The Padres made a push for Nelson Cruz; Boras on Max Scherzer's no-trade clause; more notes  —  Two Triple-A right-handers who ranked among the better prospects in the Rays' pitching-rich system might sound like a steep price for a rental hitter, even one as gifted as Nelson Cruz.

Execs expecting a ‘frenzy’ at the Deadline  —  Every year, as the calendar approaches the final days of July, teams around the Majors begin to feel the heat with regards to the Trade Deadline.  —  We're a little more than a week away, so we spoke with a half-dozen front-office executives …

Chaim Bloom explains how Chris Sale will impact Red Sox approach to trade deadline  —  Chris Sale is close to coming back to the major leagues.  Chaim Bloom said as much when appearing on the Greg Hill Show Thursday morning.  —  But that doesn't mean the Red Sox' Chief Baseball Officer …

Cole Popovich out on Patriots coaching staff  —  Cole Popovich, who shared offensive line coaching duties with Carmen Bricillo the last season, will not be coaching with the Patriots this season, according to a league source.  —  This season Bricillo will coach the offensive line alone.

Exclusive: Texas, Oklahoma reach out to SEC about joining conference  —  HOOVER, Ala. — A decade after major conference realignment shook up college football, big changes might again be on the horizon.  —  Texas and Oklahoma of the Big 12 have reached out to the Southeastern Conference …

Injured Royals starter Danny Duffy piques Giants' interest, sources say  —  LOS ANGELES — With baseball's trade deadline a week from Friday, the Giants might have one unusual option: trading for a player who is currently on the injured list.  —  The team has expressed interest …

Cleveland Indians have picked a new name, but aren't quite ready to announce it  —  CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Indians, according to sources, have settled on a new name for the franchise.  —  What that name is and when it will be announced has yet to be determined, but progress is being made on both fronts.

Knicks' Reggie Bullock drawing interest from Celtics, 76ers  —  In coach Tom Thibodeau's words, the Knicks are looking at July 29's draft for “wings and shooters.”  —  They have one in their midst who performed admirably during their 41-31 season.  But they could lose him to a division rival …

Dave Roberts upset as Los Angeles fans boo Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen following blown save  —  Kenley Jansen served up the go-ahead home run to Wilmer Flores in Wednesday's ninth inning, blowing his second consecutive save in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 4-2 loss to the first-place San Francisco Giants …