New ‘Cash’ crunch a Cole hard truth  —  The 2010 Yankees enjoyed a prosperous first half thanks significantly to strong starting pitching.  Yet when the Mariners made Cliff Lee available, Brian Cashman worked aggressively to acquire the crafty lefty, failing only when the Rangers agreed to include Justin Smoak in their package.

New superpowers reside out West  —  Remember the height of the Yankees-Red Sox cold war, when the two superpowers always were mindful — and fearful — of the other's next step?  —  The Rangers and Angels cannot match the history of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.

Expect trading frenzy before deadline  —  On baseball's midsummer marketplace, there is no Big Board to tell us the value of Cole Hamels or Matt Garza.  General managers aren't crammed together on a trading floor, like at the New York Stock Exchange, although that would be highly entertaining.

Hamels dazzles scouts as Phillies win series  —  DENVER - There were so many scouts behind the backstop at Coors Field on Sunday afternoon that you could have built a campfire and made smores.  —  Oh, wrong kind of scouts.  —  These were baseball scouts, you know, the kind with straw hats …