Hometown's abuzz on Lester's return  —  SEATTLE - When it comes to producing athletic superstars, Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma may not be in the same league as Junipero Serra High in San Mateo, Calif.  —  Really now, how does any school compete with the likes of Junipero alums Tom Brady, Lynn Swann and Barry Bonds?

Cubs send Williamson to San Diego  —  Chicago acquires two Minor League pitchers in deal  —  WASHINGTON — Scott Williamson knew he was going to be traded, and on Saturday, the Cubs made a deal.  —  The Cubs dealt the right-handed reliever to the Padres for Minor League pitchers Fabian Jimenez Angulo, 19, and Joel Santo, 22.

Torre: Alex woes unlike Knobby's throws  —  TORONTO - Alex Rodriguez isn't the 2006 version of Chuck Knoblauch, Joe Torre said yesterday, even if the third baseman is having issues throwing the ball to first base.  —  Knoblauch, whose struggles forced the Yanks to move him to the outfield in 2001 …

Deal with it: This trading deadline could be a dud  —  There's so much talk right now about who might go where, and which team is after who, and who's on or off the trading block.  And it's all fascinating stuff, but I'm getting the feeling the actual action might not match the buildup.

Teams may make power play  —  Peña could interest those looking ahead  —  The tools that attracted Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein and his staff to Wily Mo Peña are the same tools that have teams that are out of contention eyeing Peña now.

Gibbons forces GM into action  —  A week ago we wrote about how some critical comments by general manager J.P. Ricciardi had alienated some Toronto veterans.  But it was manager John Gibbons, not Ricciardi, who insisted on sacking Shea Hillenbrand after a childish stunt by Hillenbrand.

Encyclopedic memory helps Dombrowski build winners  —  DETROIT — Baseball people talk about tools.  Plus bat.  Power arm.  Hard slider.  —  Hammer curve.  The words form the language of an industry that speculates on the aptitude, mental makeup and performance of real people.

Win-now mentality must wait  —  The Rockies are a team given to an easy smile and enormous faith.  But the way they have played the past two weeks has caused them to entertain doubt.  They are not sure they can win the National League West or even finish with a .500 record.  —  And yet, there's no panic.

How a bust is created  —  Dee Brown is a good example of KC's bad luck with its top draft choices.  —  WICHITA |  - There's an old saying in baseball that goes, "It takes seven prospects to make one baseball player."  That means for every successful player you see in the big leagues …

Negotiating without agents of disaster  —  So Josh Beckett wanted to stay and the Red Sox wanted to keep him, though countless negotiations have failed given similar truths.  This one succeeded, as always, because both agreed on the price through a process as newsworthy as the deal itself.

Notes: Soriano's stay with Nats limited?  —  Sources say many teams interested in Washington slugger  —  WASHINGTON — After Friday night's victory over the Cubs, left fielder Alfonso Soriano sounded like a person who wanted to stay with the Nationals, but as each day passes …

Marshall likely headed to DL  —  Cubs rookie lefty strained left oblique on Saturday  —  WASHINGTON — Cubs pitcher Sean Marshall appears headed to the disabled list because of a strained left oblique suffered in Saturday's game against the Nationals.  —  "It seems like it's contagious," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said.