-Rod waived his option, seemingly clearing the path for him to steal some save opps from John Axford, but it hasn't played out that way.
• Many expected Bobby Parnell to close for the Mets in K-Rod's stead, but the job ultimately went to Jason Isringhausen, whom the Mets said early they wouldn't trade.
• The Cardinals acquired Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel, and moved starter Kyle McClellan to the bullpen, setting up a potential closer-by-committee.
• The Rangers pulled off two notable acquisitions. First, they dealt for Koji Uehara of the Orioles, then they added Mike Adams of the Padres. It looks like both right-handers will set up for closer Neftali Feliz, however.
• The Marlins were rumored to be selling closer Leo Nunez, but those talks died down, and the Fish may in fact keep Nunez into 2012. Edward Mujica would have been the handcuff, according to manager Jack McKeon.
• The Tigers acquired setup man David Pauley from the Mariners, probably diminishing his value in holds leagues.
• The Mariners considered trading closer Brandon League but ultimately decided against it.
• The Nationals were mulling a deal with the Twins involving closer Drew Storen in their pursuit of a center fielder, but it never came to fruition.
• Rays closer Kyle Farnsworth, who has reinvented himself the past couple years, was a trade candidate, but with a favorable team option in 2012, Tampa Bay kept him.

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Lost in all the excitement, opinion and analysis following today's Carlos Beltran trade is just how rare it is for a player having a season as strong as Beltran's to be dealt. Since 1980, there have been 1,371 outfielder seasons that qualified for the batting title. Ranked by OPS+, Beltran's 151 mark ranks 99th out of all of them – and second among outfielders traded mid-season.

So the Mets' trading stance – holding out for top-tier talent and eventually getting Zack Wheeler – makes a great deal of sense. But it is also worth exploring: has the acquisition of outfield offense near the caliber of Beltran been a difference-maker for teams?

The only outfielder with a higher OPS+ to be traded mid-year since 1980 was Gary Sheffield. He posted a 155 OPS+ for the Marlins and Dodgers during a 1998 season that ranks 77th among outfield offensive seasons since 1980.

The deal isn't overly illustrative of what Beltran can provide for a number of reasons. For one thing, Sheffield was traded much earlier in the season – May 14 – and to a team that wasn't looking to win that season (trading Mike Piazza in the deal is a reliable indicator of that). Sheffield went on to make the All-Star team for Los Angeles, providing 3.0 wins above replacement, even with an awful glove that made him a more one-dimensional player than Beltran. To be sure, Sheffield wasn't a candidate to play center field. But with alternatives like a young Roger Cedeno and Todd Hollandsworth, Sheffield was certainly a difference-maker for the Dodgers, even if they finished the season with a mediocre 83-79 record.

Next on the list, appearing at 133rd among offensive outfield seasons since 1980, is the trade of Rickey Henderson on July 31, 1993. The Oakland Athletics, looking to rebuild, sent the 34-year-old Henderson to Toronto for elite pitching prospect Steve Karsay and toolsy outfielder Jose Herrera. According to Baseball America, Herrera was the 97th best prospect in baseball prior to the 1994 season; Karsay ranked 12th overall.

It is no surprise that Sandy Alderson, the current Mets General Manager, wanted a similar return to the one obtained by then-Oakland GM… Sandy Alderson. Henderson, for his part, slumped badly after the trade. He'd put up a 182 OPS+ with Oakland, but that dropped to just 83 with Toronto. Still, Henderson and the Jays went on to win a World Series. It is hard not to consider Henderson a difference-maker, especially since the other Toronto left fielders were Darnell Coles, Rob Butler, Willie Canate and Turner Ward.

The only other offensive outfield season in the top 200 since 1980 from a player traded in-season came from Brian Giles, whose 145 OPS+ ranked 161 in 2003. The Giles difference-maker portion of the deal is hard to evaluate – he went from a Pirates team out of the race to a Padres team out of the race. But the return is noteworthy – a young, hard-throwing lefty named Oliver Perez, a young, power-hitting outfielder named Jason Bay, and minor leaguer Cory Stewart.

In short, it is easy to see that any contender who suggested Beltran wasn't worth much was just posturing. Outfielders who hit like Carlos Beltran simply aren't available in many midseason trades.

The main benefit of the Nationals acquiring Jonny Gomes from the Reds is a shot at a supplemental draft pick, in the opinion of ESPN's Jim Bowden.  As Ben Nicholson-Smith noted, Gomes is no lock to receive and turn down an arbitration offer.  Still, we saw plenty of apparent handshake deals where Type Bs turned down arbitration offers last offseason.  A Type B free agent has nothing to lose by agreeing to such an arrangement.

Our new Elias projections are out, so let's take a look at players who currently project as Type Bs free agents and play for teams expected to sell.

• Blue Jays:  The Jays will probably be trying to add Type Bs, but Jose Molina, Aaron Hill, Octavio Dotel, Jason Frasor, Jon Rauch, Frank Francisco, and Shawn Camp qualify.
• Orioles: Vladimir Guerrero
• Twins: Jason Kubel
• Royals: Bruce Chen
• Athletics: David DeJesus
• Mariners: None
• Mets: None
• Marlins: Omar Infante
• Nationals: Ivan Rodriguez, Jonny Gomes
• Cubs: Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood
• Astros: None
• Rockies: Mark Ellis
• Dodgers: Rod Barajas, Casey Blake, Hiroki Kuroda
• Padres: Ryan Ludwick

The most transparent instance of trading for a draft pick came last offseason, when the Jays acquired catcher Miguel Olivo from the Rockies with the intent of declining his option and offering arbitration.  The ploy worked, and Toronto drafted Dwight Smith Jr. 53rd overall in June as a direct result.  So if the Jays or some other draft pick-obsessed team makes a run at Bruce Chen this month, you'll know why.

I'm often asked in weekly chats on the site to name the best prospects who will be traded this month.  I'll toss out a few names outside of the top 20 – Jonathan Singleton, Yonder Alonso, Robbie Erlin.  But the reality is that most buyers are holding on to their top prospects tightly.  

ESPN's Buster Olney surveyed team executives, and several feel that the buyers are "exponentially more protective of their prospects."  Some teams operate in fear of even marginal prospects becoming useful big leaguers down the line.  An NL assistant GM said to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, "top prospects are totally overvalued and have never been tougher to pry away even in a perfect deal."

Still, last summer we saw Justin Smoak, Tyler Skaggs, Wilson Ramos, Brett Wallace, and Anthony Gose dealt, though those last two were for each other.  Other good young players such as James McDonald, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Yunel Escobar, Mark Melancon, and Dan Hudson were traded as well.

Weighted on-base average is a great stat to measure overall offensive production.  Using FanGraphs, my own list of trade candidates, and a 200 plate appearance minimum, here's a list of potentially available bats by wOBA:

1. Carlos Beltran – .394
2. Michael Cuddyer – .371
3. Aramis Ramirez – .370
4. Casey Kotchman – .367
5. Hunter Pence – .366
6. Mark Reynolds – .355
7. Marlon Byrd – .353
8. Michael Bourn – .352
9. Chris Iannetta – .349
10. Melky Cabrera – .349
11. Ty Wigginton – .340
12. Laynce Nix – .339
13. Carlos Pena – .339
14. Jeff Francoeur – .338
15. Denard Span – .337
16. Kosuke Fukudome – .336
17. Josh Willingham – .332
18. Colby Rasmus – .328
19. Johnny Damon – .328
20. Jonny Gomes – .328

The list looks reasonably healthy at first glance, but I was liberal with my inclusions.  Take out Cuddyer, Ramirez, and Pence for various reasons, and you realize that the trade market consists of Beltran plus a few decent hitters for whom you still might have to overpay.