Let's start with the bad news: so far the only Hot Stove action the Giants have pulled off is trading one relieving re-tread for another relieving re-tread for yesterday they traded LaTroy Hawkins for Steve Kline. Kline, who gained a measure of infamy for giving his then-manager Tony LaRussa the finger (ha!), is considered a get for the Giants because he’s left handed and they lost their only left-handed setup man when Scott Eyre left for the Cubs. Or maybe not.

It also appears that signing Matt Morris has been made more difficult in that his former team, the Cards, are now in hot pursuit of him. If he is resigned by the Cards, that would leave the available starting pitchers still out there to be somewhere between nada and not worth it. One note, however-- one of the pitchers rumored to be discussed in trades is Kris Benson of the Mets. Benson is more famous for his FHM posing, Playboy negotiating, Howard Stern interviewing, crazy-ass wife, Anna. Hey, you gotta get fans to go the park somehow and having Anna around just might do it.

How dreary are things for the Gigantes right now? The big decision today could be whether or not to resign Slappy, aka J.T. Snow (much more about that later when the decision is announced). Also rumoured to be in the mix is Once and Possibly future Giants Bill Mueller. Brett Tomko, meanwhile, appears to be headed to Texas (good luck with that) and Pedro Felix appears to be headed anywhere somebody will take him. And worst of all, the A’s are in hot pursuit of Frank Thomas, which will make the A’s just flat-out scary next year.

And the good news? The Dodgers just signed Grady Little as their manager.