Jarred Cosart traded to Marlins in six-player deal with Astros

The Marlins landed young pitcher Jarred Cosart in a six-player trade with the Astros before the deadline.

The Miami Marlins have acquired Houston Astros pitcher Jarred Cosart in a six-player deal, the team announced Thursday.

The full trade sees the Astros ship Cosart, shortstop Enrique Hernandez and outfielder Austin Wates to Miami in exchange for top third base prospect Colin Moran, Jake Marisnick, Francis Martes and a 2015 compensatory draft pick. It's certainly a busy deal, with several parts heading in each direction.

Cosart, 24, has been a steady starter for the Astros this season, posting a 4.41 ERA with 75 strikeouts and 51 walks over 20 starts. He was lights out during a 10-game debut with the team in 2013, but his peripheral statistics predicated a decline that has indeed happened.

The other two pieces headed to Miami are also young players capable of making MLB contributions in the near future. Hernandez is a 22-year-old shortstop who made his debut with the Astros earlier this season, hitting .284/.348/.420 over 89 plate appearances, while Wates has batted .299/.396/.381 in 331 plate appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2014.

For Miami, Moran is the centerpiece of the deal. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 draft and a top-100 prospect entering the season according to every major outlet, he's a talented third baseman who's spent the 2014 season playing for High Single-A Jupiter. Over 392 plate appearances, he's batted .294/.342/.393 with five homers.

Marisnick, 23, is also an intriguing get as a fallen prospect trying to re-establish himself. Rated a top-100 prospect by MLB.com entering the season, he's batted .277/.326/.434 over 377 plate appearances with Triple-A New Orleans.

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Martin Prado traded to Yankees by Diamondbacks

The Yankees keep adding depth, this time by trading for Arizona's Martin Prado.

The New York Yankees have made another move before the trade deadline, landing infielder Martin Prado from the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to YES Network's Jack Curry. He joins Stephen Drew as reinforcements for the final two-plus months before the postseason.

The deal is a bit of a salary dump for Arizona, which receives catcher Peter O'Brien and a player to be named later or cash considerations in exchange for Prado. However, shedding his bloated contract is likely a victory in itself, and landing a decent prospect is just an added bonus.

Prado, 30, is set to make $11 million annually for both 2015 and 2016. An above-average offensive player throughout his prime, his numbers have dropped across the board this season while being the primary third baseman for the Diamondbacks.

Over 436 plate appearances in 2014, Prado has batted .270/.317/.370 with five homers. Even those numbers will be able to help a Yankees team in need of depth, especially at the hot corner, and he's only a season removed from posting significantly better numbers. However, it's easy to see why Arizona would take the opportunity to bail on his eight-figure salary.

O'Brien, a former second-round pick, has spent the 2014 season with High Single-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton. Overall, he's batted .245/.296/.555 with 23 homers over 294 plate appearances, showing impressive power but lacking plate discipline.

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Dustin Johnson takes leave of absence to 'seek professional help for personal challenges'

One of the top American players in the world and a lock to make the Ryder Cup team is taking a leave of absence from professional golf.

Dustin Johnson, perhaps the most naturally talented and athletic golfer in the world, is taking a leave of absence from the sport to "seek professional help for personal challenges." Johnson abruptly withdrew from this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron and was one of the only real world-class players not in a loaded field. He had missed the cut the prior week at the RBC Canadian Open, and would have undoubtedly been among the top 10 favorites for the PGA Championship at Valhalla.

Johnson released a statement on Thursday afternoon while his colleagues were out on the course at Firestone:

"I am taking a leave of absence from professional golf, effective immediately. I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced. By committing the time and resources necessary to improve my mental health, physical well-being and emotional foundation, I am confident that I will be better equipped to fulfill my potential and become a consistent champion."

The statement did not indicate how long DJ planned to step away from professional golf, or get into the reason why beyond just "personal challenges." His manager texted Jason Sobel this week that Johnson was passing on the WGC event because of some personal stuff.

After his withdrawal from this week's event, Dustin Johnson's manager texted me with this vague explanation: "Just some personal stuff."

— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelGC) July 31, 2014

Johnson just turned 30 years old at the end of June, and already has eight career PGA Tour wins. He's regularly in contention at the major championships, but has yet to get that signature major win. The consensus is that it's just a matter of when and not if Johnson will win a major, given his talent and absurd length off the tee. The issue is obviously serious if he's taking such a sudden leave just a week before a major championship.

Johnson is currently fourth in the FedExCup standings and a lock to make the Ryder Cup team via points qualification, where he's currently 5th. If he does not play in the Ryder Cup, the next player down the points list, currently Patrick Reed, would get his spot.

While he may not be the most entertaining interview, DJ is one of the most exciting players on Tour and an immense talent. His absence is an unfortunate loss for golf and the Tour in what has already been an underwhelming year for the sport.

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Shirtless Cristiano Ronaldo wants to tell you about his abs

Ronaldo is shirtless on the cover of a magazine and he wants to tell you how you can have abs like his.

Cover star of September's Men's Health is Cristiano Ronaldo, more six pack than party seven. http://ift.tt/1rNx9LH

— AS English (@English_AS) July 31, 2014

It's a new season and that means Cristiano Ronaldo is back. And if he is back, he is shirtless. It's just how he works.

This time, he is on the cover of Men's Health, where he doesn't just show you how inferior looking your body is compared to his, he will tell you how he got his body! That way you can go try all of the same things he does, really commit yourself to it and then even when you've lost weight and gotten way more muscular, wonder why you don't look like him.

It's because he is Cristiano Ronaldo and you're not so deal with it.

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Air Force might have college football's best new helmets

The Falcons are apparently wearing this alternate for at least one game this season.

More pictures of the new 2014 Alternate Football Uniform! http://ift.tt/Xlf922

— Air Force Football (@AFFootball) July 31, 2014

While these aren't necessarily the best Air Force helmets ever ...

IMMA let you finish Air Force, but the Thunderbirds uni is the best AFA uni of all time. OF ALL TIME http://ift.tt/XlfbXx

— Pod Katt (@valleyshook) July 31, 2014

... they're still excellent.

It's been a slow offseason for gaudy uniform business, and with a month of offseason left to go, Air Force might've just about clinched the year's best new visuals for good.

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Watch Tigers fans say goodbye to Austin Jackson

Being removed mid-game for a trade can't be easy, but Tigers' fans knew how to show respect.

Austin Jackson was a central piece in the three-team David Price trade that just went down between the Mariners, Rays, and Tigers. Thing is, he was on the field playing the White Sox when it happened. Tigers fans were aware of what was going down when he got pulled, though, and gave him the standing ovation he deserves:

Even better, we finally got our legitimate payoff for #HugWatch2014:

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The Seahawks' training camp has been invaded

This was no ordinary drill on Thursday at the Seahawks training camp.

The VMAC, where the Seattle Seahawks do their practicing, is a lovely lakeside facility, more like resort than a football team's headquarters. The bucolic splendor was shattered when five U.S. Marines helicopters flew by and landed after Thursday's practice, part of the Seahawks Salute.

Five military helicopters conduct a fly over pass after today's practice. #SeahawksSalute http://ift.tt/1rNpmxg

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) July 31, 2014

Marines landing by helicopter after practice today. Pretty awesome. http://ift.tt/1rNpop6

— Jayson Jenks (@JaysonJenks) July 31, 2014

One of the cooler things I've ever seen. Marines doing a beach assault at the end of Seahawks practice today http://ift.tt/1rNpmxq

— Rex Carlin (@rexcarlinshow) July 31, 2014

The Blue Angels did a 12th Man flyover earlier in the day too.

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