Quest for calm?  Cubs ship Barrett to Padres  —  Embattled Chicago Cubs catcher Michael Barrett was traded to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday for backup catcher Rob Bowen and minor league outfielder Kyler Burke.  —  The Padres also will receive cash considerations from the Cubs.

Sources: O's in negotiations with Girardi … SAN DIEGO // The Orioles are currently negotiating with Joe Girardi to become their new manager, two baseball sources confirmed this afternoon.  —  "There is ongoing communication with Baltimore," said Steve Mandel, the agent for Girardi.

It's bobblehead night for Mets  —  Make 4 errors in defeat  —  And now back to the free-fall ...  Jorge Sosa turned in the shortest start by a Met in eight weeks and his teammates committed a season-high four errors in a 9-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins last night.

Schilling says MRI exam shows shoulder normal  —  Associated Press, Updated 19 minutes ago  —  LIKE THIS STORY?  —  BOSTON (AP) - Curt Schilling's right shoulder was normal, according to an MRI exam, but the Boston Red Sox likely won't take his next turn in the rotation following a cortisone shot.

White Sox owe Buehrle a legitimate offer  —  See if the durable lefty will take $75 million over five years to stay  —  Don't the White Sox realize what they have in Mark Buehrle?  —  If Buehrle isn't the second coming of Billy Pierce, he's the most consistently effective pitcher …

Bravo for Beckett and Sox  —  Atlanta is blanked for righty's 10th win  —  ATLANTA—It was one of those just-between-slugger moments: David Ortiz huddling with Barry Bonds when the Giants visited Fenway Park last weekend.  —  "One of the things he told me," Ortiz said, "is that once you hit 50 home runs, forget about it.

The Boston Red Sox's Sultan of Statistical Analysis  —  After 25 years on the outside, Bill James was invited to take a seat at the center of the baseball universe.  Since Mr. James, the statistical oracle and author of the Bill James Baseball Abstracts, was hired by the Boston Red Sox in 2002 …

Reds ride Bailey's gem to victory  —  Griffey crushes 582nd career homer to help put away A's  —  OAKLAND — Homer Bailey took the mound Tuesday as just another guy in the gray visitor's uniform.  —  Pitching in the first road game of his brief big-league career against the A's …

Nationals tab Watson to fill in for Fick  —  First baseman to go on bereavement list on Wednesday  —  WASHINGTON — Nationals first baseman Robert Fick was informed on Tuesday afternoon that his mother, Gloria, had passed away from lung cancer.  About 30 minutes after hearing the news …

Pirates Notebook: Tracy sticks by Paulino as catcher  —  SEATTLE — To get more offense from their catcher, the Pirates could do one of two things:  —  1. Get Ronny Paulino to hit something approaching his .310 mark as a rookie last year.  —  2. Use Ryan Doumit instead …

A Taste of the Big Leagues  —  JUPITER — The recent injuries to the Florida Marlins have provided some welcomed nourishment to the Jupiter Hammerheads.  —  One of baseball's unwritten rules, along with not talking to a pitcher throwing a no-hitter, is that major-league players …

Rockies fans could use a pitcher (baseball, not beer)  —  They partied at Coors Field like it was 1995.  —  But it was a weird scene Tuesday night in a packed house, as thousands of patrons wearing Derek Jeter jerseys paid Big Apple prices to watch the Rockies beat their beloved Yankees 3-1.