Trades!

Well, it's July. And with the trading deadline less than a month away, we're about to see a flurry of moves from clubs looking to a) improve their playoff chances, b) shed unnecessary roster pieces, or c) stock up with prospects for the future.

The first of these moves came yesterday, as the SF Giants shipped lumbering catcher Bengie Molina to the TEX Rangers. There have of course been some lower profile moves earlier in the season, but yesterday's trade involved the teams with the best chance of making the playoffs and the player(s) with the most chance of playing a significant role. Here's the story behind the move.

The Rangers were supposed to be set behind the plate, but when backstops Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Taylor Teagarden were both sent down to Triple-A, the Rangers were forced to name perennial backup Matt Treanor their starting catcher. Aside from fulfilling the American Dream of being married to an Olympic Women's Beach Volleyball Champion, Treanor doesn't have a very impressive resume.

After Bengie Molina's contract with the Giants expired last winter, he spent most of the off-season looking for a job. Some thought he would be a perfect fit on the Mets, until they ended up signing Rod Barajas. Suffice it to say, nobody foresaw him returning to the Giants on a one-year $4.5 million contract; not with top catching prospect Buster Posey on the fast track to the majors.

But return he did, and play poorly he also did: in his 61 games behind the plate for the Giants, he was worth roughly half a win less than an average replacement catcher. Nevertheless, the Rangers must have been attracted to his "veteran presence." Not that they gave up much to get him - Chris Ray has been a decent reliever on a team full of better ones, and Michael Main is an unheralded starting pitching prospect who hasn't pitched above Class-A.

Will Molina's bat heat up in pitcher-friendly Arlington? Or will the switch to the American League negate any potential upturn? Will the slowest baserunner in the game gum up the works behind speedsters Elvis Andrus and Julio Borbon? Or will he fall into line with former Angels teammate Vladimir Guerrero and have a similar career resurgence in Texas? Only time will tell!