The madness and mayhem of the annual MLB trading deadline is 24 hours past and the dust is beginning to settle. It will be a little while before we see who the “winners” of the last-minute deals may be …

Offhand, I’ll say that whoever had Vegas odds on a Pittsburgh-Cleveland World Series (and if you did, please tell me, so I can be your bestest friend!) may have gotten just slightly incrementally better, with Cleveland managing to land Ubaldo Jimenez, a guy I personally consider one of the top young pitchers in the game right now (though I am feeling very sorry for “my guy,” Rockies hurler Juan Nicasio, who lost his favorite translator) and with the young Pirates adding one of the best veteran presences in baseball in the criminally underrated Derrek Lee.

Hey, not saying other teams didn’t make big improvements. Just happen to like the fact that those two teams did as well. I always love underdogs.

Which, of course, is why this column, which dates back to my early days at Baseball Weekly, has remained close to my heart. And with no further ado, let’s hit the debuts.

By the way, if you have any thoughts, comments, opinions, or anything to add, PLEASE come follow me and join the conversation on my Twitter feed at @LisaWinstonQofD!!!

JOSE CONSTANZA
OF, Atlanta Braves
B/T: B/L H/W: 5-9/150 BORN: Sept. 1, 1983
ACQUIRED: Signed as a minor league free agent November 2010
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Gwinnett July 29 when OF Nate McLouth went on the DL.
DEBUT: July 29 in a 5-0 win against the Florida Marlins: The starting center fielder, he batted leadoff and went 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI on an eighth-inning single.
NOTES: A longtime Cleveland Indians farmhand, the Dominican outfielder has had his name butchered enough that even on the depth chart of the current Baseball America Prospect Handbook he’s listed as “Jose Costanzo.” But he’s quietly put up fine career numbers in his nine seasons with the Indians, combining for a .304 average and topping the 30-steal mark five times. In his first Triple-A campaign, 2010, he hit .319 at Columbus and earned International League All-Star honors in the mid-season game. Playing for Gwinnett in his Braves debut he was hitting .312 with 23 steals in 86 games prior to his callup and made a return trip to the Triple-A mid-summer classic. He was also an All-Star in the 2011 Caribbean Series.

COLLIN COWGILL
OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
B/T: R/L H/W: 5-9/195 BORN: May 22, 1986
ACQUIRED: Selected in the fifth round of 2008 out of Kentucky
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Reno July 25 when IF/OF Geoff Blum went on the DL.
DEBUT: July 26 in a 6-1 win against the San Diego Padres: The starting left fielder, he batted eighth and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
NOTES: Ranked 18th on the Baseball America’s Diamondbacks prospect chart, Cowgill can play all three outfield positions and boasts a cannon for an arm as well as plus makeup. He was hitting .354 with 13 homers, 70 RBI and 30 steals at Reno prior to his callup and had participated in the recent Triple-A All-Star Game as well as winning Pacific League Player of the Week honors twice this summer. A 2010 Southern League All-Star, he hit .285 with 16 homers, 83 RBI and 25 steals at Double-A Mobile last summer to go with 34 doubles.

ERIC FARRIS
2B, Milwaukee Brewers
B/T: R/R H/W: 5-10/170 BORN: March 3, 1986
ACQUIRED: Selected in the fourth round of 2007 out of Loyola-Marymount University
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Nashville July 28 when 2B Rickie Weeks went on the DL.
DEBUT: July 28 in a 4-2 win against the Chicago Cubs: Pinch-hitting for P Latroy Hawkins in the seventh inning, he grounded out.
NOTES: The speedy Farris, who boasts a live bat, has emerged as such a promising utility infielder that his ascent made former first-rounder Brett Lawrie expendable in trade. He was hitting .262 with six homers, 38 RBI and 15 steals at Nashville before his callup, coming off of a 2010 season interrupted by injury. Before that, he batted .298 with 70 steals at Advanced-A Brevard in 2009, earning Florida State League All-Star honors, and swiped 32 bases at Class A West Virginia in his first full season. In his pro debut at short-season Helena, he was a Pioneer League All-Star with a .326 average and 21 steals. Ranked No. 9 among Brewers prospects by BA, he is a fine defensive player with good instincts and great makeup.

STEVE GARRISON
LHP, New York Yankees
B/T: B/L H/W: 6-1/195 BORN: Sept. 12, 1986
ACQUIRED: Claimed off waivers from the San Diego Padres in September 2010
PROMOTED: Recalled from Double-A Trenton July 19 when P Sergio Mitre went on the DL.
DEBUT: July 25 in a 10-3 win against the Seattle Mariners: The last of three pitchers, he tossed two-thirds of a scoreless inning.
NOTES: Originally 10th of 2005 by Milwaukee, Garrison was dealt to the Padres in July 2007 for reliever Scott Linebrink and placed on waivers at the end of 2010. Injured for much of 2009-2010, prior to that he had been primarily a starting pitcher and over six seasons had combined for a respectable 3.82 ERA. This year, at Trenton, he had a 6.26 ERA in 11 games, striking out 31 in 46 innings, but a lack of depth among left-handed relievers in the Yankees system worked to his benefit in finally getting him the call. He returned to the minors this weekend.

J.D. MARTINEZ
OF, Houston Astros
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-3/175 BORN: Aug. 21, 1987
ACQUIRED: Selected in the 20th round of 2009 out of Nova SOutheastern Junior College
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Double-A Corpus Christi July 29 when OF Hunter Pence was traded to Philadelphia.
DEBUT: July 30 in a 6-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers: Pinch-hitting for P Aneury Rodriguez in the eighth innings, he went 1-for-1 with a double.
NOTES: The Astros’ Minor League Player of the Year in 2010 has wielded one heck of a bat since turning pro. After hitting .403 in a brief 19-game stint at short-season Greeneville after signing, he headed to Tri-City where he won the New York-Penn League batting crown with a .326 average in 53 games, adding 12 homers and 56 RBI. The power-hitting Martinez, whose given name is Julio Daniel, moved up to Class A Lexington in 2010 and earned South Atlantic League MVP honors hitting .362 in just 88 games, prior to a jump to Double-A Corpus Christi where he hit .302 in 50 more games. Between the two stops he had 18 homers, 89 RBI and 40 doubles. His 183 hits ranked second in the minors, while his .433 on-base average and .598 slugging percentage at Lexington both led the Sally League. This year, back at Corpus Christi, he was hitting .338 with 13 homers, 72 RBI and 25 doubles prior to his promotion. With the trades of both Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn, the hard-hitting Martinez could be around for good in Houston.

CHANCE RUFFIN
RHP, Detroit Tigers
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-0/185 BORN: Sept. 8, 1988
ACQUIRED: Selected in the supplemental first round (48th) of 2010 out of Texas
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Toledo July 24 when P Lester Oliveros was sent down.
DEBUT: July 25 in a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox: The second of four pitchers, he allowed two runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings, striking out one and giving up homers to A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko.
NOTES: The son of longtime left-handed reliever Bruce Ruffin, Chance Ruffin made his pro debut this summer after signing last August. He posted a 2.12 ERA and 10 saves in 31 games at Double-A Erie before moving up to Toledo where he had a 1.64 ERA and seven more saves prior to his debut. Between the two stops had limited hitters to a .196 average and fanned 57 in 45 innings. His best pitch is his slider but he adds a fastball in the low-mid 90s with good life. He led the NCAA Division I pitchers with 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings last summer, adding a 1.11 ERA for the Longhorns. Ruffin was optioned back to the minors a few days later.

JACOB TURNER
RHP, Detroit Tigers
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-5/210 BORN: May 21, 1991
ACQUIRED: Selected in the first round (ninth) of 2009 out of high school in St. Louis
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Toledo July 30 when P Charlie Furbush was traded to the Seattle Mariners.
DEBUT: July 30 in a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels: The starting pitcher, he took the loss, allowing two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings, walking three and striking out six.
NOTES: The Tigers’ top prospect came up in a pre-ordained “one and done” and returned to Toledo post-game but made a big impression in that debut. With pitchers David Pauley and Doug Fister en route from Seattle via trade, there was room for a starter and a chance to let him show his nasty stuff with little pressure. He had a 3.48 ERA in 17 starts for the Mud Hens, having fanned 90 in 113 2/3 innings there. In his 2010 pro debut Turner had combined for a 3.28 ERA between two Class A stops and limited hitters to a .238 average. He has a plus fastball and his 12-6 curveball and changeup are improving to add to his repertoire.