Top News:
Mark Berman / MyFox Houston:
Astros Ask Oswalt to Approve Trade to Phillies — HOUSTON - Major League baseball sources told FOX 26 Sports the Houston Astros have a deal in place to trade pitcher Roy Oswalt to the Philadelphia Phillies if Oswalt agrees to waive his no-trade clause. — Sources told FOX 26 the Astros have approached Oswalt.
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Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Source: Oswalt plans to OK trade — Roy Oswalt plans to accept his proposed trade to the Philadelphia Phillies, a baseball source who has spoken with Oswalt's camp told ESPN.com Thursday. — Oswalt — Oswalt hasn't officially waived his no-trade clause to OK the deal, the source said.
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Will Roy Oswalt approve deal to Philly? — Just got off the phone with someone involved in trying to hash out the Astros-Philly deal for Roy Oswalt. — The reports are true that the two sides have completed the package. It included J.A. Happ going to Houston with two minor leaguers.
Jayson Stark / MLB:
Sources: Roy Oswalt-to-Philadelphia Phillies talks have intensified — The Phillies and Astros have intensified talks in the last 24 hours about a deal that would send Roy Oswalt to Philadelphia, sources said. But major financial obstacles remain that could still stand in the way of this trade …
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Issues remain in Oswalt trade to Philly
Issues remain in Oswalt trade to Philly
Discussion:
Philliesflow.com
ESPN:
Source: Dodgers to get Podsednik — The Dodgers have agreed to a deal that will bring Kansas City Royals outfielder Scott Podsednik to Los Angeles, a baseball source told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark on Wednesday. — The Royals would receive two minor leaguers.
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Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Dodgers Acquire Scott Podsednik
Dodgers Acquire Scott Podsednik
Discussion:
Baseball America, SBNation.com, My Pinstripes, Royals Review, Beyond the Box Score and Al's Ramblings
Dave Sheinin / Nationals Journal:
Riggleman: Strasburg likely to be shut down for 10 days — On an appearance this morning on MLB Network Radio on Sirius/XM, Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman said Stephen Strasburg would not make his scheduled start Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies, and will likely be shut down for 10 days …
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Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Time is gaining, Red Sox are not — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email — ANAHEIM, Calif. - No pain, no gain for the Red Sox [team stats]. — The fact that nobody cracked a rib, tore a muscle - J.D. Drew [stats]'s mild hamstring issue does not count …
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Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Sky-high after this victory — ANAHEIM, Calif. — I'm in. I believe.
Sky-high after this victory — ANAHEIM, Calif. — I'm in. I believe.
Discussion:
Dan Shaughnessy Watch
Mark Saxon / ESPN:
Angels seem to be at end of line — Though the season is far from over, L.A. is a tired team and virtually out of contention … ANAHEIM, Calif. — Torii Hunter sat at his locker dressed in a gray T-shirt, red shorts and brown slippers, slowly sipping coffee from a green Styrofoam cup.
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Jon Paul Morosi / Fox Sports:
Jays not pursuing Bautista extension — Jose Bautista is having a career year, leading the majors with 30 home runs. — PRINT RSS — Updated Jul 28, 2010 10:57 PM ET — Toronto's Jose Bautista leads the major leagues with 30 home runs. But the Blue Jays aren't currently discussing a contract extension with him.
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Tim Kurkjian / MLB:
Source: Orioles hire Showalter — The Baltimore Orioles have hired ESPN analyst Buck Showalter as their next manager, a source confirmed Thursday. — Showalter's first game as manager will be Tuesday, Aug. 3 against the Los Angeles Angels, the first game of a seven-game homestand.
Associated Press:
Top prospect Domonic Brown shines in debut for surging Phillies — PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Roy Halladay (FSY) threw a six-hitter and top prospect Domonic Brown (FSY) had two hits and two RBI in his major league debut to lead the streaking Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-1 victory over the slumping Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.
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Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Sox digging deep for a reliever — The Red Sox, according to major league sources, will not overpay for Toronto lefty Scott Downs, who would have been their first choice to occupy the seventh-inning role in front of Daniel Bard. At this hour, the Downs scenario seemed a longshot unless …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Johnette Howard / ESPN:
Mets are finally finding their level — It's time to stop pretending — this is an entertaining, battling .500 team, and that's it … NEW YORK — The answer that will save the New York Mets' season isn't anything that a middling deal by Saturday's trade deadline will fix.
Discussion:
Associated Press
Gary Shelton / St. Petersburg Times:
Staying clean may be costing Fred McGriff in his bid for Hall of Fame — On the weekend he might have been inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame, an extraordinary achievement, Fred McGriff had the most ordinary of weekends. — He visited his mother. He watched his daughter, Ericka, play volleyball.
New York Post:
Plenty of posturing before deal due date — Pessimism about making deals always rules leading up to the trade deadline. — It is one part strategy: Teams hope that by making it sound as if there is no way they would meet the current prices then those prices will go down.
MLB.com:
Lee rejects deal to Angels — Cubs GM says veteran invoked 10-and-5 rights — HOUSTON — Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee has invoked his 10-and-5 rights and rejected a proposed trade to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. — Lee did not want to comment prior to Wednesday's game …
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