Well we can say one thing for sure: Adam Dunn is most definitely not going to be traded to the Toronto Blue Jays.  If you're not familiar with why that is, Blue Jays G.M. J.P. Ricciardi was on a local sports talk show host last week and basically trashed the Big Donkey when a caller asked if he was going to pursue a trade with the Reds.

Amongst the rhetorical questions J.P. asked the caller were such gems as "do you know the guy really doesn't like baseball that much?" and "do you know the guy doesn't have the passion to play the game that much?".  In addition, he stated that they'd done their homework on Dunn, and weren't interested in pursuing him, but he didn't want to get into specifics - well it was a bit late to make that statement at that point.

However, I think this conversation shed a lot of light on why Dunn hasn't been traded yet, nor will he likely be.  As much as Ricciardi's statements may be considered unpopular or out of line, I'm willing to bet that if you polled the other 29 MLB G.M.'s, this would be the prevailing opinion.

And why wouldn't it be?  In the 7+ years that he's been here, he's improved minimally (if at all) in the field.  He still makes the same mistakes at the plate.  He still can't hit in close games with runners in scoring position.  He still looks out of shape and sloppy.  And he still looks, as Ricciardi intimated, like he just doesn't care.  Given that, why would a G.M. give up a prospect of any sort to acquire a player like Dunn? 

Granted, his market value isn't going to be too high anyways - my guess is that he wouldn't command more than a mid-level prospect.  So it might actually make sense for the Reds to keep Dunn, and allow him to walk after the season and pick up the two draft picks they'd be assigned for losing a Type A free agent (assuming he's declared a Type A).

Now the worrisome part for the Reds is, the longer the Reds hold on to him, the more likely they might be to resign him for 2009 and beyond.  Here's hoping that Walt Jocketty is smarter than that.

In his first start in nearly a month, Boston Red Sox ace Daisuke Matsuzaka (8-1) was terrible in his return, retiring only three of the 12 batters he face in his one inning of work.  It was the shortest outing of his brief career. He was placed on the DL on May 30 because of a mild rotator cuff strain, was charged with seven runs.

Matsuzaka’s 8-0 record was the longest unbeaten start in the league this season and his nine-game winning streak dating back to last September was the best ever by a Japanese-born pitcher in majors. Matsuzaka, who last lost at Fenway on Aug. 15, saw those streaks instantly obliterated.

Owners that have been waiting patiently for Dice-K to return were left terribly disappointed. The worries aren't over either. Matsuzaka's velocity was down (88-90 mph, peaking at 91) and he no command of any of his vast array pitches.

Matsuzaka, who worked five solid innings for Triple-A Pawtucket in Allentown, Pa., last Monday (three hits, two runs), made no excuses.

“I can’t think of anything that was good,” he told the Boston Herald through a translator. “Things were mostly bad today. I just hope I can get back to a good spot as we go forward and when I get my next chance to start, I hope to do better.”

His next scheduled start comes at Houston on Friday and owners may want to consider other options if possible, keeping the right-hander on the bench. When healthy, Matsuzaka is a fantasy ace.

STUDS OF THE WEEK
The White Sox' series against the Pirates look for more like softball games and no hitter benefited more than Jermaine Dye, who has 10 hits in last 23 at-bats, inlcuding 6 HR's and 15 RBI's while hitting .435.  The Angels' Joe Saunders kept his good times rolling with his 11th win of the season on Saturday night, tying Brandon Webb for the MLB lead. Saunders has allowed two runs or less in six of his last eight starts and is posting a 1.26 ERA in his last two starts over the past seven days.

DUDS OF THE WEEK
The Phillies' Chase Utley is making a strong case for the NL MVP this year, but over the past two weeks you wouldn't know it. He has just 6 hits in his last 42 at-bats for .143 average. Jose Contreras allowed 10 hits and nine earned runs 3 1/3 innings in his latest start for the White Sox on Saturday, falling to 6-6 with the loss. He's now taken an 'L' in each of his last three outings, allowing more than 10 hits and six-plus runs inin two of them.


KEY INJURIES
Albert Pujols (calf): eligible to return June 26
Carlos Zambrano (shoulder): placed on 15-day DL
Alfonso Soriano (hand): sidelined 4-6 weeks
Chipper Jones (quad): day-to-day
David Ortiz (wrist): targeting early-July return
Chien-Ming Wang (foot): expected to be out until Sept.
Shawn Marcum (elbow): out until at least mid-July
Bartolo Colon (back): likely to return before All-Star game
Brad Penny (shoulder): disabled on 6/17
Carlos Pena (finger): expected to return this week sometime


TWICE AS NICE
Here are some two-start pitchers to consider this week:

AL
Must-starts:
Josh Beckett – ARI (Dan Haren), @HOU (Brian Moehler)
John Lackey - @WAS (Jason Bergmann), @LAD (Derek Lowe)
Jeremy Guthrie - @CHC (Undecided), @WAS (Jason Bergmann)

Sleeper Picks:
Mark Buehrle - @LAD (Derek Lowe), CHC (Undecided)
Andy Sonnanstine - @FLA (Scott Olsen), @PIT (Tom Gorzelanny)

NL
Must-Starts:
Jake Peavy – MIN (Kevin Slowey), SEA (Felix Hernandez)
Johan Santana – SEA (Felix Hernandez), NYY (Undecided)
Dan Haren - @BOS (Josh Beckett), @FLA (Scott Olsen)

Sleeper Picks:
Jo-Jo Reyes – MIL (Ben Sheets), @TOR (Undecided)
Jeff Francis - @KC (Brian Bannister), @DET (Kenny Rogers)


WAIVER WATCH (from leagues played at CBSSports.com)
Five most added:
RP Mike Gonzalez (+28% roster change)
SS Troy Tulowitzki (+27%)
SS Mike Aviles (+24%)
SP Armando Galarraga (+23%)
3B Chase Headley (23%)

Five most dropped (non-injured):
SP Jose Contreras (-12%)
SP Jesse Litsch(-11%)
SP Max Scherzer (-10%)
SP Dontrelle Willis (-9%)
SP Daniel Cabrera (-8%)


GAMES PLAYED
Let's take a look at how many games each team will be playing this week:

American League
7: Yankees
6: Everyone else in the American League plays six games this week.

National League
7: Mets
6: Everyone else in the National League plays six games this week

The Reds have been looking for a No. 5 starter since spring training. They have ran out Josh Fogg, Matt Belisle, and Homer Bailey. That trio has put a combined for a 2-9 record and 8.58 ERA on the season, providing little hope.  It's like a guaranteed loss every five days and for a team that already has too many lossess as it is, that's unacceptable.

On Saturday, Daryl Thompson gave the Reds their best start from a No. 5 starter all season as he pitched around trouble to turn in five shutout innings in his Major League debut. Unfortunately, the Reds couldn't get him a run before leaving the game so he did not factor in the decision.

Thompson was locked up in a pitcher's duel with Yankees rookie Dan Giese and left the game with the score tied 0-0. Thompson, who got lost on his way to the stadium, allowed the leadoff hitter to reach in each of the first four innings and a two-out walk in the fifth but escaped unscathed each time. He allowed four hits, walked four and struck out two.

Thompson and fellow rookies Jay Bruce and Paul Janish took the No. 4 subway in the wrong direction from the team hotel. Instead of heading north to the Bronx, they went south to Brooklyn.

It was just one of the many side stories surrounding the 22-year old's debut, including the fact he didn't sleep or eat much in the 24 hours leading up to the game.

"Since hearing I was going to pitch in Yankee Stadium, I had nothing to eat for 24 hours but one little piece of sausage, and I woke up at 4:30 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep."

Thompson left an impression on Reds manager Dusty Baker.

"He was overthrowing in the beginning, a little over-excited," Baker told the Dayton Daily News. "But he showed good velocity (94-95 mph). A young man like that, barely out of Double-A, first start in Yankee Stadium. Man, he had stuff and he went right at guys."