Top News:
Duk / Yahoo! Sports:
Starlin Castro's space cadet routine draws Bobby V's ire — Over the course of a season, I'm guessing it's an impossible task for any player outside of the battery to be 100 percent dialed into every pitch of a 162-game season. The mind can wander, the mind can zone out, the mind can see something without seeing anything.
Discussion:
Eye on Baseball
RELATED:
ESPN:
Cubs' Quade ‘disappointed’ in Castro's actions — Chicago Cubs manager Mike Quade said he was disappointed after looking into Starlin Castro's on-field preparedness during Sunday's 6-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. — Quade decided to keep Castro out of the starting lineup Monday in Atlanta …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Cardinals belt 4 HRs in victory over Cubs
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
MLB.com:
Weaver signs five-year extension with Angels — The Angels secured a big part of their present and future on Sunday, signing All-Star starter Jered Weaver to a five-year, $85 million contract, a baseball source confirmed to MLB.com. — The extension will be announced in a news conference Tuesday …
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Dave Cameron / FanGraphs Baseball:
Jered Weaver and Park Effects — Over the next few days, you're going to read an awful lot about how Jered Weaver left money on the table to re-sign with the Angels and pitch close to home. That is almost certainly true, since he probably could have commanded a significantly larger deal …
Dan Mennella / MLB Rumors:
Angels Extend Jered Weaver
Discussion:
Halos Heaven, ESPN, MLB Daily Dish, Phillies Nation, Call to the Pen, CBSSports.com Blogs, Baseball Nation and Yahoo! Sports
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Angels, Weaver sign five-year, $85M extension
Discussion:
Angels blog, ESPN and NESN.com
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Timetable for Duncan's return unknown — CHICAGO — Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and general manager John Mozeliak could not say whether pitching coach Dave Duncan would rejoin the club in time for tonight's opener of a three-game series against the Dodgers. — Duncan left the club Friday night for personal reasons.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
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Aaron Gleeman / HardballTalk:
Pitching coach Dave Duncan away from Cardinals due to personal reasons — St. Louis was without Dave Duncan all weekend after the pitching coach left the team due to an undisclosed personal matter. — Duncan's son, Cleveland bench player Shelley Duncan, also left the Indians for the same reason.
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
Mets broach Mike Pelfrey to bullpen, R.A. Dickey gets little support as Mets fall to Brewers, 6-2 — Mets starting pitcher R.A. Dickey gives up two runs on six hits Sunday. The Mets ask Mike Pelfrey (below) is he would be open to closing next year - an indictment of the current bullpen.
Discussion:
Mets Merized Online, The LoHud Mets Blog, HardballTalk, MetsBlog.com, Amazin' Avenue and Tedquarters
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Ricketts in prime position to hire next GM — FOX Sports — Man, I would like to be Tom Ricketts right now. — I'd be the owner of the Cubs - pretty sweet. And I'd be in position to hire just about any general manager I wanted. — Not everyone is available: The Red Sox's Theo Epstein …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
Rays GM Andrew Friedman surely a possibility for Cubs
Discussion:
It's About The Money, Bleacher Nation, ESPN and ESPN
Andrew Marchand / ESPN:
A.J. Burnett spot in question — NEW YORK — With A.J. Burnett having his “typical terrible August,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that the pitcher's five-year, $82.5 million contract will not prevent him from being dropped from the rotation. — “No, money is never going to be a factor,” Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com.
Discussion:
Runnin' Scared, Pinstriped Bible … and Pinstripe Alley
Globe and Mail:
Indians put Travis Hafner on DL — The Cleveland Indians have put designated hitter Travis Hafner on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right foot. — General manager Chris Antonetti announced the move Monday before the Indians opened a series against Seattle.
Globe and Mail:
Pirates put Kevin Correia on 15-day DL — The Pittsburgh Pirates have put starting pitcher Kevin Correia on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique and recalled right-hander Chris Leroux from a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis to fill the roster spot.
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Texas trouble for Red Sox in recent years — ARLINGTON, Texas — It would be inaccurate to portray these four games in Texas as a playoff preview for the Red Sox. — Jon Lester is not starting any of the four games. And presumably come October the Red Sox will field a lineup …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
