*****We're hearing talk of a Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers deal. Let's wait and see.*************

No official word yet, but it looks as if the Mariners' trade of Arthur Rhodes to the Marlins will be their only deal of the day. It can take 10 or 15 minutes to get word of any last-second deals, so let's hold off on saying anything is certain. Those Raul Ibanez-to-Toronto rumors? No idea where that got started. Talked to my contacts in Toronto and they seemed mystified. It's not like the Blue Jays are actually in the wild-card race. They've taken quite a tumble the past few days.

Forget about local boy Travis Snider. The Jays are not parting with him. But they might be willing to part with pitcher Jesse Litsch, then take the draft picks when Ibanez leaves. But all that is predicated upon the Jays actually contending this year. You don't give up Litsch for two months of Ibanez and a longshot playoff bid -- draft picks or not. Unless you think those picks will pay off more than Litsch.

I don't know. I'll believe it when I see it. We'll know for certain in a few moments. Ibanez isn't going anywhere in August. He'd be claimed off waivers in a heartbeat.

Actually, this just went up, crediting Jayson Stark. Says the M's backed out of a deal for two major leaguers in exchange for Ibanez. If that's true, there might be some splainin' to do. I mean, I love Ibanez. Draft picks are nice. But David Purcey is a former No. 1 draft pick who's now pitching in the major leagues. He has control issues, but so what? You work on them. Brandon League was once touted as a closer. He's has issues with his windup and delivery -- and been messed up by coaches trying to reinvent him the past few years -- but again, so what? The native of Hawaii used to gun it up to 98 mph. Not sure where he's at now. He's obviously dropped off in stature, even when I was still in Toronto in 2006. But even if he's down to 93 mph, that's still a decent filler arm.

With draft picks, it usually takes three to five years to get to the majors. If they make it at all. I'm only going off Stark's speculation here, but if Purcey and League were the names offered back, that sounds like a decent deal. Then again, he says "something like" Purcey and League, which might be a big difference between what was actually offered.