Last year's Thunder ace and the starter for the Eastern League All-Star game, Zach McAllister, was dealt to the Cleveland Indians a few minutes ago as the player to be named later in the Austin Kearns deal.

McAllister was rumored to have been part of the package that would have sent Cliff Lee to the Mariners, but the trade fell through when Seattle got negative reviews about the health of second baseman David Adams.

With Scranton this season, McAllister was 8-10 with a 5.09 ERA in 24 starts, including a complete game. He had allowed 165 hits in 132 2/3 innings, with 20 home runs thrown in. He fanned 88 hitters and walked 38.

McAllister reacted via Twitter, saying:

"Traded to Cleveland ... it's been fun tho Scranton! I'm going to miss my Yankee teammates. Looking forward to the beginning of a new chapter."

With McAllister gone, the Scranton rotation now consists of: Ivan Nova, Lance Pendleton and David Phelps. Jason Hirsh is on the disabled list, and will more than likely move back into the rotation when he returns. Kei Igawa is a candidate to fill the vacancy.

McAllister's dad, Steve, is a crosschecker for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

BOWIE, Md. – Regardless of what uniform Cliff Lee is wearing tonight, yesterday’s proceedings made one thing abundantly clear: Austin Romine is the Yankees’ catcher of the future.

By agreeing to send Jesus Montero, the best bat in the system and perhaps the entirety of minor league baseball, to Seattle for Lee, they not so subtly inferred which man they believe will be the successor to Jorge Posada.

The pair has long been regarded as the twin peaks in a system rich with catching talent, but the ultimate question was about which would win out: Montero’s supremely gifted bat, or Romine’s all-around excellence.

Now, after about eight hours of deliberation, it appears we know the answer.

The deal, which would have sent Montero, Thunder second baseman David Adams and former Trenton ace Zach McAllister across the country, broke down because of questions Seattle had regarding Adams’ ankle.

That last part is surprising, given that Adams has been hurt for nearly two months. Yes, he did have a set back recently, but hasn’t had surgery. It’s a fully recoverable injury, and it’s not as if he would have started immediately with the Mariners.

The more likely scenario is that the Rangers simply offered Seattle a superior package of prospects, which includes slugger Justin Smoak, stud pitcher Blake Beavan, second baseman Matt Lawson and reliever Josh Lueke.

Beavan was with Triple-A, while Lueke and Lawson were a part of the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders.

The deal also tips the Yankees’ hand a little bit as far as the rest of the month leading up to the non-waiver trading deadline is concerned. By even making the proposal in the first place, it signals to the rest of the league that they believe their rotation, even with three All-Stars, is incomplete.

This belief may have been spurred by the up-and-down first halves from the rotation’s non All-Stars – Javier Vazquez and A.J. Burnett – or the upcoming innings count placed on Phil Hughes.

No matter the cause, it appears that the Yankees believe they need pitching, and Montero’s the man they’re willing to part with to acquire it.

Once again, per the Thunder and Tim Lentych. Zach McAllister started in the Double-A work group today, probably because CC Sabathia started for the Triple-A work group. With that said, here are the results of today's loss.

PITCHERS
Zach McAllister: 3 2/3 innings, 2 runs
Lance Pendleton: 3 1/3 innings, 3 runs
Wilkins Arias: 2 innings, 0 runs

HITTERS
Austin Romine: Two singles
Brandon Laird: Two singles
Ray Kruml: Single, Triple, Run
Jeff Farnham: Single
Kevin Mahoney: RBI