Top News:
Jim Callis / Baseball America:
Yankees Sign Hensley For $1.2 Million — The Yankees have signed first-round pick Ty Hensley, a righthander from Santa Fe HS in Edmond, Okla., for $1.2 million. — Hensley originally agreed to a $1.6 million bonus shortly after the draft, matching the assigned pick value for his 30th overall selection.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, Pinstripe Alley and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Chase Parham / Yahoo! Sports:
Hensley agrees to terms with Yankees — OXFORD, Miss. — Ty Hensley has agreed to terms with the New York Yankees, the right-handed pitcher confirmed to RebelGrove.com on Thursday night. — Hensley, who signed with Ole Miss last November, was the No. 30 overall selection in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Discussion:
IT IS HIGH!, River Avenue Blues and Bronx Baseball Daily
Associated Press:
Blue Jays give INF Encarnacion $27 million deal — TORONTO — Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion has signed a three-year contract extension. — The $27 million deal announced Thursday includes a $10 million club option for the 2016 season.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish and Bluebird Banter
RELATED:
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Blue Jays Extend Edwin Encarnacion
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, Bluebird Banter and MLB Daily Dish
Jayson Stark / MLB:
Source: Phils preparing sizable offer for Hamels — The Philadelphia Phillies are preparing a substantial offer to their soon-to-be-free-agent left-hander Cole Hamels in an attempt to determine whether they can sign him to an extension in the next two weeks, sources told ESPN.com on Thursday.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
Yahoo! Sports:
MLB will uphold Rangers' deal with Jairo Beras but suspend Dominican prospect for age fraud — Major League Baseball will uphold Dominican teenager Jairo Beras' $4.5 million contract with the Texas Rangers but suspend him for a year after the league determined he had lied about his age, sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Discussion:
Baseball America, HardballTalk, Lone Star Ball and MLB Rumors
Steve Gilbert / MLB.com:
Upton shutting out trade rumors — CHICAGO — After finishing the first half on a strong note, it seemed odd that D-backs outfielder Justin Upton would have to answer questions about possibly being traded. — But rumors continue to swirl around baseball that Upton could find himself wearing …
Discussion:
AZ Snake Pit
Chris Haft / MLB.com:
Giants unlikely to make splash before Deadline — Club's focus figures to be on adding extra bat off bench, bullpen depth — KANSAS CITY — The Giants' record at the All-Star break mirrors their performance at the same juncture in 2010. Their needs are similar, too.
MLB:
Strasburg addresses possible innings dilemma — If the Washington Nationals make the World Series, don't tell Stephen Strasburg — who is on a team-imposed innings limit — that he won't be able to pitch. — “They're going to have to rip the ball out of my hands,” Strasburg said on MLB Network Radio.
Discussion:
Bugs & Cranks, Federal Baseball and HardballTalk
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Ellsbury expected to rejoin Red Sox in Tampa … ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Line drives whistled off Jacoby Ellsbury's bat. Dustin Pedroia hit a couple of balls into the seats. Will Middlebrooks effortlessly fielded ground balls at third base. Clay Buchholz took part in pitchers' fielding drills.
Discussion:
Boston Globe
Keith Law / ESPN:
Top 50 prospects update — Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar moves into the top spot — At the MLB season's midpoint, just before the signing deadline for drafted players, here is a fresh look at the top 50 prospects still in the minor leagues, including a new name on top.
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues, Over the Monster, Lone Star Ball, DRaysBay and Bucs Dugout
AvengingJM / Avenging Jack Murphy:
Like Curt Flood before me, I respectfully request (consumer) free-agency — To Whom It May Concern: — I do not know the exact parameters of the agreements between the cable television companies (Cox, Time Warner, etc.) and the government of San Diego. I only know that this market …
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Berkman will go to Cincy, poised for return — ST. LOUIS • Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman has successfully lobbied the team to skip a rehab assignment and prove that he can go straight from knee surgery to the major-league roster. — It just won't happen Friday.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
