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.

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.

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.

Tom Verducci: NL's futility riveting storyline … ST. LOUIS — Be thankful we have the National League All-Star team, in the same way you should be thankful for Lou Costello, Gilligan, Charlie Brown, the Washington Generals and, OK, the Washington Nationals, too.

Marte to begin rehab assignment  —  Yanks lefty has missed most of year with shoulder issue  —  Yankees reliever Damaso Marte, who has been out for the past 2 1/2 months because of weakness and tendinitis in his left shoulder, is scheduled to begin an injury rehabilitation assignment Thursday.

Tip for Casey: To Swing a Faster Bat, Lighten Up That Lumber  —  With Major League Baseball's All-Star game taking place tonight, a researcher explains why, when it comes to swinging a baseball bat, heavier isn't necessarily better  —  Tune into tonight's baseball All-Star game and you'll …

Nats Introduce Riggleman as Manager: “I'm a bit of a softie.”  —  The Washington Nationals held a press conference this afternoon to introduce their third manager since moving from Montreal in 2005, former bench coach and three-time major league manager Jim Riggleman.

Top 20 Rookies At The Break  —  The Cardinals have played a big league-leading 91 games to this point, illustrating that the All-Star break splits the season into asymmetrical portions.  So the idea of the break functioning as the halfway point to the season is a bit of a misnomer.

Yates has Tommy John surgery  —  Pirates reliever Tyler Yates had major reconstructive surgery on his right elbow yesterday and will miss the rest of the season.  —  Details to come.  —  UPDATE 3:20 p.m.: Yesterday in Birmingham, Ala., Dr. James Andrews repaired a torn ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow.

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

Which GMs are facing the most pressure entering the second half? … The job of major league baseball general manager is a pressure-filled position, although those lucky enough to rise to that lofty title are usually given more time than managers to show what they can do.

Dodgers keep eye out for pitching help  —  Starter, late reliever could bolster LA's balanced team  —  They lost their best hitter for 50 games and their Opening Day starter for another 50, yet the Dodgers hit the All-Star break with the best record in baseball.