Shelley Duncan gets the call (With deadline bits)

Bryan Hoch has reported on his blog that Shelley Duncan has finally received his long-awaited call. Duncan will join the Yankees in Chicago tonight, and presumably will be available off the bench tonight.

It’s about time. I’ve been saying for quite a while that he deserves another chance in the bigs. I thought the Yankees would try and trade him today (it doesn’t look like it now), but maybe he still goes in a waiver deal in August.

So far today, Jarrod Washburn has been traded to the Tigers, and now the Red Sox are close to acquiring Victor Martinez from the Indians. Both deals are bad news for the Yankees, as they were in serious discussions with Washburn and the Red Sox are now a much better offensive club.

More news later after the deadline (hopefully).