Top News:
Mike Axisa / MLB Rumors:
Yankees Looking At Downs — Jeff Blair of The Globe And Mail passes along a note that the Yankees are looking at Blue Jays closer Scott Downs. In today's massive Roy Halladay thread we learned that the Yanks had scouts in Toronto tonight, and we've known that they're on the look out for arms.
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Mike Axisa / MLB Rumors:
Rosenthal's & Morosi's Latest: Halladay, Cabrera, Glaus — Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com say that the Phillies and Blue Jays are getting closer on a potential Roy Halladay deal, but nothing is imminent. The Rangers and Dodgers have both expressed interest in Halladay, but did not talk with Toronto on Friday.
Andy Martino / Philly.com:Here's the offer: Drabek, Happ and Brown for Halladay
Discussion:
MLB.com
Jim Salisbury / Philly.com:As trade deadline nears, talks for Halladay heat up
Discussion:
Balls, Sticks, & Stuff
Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
Cardinals acquire Holliday from A's — Prospects Wallace, Mortensen, Peterson shipped to Oakland — ST. LOUIS — A Major League source has confirmed that a deal is in place for the Cardinals to acquire Matt Holliday from the A's in exchange for Brett Wallace and two other Minor Leaguers …
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Roy Halladay / Sports Illustrated:Contenders jockeying for position in pursuit of big four trade targets
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Phillies Nation, Red Sox Monster, sox1fan.com, Baseball America, Hardball Times, Newsvine, The Good Phight and MetsBlog.com
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Sox designate Kotsay, who was surprised by the move — With the Red Sox needing to clear a spot on the 25-man roster for newly acquired Adam LaRoche, Mark Kotsay is the odd man out. — The Red Sox have designated the veteran outfielder/first baseman for assignment this afternoon.
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Associated Press:
Penny, Red Sox get back to winning ways with 3-1 victory over Orioles — BOSTON (AP) — Brad Penny (FSY) scattered five hits over 6 1-3 innings to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-1 on Friday night and snap a season-high five-game losing streak. — GAME REPORT: Red Sox 3, Orioles 1
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Red Sox DFA Mark Kotsay — 3:55pm: Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com says Kotsay was designated for assignment, not waived. This gives the Red Sox ten days to make their next move. — 2:17pm: The Red Sox put Mark Kotsay on waivers to make room for the recently-acquired Adam LaRoche, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
Mike Petraglia / WEEI:
KOTSAY DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT AS LAROCHE ARRIVES — Red Sox outfielder/first baseman Mark Kotsay has cleared out of his Fenway Park locker after being designated for assingment by the club. Kotsay was an apparent casualty of the need to clear a spot on the 25-man major-league roster for newly acquired first baseman Adam LaRoche.
Discussion:
Boston Globe
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Game 96: Athletics at Yankees — YANKEES (58-37) — Pitching: RHP Joba Chamberlain (5-2, 4.05). — ATHLETICS (40-54) — Kennedy 3B — Cabrera SS — Hairston LF — Cust DH — Suzuki C — Sweeney RF — Barton 1B — Ellis 2B — Patterson CF — Pitching: LHP Brett Anderson (5-7, 4.25).
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily, Sliding Into Home, A Die Hard Yankees Fan and Heartland Pinstripes
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Associated Press:
Yankees RHP Kennedy making progress in rehab — TAMPA, Fla. — New York Yankees pitcher Ian Kennedy hopes to pitch in a minor league game this season. — The right-hander, who underwent surgery on May 12 to remove an aneurysm from beneath his right biceps, made 50 throws at 90 feet to minor league coach Dan Borrell on Friday.
Discussion:
The Yankee Universe
Chris De Luca / Chicago Sun Times:
Umpire Cooper has a full plate of no-hitters — Some umpires can work their entire careers and never find themselves behind the plate for a no-hitter. Eric Cooper has been the plate umpire for three of them, including two by White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle, who pitched a perfect game Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays.
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Katie Strang / Newsday:
Source: Maine could miss rest of season — Mets pitcher John Maine will seek a second opinion on his injured right shoulder, multiple sources confirmed Thursday. Maine, who went on the disabled list June 12 with a pinched nerve in the shoulder, is expected to visit Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham …
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Associated Press:
Texas Rangers RHP Vicente Padilla tests positive for swine flu — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Texas Rangers pitcher Vicente Padilla tested positive for swine flu, though his symptoms are subsiding and he's expected to make his next start. — Padilla was scratched from his start Wednesday …
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Mariano's memento to his teammates — Here's what kind of guy Mariano Rivera is. — When the Yankees arrived today, they each had a ball in a glass and cherry wood display case waiting for them in their lockers. It was a game-used ball from the June 28 game against the Mets when Mo picked up his 500th save.
Discussion:
The Sommer Frieze
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Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Sano will be partially cleared — Major League Baseball's investigation will partially clear Miguel Angel Sano, of his identity but not his age, a source just confirmed. The identity will come back “regular,” and the age will come back “undetermined.” — Details to come.
Steve Foster / Inside the Colorado Rockies:
Rockies send Speier out — The Colorado Rockies announced Friday that relief pitcher Ryan Speier has been designated for assignment and Manny Corpas placed on the 15-day disabled list to make room for Jhoulys Chacin and Rafael Betancourt on the roster. — Speier was activated from the disabled list on Tuesday.
Associated Press:
Aramis Ramirez carries Cubs to 8-5 win over Reds — CHICAGO (AP) — Aramis Ramirez (FSY) homered, doubled twice, singled and drove in three runs Friday in his most productive game since coming off the disabled list, leading the Chicago Cubs to an 8-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals win wet one against Nationals — WASHINGTON — As Adam Wainwright packed to leave Houston hours before his teammates, several teammates told him the price of dodging Wednesday's all-night flight from Texas was throwing a complete game Thursday. — So he did. — Weather permitting.
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