I'm back. And I've calmed down.

All the crazy news of the day was too much for me to handle. I went to see a movie with Jess. I'm back, and now we can go over what we've learned. Let's see what we've got here...

Deal proves Padres' patience is thin. The team has looked horrible since the start of June. Our lead is thinning and even if we do get into the playoffs, our chances don't look so good against any sort of real opponent. And besides, I'd kinda like to enjoy being a Padres fan. At this point the Padres are like Carrot Top. Sure, you're famous and you've got money. You're the number one guy at what you do... But seriously, you're Carrot Top.

SI's John Donovan has this to say about our Padres:

See, it's just like I was saying.

Nevin: 'No one's talked to me yet' So I'm not really sure that this Ponson/Nevin deal is going to happen. Especially when I read stuff like this: It just seems to me that there are other factors working themselves out here. If Towers really did want to move Nevin, then obviously, he'd have to either make a move to one of the teams that Nevin doesn't have a no-trade clause with, or else he'd have set a trade up beforehand and not sprung this on Phil in the way it's been sprung. I like Towers but for all the grief I give him, I like Phil as well. I just wish they could come to an agreement like men. As it is, I get the feeling that there's just a friction between the two that's going on that can't be good for the club.

Padres acquire Randa from Reds. Two things about this. First, is the fact that Burroughs has finally been sent down. This looks like a temporary move as it seems to me that the Padres are never going to let Nady play third and Joe Randa is 35 years old. Is he really the guy that is going to add to the team's young nucleus? Even if Burroughs were to spend the season at AAA, he's still a fairly young guy. Burroughs is what... 24? 25? He's still got time.

The second thing that I find interesting about this trade is that the Padres are trading a couple of (what I had thought) were their more promising young arms. What this is telling me that the Padres are very high on guys like the Cesars making an impact soon. Time will tell.

Richard comments on the upgrade at third base with Randa at the position. Richard's using a stat called NRAA or "Net runs above average". Most of us (meaning me about three minutes ago) aren't familiar with NRAA, and that's because, from what I can tell, it's like days old. Here's what it entails if you're curious. Nevertheless, those numbers mean it's good that Randa's here. I think...