Welcome to the All-Star break and the unofficial halfway point of the baseball season. We’re going to take this opportunity to review the first half difference makers – players that could have scooped off the wire who are likely propelling plenty of teams with Fantasy championship aspirations.

Now to turn our rant towards ESPN. ESPN started the year with a nearly two-week schedule in its Fantasy leagues and obviously didn’t get enough hate mail back in April so are heading in that same direction at the All-Star break. What an insane proposition. When you set your rosters in your ESPN league Sunday it will be for a full two weeks. The best (and really only) advice we can give here is to proceed with caution.

We’re celebrating some rather important birthday’s this week. It’s time to party as on Sunday Canada turns 145. Happy Canada Day! South of the border, our American friends celebrate Independence Day on Wednesday. Here’s wishing all a safe and happy holiday week.

Did anyone see this one coming? We’ve now seen back-to-back quality starts from Blackley, including a gem Thursday against the Dodgers in which he tossed eight innings of three-hit ball. Granted it was against the Padres and Dodgers — two teams not known for their offensive prowess — but on a team with more wounded than walking it should give the 29-year-old southpaw several more opportunities. He’s heading into a two-start week, with the Mariners and Rangers on the agenda. Just be wary of that second start in Arlington.

As we head into the dog days of summer, your needs and wants should be clear and trading to address those needs becomes a frequent part of our great game. It’s important when looking at trading to remember there are always two parties involved. A successful trade not only addresses your needs but the needs of your trading partner. Do your homework, trade from strength, and find a trading partner that’s weak where your strong and (vice versa) and you have a guaranteed recipe for success.

In this installment of The Wire Troll, we’re going to take a look at some of the elite prospects that are knocking on the door. Their time is not that far off and a pre-emptive strike can make a big difference and end up being money in the bank. You can jump in early for a reasonable price or pay the piper when that promotion eventually does occur. We’ll always strive for Option “A.”

Although his strike zone judgment actually regressed this season, Chisenhall was enjoying a breakthrough season at Triple-A with a whopping 60 total bases in just 28 games. He has no speed, and is yet another left-handed stick for Cleveland’s predominantly lefty lineup (which tends to struggle against southpaws), but Chisenhall has done extremely well in his first few games since the recall, so don’t overlook the fact that Hannahan may very easily be Pipped here.