"For the next week, baseball's pennant races will be overshadowed by speculation season. The non-waiver trade deadline is next Sunday, so expect plenty of talk about who's going where. In this era of fantasy sports, when some kids actually dream of becoming a general manager, who doesn't like a good trade rumor?

The local conversation: Are B.J. Upton's days numbered with the Rays?

Trades can help both teams. Trades can become one-sided. They can be shocking or predictable. They can tear apart chemistry or bond together a championship run.

"If you're a professional athlete, you can never get too comfortable in one spot,'' said Rays relief pitcher J.P. Howell, who was traded from Kansas City to Tampa Bay in 2006. "It's part of the gig. You walk in one day and the guy next to you might be gone. Or they might be saying that you are gone.''

There are practical implications for players. Homes are put up for sale. Children must change schools.

There are potentially difficult moments for coaches and management."