Breaking: Cubs close to dealing Lee to Braves  —  The Cubs are close to trading first baseman Derrek Lee to the Atlanta Braves, I have learned exclusively per my earlier post on ChicagoNow.com.  The trade was first discussed on Sunday evening when the Braves called Cubs GM Jim Hendry …

Boston Red Sox outfielder Mike Cameron won't play again this season  —  BOSTON — Boston Red Sox outfielder Mike Cameron, who told ESPNBoston.com Tuesday night that he was reluctantly shutting down, will undergo season-ending surgery, manager Terry Francona confirmed Wednesday.

Andy Pettitte out until September  —  NEW YORK — New York Yankees starting pitcher Andy Pettitte will not be ready to return to the mound until the first week of September at the earliest, and more likely the middle of the month, which could compromise his ability to be at his best for the postseason.

Torre thinking about the end  —  LOS ANGELES  —  It's a pretty good gig, managing the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The lore.  The prestige.  The perfect weather.  The competitive roster.  The nights when Dodger Stadium is noisy and near capacity.  —  Sure, the money.

Reds offer Baker an extension  —  The Reds have offered Dusty Baker a contract extension.  —  “We just got the proposal a few days ago,” Baker said.  “We're still evaluating it.”  —  Baker wouldn't say if it's a one-year or multi-year extension.  —  “I've got to look at where were going,” he said, “and what I want to do.”

Lackey, Red Sox look to stay perfect vs. Angels … John Lackey's first season with the Boston Red Sox hasn't gone exactly according to plan, but he's saved two of his best performances for his former team.  —  The right-hander has a chance to beat the Los Angeles Angels for the third …

Rays sweep AL West-leading Rangers, keep AL East race hot  —  Sports Network  —  St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Evan Longoria went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, two run-scoring doubles and knocked in four, as the Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the American League West …

Rockies' Hawpe clears waivers; likely last game with team  —  After clearing waivers with the Rockies, will Brad Hawpe be traded?  (Karl Gehring, The Denver Post)  —  LOS ANGELES — As predicted, Brad Hawpe cleared waivers today, a procedural move that has set the stage for the Rockies to release Hawpe either tonight or tomorrow.

Wally Backman As Mets Manager Is A Bad Idea  —  Jerry Manuel's dismissal after the season seems imminent, so discussion about the Mets' next manager has materialized.  One name that consistently pops up, for some reason, is Wally Backman, former Mets second baseman and current manager of the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones.

Yanks GM Brian Cashman: 'This is the team we've got'  —  NEW YORK — Andy Pettitte may be marooned on the disabled list until sometime next month, Javier Vazquez may never again consistently break 90 m.p.h. on the radar gun and Phil Hughes may miss important games down the stretch because of his innings limit.

Numbers show Williams was right about Thome  —  If the Sox don't bounce back and win the AL Central, Guillen will get a lot of heat for passing on slugger Thome  —  It's the issue that helped put the souring relationship between White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Ken Williams on public display.

Hey, Mets, use K-Rod case as hammer to beat down union  —  Expert  —  Tell Gregg your opinion!  —  The MLB players union has gone too far.  Finally, inarguably, the union has gone too far, and this money-seeking, drug-allowing, behavior-excusing juggernaut must be stopped.