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One thing that goes overlooked, as far as closers are concerned, is their effectiveness in staying focused when blowing a save. Often times when a reliever comes in and blows the lead for their team, they are either taken out or will proceed to lose the game. There is a BIG difference when it comes to blowing a save and blowing a game.

Throwing Edinson Volquez into the Lions Den has turned out to be a bad move.

He looked fantastic the first time out, but since then has been unrecognizable.

In only 12 innings he has given up 14 hits, 11 earned runs, ten walks and surrendered three long balls. All that pans out to an ERA of 8.25.

Apparently he has been thrown to the wolves much too early after having Tommy John surgery. He performed very well in his rehab assignments at Louisville, but his second and third starts have been horrendous.

Through the first 102 games of the 2010 season, the Mets have gone through just about everything.

They've had their surprises in R.A. Dickey and to a certain extent Angel Pagan. They've gotten a huge lift from rookie first baseman Ike Davis and rookie left-hander Jon Niese.

During the season, the Mets have had two separate eight-game winning streaks to keep them afloat when it seemed things were sinking.

According to MLB.com (click here for the article), the Padres have acquired Miguel Tejada and cash from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league pitcher Wynn Pelzer.

On Thursday afternoon at Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies picked up their first win in seven months, defeating the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates 9-3 to avoid the sweep. So it wasn't actually seven months, but for Rockies fans it felt that way.

Milwaukee Brewer Trevor Hoffman isn't available at this year's trade deadline, but that didn't stop Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein from asking after the closer he first met while working for the San Diego Padres, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

Not remotely effective this season, Hoffman owns a 6.82 ERA over 33 innings and joins a nearly all-inclusive group of relievers that the Red Sox are pursuing in the final days leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline this Saturday.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc.

For all of you who don't own a classics degree or obsessively watch The West Wing , this Latin phrase roughly translates to "after it, therefore because of it."

It means one thing follows the other, therefore it was caused by the other. It's a generality, and it's not always true, but it outlines the intricate relationship between baseball transactions.

Casualty weighs heavily on the minds of baseball general managers this time of year. 

The Toronto Blue Jays were widely expected to make a couple moves at the trade deadline this season. Several Jays vets were thought to be in play. But their first move in the last 72 hours before the deadline involved a top prospect, Brett Wallace, instead. An interesting turn of events to say the least - many expected Wallace to come up and play for the Jays at some point this season.

With the trade deadline only little more than a day away, here is Part three of where I think the Top 25 guys on the market will end up (21-25).

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The Mets seem to be shying away from the trade deadline spotlight.

For a team that seemed to be a strong contender in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes only a short while ago, their activity has significantly regressed. And now, with busy teams like the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Mets are looking even more quiet.