Top News:
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
Yankees on brink of landing Cliff Lee — The Knicks didn't get LeBron James, but the Yankees were on the brink of obtaining Cliff Lee late last night for a package that would include top prospect Jesus Montero, the Post has learned. — Yankees GM Brian Cashman and Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik …
Discussion:
Postcards from Elysian Fields, The Seattle Times, Bats, Boston Globe, Mike Silva's …, Fanhouse MLB Blog, Twins Insider, Projo Sox Blog, Phillies Nation, Lookout Landing, The LoHud Yankees Blog, MetsBlog.com, Walkoff Walk, Mets Merized Online, NESN.com, Subway Squawkers, BronxBanterBlog.com, Pinstripe Alley, LADYBATTING.COM, Seattle Times, U.S.S. Mariner, Can't Stop The Bleeding, Mets Paradise, Mike Ashmore's Thunder …, Mets Today and FenwayNation
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Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Rangers To Acquire Cliff Lee — 3:57pm: The Rangers will acquire Lee and Mark Lowe for Justin Smoak and three others, according to Sherman (via Twitter). Lowe will miss the rest of the season with back surgery, so his inclusion in the trade is puzzling. Rosenthal confirms that the Rangers …
Buster Olney / ESPN:
A trade that would have sent Mariners left-hander Cliff Lee to the Yankees has broken down after the teams couldn't agree on the second player to be dealt, a source said Friday.
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
What if Yankees get Lee? — If the Yankees and Mariners pull off a deal that would send Cliff Lee to the Yankees in a package that would send Triple-A catcher Jesus Montero and others to Seattle, does that insure the Yankees of the AL East title? — And are the beat up Red Sox left to contend for the wild card with Tampa Bay?
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Bats, Mets Merized Online, Lookout Landing, Fanhouse MLB Blog, NESN.com and The LoHud Yankees Blog
George A. King III / New York Post:
Phils may cut Werth-y deal — SEATTLE — According to several sources, the Phillies have been informed by the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays that they will be interested in outfielder Jayson Werth if the defending NL champions put him on the market later this month.
Dan Mennella / MLB.com:
Mariners, Yanks intensify Lee trade talks — If Cliff Lee is changing teams, he may merely be moving from the home to the visitors' dugout at Safeco Field this weekend. — The Yankees, who are in Seattle for their final series of the first half, were on the verge of trading for the Mariners' Lee …
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
The Yankees have intensified talks with the Mariners for star lefthander Cliff Lee, sources confirm.
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Mets Will Turn To Ted Lilly — Cliff Lee is coming to New York, but he isn't the left-handed starter the Mets are focused on. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (via Twitter) that the Mets will ‘turn strongly’ to Cubs starter Ted Lilly now that Lee is on the brink of joining the Yankees.
Discussion:
NY Post: Hardball, MetsBlog.com, GoatRiders of the Apocalypse and The Real Dirty Mets Blog
Fox Sports:
Rangers' uncertainty extends to GM — Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on MLB on FOX. Follow him on Twitter. — The Rangers' mess could cost them their general manager. — Jon Daniels, the Texas GM …
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Dallas Morning News:
Bankruptcy-ending confirmation hearing for Texas Rangers set for July 22 — The Texas Rangers will now emerge from a highly contentious bankruptcy drama on July 22 although a date hasn't been set for a court-supervised auction beforehand, an attorney involved in the case said Friday.
Baseball America:
Midseason Updated Top 25 Prospects — Prospects have provided the biggest storylines of the 2010 baseball season. Jason Heyward was the story of spring training, launching home runs so far that the Braves had to put up protective nets in the parking lots; they couldn't keep him in the minors anymore.
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Zimmerman places second in Final Vote — Reds first baseman Votto awarded trip to All-Star Game — WASHINGTON — Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is on a hitting tear. In his past three games, Zimmerman is 8-for-13 (.615) with three home runs and seven RBIs.
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New York Times:
Dodgers Executive Received Funds From Team Charity — The Los Angeles Dodgers paid one of their highest-ranking executives more than $400,000 from the team's charity in 2007, which accounted for one-quarter of the foundation's nearly $1.6 million budget that year — compensation more in line with overseeing a $100 million charity.
Discussion:
Halos Heaven
Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Recovering Delgado aims to return to Majors — Carlos Delgado's Major League career is not yet finished — at least not in his mind. — Delgado — 38 and coming off two hip surgeries since May 2009 — said he's been running recently without pain, and the plan is to sign with a Major League team by the end of the month.
Discussion:
Fanhouse MLB Blog
Canadian Press:
CECIL, 5 HOMERS, CARRY JAYS TO CONSECUTIVE WINS OVER TWINS — TORONTO — Strong starting pitching, home runs aplenty, back-to-back wins and a series victory are all things the Toronto Blue Jays have been missing over the past 2 1-2 mostly putrid weeks. — So after blasting …
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