Top News:
Fox Sports:
Sources: Hamels to stay with Phillies — Cole Hamels will remain with the Philadelphia Phillies. — The left-hander is close to completing a six-year contract extension for more than $137.5 million, according to major-league sources. — The deal will be the second largest ever awarded …
RELATED:
Jayson Stark / MLB:
Surveying the deadline landscape — More Marlins moves? Phillies cutting costs? Another bat for Dodgers? — Editor's note: Jayson Stark will be writing a Daily Rumble each day leading up to the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline. — Hanley Ramirez? Traded. ... Cole Hamels?
Discussion:
Fish Stripes and MLB Daily Dish
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Phillies Extend Cole Hamels — The Phillies announced that they have signed Cole Hamels to a six-year contract extension worth at least $144MM. The contract, which includes limited no-trade protection for Hamels, includes an option for a seventh year. — Hamels' extension …
Discussion:
Phillies Nation, The Good Phight and Getting Blanked
Fox Sports:
Questions remain if Phils will deal Lee — Now that Cole Hamels has an extension in Philadelphia and Hanley Ramirez is a Dodger, the baseball industry has latched onto the latest trade deadline fascination. — Will the Phillies trade Cliff Lee — again? — Four general managers …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Cole Hamels: Six-year, $144 million deal with Phillies
Discussion:
Philliesflow.com, SI Tracking Blog, Lone Star Ball and Baseball Nation
Associated Press:
Francisco Homers as Braves Beat Marlins 7-1 — MIAMI (AP) — Juan Francisco homered and drove in three runs, helping the Atlanta Braves beat Miami 7-1 Wednesday after the downsizing Marlins jettisoned yet another star player by trading Hanley Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Discussion:
ESPN, Talking Chop and TSN.ca
RELATED:
Danny Knobler / CBSSports.com Sports News …:
A's move into second place, but finish second in Hanley derby, too — Lost in all the other madness of one of baseball's craziest overnights ever, did you notice that the low-budget, low-expectations A's moved percentage points ahead of the Angels and into second place in the American League West?
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, HardballTalk and MLB Daily Dish
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Hanley Ramirez traded to the Dodgers
Discussion:
Baseball Time in Arlington, HardballTalk, MLB Daily Dish and Fish Stripes
ESPN:
Source: Marlins trade IF Ramirez to Dodgers
Discussion:
Red Sox Monster, Fish Stripes and Associated Press
Associated Press:
MIAMI (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired former NL …
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated, Hit and Run, FanGraphs Baseball and baseballmusings.com
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Hanley Ramirez must go, Marlins executives decide
Discussion:
HardballTalk and MLB Daily Dish
Wallace Matthews / ESPN:
Yankees 3B Chavez to fill in for injured A-Rod … New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he has found a replacement for Alex Rodriguez without even making a phone call to another team. — “Eric Chavez is the solution,” Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com on Wednesday …
Discussion:
SI Tracking Blog and Sliding Into Home
RELATED:
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
Yankees' Cashman will monitor market for third baseman — The first move in the wake of Alex Rodriguez's injury was for the Yankees to get a player cross-country for a day game in Seattle today. That will be Ramiro Pena. — Now Brian Cashman will gather his lieutenants and decide …
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily, MLB Rumors, New York Yankees Fan Blog, NoMaas.org and Full Count
Associated Press:
Strasburg Ks 11 as Nationals complete sweep of Mets — NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen Strasburg struck out 11 in seven dominant innings, Michael Morse and Danny Espinosa hit consecutive homers and the Washington Nationals completed a sweep of the free-falling New York Mets on Wednesday with a 5-2 victory.
Discussion:
ESPN and Associated Press
RELATED:
Joseph Smith / The Heater Feed:
Longoria starting rehab assignment — Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria will begin a minor league rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Durham. — “Finally get to play baseball again,” Longoria said with a smile. — Though there's no timetable on how long Longoria's rehab stint will be …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
Greinke ups value in strong return — Apparently, Zack Greinke is healthy. — Now it gets interesting. — After a 10-day layoff — reason: battery recharge — Greinke demonstrated his health to every interested general manager and scout with a command performance Tuesday night.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish and Lone Star Ball
RELATED:
Richard Durrett / ESPN:
Texas' Washington: Ryan right about Hamilton — Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington said Wednesday that he agreed with CEO Nolan Ryan's take earlier this week that Josh Hamilton sometimes gives away at-bats. — The manager, on The Ben and Skin Show on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM …
Discussion:
Baseball Time in Arlington
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Red Sox won't trade Jon Lester — Teams hoping that the Boston Red Sox might be willing to part with left-hander Jon Lester are advised to look elsewhere. — Despite his disappointing performance, the Red Sox will not trade Lester, a major league source said Wednesday …
Discussion:
Getting Blanked, Over the Monster, MLB Daily Dish, Associated Press and MLB
Mark Newman / MLB.com:
Giants to host semis, final of World Baseball Classic — Arizona, Miami join San Francisco as venue sites for 2013 event — The Giants will host the semifinals and final of the World Baseball Classic at AT&T Park in San Francisco. (Getty Images) — It is David Wright being tackled …
Discussion:
Baseball America and Getting Blanked
Associated Press:
Mike Aviles' RBI single in 9th lifts Red Sox over Texas — ARLINGTON, Texas - Mike Aviles blooped a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning and the Boston Red Sox [team stats] beat the Texas Rangers 2-1 Tuesday night, ending a four-game losing streak. — Red Sox reliever Vicente Padilla …
Discussion:
Boston Herald, ESPN and Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
Joe McDonald / ESPN:
Carl Crawford dropped to seventh
Discussion:
Boston Dirt Dogs and The Soxaholix
