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.

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.

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.

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.

Discussion: Trade Deadline Predictions  —  Just for fun, why don't we kick off the second half of the MLB season with a few trade deadline predictions?  Here are three from me and I'm looking forward to reading yours in the comments below:  — The Blue Jays will trade Roy Halladay …

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.)

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.

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

All-Star game TV ratings down slightly from 2008 … NEW YORK (AP) — The All-Star game's television ratings are down slightly from last year.  —  Fox said Wednesday that the American League's 4-3 win Tuesday night earned an 8.9 fast national rating and 15 share.

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.

Minnesota Twins recall right-hander Kevin Mulvey, option catcher Jose Morales  —  MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins have recalled right-hander Kevin Mulvey from Triple-A Rochester to add some depth to their bullpen.  —  Mulvey was 3-6 with a 3.93 ERA in 17 starts for the Red Wings this year.