Chicago Cubs trade Cesar Izturis to Pittsburgh for a player to be named later  —  Cubs select catcher Jake Fox from Double-A Tennessee  —  CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs today traded shortstop Cesar Izturis and a cash consideration to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for a player to be named later.

Sox dealing with reality: Costs can be steep when talking trades  —  At this time of year, especially, the obvious truth is that most trades never come to fruition.  And as the Red Sox [team stats] move toward the July 31 trading deadline, what they can add depends largely on what they would give up.

Treanor: Marlins need Olsen focused on baseball  —  MIAMI GARDENS Whether the unpaid two-game suspension of left-hander Scott Olsen had the desired effect won't become apparent until he pitches Friday.  —  Back from his banishment for fighting with a teammate in the dugout last weekend …

Bonds returns to lineup, hits homers No. 752, 753  —  CHICAGO — Barry Bonds hit his 752nd and 753rd home runs Thursday, ending his worst slump in six years with two of his biggest swings this month — and he only needs two more to tie Hank Aaron's record.  —  He was rested and ready, all right.

Stark: Rumblings and Grumblings  —  Looking to add a quality starter for a stretch run?  Good luck.  Teams in the hunt will have to settle for scraps.  Rumblings and Grumblings  —  • Tim Kurkjian: No big names available |  Buster Olney: All quiet  —  • Baseball Today: Joe Mauer |

Rangers put reliever Otsuka on 15-day DL  —  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rangers reliever Akinori Otsuka was put on the 15-day disabled list Thursday after an MRI exam determined the right-hander has inflammation in his forearm that is causing pain in his elbow.  —  "I'm relieved," said Otsuka, who hasn't pitched since July 1.

Welcome to Dullsville … Once, there was a time when it was possible to trade for Randy Johnson at the trading deadline.  Or Bartolo Colon.  Or, at the very least, Brad Penny.  —  Boy, those were the days.  —  But now those days seem as long gone as legalized spitballs …

Slide step  —  Sox drop another; division lead at 7  —  The fixation with the team that plays on 161st Street and River Drive in the Bronx makes it much harder for fans to abide the win-one, lose-one approach that has marked the Red Sox' play for the better part of two months.

More surgery ends Carp's season  —  ATLANTA Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter will undergo additional elbow surgery that will end his season and potentially cause him to miss a significant portion of the 2008 season, club and industry sources told the Post-Dispatch Thursday.

Franco slammed by ex-teammates  —  SAN DIEGO - That Julio Franco found work with the Atlanta Braves isn't surprising.  —  What was surprising, however, were the lack of references, especially when it came to the "clubhouse leadership" issue.  —  Manager Willie Randolph said Franco …

Ibanez says Mariners don't need roster changes  —  SEATTLE — Thirteen days before baseball's July 31 trade deadline, left fielder Raul Ibanez put on his general manager's cap Wednesday and pronounced the Mariners complete as they are.  —  "Sometimes there is a legitimate need for this or that …

Five and Fly: Slim pickings  —  The scouts are out there, trolling for pitchers with pulses, having concluded there probably won't be a middle-of-the-order bat, and skeptical the few available pitchers are worth the current prices.  —  "I'm not sure any of them are better than what we already have …

Blogger Beat: True Blue L.A.  —  This season, at the beginning of each series, MetsBlog will attempt to get the perspective of the opposition and their fans.  From this, we hope to be better educated on the opposition going into a series.  It also gives us a fine opportunity to highlight some of our favorite team blogs.

Byrnes wants deal done  —  Sides appear far apart; outfielder 'optimistic' but won't rule out free agency  —  MILWAUKEE - Eric Byrnes knows that his chances of remaining with the Diamondbacks beyond this season diminish with each passing day.  —  Byrnes says he remains optimistic about the chances of a deal getting done.