How Manny to the Dodgers affects the Phillies

Manny Ramirez has been traded and it could negatively affect the Phillies in their stretch run. After all the rumors that Manny was going to be traded to their NL East rival the Florida Marlins, instead he was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Unfortunately for the Phillies, they will play the Dodgers 8 times in August, meaning Manny can have a significant role as the Phillies chase the playoffs. You can believe that Manny will be on a mission to prove the Red Sox were foolish to trade him.

Here are the details of the trade:
Dodgers get: Manny Ramirez
Red Sox get: Jason Bay
Pirates get: Craig Hansen, Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris and Brandon Moss

Eagles trade out of first round

Apparently Andy Reid didn't like anything that was available. The Eagles traded out of the 19th pick in the first round, giving it to the Carolina Panthers who used it to select offensive tackle Jeff Otah, a player that was rumored to be on the Eagles wish list. Here is the complete breakdown of the trade:

Eagles get:
Panthers 2nd round pick
Panthers 4th round pick
Panthers 2009 1st round pick

Panthers get:
Eagles 1st round pick (Jeff Otah)

This is a great deal, getting another first round pick for next years draft. The Panthers don't figure to be a great team this year, so it could be a top ten pick. The Eagles also have further loaded up with picks in this years draft (they have 12 total picks) which gives them plenty of room to maneuver should they choose to do so later.

The Sixers almost got Tracy McGrady..... in 1999

Billy King's legacy in Philly would have been very different if he didn't chicken out of a deal back in 1999. King, an analyst for ESPN, said on the air that he had a deal in place with Toronto that would have sent the Raptors Larry Hughes, and the Sixers would have received Tracy McGrady and a first round pick. King said that after Stephen A. Smith broke the news, he got cold feet and backed out of the trade.

Just another reason to hate Billy King, and Stephen A. Smith for that matter. To have such a sweet deal in place, where the Sixers not only get future superstar Tracy McGrady, but they also get a first round pick!? Granted hindsight is 50/50, and, at the time, Hughes was actually the better player, but McGrady always had the higher upside. This would have been an absolute steal, and we might have seen that 2001 Sixers team actually win two or three games in the Finals. Knowing Billy King, though, he would have traded McGrady in the deal to get Toni Kukoc instead of Hughes.

By the way, the irony of Billy King being an analyst on ESPN should not be lost on anyone.