B aseball's non-waiver trade deadline has come and passed with surprisingly little fanfare. After weeks of rumors, it all seemed rather anti-climatic.

For instance, the Chicago White Sox were supposedly ready to deal just about everyone this side of Ozzie Guillen. But aside from moving a starting infielder and a bench player, they did not make much noise as the trade deadline wound down. Throw in names that everybody was expecting to be moved that ended up staying put (Chicago White Sox OF Jermaine Dye, Florida Marlins SP Dontrelle Willis, Cincinnati Reds OF Adam Dunn, etc.) and you have yourself a pretty quiet trade deadline.

That is not to say that there was no significant action. UPDATE! is here to break down the (few) MLB teams that pulled the trigger on deals that should help them now — and down the road:

The Braves made out well with the biggest prize being an elite slugger in 1B Mark Teixeira. Atlanta was able to land "Tex" and RP Ron Mahay from the Texas Rangers in exchange for C Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Braves prospects SS Elvis Andrus and P Neftali Feliz (Texas will also receive a player to be named later). The Braves were also able to land RP Octavio Dotel from the Kansas City Royals for SP Kyle Davies as well as reliever Royce Ring from the Padres for pitchers Wilfredo Ledezma and Will Startup. These moves bolster the already talented bullpen of Atlanta, but the real gain for the Braves involves the shot in the arm Teixeira provides. With Tex, Atlanta now has the perfect protection piece for OF Andruw Jones, who may finally start putting up serious numbers with Teixeira in tow. Teixeira himself should see a boost in fantasy value as well as he will now be playing in a lineup that will provide more RBI opportunities than the inept Rangers. With these acquisitions, Atlanta has really shown the baseball world that they are serious about winning the NL East Division.

With injuries eating them alive, Phillies GM Pat Gillick knew something had to be done in order to salvage any chance his team has of making the post-season. So when All-Star 2B Chase Utley went down with a broken hand last week, Gillick went out and snagged 2B Tadahito Iguchi from the Chicago White Sox, only giving up minor-league pitcher Michael Dubee. Philadelphia also needed another starting pitcher, which is why they traded for Kyle Lohse from the Cincinnati Reds for SP Matt Maloney. While these moves may not feature marquee names, the Phillies were at least able to plug a couple of holes in their sinking ship in an attempt to get back on track. For fantasy purposes, Lohse gains some value as he will have more opportunities to win with that productive offense. Before joining the Phillies, Iguchi had enjoyed considerable success in inter-league play, so he seems like a pretty decent option at 2B but keep an eye on him if he gets on a roll.

Second base had been a gaping hole for the Mets all season long, so they made a nice upgrade by acquiring 2B Luis Castillo from the Minnesota Twins for C Drew Butera and OF Dustin Matin, two players who were lowly ranked in the Mets rich minor-league system. While fantasy owners shouldn't necessarily expect Castillo to start putting up monster numbers, he is an interesting play as he returns to the National League. You figure the Mets will allow him to swap some bags and he could score a lot of runs if the Mets offense starts clicking, so UPDATE! won't blame you if you take a flier on him. However, as far as the Mets are concerned, one has to wonder if this move is enough to stave off the upgraded Braves.

While their fierce rivals, the New York Yankees, virtually stood pat (solely dealing for reserve utility-man Wilson Betemit from the Los Angeles Dodgers for RP Scott Proctor), the Sox went out and solidified their already-strong bullpen. Boston traded for Texas Rangers RP Eric Gagne, giving up SP Kason Gabbard and minor-league outfielders David Murphy and Engel Beltre. This is a great move for Boston as the Red Sox pitching becomes even more formidable. With an impressive starting rotation and a terrific bullpen led by closer Jonathan Papelbon, you would be hard pressed to find a better pitching staff. Although Gange's fantasy owners are not too happy about the trade, this move likely puts Boston over the top and cements their claim to the AL East Division crown.

Making three trades on deadline day, the Padres opted for depth instead of immediate impact players. They were able to snag 3B Morgan Ensberg from Houston for cash and a player to be named later. Looking to strengthen the bench, the Padres also dealt for utility-man Rob Mackowiak from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor-league pitcher Jon Link. Not stopping there, the Padres also added a couple of pitchers from the Atlanta Braves in Wilfredo Ledezma and Will Startup for reliever Royce Ring. It is unclear what role Ledezma and Startup will have for the Padres considering how deep the team is in pitching talent. Mackowiak is likely to be a bench player available to play many positions. Ensberg is the most intriguing addition as he may battle current San Diego 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff for playing time, but Ensberg (like the rest of the new Padres) has little to offer fantasy owners. Time will tell if the Padres did enough to hold win the NL West Division, but their offense remains a huge question mark.

In a rebuilding mode, the Rangers made some moves hoping to strengthen their talent for 2008 and beyond. Trading for C Jarrod Saltalamacchia helps them immediately and his fantasy value rises dramatically as a result. No longer behind an All-Star catcher, Salty now gets the chance to shine and should be a central offensive piece in the Rangers lineup for years to come. Considering that they were likely to lose 1B Mark Teixeira to free agency after 2008, this move made a lot of sense for the Rangers, although they now have a need to fill at first base. As for their deal involving the Boston Red Sox, they were able to land rookie SP Kason Gabbard and since they were looking to add starting pitching depth with young arms, you have to give them credit for accomplishing this task (plus they also acquired four prospects in the two trades). Going forward this season, RP Akinori Otsuka has once again gained fantasy value since he figures to close games once he returns from the DL in early August. Until he returns, RP Joaquin Benoit will likely pitch for saves in the Rangers bullpen. All in all, the Rangers have at least taken a couple steps towards trying to restore their franchise.

Starbonell is UPDATE! Major League Baseball Editor.