Source: Jays won't let teams negotiate with Halladay  —  In the midst of all the Roy Halladay speculation, there is something you should know: Any team acquiring Halladay probably would not be able to negotiate with him until after a trade were complete.  —  According to a baseball source …

A letter to Nationals fans  —  No one is more dissatisfied in the first half of the 2009 Washington Nationals season than we are.  Like you, we had hoped that some of our younger players would have matured faster, and that the addition of some of our new veterans would have significantly improved our record from a season ago.

New York Yankees form new fan club called Yankees Universe  —  Members of Yankees Universe to receive exclusive benefits, excellent access and special merchandise discounts with a portion of proceeds supporting the Department of Pediatrics at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Girardi will rotate outfielders after break  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — Joe Girardi benched Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher yesterday and announced plans to use all five of the team's outfielders after the All-Star break.  —  “As I told all the outfielders today, we have five guys who are playing pretty good …

Like Cheesesteaks, Pedro?  —  Pedro Martinez will fly to Philadelphia today to take a physical tomorrow, a source confirmed.  —  If Martinez passes, expect him to sign with the Phillies in the next few days.  —  The Phillies watched Martinez throw twice last week at the team's baseball academy in the Dominican Republic.

THIRTY TEAMS IN THREE DAYS, SEATTLE MARINERS  —  The All-Star break affords the opportunity to look back at the first half to see what went right and wrong for the thirty MLB teams.  The Seattle Mariners are up next, and here is the pre-season post on the AL West.  —  Seattle Mariners through the All-Star break, 2009

Chicago Cubs Bankruptcy Looms as Way to Finish Sale by Tribune  —  The Chicago Cubs may become the first Major League Baseball team in 39 years to file for bankruptcy as Tribune Co. seeks to sell the franchise after months of negotiations.  —  Tribune sought Chapter 11 protection in December.

Midseason THR Updates  —  For the last five years, we've been collecting injury data based off the official DL reports.  While this data isn't complete, since the DL alone doesn't tell the full injury story, it is the only consistent source.  By adding extra information to the database …

Trade Candidates: Relievers  —  Just about every team could improve its bullpen and some clubs, like the Marlins and Rockies, are working aggressively to add relievers.  Here are some of the names to consider, ordered from highest 2009 salary to lowest.  — Kerry Wood - He's been a disappointment …

Sox show firepower  —  Beckett's 11th win 100th of his career  —  The first half of the Red Sox season ended the way it began, bristling with justified promise as Josh Beckett ruled the mound at Fenway Park, his blank face betraying his supremacy.  —  Just when it appeared the Sox might stagger …

Straight-out beloved  —  His knuckler goes all over, but friends of Wakefield are direct with their praise  —  On July 31, 1992, Montreal Expos general manager Dan Duquette rooted against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team with which the Expos were tied for first place, and he felt confident.

Kelly molding his future as we speak  —  Sox prospect deciding on whether he'll be pitcher or short  —  ST. LOUIS — Though Casey Kelly had the honor of representing the Red Sox at the XM Radio All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, the truth is that his future is still filled with the intriguing unknown.