Today is Trade Deadline Caveat Day

4 PM Eastern time today is officially the end of the window in which teams can make trades with each other, except it's not.

This afternoon marks the non-waiver Trade Deadline, meaning that trades can still happen for another month, but the players involved will have to clear waivers beforehand.  So, in reality, today is the last day that trades can be made with no strings attached (provided that the MLBPA doesn't nix the trade a-la A-Rod to Boston a decade ago).

As for the Cincinnati Reds, it appears that they intend to do basically nothing today.  Bob Nightengale of the USA Today floated that the Reds have made OF Ryan Ludwick available, but there's nobody out there that would take him and his contract unless the Reds gave him away.  Aside from that, Cincinnati has been linked to Alex Rios of the Texas Rangers for some reason, but there are other teams chasing him that appear to be better fits.

That's it.  That's what we know Walt Jocketty & Co. have been up to so far, though that's not to say they haven't been super-secretly exploring other avenues.

Here's what's gone down so far:

• The Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics kicked off Deadline Day with a blockbuster, as Boston sent LHP Jon Lester and OF Jonny Gomes to Oakland in exchange for slugger Yoenis Cespedes and Oakland's competitive balance pick.
• Oakland then sent pitcher Tommy Milone to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for speedy OF Sam Fuld.
• The St. Louis Cardinals followed up on yesterday's acquisition of Justin Masterson of the Cleveland Indians by nabbing John Lackey from the Boston firesale.  OF prospect James Ramsey was sent to the Indians for Masterson, and it appears that Allen Craig and Joe Kelly will head to Boston for Lackey.
• Other names reportedly on the market that may be moved today include Rios, Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera, San Diego Padres reliever Joaquin Benoit, Boston reliever Andrew Miller, and Padres OF (and former Red) Chris Denorfia.  Ian Kennedy of San Diego, A.J. Burnett of the Philadelphia Phillies, and a host of other names have also been tossed around with no real links, too.