Top News:
New York Post:
BOX SCORE — “The players you talk to say he is the best setup man in the game,” Damon said of his former teammate and housemate with the Yankees. “He has opened some eyes.” — Scheduled to work in front of Joba Chamberlain and Soriano when the season opened, Robertson was pushed …
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily, HardballTalk, Full Count, It's About The Money, MLB Rumors and River Avenue Blues
RELATED:
Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Soriano, Chavez continue with rehab work — ST. PETERSBURG — Pitching on back-to-back days — often considered the final step in the recovery process of a reliever — could be on tap for Yankees right-hander Rafael Soriano. — Soriano gave up a run on two hits and threw 16 pitches …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and CloserNews
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
What ‘available’ really means — Ubaldo Jimenez, Hunter Pence, James Shields are on the market, but to what extent? — ESPN.com — It's one of the most dangerous words in the English language this time of year: — Available. — If you're any baseball player on Planet Earth …
Discussion:
Phillies Nation and Talking Chop
RELATED:
Sports Illustrated:
Baseball's latest trade deadline buzz … The Astros' asking price on Hunter Pence has been so prohibitive that competing teams believe he will stay in Houston. Supposedly Houston wants at least three good pieces, probably young, major-league-ready talent.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Full Count and Baseball Nation
Jeff Zrebiec / Orioles Insider:
Trade edition of news, notes and opinions — Earlier this week, Orioles President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail met with owner Peter Angelos to discuss potential moves with the trade deadline now nine days away. I'm told that there is nothing imminent at this point …
Discussion:
Full Count and HardballTalk
RELATED:
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Orioles Notes: Uehara, Guthrie, Johnson, Lee
Orioles Notes: Uehara, Guthrie, Johnson, Lee
Discussion:
CloserNews
Jon Paul Morosi / mlbbuzz:
Sources: Red Sox, Royals have discussed Francoeur — The Red Sox are among the teams interested in Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran. But some in the industry anticipate that Beltran will insist on his using his no-trade clause to remain in the National League.
Discussion:
NESN.com and Full Count
Fox Sports:
Reds' deadline needs remain a mystery — Reds general manager Walt Jocketty had a clever line when John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer asked him if the team had targeted a specific area to improve. — “It depends on which day,” Jocketty said. — On Thursday night, I posed the same question …
Discussion:
Cincinnati Reds
Bob Klapisch / NorthJersey.com:
No emotional send-off for Carlos Beltran in likely Citi Field finale — NEW YORK - What was likely Carlos Beltran's final home at-bat as a Met came and went without so much as a whimper - a harmless ninth-inning pop-up that fit neatly with an otherwise invisible afternoon in Flushing.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
RELATED:
David Waldstein / New York Times:
Should Beltran Stay? Go? Come Back?
Should Beltran Stay? Go? Come Back?
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Amazin' Avenue and St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Bruce Levine / ESPN:
Sources: Pat Gillick open to Cubs talk — CHICAGO — Longtime baseball executive Pat Gillick is open to talking with the Chicago Cubs about a potential role with the team, according to sources. — “If the situation was right for Pat, he would definitely consider the Cubs,” one of his longtime associates told ESPNChicago.com.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Bruce Levine / ESPN:
Will Cubs take hit on Alfonso Soriano?
Richard Durrett / ESPN:
Brandon Webb to undergo surgery — That will be just a few days shy of two years since Webb had shoulder debridement surgery to clean up loose debris and inflamed tissue. Rangers physician Dr. Keith Meister, who performed that surgery in 2009, will also handle this one.
ESPN:
LAPD arrests 2 in Bryan Stow beating … Two men suspected of beating San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow into a coma on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium have been arrested by Los Angeles police, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Discussion:
Baseball Nation
RELATED:
Shelby Grad / L.A. NOW:
LAPD exonerates suspect in Bryan Stow beating, source says [Updated]
LAPD exonerates suspect in Bryan Stow beating, source says [Updated]
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, HardballTalk and NESN.com
Jeffrey Gross / Hardball Times:
Danny Duffy: second-half breakout candidate — All stats current through July 21. — Royals | SP | 1 percent Yahoo ownership — YTD: 4.58 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 4.1 BB/9, 1.8 K/BB, 41.1% GB% — Oliver ROS: 4.89 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 6.9 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 2.1 K/BB
Discussion:
Royals Review
Bill Shaikin / Dodgers Blog:
Bankruptcy judge orders Frank McCourt to negotiate with MLB for loan — Frank McCourt now has to negotiate with Major League Baseball for a loan after U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross decided that the MLB loan was “not a vehicle for Baseball to control” the Dodgers.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, baseballmusings.com and 6-4-2