Top News:
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Notes: Hendry looking beyond season — Cubs activate Hill, option Aardsma; Speier rejoins club — CHICAGO — Cubs general manager Jim Hendry is taking a different, and unwelcome, approach heading into Monday's trade deadline. Instead of pursuing a player who could give the team a boost …
Discussion:
The View From The Bleachers
RELATED ITEMS:
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Hendry: Baker will finish season — Cubs players welcomed the pregame news Thursday from general manager Jim Hendry that Dusty Baker will manage at least the rest of the season. — While Baker's public demeanor is that of a laid-back Californian, his players know the incessant rumors about his job status were eating him up.
Steve Henson / Los Angeles Times:
Colletti Looking to Buy, Not Sell — Dodgers employees donned bright shirts, lathered on sunscreen and headed for Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes on Thursday for their annual golf tournament fundraiser. — Front-office honchos Ned Colletti, Kim Ng and Roy Smith stayed behind …
RELATED ITEMS:
Mark Gonazles / Chicago Tribune:
Clutch hits vanish; so does mojo — White Sox searching for their confidence — BALTIMORE — That confident feeling the White Sox's hitters once possessed seems as distant as their 19-inning victory over Boston on July 9. That was when Jermaine Dye hit a game-tying home run off closer Jonathan Papelbon …
Discussion:
Exile in Wrigleyville
RELATED ITEMS:
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Bedard an obstacle to start pivotal road trip — BALTIMORE — Opening a nine-game trip against second-division teams Baltimore and Kansas City would seem like a perfect time for the White Sox to cure their second-half funk. — But it won't be so easy. The Sox open a three-game series Friday night …
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Lee likely trade bait after rejecting deal — All-Star left fielder Carlos Lee rejected a four-year, $48 million contract offer from the Brewers on Thursday, dramatically increasing the chances that he will be traded before Monday's non-waiver deadline, major-league sources tell FOXSports.com.
Discussion:
Reverend Redbird
RELATED ITEMS:
Brian Heyman / The Journal News:
Maine puts Cubs in blue state — NEW YORK — John Maine was staring at a crisis at Shea yesterday — Cubs on first and second, one out in the sixth, and the dangerous Aramis Ramirez waiting to swing in a scoreless game. And oh, by the way, the Mets owned all of no hits off Mark Prior.
RELATED ITEMS:
Jack Curry / New York Times:
Nationals Dangle Soriano as Deadline Nears — WASHINGTON, July 27 — Alfonso Soriano teased his teammates in two languages, signed bats and baseballs, and packed for the Nationals' nine-game trip Thursday. This could be Soriano's final trip with the team, but he tried to relax.
RELATED ITEMS:
David Lennon / Newsday:
Heilman may get fresh start elsewhere — Aaron Heilman was a dual major at Notre Dame, but it is the philosophy half of his education - and not the management information systems part - that is a greater help in these tension-filled hours before Monday's non-waiver trade deadline.
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Castilla relishes overdue vacation — Vinny Castilla was happy in Colorado again. Only Thursday, his smile warmed a pool, not his position. — The San Diego Padres arrived in Denver without Castilla, having released him last week. — Speaking for the first time as his kids played in the background …
Nate Silver / Baseball Prospectus:
Lies, Damned Lies — Playing Matchmaker — How beautiful would it be to acquire Alfonso Soriano? That depends on just who the beholder is. There are probably seven teams that are legitimate contenders to acquire Soriano, or one of the two other big bats on the market—Bobby Abreu and Carlos Lee …
RELATED ITEMS:
Glenn Rabney / MLB.com:
Penny unable to stop Dodgers' skid — Righty allows six runs in five frames in LA's eighth straight loss — LOS ANGELES — Having lost 12 of the 13 games they've played since the All-Star break, the Dodgers sent out their stopper Brad Penny on Wednesday, but it wasn't enough to prevent …
Murray Chass / New York Times:
Wilpon Joins Steinbrenner's Vow of Silence — FRED WILPON, come out, come out, wherever you are. — Now New York has two owners of baseball teams who are incommunicado. We know what George Steinbrenner's reason is. He's aging and ailing, and his ego is too large to let his public …
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
Bryan Tsao / The Hardball Times:
Contending Holes: National League — Last week, we looked at some the biggest holes on American League contenders; this week, we're back with a look at the National League. Once again, I looked only at teams within five games of a playoff spot, as of games played on July 24 (ed note …
Discussion:
The Birdwatch
Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:
Marlins begin thinking playoffs — In spring training, it would have sounded like a bad joke to suggest that the Florida Marlins - with their puny, $15 million payroll and roster full of rookies - could compete for a playoff spot. — Even a month ago, after they rebounded from a horrendous April …
Dave Studeman / The Hardball Times:
Ten Things I Didn't Know Last Week — Here's a list of my latest strong opinions, weakly held: — Chipper Jones is hot when healthy. — Chipper has been injured the last few games and may stay out of the Braves' lineup until Friday, which is too bad. He is in the midst of a monster hitting streak.
Discussion:
Clutchiness
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Bannister bent on bolstering Mets staff — Right-hander's rookie campaign hamstrung by early injury — "And we note our place with bookmarkers that measure what we've lost." — Paul Simon — Big League seasons are, first and foremost, long. They are tests of endurance and the ability …
Discussion:
Mike's Mets
