OAKLAND, Calif. Cheap Wholesale Sneakers Free Shipping . -- The beginning of Julys first blockbuster trade occurred about a month ago, when Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane called Chicago Cubs executive Theo Epstein to ask about Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. Beane told Epstein he liked the starting pitchers, and he was going to be aggressive in an attempt to improve the AL West leaders. Fast forward to this weekend, when Beane proved just how serious he was during that initial call. Oakland and Chicago announced the big trade on Saturday, with Samardzija and Hammel heading to the West Coast for a package of prospects that included the As first-round selections in each of the past two drafts. "The deal speaks for itself. To pick up two guys like that in early June is pretty fantastic," As manager Bob Melvin said. "We wanted more options and saw the urgency to get it done. This makes us better." The Athletics began the day with the best record in baseball, but Beane felt he needed to add depth to a rotation that responded well to season-ending injuries for Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin. Drew Pomeranz also is on the disabled list with a broken right hand. Samardzija and Hammel join Scott Kazmir and Sonny Gray in one of the majors best group of starting pitchers. "We had to dig into our depth really early, and we felt like we needed two (starting pitchers)," Beane said. Samardzija will start for the As on Sunday. He was scheduled to pitch for the Cubs Saturday. In somewhat of a surprise, the As sent left-hander Tommy Milone to Triple-A Sacramento later Saturday to make room for Samardzija. Milone was 6-0 with a 2.62 ERA over his last 11 starts and 6-3 with a 3.55 ERA in 16 starts overall. "What do you say to a guy like that?" Melvin said. "Hes been terrific his last 10 starts and has meant a lot to us the last three years. I tried to figure out what to say to him. We havent seen the last of him." Oakland will make a move Sunday to clear space for Hammel, who will start Wednesday. Minor leaguers Addison Russell, Billy McKinney and Dan Straily went to Chicago in another painful deal for the lowly Cubs, who have played better of late, but are still last in the NL Central. Chicago also gets a player to be named in its latest July sell-off. The Cubs lost at least 91 games in each of the previous three years. They traded away starting pitchers Ryan Dempster and Paul Maholm in July 2012, and Matt Garza and Scott Feldman last July. "We certainly hope that this is the last year that were obvious sellers at the trade deadline," Epstein said. The key piece for Chicago in the deal with Oakland was Russell, a 20-year-old shortstop headed for Double-A Tennessee. A torn right hamstring sidelined the No. 11 overall selection in the 2012 draft earlier this season, but he was batting .333 in 13 games for Double-A Midland at the time of the trade. Chicago and Oakland talked about a Samardzija for Russell deal, but Epstein said the one-for-one framework didnt work. He spoke with Beane on Thursday night, and thats when the trade grew into the larger package. "We felt like Russell was a key for us in any deal with Oakland," Epstein said. The hard-throwing Samardzija had a 2-7 record for the Cubs, but he also had a 2.83 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 108 innings, making him one of the most coveted pitchers on the market. The former Notre Dame receiver was selected by Chicago in the fifth round in 2006. Chicago recalled left-hander Chris Rusin from Triple-A Iowa. Epstein said the Cubs were still discussing their options when it came to the rotation. "I can say that (after that) its going to stay the same until Tuesday for the doubleheader (at Cincinnati)," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said of the rotation after Saturday. Jake Arrieta is set to start Sunday in Washington and Edwin Jackson on Monday at Cincinnati. The Cubs will add a 26th man, Tsuyoshi Wada, for Tuesdays doubleheader. The Cubs talked to the 29-year-old Samardzija about a contract extension, but were unable to come to an agreement. He is set to become a free agent for the first time after the 2015 season. "Jeff has been a bit of workhorse," Beane said. "Hes got a perfect health record. Hes a guy that continues to develop. Hes gotten better and better each year he goes out." Hammel signed a $6 million, one-year contract with Chicago in February and went 8-5 with a 2.98 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 108 2-3 innings with the Cubs. He pitched six-plus innings in a 7-2 victory over Washington on Friday. Hammel, who turns 32 in September, also has three career post-season starts. "Hes gotten better and better and we think now is a great time to have him," Beane said. The 19-year-old McKinney, who was selected in the first round a year ago, hit .241 with 10 homers for Class A Stockton this season. He is headed for Chicagos Class A affiliate in Daytona, Florida, where he will share the outfield with another top prospect in Albert Almora. Straily finished 10-8 with a 3.96 ERA in 27 starts for the As last year. He was sent down to Triple-A Sacramento after struggling earlier this season, and Epstein said he likely would be up with the Cubs after a short stay at Triple-A Iowa. Even before the deal, Chicago had one of the richest minor league systems in baseball. The addition of Russell and McKinney just enhances the Cubs impressive group of prospects. "We think we have a real outstanding stable of good young position players that is a stable base to build off," Epstein said. "We like how this positions us." Buy Sneakers Online Cheap . Blown save in the ninth inning? No problem. Authentic Sneaker Wholesale .C., won gold in the womens 200-metre backstroke, and Dominique Bouchard of North Bay, Ont. http://www.cheapsneakersfire.com/ . The Maple Leafs will play on the road for the first time this season after dropping home contests to Montreal and Pittsburgh to begin the campaign. After losing a one-goal decision to the Canadiens on Wednesday, they were bested 5-2 on Saturday by the Penguins.The Winnipeg Goldeyes got a jolt of momentum and some important separation on Thursday afternoon. Playing in front of a crowd of 5,788 at Shaw Park, the Fish beat the St. Paul Saints 7-2 to win the final game of a five-game series and pull 4 1/2 games ahead of the Saints in the race for first in the American Associations North Division. Casey Haerther was the hitting hero as the leading hitter in the league raised his average to .396 with three hits in five trips and also drove in a pair of runs as the Goldeyes improved to 37-22 on the season. Luis Alen had a hit in three trips, scored a run and drove in a run; Reggie Abercrombie went three-for-four with two runs scored; and Donnie Webb had two hits, including a solo homer as the Goldeyes put an end to a three-game losing streak. However, while the bats came alive, the real hero might have been starter Ethan Hollingsworth. Hollingsworth battled for 6 2/3 innings, allowing only one run on eight scattered hits as the Saints had at least one base runner in every inning and had runners in scoring position in seven of the nine innings. "That was a big win for us because it gives us some momentum heading out onto the road," said Haerther, whose two-run double in the eighth put the game out of reach. "This is a team that wont go very long without scoring runs and we knew wed start getting good at bats again. This win was good for us, good for everybody in the clubhouse, because even though it was a tough homestand, we won the last game and we all feel good about ourselves going into Kansas City." It was a wild one in many ways for the Goldeyes. In the first inning, third baseman Jake Blackwood drilled a double and pulled up lame at second base. He had to be taken out of the game so it meant moving Josh Mazzola to third, Luis Alen to first and Jordan Guida to catcher. But tthen, in the next inning, newcomer Sam Kimmel pulled up lame in the outfield and the moves were on again. Cheap Nike Sneakers From China. With the Goldeyes down to nothing on the bench but pitchers, reliever Kaohi Downing moved to rightfield and Donnie Webb moved to leftfield. But when the game got tight, manager Rick Forney moved Guida to first base and Alen back behind the plate. For the ninth inning, Forney took Guida out of the game and put Haerther, the DH at first. Its more managing than anyone should have to do in one afternoon. "Ive often pitched to two different catchers in a game," said Hollingsworth. "But I think its the first time Ive pitched to one, then to another and then to the first guy again. But it was easy. Jordan and Luis both call great games so it was no problem for me at all." It took a while for the Goldeyes to get on the board, but when they did, they did it with gusto. In the fifth, trailing 1-0, Abercrombie led off with a double and eventually came home on a single by Alen. Guida, who was safe on an error, scored on a ground out by Haerther and the Fish had a 2-1 lead. Webb homered in the sixth to make it 3-1 and then the Goldeyes scored again when Brock Bond came home on an error by St. Paul shortstop Joey Becker. St. Paul cut the Goldeyes lead to 4-2 in the top of the eighth, but ion the bottom of the inning, Alen drove in a run with a single and Haerther drove in two with a double and the Goldeyes had bounced back from losing a doubleheader on Wednesday night. Hollingsworth (4-0, 3.96 ERA) got the win while St. Paul starter Robert Coe (4-5, 6.36 ERA) took the loss. There was no save The Goldeyes