August 1st update

Yo Adrian, I did it!!!

• It was a pretty good weekend to be a Philadelphia Sports fan. Over the weekend, the Phillies picked up the best hitter on the market, outfielder Hunter Pence. Pence will immediately make an offense that had underperformed a bit this season much better. This comes as the latest of a string of trades and Free Agent signings over the past 2 years that include pitchers Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt.
• Then we get to the Philadelphia Eagles. Where to start? Well they signed last week's Sportico spotlight player, Nnamdi Asomogha which came as a shock to some because they'd already traded for Arizona Cardinals Domnique Rodgers-Cromartie and had superstar Asante Samuel at the same position. They also signed monster DT Cullen Jenkins who was last seen stuffing opposing runners for the world-champion Packers. They picked up Jason Babin, a player who used to play for them, went to Tennessee and had more sacks than almost anyone in the NFL. They also signed the second best rushing QB in the NFL, Vince Young. But before you mock them for getting the #2 guy, it merits mentioning that he will be backing up the #1 guy on that list, recent PETA enthusiast Michael Vick.


Wild Couple of Days in the NFL

• Between Wednesday morning (when the lockout ended) and Saturday afternoon the NFL processed over 600 transactions. We will not bore you with the details of all of them, but here are the highlights of players who have changed teams. If you're from the Always Sunny city of Philadelphia then take a hike... we've already covered your shopping spree.
• Reggie Bush is taking his talents to South Beach as the elusive RB left the Saints for the Dolphins. Former star WR and recently released felon Plaxico Burress was the first major free agent to sign with the New York Jets. One of the best tacklers in the game, inside LB Stephen Tulloch left the Tennessee Titans for the Detroit Lions. Don't look now but the Lions are much improved on paper this offseason, especially on run defense.
• The Atlanta Falcons signed possibly the best DE on the market in Ray Edwards and the Baltimore Ravens picked up arguably the best FB in the game, Vonta Leach. This may be one of the sneaky best deals of the offseason. Leach is one of the only players in the NFL who is big, a hard hitter and also fast enough to block in front of a quick RB. He blocked for NFL Rushing leader Arian Foster in Houston last year and his movement should signal bigger numbers for Ravens RB Ray Rice and a decrease in productivity for Foster.
• A few big names remain without a jersey to wear. All-pro tight end Zach Miller has made moves to leave Oakland, and Aubrayo Franklin, the best defensive tackle on the market seems ready to leave San Francisco.


MLB Trade Deadline Passes with Flurry

• Major League Baseball’s trade deadline passed at 4PM on Sunday with a number of big moves being made in addition to Hunter Pence and the Phillies. The action started early in the week when the San Francisco Giants dealt for former Mets OF Carlos Beltran, a much needed hitting boost for the defending World Champions.
• On Wednesday, the St Louis Cardinals sent starting outfielder Colby Rasmus to the Blue Jays for pitcher Edwin Jackson. The Cardinals were not done, they later sent a top minor league player to the LA Dodgers for shortstop Rafael Furcal in an effort to bolster their defense.
• The next two biggest movers were the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers: Atlanta picked up speed demon and leadoff hitter Michael Bourn from the Houston Astros for a large package of yawn-inducing prospects in a move widely praised by experts because Atlanta did not have to give up any of their elite young players to get Bourn, a proven talent. Texas was able to bolster the weakness of their team, the bullpen (or relief pitchers). They received Koji Uehara, a hard throwing right hander, from the Baltimore Orioles and Mike Adams, one of the best relievers in baseball, from the San Diego Padres.
• And last but not least, the Cleveland Indians made a couple of high risk moves that could pay off big, picking up SP Ubaldo Jimenez who has struggled this year but was phenomenal last year and is still very young, as well as former Cubs OF Kosuke Fukudome.