Top News:
Keith Law / ESPN:
Brewers trade Lee to Rangers, get Cordero … The Milwaukee Brewers are trading slugger Carlos Lee to the Texas Rangers as part of a multiplayer deal, ESPN.com learned Friday. — The Brewers are sending Lee, minor league outfield prospect Nelson Cruz to the Rangers for relief pitcher Francisco Cordero …
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Will Carroll / Baseball Prospectus:
Will's Mill — Let the Deadline Drama Begin — It's that time of year again, so let's get into it... Friday, July 28, noon ET: The Carlos Lee trade immediately changes the market. No one caught on to Jon Daniels' interest as the Rangers worked under the radar with their former GM …
Discussion:
Redleg Nation
Jim Baumbach / Newsday:
Lee, Tejada affect Sori state of affairs — The Yankees remain intrigued by the possibility of reuniting with old friend Alfonso Soriano. And two major league-wide trade developments yesterday gave them hope that their chances of landing Soriano might be improving.
Dave van Dyck / Chicago Tribune:
Maddux could be bound to N.Y. — Old pal Glavine trying to sway him to join Mets — Cubs general manager Jim Hendry finds himself in a somewhat unusual position: His team has nowhere to go and not much to trade as the interleague deadline approaches Monday.
Discussion:
1060west
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Vaughn McClure / Chicago Sun Times:
Dusty's in dugout for season — Dusty Baker's job is safe — for now. — Cubs general manager Jim Hendry made that clear before Thursday night's game against St. Louis, saying Baker will be retained until the end of the season. — "I felt like we should put that to bed,'' Hendry said. "
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.
Discussion:
GROTA
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:Notes: Hendry looking beyond season
Discussion:
The View From The Bleachers
Jeff Blair / Globe and Mail:
Expect a rotation makeover — OAKLAND, CALIF. — The Toronto Blue Jays' starting rotation appears to be heading for a makeover, even before Monday's non-waiver trade deadline. — Speaking before last night's first game of a four-game series at the McAfee Coliseum against the Oakland Athletics …
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Joe Roderick / Contra Costa Times:
Blanton righting himself — A's pitcher wins third straight, avenges earlier outing against Toronto — OAKLAND - Plenty has changed since the last time Joe Blanton faced the Toronto Blue Jays on May 10 at Rogers Centre. — One of them, apparently, is Blanton.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:Lowell putting up gold numbers with the glove
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
Sam Borden / NY Daily News:
Wait of world on Cashman — There are 3-1/2 days remaining until the non-waiver trading deadline and the Yankees seem to be engaged in a large-scale game of chicken. — This is by design. GM Brian Cashman is continuing to work the phones - he put a conference call of reporters on hold …
Discussion:
The Sporting Brews
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Dom Amore / Hartford Courant:
Cashman Listening To All Offers — Hoping To Deal 2nd-Tier Prospects — Labels might be imaginary, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman removed all perceptions about his top minor league prospects. — "I don't have any `untouchables,'" Cashman said Thursday, with four days left before the deadline for non-waiver trades.
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.
Aaron / AaronGleeman.com:
Matt Garza and Other Twins Notes — Baseball America does a weekly feature called "Scout's View" where they interview a major-league scout about a specific prospect. The articles are subscriber-only content, but here's a small excerpt of "a veteran National League scout" on this week's subject, Matt Garza:
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 …
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 …
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
R. Lopez is good enough in win … KANSAS CITY, MO. // Rodrigo Lopez took the mound last night, knowing that he could be making his last start as an Oriole. For the most part, he has able to ignore that possibility even though his name seems to be linked to another team on a daily basis.
Bob Dutton / Kansas City Star:
Redman drawing trade interest — Teams want pitching, but Moore says he doesn't need to deal players. — Teams looking to add pitching before the nonwaiver trading deadline — and there are a bunch of them, some increasingly desperate — figure to have Royals general manager Dayton Moore on speed dial over the next few days.
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
D-Backs loaded with young talent … PHILADELPHIA — When Arizona left fielder Luis Gonzalez banged out his 528th double Tuesday night to tie Frank Robinson for 29th place on baseball's career list, the Phillies' public relations staff briefly cited the accomplishment in the Citizens Bank Park press box.
