Beyond Home Run Derby: Baseball should add skills competition to All-Star festivities  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Monday night's Bryce Harper-Kyle Schwarber showdown was one of the better Home Run Derbies in recent memory, but even 450-foot homers get a little tedious when you have to watch dozens of them.

Orioles expected to trade Manny Machado to the Dodgers  —  The Baltimore Orioles, barring a last minute snag, will trade All-Star shortstop Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, according to a baseball official with direct knowledge of the deal.

Red Sox power rankings: Who's on top at the All-Star break?  —  After a couple of quick exits from the American League Division Series, there were plenty of lingering doubts when the Red Sox started the season with a record of 17-2.  Wait-and-see seemed to be the prevailing wisdom …

Atlanta Braves prospect delivers home cooking on field in Kissimmee  —  Meet Cristian Pache, a 19-year-old star center fielder from the Dominican Republic, now playing for the Florida Fire Frogs.  (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)  —  In baseball's version of a test kitchen, the minor leagues, Cristian Pache is coming along nicely.

Small Ball: Altuve, Betts bring compact pop to All-Star Game  —  WASHINGTON (AP) In decades past they would have been given nicknames like “Pee Wee” and coached to shorten their swings, keep the ball close to the ground, find holes and use their speed to leg out base hits.  —  Now, “small ball” has a new meaning.

Will changes rejuvenate a Cardinals team that says it wants to win?  —  It's not as if the Cardinals have a purposeful playlist of metaphorical songs, played in the clubhouse to subliminally spread messages; it's just a cool song, so they played it after the fun win.

MLB explores streaming option to resolve Dodgers' TV blackout  —  As the Dodgers' television blackout extends through a fifth consecutive season, Commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday that the league has explored ways to make broadcasts available to all fans via the internet.

Is this All-Star pitching parade so good it's bad for baseball?  —  WASHINGTON — Blake Snell knows what it's like to perform before small crowds in a national-publicity vacuum — just like David Price, James Shields and all the other successful pitchers who preceded him in Tampa Bay.

Why C-Flap helmet add-ons are causing safety flap on youth league diamonds  —  Mike Trout wears a C-flap.  Bryce Harper does, too.  They're among 10 players in Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game who wear attachments to their batting helmets that are designed to protect a batter's cheek and jaw.

Quiz: One-time Phillies all-stars ... and where have you gone, Domonic Brown?  —  Mike Schmidt holds the Phillies record with 12 all-star selections.  Robin Roberts and Steve Carlton are tied for the most among pitchers with seven.  —  But what about those flashes in the pan that pose …

Joey Votto talks to MLB Network's ‘Intentional Talk’ about when he had cornrows  —  Cincinnati Reds All-Star first baseman Joey Votto was on the set of MLB Network's Intentional Talk during All-Star Monday festivities preceding the Home Run Derby at Nationals Park, and he talked to co-hosts Chris Rose …

Plenty of low marks for a NY Mets team that has flopped after a hot start  —  Robert Aitken Jr., Staff Writer, @RobertAitkenJr  —  Even the most lenient grader would have a hard time giving these Mets passing grades.  —  The Mets are 39-55 and one of the worst teams in MLB through …

From Lou Boudreau to Kirby Puckett: Chicago area's all-time MLB baseball team  —  Chicago's history with the All-Star game goes back to the first one, played in 1933 at Comiskey Park.  Since then, the city and the team have provided some memorable Midsummer Classic moments.  —  Chicago Tribune

Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer is the anti-hero baseball needs  —  WASHINGTON - From his unique training regimen to his scientific approach to pitching to his polarizing personality, Trevor Bauer may be the most misunderstood player in baseball.  —  Bauer's personality, charitably described as …