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:
The Seattle Times, Bats, Boston Globe, Mike Silva's …, Twins Insider, Projo Sox Blog, Lookout Landing, Phillies Nation, BronxBanterBlog.com, The LoHud Yankees Blog, MetsBlog.com, Subway Squawkers, Walkoff Walk, Mets Merized Online, NESN.com, Pinstripe Alley, LADYBATTING.COM, Seattle Times, Fanhouse MLB Blog, 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 & Reds In On Lee; Talks With Yanks Slow — 3:33pm: The Reds have spoken “extensively” with the Mariners about acquiring Lee in the past 48 hours, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). — 3:24pm: An official of an uninvolved team tells Ed Price of AOL FanHouse …
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, NESN.com, Mike Silva's … and The LoHud Yankees Blog
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
Buster Olney / ESPN:
A trade that would send Mariners left-hander Cliff Lee to the Yankees was “just about done” on Friday morning, according to an executive involved in the trade talks.
Larry Stone / Seattle Times:
Don't be surprised if Zduriencik does something surprising …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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.
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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.
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
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
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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