When August 31 feels like July 31 ...
Wow, what a crazy day. The Angels acquired Justin Upton and Brandon Phillips to boost their offense, the Rangers acquired Miguel Gonzalez and the Cubs picked up Leonys Martin, but the blockbuster was the deal that didn't happen ... and then did!
Initial reports late in the evening were that the Detroit Tigers had agreed to trade Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros, only to have Verlander veto the trade. Then follow-up reports said it wasn't clear whether the deal had simply fallen apart or whether Verlander had nixed it, per his rights as a 10-and-5 guy (10 years in the majors, the last five with the same team).