Just about every year at this time, I end up writing a column titled "Much Ado About Nothing." Every year, the sports media hypes the trade deadline to no end, and more often than not, little happens. Last year was a particularly dry trading season -- the best player to move was Randy Winn.

This year feels different. Today, the Brewers essentially dealt Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz to the Rangers for Francisco Cordero, Kevin Mench, and Laynce Nix. That should make it an eventful deadline, even if nothing else happens.

Lee is the kind of player who can turn a fantasy league around in deep AL-only leagues. If he gets hot in a strong lineup and a good hitters' park, he literally could put up the best numbers in the league over the final two months.

He also leaves a huge void in NL-only leagues where a trade to the AL means that the player is no longer eligible. In my NL roto league, Lee resided on the first place team, which had a one point lead today. That team loses its top home run and RBI man, and its third best base stealer. But of course the dealing isn't done yet. Sitting in second place, I can't really celebrate because I see Bobby Abreu on my roster, making a similar contribution.

Overall, this deal should have more impact in NL-only leagues, because all that really happens in AL leagues is that Mench and Lee switch. However, in NL leagues, Cordero may well become quite valuable. Derrick Turnbow has had what is quite possibly the worst stretch in the history of closers. Until now, his demotion from the closing duties appeared temporary, mainly because Milwaukee didn't appear to have anyone else.

Now they have Cordero, who may just need a change of scenery. At this time last year, it would have been hard to imagine him losing the closing role the way he did in Texas earlier this year. A lot of the peripheral numbers suggest that he will get back to where he was. He's very bad news for Turnbow owners, because unlike the current committee, Cordero could simply take the job and run with it.

Mench will be a popular replacement for Lee in a lot of leagues, and rightly so. However, he's always hit much better in Texas than on the road, and he isn't really a prototypical NL player. Nix shouldn't have an impact this year.

The inclusion of Nelson Cruz is probably the oddest part of this deal. It's hard to believe that the Brewers dealt a prospect with Lee, as opposed to receiving one. It's also hard to imagine what the Rangers needed with yet another young outfield bat. But hey, at least it's something to talk about.