Top News:
ESPN.com:
San Francisco Giants acquire Jose Guillen from Kansas City Royals for player, cash — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals have traded outfielder Jose Guillen to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for a player to be named later and cash considerations. — Guillen
Discussion:
Royals Review, McCovey Chronicles, Yahoo! Sports, MLB Rumors, ESPN and Batter's Box Interactive …
Geoff Baker / The Seattle Times:
Mariners should seriously consider pulling trigger on any Chone Figgins deal with Atlanta — Going to try to write this without ticking everybody off. By now, most of you know that Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones is out for the season. We discussed, prior to the trade deadline …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Dave / U.S.S. Mariner:
Should The Mariners Trade Chone Figgins?
Should The Mariners Trade Chone Figgins?
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and Lookout Landing
Jim Callis / Baseball America:
Yankees Sign Gumbs For $750,000 — The Yankees have signed second-round pick Angelo Gumbs for $750,000, the largest bonus below the supplemental first round so far this year. MLB's recommendation for Gumbs' No. 82 draft slot is $436,500. — An outfielder from Torrance (Calif.) High …
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues
Bob Klapisch / NorthJersey.com:
Mets organization shows a lack of backbone — Only the most naïve among us believed the Mets would finish their season in quiet desperation. That would've been too much to ask of this broken franchise. Instead, Francisco Rodriguez spent Wednesday night in jail after allegedly pummeling …
Discussion:
New York Post, MetsBlog.com, HardballTalk and ESPN
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Papelbon, Sox suffer tough loss to Jays — Closer allows three runs in ninth for sixth blown save of season — TORONTO — When Jonathan Papelbon walks off the mound in the ninth inning of a tie game, you know it has been an exceedingly tough day for the star reliever.
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
RELATED:
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Table has turned for Papelbon
Table has turned for Papelbon
Discussion:
Red Sox Monster, ESPN and Boston Globe
Baseball America:
Prospect Hot Sheet: Aug. 13 — Team: Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (International) — Why He's Here: .520/.556/1.000 (13-for-25), 6 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 2 BB, 4 SO — The Scoop: When Montero was hitting under .220 early in June, many worried that he had suddenly regressed at the plate.
Discussion:
Talking Chop, redsminorleagues.com and Sliding Into Home
Matt Eddy / Baseball America:
Minor League Transactions: Aug. 2-11 — As always, be sure to visit two wonderful Baseball America resources: the Draft Database and Trade Central. — An asterisk (*) denotes an instance of a player agreeing to terms on a minor league contract with an organization with which he already had a major league agreement.
Associated Press:
Phillies shock Dodgers with 4 runs in 8th and 9th — PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The biggest challenge for Carlos Ruiz was escaping a Philadelphia Phillies barrage. — His game-winning, two-run double in the ninth inning capped a frantic rally from seven runs down and topple the Los Angeles Dodgers , 10-9, on Thursday night.
Discussion:
Blogging Baseball, Phillies Nation and Associated Press
RELATED:
MLB.com:
Reds' Cueto will not appeal suspension — Bailey will start in Sunday's series finale against Marlins — Reds starter Johnny Cueto will not appeal his recent seven-game suspension, so the Reds will have Homer Bailey come off his rehab assignment and start in Cueto's place on Sunday.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Jorge Arangure Jr / MLB:
San Diego Padres ace Mat Latos learns to trust his teammates — and himself — Once-brash 22-year-old ace has learned to trust his Padres teammates, himself — SAN DIEGO — On a late July day in Cincinnati last season, a grouchy Heath Bell headed toward his locker when he heard Padres …
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Baldelli headed to Durham — Word from Port Charlotte tonight is that OF/DH Rocco Baldelli is taking his comeback attempt to Triple-A Durham. — Baldelli hit .283 for the Class A Stone Crabs in 12 games, and finished strong, going 3-for-4 on Thursday, and drawing his first walk.
Discussion:
Fanhouse MLB Blog
Los Angeles Times:
Pushing the Dodgers' Matt Kemp issue closer to brink — During a season in which a shrugging Matt Kemp has been benched and berated, somebody has finally stepped to his defense. — It is a giant step that could eventually lead him out of town. — Dave Stewart, Kemp's agent …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, ESPN, TYU and Los Angeles Times
Andy / Baseball-Reference Blog:
POLL: Is Mariano Rivera the greatest pitcher in baseball history? — Mariano Rivera is 40 years old, still pitching extremely well, and is first in baseball history in ERA+. Among active pitchers, he's ranked first in ERA, WHIP, H/9IP, K/BB, HR/9IP, WPA, and fielding percentage.
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily and McCovey Chronicles