1.   Let him play for the Astros, at least to the July trading deadline, to set his price.

2.   Although the Dodger deal died, other offers surfaced as the trading deadline neared.

3.   Although the trading deadline is Tuesday, the Braves are becoming as comfortable with DeRosa at shortstop as he is.

4.   Although the Devils have won five of eight games since the trading deadline, they are just four points ahead of the ninth-place Washington Capitals.

5.   And his name was bandied about before the trading deadline in February, which indicates the Suns are willing to part with their future Hall of Famer.

6.   And it must have been hard for owner George Steinbrenner to let the major-league trading deadline come and go without strong-arming his baseball people into doing something.

7.   And then the NHL trading deadline rolled around.

8.   As for a more established scorer, the Rangers are thought to be interested in Doug Gilmour, should the Blackhawks move the veteran center before the trading deadline.

9.   As for the Celtics, when they came away from the trading deadline last season having done nothing, it was a major disappointment.

10.   As the trading deadline approached, contending teams fell all over themselves in the pursuit of starting pitching.