Scott Kazmir could be first A's player dealt  —  Scott Kazmir is scheduled to pitch for the A's on Thursday against the Blue Jays, and with the trade deadline approaching, it might be his final outing with Oakland.  Talks are heating up, according to sources, with division foe Houston among the top potential landing spots.

Notes: Don't expect Price to stay in Detroit if not dealt  —  FOX Sports  —  Don't expect the Tigers to try to sign left-hander David Price long term before deciding whether to trade him — or even after he reaches free agency.  —  The contract that Price will command is beyond the Tigers' comfort level …

Buckley: Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval must go  —  Photo by:  —  If the Red Sox are serious about putting a winning team on the field for 2016 and beyond, they need to liberate themselves — and their fans — from Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval.  —  It begins there, right?

David Freese To Be Placed On DL With Fractured Finger  —  Angels third baseman David Freese was hit by a pitch from Minnesota's Mike Pelfrey tonight and will be placed on the disabled list with a fractured in his hand, tweets Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.  Gonzalez further clarifies that it's a fractured index finger for Freese.

Pirates Acquire Aramis Ramirez  —  4:40pm: The Pirates taking on $3MM of the $5.47MM that remains on Ramirez's 2015 salary, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  —  4:14pm: The Pirates and Brewers have agreed to a trade that will send third baseman Aramis Ramirez to Pittsburgh …

Ellsbury, Headley Lead Yankees to Sweep of Orioles  —  NEW YORK — Jacoby Ellsbury finished a triple shy of the cycle and drove in four runs and Chase Headley hit a three-run double in the first inning as the New York Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles 9-3 Thursday to bolster their spot atop the AL East.

Wright will start baseball activity in NY this week  —  David Wright will resume baseball activity next week in New York, not St. Lucie, Mets GM Sandy Alderson told reporters at Citi Field on Thursday.  —  According to Alderson, money recouped this season from Wright's contract will not afford …

Arizona Diamondbacks drop series to Miami Marlins  —  Recap: RHP Jose Fernandez struck out 11 in seven strong innings, helping the Miami Marlins beat the Diamondbacks 5-3 on Wednesday night and secure a series victory at Chase Field.  —  The Diamondbacks have lost five of six games …

Late meltdown leaves Mets a battered bunch  —  WASHINGTON - The sense of regret and self-loathing was everywhere in the room.  No one had to come out and say it, but it was obvious the Mets hated themselves for losing to the Nationals on Wednesday, unable to stomach how casually they threw away …

Top 10 Fantasy Prospects: Conforto Coming?  —  Every Thursday, Baseball America will take a look at the top fantasy callup options among minor leaguers who retain prospect eligibility.  —  Update: Conforto raked at high Class A St. Lucie and has been even better since a promotion to Double-A Binghamton …

Tigers' Ausmus calls his bullpen usage ‘spot on’  —  Manager says you can't manage relief pitchers for only one game, or 'you'll lose pitchers'  —  Brad Ausmus knows that armchair managers come with the job.  —  But the Detroit Tigers manager said today there is one quibble he has when it comes …