While true that this year's Triple-A all-star game will feature 12 players age 30 and over, the average age of all participants actually checks in at 26.4. That's because every grizzled veteran like Lehigh Valley's Andy Tracy or Durham's Joe Dillon is offset by a young pup like Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Jesus Montero or Norfolk's Chris Tillman, the two youngest players headed to Allentown, Pa., home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, for the July 14 contest.

Traditionally, the Triple-A all-star, which pits the International League's finest against those of the Pacific Coast League, takes place one day after the major league All-Star Game, and this year is no exception. The MLB Network will have the telecast next Wednesday.

Let's take a closer look at this year's participants, noting age, acquisition history and performance through early July. We'll keep you updated with changes to rosters brought about by injuries or by players being called to the big leagues.

Key to notations: *bats/throws lefthanded. #switch-hitter. @reliever.
Starters in bold, with best guesses for starting pitchers and outfield alignment. 
Players listed with (+) will not participate in the all-star game. See the IL and PCL replacements.

Coaching Staff: Charlie Montoyo, manager, Durham (Rays); Dave Huppert, coach, Lehigh Valley (Phillies); Frank Kremblas, coach, Indianapolis (Pirates); and Jason Kirkman, trainer, Lehigh Valley (Phillies).

On 40-Man Rosters (14 of 30 players): Albaladejo (Yankees), Dunn (Braves), Hudson (White Sox), Manuel (Red Sox), Mathieson (Phillies), Sborz (Tigers), Tillman (Orioles), Torres (White Sox), Wood (Reds), Flowers (White Sox), Nunez (Yankees), Ransom (Phillies), Valaika (Reds) and Brantley (Indians).

Nine of the 14 players on 40-man rosters are pitchers. As of July 7, Manuel, Wood, Ransom and Brantley were on big league rosters, leaving their participation in the game in doubt. The IL has not yet announced replacements.

Acquisition Breakdown: 13 with original signing organization; 8 acquired in trade; 7 signed as free agents; 2 claimed on waivers.

Tale Of The Trades: Parting with these prospects netted significant big league pieces for the trading teams. Javier Vazquez figures in two of these trades. As an aside, for somebody who ranks second in career strikeouts among active pitchers, he sure has been traded a lot—five times in all, with each swap occurring in the offseason between the dates of Dec. 4 and Jan. 11. In December 2008, the White Sox shipped him to the Braves for four players, including Flowers. Little more than a year later, the Braves sent him to the Yankees for three players, including Dunn. The other trades, listed by year:

• 2007: The Mets parted with Martin and one other player to obtain Luis Castillo at the trade deadline. In December, the Yankees traded Tyler Clippard to the Nationals to obtain Albaladejo.
• 2008: The Mariners included Tillman as one five players they shipped to the Orioles for Erik Bedard in February. In early July, the Brewers shipped Brantley and three others to the Indians for C.C. Sabathia.
• 2009: In a minor trade, the Rays acquired the veteran Dillon from the Athletics for Adam Kennedy.

Coaching Staff: Daren Brown, manager, Tacoma (Mariners); Erik Bennett, pitching coach, Salt Lake (Angels); Mark Budaska, hitting coach, Memphis (Cardinals); and Steven Miller, trainer, New Orleans (Marlins).

On 40-Man Rosters (15 of 30 players): French (Mariners), Frieri (Padres), Kirkman (Rangers), Mortensen (Athletics), Norberto (Diamondbacks), Strop (Rangers), Thompson (Angels), Donaldson (Athletics), May (Dodgers), Davis (Rangers), Greene (Cardinals), Ka'aihue (Royals), Trumbo (Angels), Bogusevic (Astros) and Gordon (Royals).

Seven of the 15 players on 40-man rosters are pitchers. As of July 7, Norberto, Strop, Thompson and Greene were on big league rosters, while Bogusevic (minor surgical procedure) and Lubanski (rib cage) will miss the contest with injuries. The PCL named replacements in Josh Banks, rhp, Round Rock (Astros); Fernando Salas, rhp, Memphis (Cardinals); and Doug Deeds, of, Reno (Diamondbacks).

Acquisition Breakdown (Original Roster): 18 with original signing organization; 4 acquired in trade; 6 signed as free agents; 2 claimed on waivers.

Tale Of The Trades: Like the IL, the PCL all-stars who have been traded were exchanged for valuable big leaguers. Two of the deals went down in July 2009, around the time of the trade deadline. On July 24, the Cardinals sent Mortensen and two others, one of them PCL all-star Brett Wallace, to the Athletics for Matt Holliday. About a week later, on July 30, the Tigers send French and another young lefty to the Mariners for Jarrod Washburn.

Wallace lasted with the A's for five months, at which point Oakland dealt him to the Blue Jays for Michael Taylor in December 2009. Wallace has enjoyed a fine season with Las Vegas, leading to his all-star selection.

Like Mortensen, the Athletics netted Donaldson, their other PCL all-star, in trade. (As noted, they briefly held Wallace in their grasp, too.) In July 2008, the A's acquired Donaldson and three other players in the trade that sent Rich Harden (and Chad Gaudin) to the Cubs.