Jeffrey Loria's message after odd hire: 'A Marlin isn't a flounder'  —  The telephone started ringing in the early morning, from former players, managers, baseball executives, all with the same response.  —  “This is a joke, right? “Tell me this is a joke. “Come on, they can't be serious.”

Bruce Chen Announces Retirement  —  Lefty Bruce Chen has announced on Twitter that he will retire from professional baseball.  Chen, 37, was designated for assignment by the Indians on Saturday.  —  Chen struggled through 6 1/3 innings in two starts this year for Cleveland, permitting nine earned runs.

Matzek was optioned to the minor leagues on May 8 after he labored at Arizona  —  The Denver Post  —  Colorado Rockies catcher Nick Hundley, front left, confers with starting pitcher Tyler Matzek, center, and pitching coach Steve Foster after Matzek walked the bases loaded …

Cubs roster moves: Coke DFA; Wada and Lake to join team  —  The Cubs will make some roster moves Tuesday, including designated left handed reliever Phil Coke for assignment.  —  Coke had a 6.30 ERA in 16 games with the Cubs, giving up seven earned runs on 14 hits and three walks over 10 innings.

Red Sox Outright Allen Craig  —  The Red Sox announced this afternoon that first baseman/outfielder Allen Craig has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, meaning that he is no longer on the club's 40-man roster.  —  That Craig cleared waivers unclaimed isn't necessarily a surprise …

With two managers down, who will be the next to go?  —  FOX Sports  —  Who's next?  —  Faithful readers will note that I have written frequently in the past about “The Curse of Samuel Joseph.”  Sam, the oldest of my three children, was born on May 21, 1991.  Each of the first three days of his life, a manager was fired.

Chase Whitley To Undergo Tommy John Surgery  —  Yankees right-hander Chase Whitley will undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).  Whitley had previously been diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow …

Juan Lagares finds home in center field  —  1h - MLB JUAN LAGARES NEW YORK METS + more  —  Relive the top three catches from Mets' center fielder Juan Lagares so far in 2015.

Astros Acquire Int'l Bonus Slots From Orioles For Chris Lee  —  The Orioles have announced a deal that will send a pair of 2014-15 international bonus slots to the Astros.  Baltimore will pick up left-hander Chris Lee in return.  —  Houston will pick up the 46th and 76th overall slots …

Coming in Cold 2: Lifting the Pinch-Hitter's Penalty  —  Mark Sweeney made a career of being a pinch-hitter.  (via Loreal Reid)  —  Last month, I indulged myself in some looks at the more notable pinch-hitters in baseball since the 1960s.  While I was concentrating on individual performances …