Bravo! Now Show's Over.

Greensboro, NC -- The trading season "madness" has reached its apex this week with the trading deadline set to expire at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, the 31st. For the past couple of weeks, teams have been gaging whether they're "buyers" or "sellers." While my favorite team, the Braves, have trotted along at 0.500 for the first couple of months this season and now they're 49-56 following tonight's game, they should be considered "sellers." However, Manager Bobby Cox, nearing the end of his coaching career, has alternative motives; he believes that the Braves should be buyers. And apparently, GM Frank Wren (former O's GM (1999)) is listening. A purported trade of 4 prospects would have been sent to the Pirates for OF Jason Bay.

Look, there is a copious amount of teams lined up for the Wild Card. Further, if the injuries to ace pitcher Tim Hudson, All-Star catcher Brian McCann, and All-Star 3B Chipper Jones this weekend aren't enough, how do you "mash" your way to the playoffs when the starting pitching is so thin?

Wren should do the following:

• Package Texeira in a deal that yields 3 prospects with 1 being a star, a la the C.C. Sabathia deal. Texeira will sign with the Orioles this offseason, so obtain some developed talent over the 2 compensatory draft picks.
• Trade lefty reliever Will Ohman for a young outfielder.
• With Hampton coming off the books this offseason, sign a outfielder to replace Texeira's production. Manny? Nahhhh. Dunn? Too many K's. Trade for Holliday? A possibility. Revisit the Bay talks? An outfield comprised of Matt Diaz, Mark Kotsay, and Frenchy just isn't very productive.

It's not the Braves' year, again. It's time to re-tool for next year, quite possibly Cox's last.