Top News:
Ben Badler / Baseball America:
Mariners Sign Helsin Martinez For $2 Million — The Mariners have signed Dominican outfielder Helsin Martinez for $2 million. — Martinez, 16, is a 6-foot-5, 190-pound corner outfielder who many scouts consider to have the best righthanded power in Latin America among this year's July 2-eligible players.
Discussion:
Seattle Times and Pro Ball NW
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Ben Badler / Baseball America:
Indians Sign Dorssys Paulino For $1.1 Million — The Indians have signed Dominican shortstop Dorssys Paulino for $1.1 million. — Paulino, a 16-year-old righthanded hitter, is the son of former big league lefthander Jesus Sanchez, who pitched for the Marlins, Cubs, Rockies and Reds from 1998-2004.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Ben Badler / Baseball America:
Cubs Sign Enrique Acosta For $1.1 Million — The Cubs have signed Dominican shortstop Enrique Acosta for $1.1 million. — Acosta, 16, is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound righthanded hitter who is considered to have one of the top bats this year in Latin America, though he'll likely move off the position …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Ben Badler / Baseball America:
Top International Targets
Top International Targets
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, River Avenue Blues, Pirates Prospects, Royals Review and Bucs Dugout
Enrique Rojas / ESPN:
Rangers give Nomar Mazara $5M bonus — ORLANDO — The Texas Rangers signed Dominican prospect Nomar Mazara on Saturday for a record bonus over $5 million, a source told ESPNdeportes.com. — Mazara, 16, is a 6-foot-5 outfielder who hits for power from the left side of the plate.
Discussion:
Baseball America, Lone Star Ball, MLB Daily Dish, HardballTalk, MLB Rumors and NESN.com
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Ben Badler / Baseball America:
Royals Sign Elier Hernandez For $3.05 Million — The Royals have signed Dominican outfielder Elier Hernandez for $3.05 million, the International Prospect League announced. — Several scouts considered Hernandez, a 16-year-old from San Cristobal, either the top prospect or one of the top prospects …
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, Lone Star Ball and MLB Rumors
Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Pierre starting to turn on pitches early in count — CHICAGO — Juan Pierre has raised his average from .248 to .262 over his last five games entering Saturday's contest at Wrigley Field, while driving in six runs during that span. The left-handed-hitting leadoff man has turned …
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South Side Sox
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Rick Morrissey / Chicago Sun Times:
Ozzie defends Pierre against all critics, including Sox GM Williams — CHICAGO, IL - JULY 01: Juan Pierre #1 of the Chicago White Sox celebrates a win with teammate Paul Konerko #14 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 1, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox defeated the Cubs 6-4.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Scott Lauber / Clubhouse Insider:
Adrian Gonzalez likely bound for right field tonight — plus, links — HOUSTON — Get ready to see Adrian Gonzalez in right field one more time. — With two interleague games remaining, Terry Francona is leaning heavily toward playing Gonzalez in right field again here tonight in order …
Discussion:
Over the Monster, HardballTalk and NESN.com
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Torre takes to new role in MLB front office — Baseball has no bigger problem now than the disposition of the once showpiece Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, now fallen from grace, and how to pay the Dodgers' current employees, let alone the $21 million owed to former employee Manny Ramirez.
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Jordan Garretson / MLB.com:
Angels will add payroll for right deal
Angels will add payroll for right deal
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish and MLB Rumors
Sarah Kuta / All Things Rockies:
Rockies' Greg Reynolds back at Coors Field — Rockies pitcher Greg Reynolds throws during spring training in Scottsdale, Ariz. — By now, Greg Reynolds should have some of the landmarks along I-25 memorized. — The right-handed pitcher is making his third “emergency” …
Discussion:
Purple Row
George Vecsey / New York Times:
For One Minor League Baseball Team, Never an Empty Seat — DAYTON, Ohio — The assembly line lives. Back when this region thrived on heavy industry, a Delco plant bustled on the edge of downtown. Nowadays, on the site where automobile parts once rolled off the belt, Dayton produces sold-out baseball games.
Discussion:
Redleg Nation
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Carmona exits game with strained quad — CINCINNATI — Indians right-hander Fausto Carmona exited Saturday's game against the Reds in the third inning after a bad stumble at first base. The Indians described Carmona's injury as a strained right quadriceps, but the extent of the injury was not immediately known.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
D.J. Short / HardballTalk:
Cubs activate Marlon Byrd from disabled list — The Cubs have activated Marlon Byrd from the disabled list, exactly six weeks after he suffered facial fractures when he was hit by a pitch from Red Sox right-hander Alfredo Aceves on May 21. — Byrd is batting sixth and playing center field this afternoon against the White Sox.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
Pirates Top Nationals 5-3 in First of Doubleheader — WASHINGTON (AP) — Garrett Jones and Andrew McCutchen hit back-to-back homers in the eighth, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Washington Nationals 5-3 Saturday in the opening game of their first doubleheader in the nation's capital since the 19th Century.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
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Associated Press:
Halladay Pitches 8-Hitter as Phils Beat Jays 5-3 — TORONTO (AP) — Roy Halladay pitched an eight-hitter against his former team to win his sixth-straight decision, Chase Utley hit a go-ahead home run and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Saturday.
Discussion:
Associated Press and Bluebird Banter
David Waldstein / New York Times:
Mets' Buchholz Is Dealing With Depression and Anxiety — Taylor Buchholz, the 29-year-old Mets middle reliever, has had depression and anxiety since before he was placed on the disabled list a month ago with what the team had previously described as right shoulder fatigue.
Discussion:
Midwestern Met, Amazin' Avenue, Mack's Mets, MetsBlog.com, NESN.com, MLB.com and Mets Today
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Associated Press:
Colon Comes Off DL to Pitch Yankees Past Mets 5-2 — NEW YORK (AP) — Bartolo Colon pitched six shutout innings in his return from the disabled list and Eduardo Nunez had another big game at the plate, leading the New York Yankees past the Mets 5-2 on Saturday for their season-best seventh consecutive victory.
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