It was hardly a shock that teams run by Dave Dombrowski and Billy Beane made the first two significant trades of July.



The Red Sox’s acquisition of right-hander Andrew Cashner from the Orioles on Saturday was vintage Dombrowski, aggressive and early, to the point.



The Athletics’ acquisition of right-hander Homer Bailey from the Royals on Sunday was typical Beane, a preliminary strike from an exec who always adds when his team stands a chance of reaching the postseason.



Neither deal was even close to a blockbuster. Cashner might not crack the playoff roster if the Red Sox qualify and their other starting pitchers are healthy. Bailey, though impressive of late with a 3.49 ERA in his last seven starts, is not exactly headed to Cooperstown.



Still, Dombrowski and Beane acted while many of their counterparts in need of starting pitching held off, at least for the moment. The trade deadline – the new, single deadline – is two weeks...