Pedro Martinez signed by Philadelphia Phillies  —  PHILADELPHIA — Pedro Martinez is returning to the major leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies.  —  The right-hander signed a one-year contract with the Phillies on Wednesday and will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a mild shoulder strain.

Crawford's glove runs AL's unbeaten streak to 13 All-Star Games  —  ST. LOUIS — World Series champions change.  Stadiums change.  Stars of the game change.  —  Baseball's All-Star Game winner is always the same.  —  On a night to savor defense and relief pitching …

SOURCE: ALL-STAR GAME AT CITI FIELD IN 2013  —  ST. LOUIS — The Yankees had their All-Star party last year, with an All-Star farewell to Yankee Stadium.  The Mets and Citi Field will be having their All-Star Summer hello in 2013.  —  That was the word yesterday from MLB sources.

Cordero makes most of efficient outing  —  Reds closer's chance at a win robbed by Crawford's fine grab  —  ST. LOUIS — Francisco Cordero has probably seen enough of Rays outfielder Carl Crawford in All-Star Games, on both sides of the ball.  —  The last time Cordero pitched in the Midsummer Classic was in San Francisco in 2007.

Eric Milton of Los Angeles Dodgers has back surgery, likely done for season  —  Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Eric Milton has had surgery for a herniated disk in his back and will be out at least three months, likely bringing his season to an end, according to media reports.

Cards Willing To Make Strong Offer For Halladay  —  The Cardinals are prepared to offer talent for Roy Halladay, but they're not going to disassemble their entire system to acquire the Jays ace, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  —  “We may be able to give up an arm or a leg,” a Cardinals source told Strauss.

How to get Roy Halladay  —  Disclaimer: This blog post is based purely on my own opinion.  I have not been told in any way, shape or form that this trade will actually happen or that the Yankees are pursuing a trade at all.  Please do not link to this post like it's news.  It's not.)

Previewing the MLB trade deadline  —  With the All-Star Game behind us and the second half in front of us, an early look at the MLB trade market:  —  PITCHERS  —  With Roy Halladay unexpectedly on the market, an ace suddenly is available  —  Roy Halladay — SP, Blue Jays

Senior softball players create videos to help Mets  —  Three strikes and you are out - add a losing record, 56 errors, a bunch of balks and a number of questionable plays, and it's inevitable that the New York Mets would be offered help.  —  One compelling offer comes from some seasoned …

The BBTiA Top 25 Prospect Rankings: July 2009 Edition  —  Due to the sheer immensity of the second annual edition of the Baseball Time in Arlington Top 25 Mid-Season Prospect Rankings, I'm electing to forgo the protracted introduction and jump right into the meat of this July's list …

Players Wish Acta Had Been More Stern  —  One day before the Washington Nationals opened their season in Florida, Manny Acta called a late-afternoon state-of-the-team meeting with his players.  Twenty-four players showed up on time.  The one who didn't, center fielder Lastings Milledge …