Top News:
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
MELKY TO MINORS, SEXSON WAIVED — YANKEES PROMOTE GARDNER, RANSOM — In a move designed to boost the Yankees' sagging offense, the team today will demote Melky Cabrera to the minors, waive Richie Sexson, and promote Brett Gardner and Cody Ransom from Triple-A, The Post has learned.
Discussion:
Walkoff Walk, MLB Rumors, WasWatching.com, River Ave. Blues, iYankees and Sliding Into Home
RELATED:
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Yanks demote Melky, cut Sexson — Club recalls Gardner and Ransom; Britton recalled, too — NEW YORK — TThe Yankees reshaped their roster prior to Friday's game with the Royals at Yankee Stadium, optioning outfielder Melky Cabrera to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and designating first baseman Richie Sexson for assignment.
Roderick Boone / On the Yankees beat:Tonight's lineup and plenty of pregame news/nuggets
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley
Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Pirates, Alvarez AGREE to terms; Scheppers unsigned — The Pirates and first-round draft pick Pedro Alvarez agreed to contract terms, just before the midnight deadline Friday: $6 million bonus, plus college. — More in a bit. — 12:40 a.m.: Tanner Scheppers and all the other unsigned picks remained that way.
RELATED:
John Manuel / Baseball America Draft Blog:
Scheppers Doesn't Sign — We're still waiting for word on Pedro Alvarez and Eric Hosmer at the top of the draft. Righthander Tanner Scheppers of Fresno State, the Pirates' second-round pick (one round after Alvarez), is confirmed as not having signed. Scheppers had a shoulder injury …
Dan Connolly / Baltimore Sun:
O's reach agreement with Matusz — First-round pick gets major league deal, $3.2M signing bonus — The Orioles and first-round pick Brian Matusz have agreed to terms on a major league deal that would immediately insert him onto the club's 40-man roster and toward the top of the organization's list of pitching prospects.
RELATED:
ESPN:
Pirates sign 3B Alvarez as draft deadline passes — NEW YORK — Six of the top 11 picks in baseball's amateur draft agreed to contracts in the hours before Friday's midnight deadline. That included No. 2 overall pick Pedro Alvarez, who received a minor league deal from the Pittsburgh Pirates with a $6 million signing bonus.
ESPN.com:
Yankees fire 2 scouts amid kickback investigation — A Major League Baseball source said Friday that the New York Yankees decided to fire two scouts for taking kickbacks from Dominican prospects after being briefed by MLB investigators on the financial scandal and the role the men played in it.
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Buster Olney / ESPN:
Closer Percival is the latest Ray to land on DL … The Tampa Bay Rays are starting to run into the bad luck they have avoided for most of this magical season. Rays closer Troy Percival will go on the 15-day disabled list because of a knee injury. He is the third Tampa Bay player to go on the DL this week.
Discussion:
The Heater
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Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Angels' Maicer Izturis out for the season — Maicer Izturis was injured when diving for a ground ball. Now he's out for the season. — Injury to left thumb sidelines the shortstop. Erick Aybar will be the starter. — CLEVELAND — Maicer Izturis' left thumb injury was far worse than the Angels feared.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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John Manuel / Baseball America Draft Blog:
Nats No Go On Crow, Sign Ramirez Instead — The Nationals signed 15th round pick J.P. Ramirez, a lefthanded-hitting outfielder with a smooth stroke and a Tulane commitment, for $1 million. — Ramirez is a solid consolation prize, but the Nats missed on their top pick.
Discussion:
Fire Jim Bowden
Associated Press:
Hargrove wants to manage again: ‘Edge is back’ — CLEVELAND — Mike Hargrove wants another shot at managing in the major leagues. — A little over a year ago, Hargrove shocked baseball by walking away from the Seattle Mariners, becoming the first manager since 1900 to resign as his team was on an eight-game winning streak.
Associated Press:
Suzuki HR in 9th lifts A's by White Sox — OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)—Kurt Suzuki gave the slumping Oakland Athletics something to celebrate. — Suzuki hit a game-winning, pinch-hit two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning and the A's rallied to beat the Chicago White Sox 6-4 on Friday night …
Discussion:
Athletics Nation
Chris Duncan / Associated Press:
Webb wins 18th to snap Astros's run at 8 — HOUSTON (AP)—Arizona's hitters with ties to Houston helped Brandon Webb and the Diamondbacks end the Astros' eight-game winning streak. — Webb struck out six in eight sharp innings and Houston natives Chris Snyder and Chris Young …
Discussion:
AZ Snakepit
Steve Gilbert / MLB.com:
Cruz eyes free agency with uncertainty — D-backs reliever eligible at the end of this season — HOUSTON — Juan Cruz will be a free agent at the end of the year. — Whether or not he'll be an Arizona Diamondback next season remains to be seen. — “Every player, when they sign …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
John Manuel / Baseball America Draft Blog:
Yanks Get Bleich Done — If Gerrit Cole follows through and goes to UCLA as he has said, then Stanford lefthander Jeremy Bleich will be the Yankees' top signee from the 2008 draft. The Yankees signed Bleich Friday night, though terms of the deal have not been reported.
