Detroit Tigers links: Tigers open for business as trade deadline looms

The great trade deadline storm of 2015 has made landfall, and the next two days are forecast for pure chaos. In this heightened environment, the colors are richer, the fear and loathing, the hopes and deep-seated paranoia stoked to a fever pitch. Was your favorite player spotted weeping in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven after last night's game? Did a local mailman post cryptic hints on twitter about a certain player's medical documents he may have delivered to another team's front offices? Far from the bright lights, was a certain elite pitching prospect spotted buying a Tigers' hat at a local sporting goods store? All these perhaps commonplace events are now infused with deep meaning and causal chains of repercussion.

Fortunately, Bless You Boys and SB Nation proper have you covered with all the reports, speculations, rumors, comment threads and analysis needed to keep you from breaking down into a catatonic state by Friday afternoon. I invite you all to check your twitter notifications before we continue...we're in bat country now people, and things are bound to get weird and weirder...

The Detroit Tigers made perhaps the biggest splash of the day as ownership and team President and general manager, Dave Dombrowski finally decided to cannonball into the midst of the pool party. The Tigers made known that David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and all players not under contract for 2016 were available. A disastrous July finally convinced the front office that the 2015 season could no longer be the priority. Instead, the Tigers will look to add pieces that will bring them back into contention in 2016.

Rumors of of a deal involving the Milwaukee Brewers' star Carlos Gomez for the New York Mets' pitcher Zach Wheeler were hot last night. This led to the bizarre scene of young Mets' shortstop Wilmer Flores receiving a standing ovation as word of the deal, and Flores' inclusion in it, became public, but then Flores was sent back out to man his position, while visibly in tears over the move. And then the deal itself unraveled over health concerns. And while Wheeler is recuperating from UCL surgery, it wasn't his health that was at issue. Mark Sandritter of SB Nation has the full story of a deal that went up in smoke while the players involved reacted as though it was already done. With a highly competitive social media landscape in which news is now reported before ink hits paper, players have to be as wary as the fans. Also a pretty sobering reminder of the reality of the trade season as a good many players and their families are about to be suddenly relocated by forces beyond their control.

Dombrowski under pressure to get reboot right - The Detroit News, Bob Wojonowski
Wojo takes a look at the heat on Dave Dombrowski with the Tigers late entry into the seller's market.

Rangers close to acquiring Cole Hamels from Phillies, per reports - SB Nation, Catherine Slonksnis
One of the biggest prizes on the trade market, Cole Hamels of the Phillies, appears very close to becoming a Texas Ranger, per multiple reports.

Padres are shopping their pitching staff - Gaslamp Ball
Cole Hamels going to the Rangers makes David Price the last ace available and may turn out a shrewd bit of business on Dave Dombrowski's part. Teams like the Braves, Marlins, and more quietly, the Padres, do have a lot of solid starting pitchers available. SB Nation's San Diego Padres site takes a look at how drastic a sell-off the team is looking for, as rookie general manager A.J. Preller looks to turn a rough first year into a viable future.

Braves, Dodgers and Marlins working on Mat Latos trade - MLB Daily Dish, Chris Cotillo
The intrepid, and no doubt somewhat fried, Chris Cotillo examines this potential triangle deal, which continues to mutate with a storm of ancillary rumors around it.

The Moore the Merrier: Dayton Lands Ben Zobrist, the Perfect Piece for the World Series–Hopeful Royals - Grantland, Rany Jazayerli
The Royals have made it clear that this is their year. With many talented young players due to get much more expensive over the next few years, the Kansas City Royals have gone all-in with the acquisitions of Johnny Cueto, and now the greatest utility man in the game today, Ben Zobrist.

Deadline Time: The View from the Clubhouse - Fox Sports, C.J. Nitkowski
The former MLB pitcher exposes the stress of the trade deadline from the players' side.

Can the Blue Jays win with what they've got? - Fox Sports, Dave Cameron
The Blue Jays' evil plan to assemble the most devastating offense since the Death Star was fully operational is well under way. But they've done nothing to address their moribund starting rotation. Will that weakness destroy their chances to contend this year? Either way, Troy Tulowitski made his presence felt on Wednesday.

Finally...let's not forget that the trade deadline is about the future. When the dust settles, there will still be two months of baseball left to enjoy. While the season hasn't panned out the way we all hoped, I leave you Justin Verlander's 10-strikeout performance yesterday. The Tigers have Dave Dombrowski on the case, a core of enormous talent, and a certain autumnal god who appears to be hitting his stride. Lift up your hearts Tigers fans.