Rangers Start Trade Talks; Place Vicente Padilla On Outright Waivers To Test Market  —  NEW YORK - The Rangers have started the search for more parts for a playoff run in earnest, but will likely have to move some salary in order to acommodate a major trade.

Welcome to the Majors, Daniel Schlereth  —  This time last year, Daniel Schlereth was waiting to be drafted by a team.  The University of Arizona reliever found himself chosen by the hometown Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round.  A few days ago, Schlereth got the promotion from Double-A …

Montero's Coming  —  Can confirm that the plan is for Jesus Montero to be promoted to Double-A Trenton.  With the team at the maximum of 24 players, apparently the delay in announcing the move is in making the final decision on what the corresponding move would be.

Motor City steers into a skid  —  DETROIT - Vacant streets, vacant buildings, and vacant looks in the eyes of hard-working people who have had their livelihoods erased or threatened: This is downtown Detroit in the first week of June in 2009.  —  The Tigers are playing the Red Sox …

SWINE FLU SCARE FOR METS, BELTRAN  —  PITTSBURGH — The Mets were on high alert here yesterday after a producer on their SNY broadcast crew was sent back to New York and put in isolation with a possible case of swine flu.  —  The Mets were even more on guard because center fielder Carlos Beltran …

Baseball's Lebron … One rainy February day in Las Vegas, home to a fake pyramid, a phony volcano, a faux Eiffel Tower, an ersatz New York skyline, a pirated copy of a pirate ship and the clever sleights-of-hand of magicians and plastic surgeons, Sam Thomas watched two men stretching …

Halos run into hot hand of Halladay  —  Offense strikes out 14 times, late rally attempt falls shy  —  TORONTO — In the visitors' clubhouse at Rogers Centre following Tuesday's contest, Angels center fielder Torii Hunter just stood at his locker and smiled.

Nobody's perfect: The early line on trade needs for the contenders … No team looks perfect with nearly two months to go before the trade deadline ... well, no team except the Dodgers, that is.  Whomever they use performs.  At least that's the way it looks now.

Farm report: Holt to Binghamton  —  Mets officials say Brad Holt is on a similar trajectory to Mike Pelfrey.  So Holt, the 33rd overall pick in the draft one year ago and the fastest-rising pitching prospect in the organization, was promoted to Double-A Binghamton on Wednesday.

Glavine sharp again, says he's ready  —  ROME — After throwing six scoreless innings and earning a win in his third minor-league rehab start in two weeks, Braves pitcher Tom Glavine pronounced himself ready to return to the major leagues Tuesday night as the 43-year-old veteran turned …

Reliving the Randy Johnson experience  —  What's it like hitting against the Big Unit?  Hitters share their often terrifying moments.  —  ESPN The Magazine … The most fitting tribute to the greatness of Randy Johnson came 12 years ago when Baltimore Orioles manager Davey Johnson benched …

Eyre expects to retire at end of season  —  SAN DIEGO - Scott Eyre said yesterday that he was “more than 90 percent” sure he would retire at the end of this season.  —  Eyre, 37, is a veteran of 13 major-league seasons and will be a free agent after this year.