Mariners acquire Broussard from Tribe  —  Club sends Minor League outfielder Shin-Soo Choo to Indians  —  SEATTLE — In a move to add offensive punch from the left side of the plate, the Mariners on Wednesday acquired left-handed-hitting first baseman Ben Broussard and cash considerations …

Sit tight?  It's trade time, silly  —  About that Mets pitching crisis, we'll get a better idea of just how serious it is when Pedro Martinez makes his much-anticipated return to the rotation against the Braves in Atlanta tomorrow night - at which time Omar Minaya will have to decide …

Idea Is to Get Kendrick's Bat in Lineup  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It's hard to think of your best position-playing prospect as a utility player, but if that's what it takes to get Howie Kendrick's potent bat in the lineup, the Angels will do it.  —  Kendrick, who came up through …

Older players make final bids for Hall of Fame  —  At age 39, shortstop Omar Vizquel has a .276 average, 2,408 career hits and 10 Gold Gloves for defensive excellence, but because he plays in a power-hitting age, he's not sure his resume will be impressive enough to make the Hall of Fame.

Notes: Mays designated for assignment  —  Pitcher's departure leaves Saturday's starter undetermined  —  HOUSTON — The Reds' attempted reclamation project of pitcher Joe Mays came to an end on Wednesday.  —  Mays was designated for assignment when the club needed roster space for the activation …

Brewers still considering trading Lee  —  The Brewers are still trying to decide whether to trade left fielder Carlos Lee, still weighing all the variables as the countdown to Monday's non-waiver deadline continues.  —  Lee, 30, is a free agent after this season, and the Brewers plan to make one last push to sign him.

A's hit jackpot with Thomas  —  A'S GENERAL MANAGER Billy Beane knew about designated hitter Frank Thomas' medical woes.  He realized Thomas had fractured his left ankle twice and missed most of the past two seasons with the Chicago White Sox.  —  So when the possibility of signing Thomas …

Odds Favoring No Deal in Race to Upgrade Roster  —  ARLINGTON, Tex., July 26 — The Yankees are growing pessimistic about their chances of making a major move before Monday's trading deadline.  There seem to be few impact players available, and the Yankees have told teams that their top prospects are off limits.

Royals pick up arms; Yankees could surprise  —  No general manager wins Executive of the Year for stockpiling pitching prospects, but what else is new Royals GM Dayton Moore supposed to do?  —  Moore obtained five young pitchers this week in deals for right-handed reliever Mike MacDougal …

Rangers GM: Show me something  —  GM keeping eye on market but wants help to come from within  —  ARLINGTON - Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, while still exploring all trade options, is starting to sound a little like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire.  You can almost see him pleading with his team: "Help me help you."

Deal or no deal?  —  Since trade talk changes at the press of a cell phone's send button and names get tossed about like lawn darts at a kegger, we'll allow others to guess what will happen between now and the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline.  —  Instead, we offer five deals that should happen …

Mets would be wise to rest stars for playoffs  —  Seemingly, the New York Mets are in an enviable position these days.  —  They're on pace for 97 wins this season, they hold the largest division lead in all of baseball (11-and-a-half games ahead of the second-place Braves) …

Notes: Vidro hopes Soriano stays  —  Drese makes third rehab start; Robinson lauds basestealers  —  WASHINGTON — During his 10-year career, second baseman Jose Vidro has seen Nationals/Expos players come and go, from shortstop Orlando Cabrera to outfielder Brad Wilkerson.