Rangers' price is high for Teixeira  —  LIKE THIS STORY?  —  In one version of the Braves' second-half blueprint, right-hander Jon Garland would have been their No. 3 starter, Yunel Escobar their shortstop and Mark Teixeira their first baseman.  —  A proposed trade of shortstop Edgar Renteria …

Marlins insist Willis not on the market  —  PHOENIX One ESPN analysis of the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline touted Dontrelle Willis as perhaps the best available starter.  —  Here's the problem with that: Willis is not available.  —  The Marlins continue telling teams Willis is not up for discussion.

Courageous pitcher A-OK in triumph  —  CLEVELAND — If you have a shred of humanity, watching Jon Lester take a major league mound for the first time since being diagnosed with cancer in late August of 2006 and win a 6-2 decision over a tough Cleveland Indians lineup last night had to tug at the heartstrings.

Belliard Signs Extension  —  Other Nats Could Be Dealt as Trade Deadline Nears  —  At a time when much of the baseball world expected the Washington Nationals to be selling off their veteran pieces, the club's first move in the week leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline was to keep a player.

Pence out 4-6 weeks with injured wrist  —  MRI exam reveals small chip fracture; outfielder placed on DL  —  HOUSTON — With the Astros offense struggling for a fourth consecutive night, and the team falling to a season-worst 15 games under .500 after a 10-2 rout at the hands of the Dodgers …

Craig Biggio to retire after 20 seasons in baseball  —  Houston Astros second baseman Craig Biggio will retire after this season, MLB.com reported Tuesday.  —  Biggio's 20-year career will end Sept. 30.  He will leave the game with more than 3,000 hits, 650 doubles and nearly 300 home runs.

Rangers should offer a package deal  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  ARLINGTON - If the Rangers want to get the maximum value for some of their tradable commodities, it may make the most sense to package them in a bigger deal.  —  Almost every contending club is interested in a Rangers reliever.

Time for a Redbird reality check  —  ATLANTA — Sometime this week Cardinals ownership will meet with its front office and dugout staff to determine whether this season is irreparably damaged or can be salvaged within a flawed division.  —  In other words, buy or sell.

Even at 100 RBI, A-Rod yet to earn stripes  —  Here is the deal on Alex Rodriguez, as the Yankees already begin to wonder what kind of deal it will take to keep him here:  —  The last Yankee to have better combined home run and RBI numbers at this point in the season was Lou Gehrig, in 1934.

PEDRO THROWS ANOTHER ROUND  —  Having returned to St. Lucie, Fla., Pedro Martinez threw his second simulated game yesterday and had no problems health-wise.  —  "Everything went well," Omar Minaya said, adding that the Mets ace threw all his pitches.  —  Martinez threw three innings …

Reyes's Plate Discipline Sees Unprecedented Strides  —  With two outs, a runner on second, and your team up 6-0 in the top of the first on the road, what would you do?  I won't lie — I'd hack away, trying to pad my numbers.  —  Jose Reyes is a better man than I, so when he found himself …

Cedeno gets call to return from Iowa  —  Trade of Izturis opens spot; Fox likely to be demoted  —  The Cubs will promote shortstop Ronny Cedeno from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, and he's expected to be available for the opener of the three-game series in St. Louis.

Indians' Nixon behind the pie-jinks  —  It's the Tribe Prank of the Year, one that beggan when the boisterous clubhouse cutup, Trot Nixon, decided that any teammate interviewed on TV after a game absolutely needs a plateful of whipped cream in his face.  —  rot Nixon's teammates don't know it yet, but they should be afraid.