Top News:
Jim Callis / Baseball America:
The Strasburg & Ackley Deals — Stephen Strasburg: — Four-year major league deal, $7.5 million bonus, $7.6 million in salaries (including pro-rated $400,000 salary for remainder of 2009), $15.1 million total guaranteed. Also various incentives based on big league award voting. — Dustin Ackley:
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Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Boras works OT ahead of baseball draftee deadline — It's 3:30 in the morning in California and powerful baseball agent Scott Boras has not gone to bed. — Boras has been up the last 22 hours, negotiating a historic contract for No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg with the Washington Nationals, and signing four other first-round picks.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Chico Harlan / Washington Post:
It's a Deal: Strasburg, Nationals Agree — Long Night Ends With Record-Setting Pact for Washington's Top Draft Pick — Midnight neared, an organization held its breath, and finally — after way too much losing, years of scouting, and weeks of negotiating — the Washington Nationals secured the one good thing to come from all of it.
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Nationals Sign Stephen Strasburg — 11:39pm: BA's Jim Callis has the contract breakdown. Bill Shaikin and Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times have even further detail. — 11:06pm: Baseball America's Aaron Fitt says Strasburg signed a Major League deal worth $15.67MM over four years.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Nationals Journal, Walkoff Walk, It's About The Money, Hardball Times and Babes Love Baseball
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Damon Feels Like Staying, and the Yanks Seem Willing — OAKLAND, Calif. — Johnny Damon played his first series as a Yankee at the Oakland Coliseum in April 2006. He did not really factor into one of the games, but he hung around by his locker after it was over, just in case reporters needed him.
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Wright's way is right way on, off field — Teammates call Mets' young leader ‘too good to be true’ — The baseball sped toward his face, imperiling his good looks, his cranium and his livelihood. And 10 days later, it happened again. Each time, David Wright flinched.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
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Chris Hine / New York Times:Hernandez Continues to Struggle, and So Do the Mets
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Kristie Ackert / NY Daily News:Wright feels fine, just ‘embarrassed’ to land on DL
Discussion:
NESN.com
Tracy Ringolsby / Inside the Colorado Rockies:
Rockies Agree with Matzek - Updated — The Colorado Rockies came up to the deadline, and then got the deal done with their top draft pick, high school lefthander Tyler Matzek. — The Rockies agreed to a signing bonus of $3.9 million, insidetherockies.com learned, more than double …
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Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:
Marlins come to terms with top two picks — With signings, Florida has signed its top 12 selections — Currently on the Marlins roster are two starting pitchers who were drafted out of high school in the first round in 2005. — A pair of high school pitchers, selected first and second …
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
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Jim Callis / Baseball America:Yankees Sign Heathcott For $2.2 Million
Discussion:
WasWatching.com, Hardball Times, Fack Youk, Zell's Pinstripe Blog, MLB Rumors, Pinstripe Alley, NESN.com and River Avenue Blues
Sports Illustrated:
Ankiel's HR helps sizzling Cardinals sink Dodgers … LOS ANGELES(AP) Although Ryan Franklin graciously accepted his teammates' congratulations in the Dodger Stadium clubhouse for his 30th save, the St. Louis closer thought the spotlight should be on Chris Carpenter 's setup work.
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David Ely / MLB.com:
Two homers sink Dodgers, Haeger — Knuckleballer delivers seven innings in debut for LA — LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers got just about everything they could have hoped for Monday night. — Well, everything short of a win. — Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger lasted seven innings and only gave …
Discussion:
6-4-2
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Tigers acquire infielder Huff from O's — Veteran brings left-hand bat to lineup and versatility in the field — DETROIT — Finally, the Tigers found help at the plate on the trade market. In turn, Aubrey Huff found arguably his best chance to finally get to the postseason.
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Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Game 119: Yankees at Athletics (with draft signing updates) — YANKEES (74-44) — Pitching: RHP AJ Burnett (10-5, 3.71). — ATHLETICS (52-65) — Kennedy 3B — Davis CF — Suzuki C — Hairston LF — Sweeney RF — Ellis 2B — Cust DH — Crosby 1B — Pennington SS
Carroll Rogers / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves not interested in Smoltz — The Boston Red Sox severed ties with John Smoltz on Monday, announcing they were releasing the former Brave, which made him available to other teams at a pro-rated major league minimum salary. The Braves are not among the teams interested in signing him though …
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Chad Finn / Boston Globe:Smoltz released — John Smoltz's brief and disappointing stay …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Paul Hoynes / Plain Dealer:
Cleveland Indians sign No.1 pick, North Carolina pitcher Alex White, for $2.25 million — CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Indians have signed No.1 pick Alex White for $2.25 million. — The University of North Carolina right-hander went 8-4 with a 3.89 ERA in 16 starts for the Tar Heels this year.
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe!
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Jim Callis / Baseball America:
Yankees Sign Mitchell For $800,000 — The Yankees have signed 16th-round pick Bryan Mitchell for $800,000. It's the third-highest bonus after the 10th round this year, following Orioles signees Michael Ohlman ($995,000, 11th round) and Cameron Coffey ($990,000, 22nd round).
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home
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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Chicago Cubs lose 4-1 to San Diego Padres — Closer wastes Lilly's gem as Cubs fall 6 behind Cardinals — Padres' Kyle Blanks leaps into his teammates as he crosses home plate after blasting a three-run home run in the ninth inning off Cubs closer Kevin Gregg. (Lenny Ignelzi, Associated Press / August 17, 2009)
John Manuel / Baseball America:
Phillies Nab Colvin for $900,000 — Baseball America has confirmed that Louisiana State signee Brody Colvin has spurned the defending national champions to sign with the Phillies, who drafted him in the seventh round. Colvin signed for $900,000, the second-highest bonus in the seventh round …
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Jim Callis / Baseball America:
Red Sox Sign Volz For $550,000 — The Red Sox have signed Baylor righthander Kendal Volz for $550,000. That's the second-highest bonus in the ninth round this year.
The Heater:
Tampa Bay Rays don't expect to sign their top two draft picks — Update: 2:56 p.m. Kenneth Diekroeger Sr. said his son told the Rays today he will be going to Stanford, and it's a final decision. — Diekroeger, the Rays second round pick, spent most of the summer debating it …
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