MLB RUMORS AND NEWS

WEEI Boston "Even though the Red Sox recently added right-hander Doug Fister, they might still look to make another move to their starting rotation. According to Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan, the Red Sox have sent some of their "most respected evaluators" to Sonny Gray's last two starts, which indicates the..." June 26

Miami Herald "The Marlins traded shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria to the Tampa Bay Rays for a pair of fringe prospects on Monday as the first step in what could turn into a major roster rebuild for Miami. The trade, which had been rumored for days, came as no surprise. With rookie shortstop JT Riddle settling..." June 26

Hardball Talk "Tom Boswell of the Washington Post does frequent Q&As with readers and today he had quite the A to one of their Qs. The question was about the Nats’ bullpen, which is obviously a glaring weakness on an otherwise excellent team. Following a long answer talking about the approach to bullpen..." June 26

CBS Sports "The San Francisco Giants made the playoffs and won the NL wild card game last year, but that might have obscured the direction things were going. They were 30-42 after the All-Star break. Only the Twins and Phillies won fewer games in the second half. That has continued into this season, as the..." June 26

MLB Trade Rumors "Right-hander Francisco Rodriguez, who was recently released by the Tigers, is being pursued by the Nationals and is likely to end up signing there, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (via Twitter). The Nationals, of course, have a clear need for bullpen help, and while K-Rod has been torched..." June 26

Hardball Talk "I’ve spent years arguing with people about team chemistry. You know the battle lines on all of that now: people who talk a lot about team chemistry tend to attribute winning or losing to good or bad chemistry, respectively. I tend to think that characterizing chemistry is a retroactive exercise in..." June 26

TMZ "Bad news, good news for ex-MLB superstar Miguel Tejada ... Bad News -- someone broke into Tejada's Ft. Lauderdale home and jacked thousands of dollars worth of expensive belongings. Good News -- Cops have arrested the suspect and Tejada should get his stuff back. Here's what we know ......" June 26

ESPN "Charlie Sheen has revealed himself as the owner of two of the most coveted pieces of Babe Ruth memorabilia, which will be sold Friday. Sheen told ESPN on Monday that it is he who consigned Babe Ruth's 1927 World Series ring and an original copy of the sale document that sent the Bambino from..." June 26

Sportsnet "Roberto Osuna says he never feels as good as when he’s on the mound. Toes on the rubber, ball in his hand, 97 m.p.h. of heat in his arm. Friday night, the Toronto Blue Jays closer didn’t get to have that feeling, a mental health issue preventing him from pitching in a save situation. But on..." June 26

USA Today "Jason Lockhart, the 15-year-old son of former Atlanta Braves second baseman Keith Lockhart, is receiving serious medical attention to treat profuse bleeding after he was hit in the face with a baseball, according to the Associated Press and other media reports. The younger Lockhart was hit..." June 26

Fox Sports "Things are different around the San Francisco Giants, and not simply because the three-time World Series champions are on pace to lose 100 games for the first time since 1985. The clubhouse, once populated by outspoken veterans and compelling eccentrics, is quiet to the point of being boring,..." June 26

Hardball Talk "Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the Phillies are making third baseman Maikel Franco “more than available” in trade discussions. Franco, 24, is having an abysmal season after showing promise in 2015 and ’16. Through 289 plate appearances, he’s hitting .221/.280/.365 with nine home..." June 26

Newark Star-Ledger "Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks' dream season has taken a turn toward pain and frustration. His shocking run from fourth outfielder to All-Star candidate is over. Hicks suffered a right oblique injury during the Yankees' 8-7 loss to the Texas Rangers on Sunday, and an MRI revealed bad..." June 26

Hardball Talk "Giants ace Madison Bumgarner tossed three no-hit innings yesterday in his first minor league rehab start with the Giants’ Arizona Rookie League team. He struck out two and walked a guy, while sitting in the 88-91 m.p.h. range on his fastball. Bumgarner, who is coming back from a sprained left..." June 26

MLB.com "The Marlins remain in discussions with multiple teams regarding Adeiny Hechavarria, but the Rays are believed to be the front-runners for the 28-year-old shortstop. According to sources, Miami is hoping to deal Hechavarria for one or perhaps two pitching prospects, and is seeking to get a deal..." June 26

MLB Trade Rumors "The Rays seem to be the “frontrunners” in talks, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets. Miami is looking for young pitching in return for Hechavarria. JUNE 25, 10:20pm: The Padres have joined the Rays in the Hechavarria sweepstakes, Clark Spencer reports (via Twitter). The Cardinals are no longer..." June 26

Sporting News "Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton has committed to defending his title at the 2017 Home Run Derby in Miami. MLB's All-Star weekend is less than a month away, and the Home Run derby has been reinvigorated in recent years. Stanton, who bashed his 20th home run of the season during Sunday's 4-2..." June 26

CBS Sports "The Dodgers came back against the Rockies (LAD 12, COL 6) on Sunday to earn their 10th consecutive win. Colorado setup man Adam Ottavino melted down spectacularly in the game. The most unlikely thing about the game was not Ottavino uncorking four wild pitches in one inning. It was Dodgers..." June 26

CBS Sports "Mets GM Sandy Alderson on Sunday announced that outfield prospect and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is being promoted from Columbia of the Low-A South Atlantic League to St. Lucie of the High-A Florida State League. Tebow, 29, put up a batting line of .222/.311/.340 at Columbia with three..." June 25

Fanrag Sports "New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto exited Sunday’s game against the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning after being hit by a pitch on the left wrist earlier in the contest. Giants starter Matt Moore hit Conforto in the fifth inning and after a short delay, he was able to run for..." June 25

New York Daily News "Matt Holliday still isn’t fully recovered from an allergic reaction he experienced just over a week ago in Oakland, and for that reason, he was out of the Yankees’ lineup Sunday against the Rangers. Aaron Judge started at designated hitter and Mason Williams played right field. “It’s not to..." June 25

MLB.com "With a rare start in center against the Cubs on Sunday, Ichiro Suzuki made history. At 43 years and 246 days old, the Marlins outfielder became the oldest starting center fielder since 1900, per Elias Sports." June 25

Boston Herald "Red Sox starter David Price is dealing with a cracked fingernail on the middle finger of his pitching hand, manager John Farrell explained today, a few hours before the finale of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park. Price left his start against the Angels on..." June 25

Bleacher Report "The Philadelphia Phillies have made struggling third baseman Maikel Franco available in trade talks as MLB's hot stove heats up ahead of July's trade deadline. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe categorized Franco as "more than available," though it's unclear how much compensation the Phillies..." June 25

MLB Trade Rumors "The Brewers have claimed catcher Stephen Vogt off waivers from the Athletics, reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN (on Twitter). Milwaukee was the only team to put in a claim for Vogt, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The 32-year-old Vogt had been in limbo since the A’s designated..." June 25

New York Post "The rest of the Mets can learn from Jacob deGrom. When he had his issues this season, he fixed them the old-fashioned way. He worked and worked to get it right. “He’s a workaholic,” manager Terry Collins said. “Worked hard at fixing the things that needed to be fixed. It paid off. He studied..." June 25

CSN Philly "There are five weeks to go before the non-waiver trade deadline and the Phillies have already received at least one offer for one of their players. The club has a "standing offer" on the table for veteran reliever Pat Neshek, according to a source. The right-hander is having a strong season...." June 25

Hardball Talk "The Athletics followed Friday’s 3-0 shutout with a rookie-led home run derby on Saturday afternoon, watching not one, not two, but three rookies belt their first major league home runs off of the White Sox’ James Shields. Right fielder Matt Olson was the first to strike, taking Shields deep on..." June 25

CBS Sports "Remember Steve Balboni? Many will. Many won't. The stocky first baseman/designated hitter had a quick run as the Royals' primary power hitter in the mid- to late-'80s, averaging 29 home runs per season from 1984-87 in K.C. He won a ring as part of that 1985 Royals team, hitting .320 in the World..." June 25

Chicago Sun-Times "Former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said Saturday that left-hander Mark Buehrle was the best player he managed. And for a manager known to speak his mind, one can be sure he meant it. Guillen bragged about Buehrle before a ceremony to retire Buehrle’s No. 56 at Guaranteed Rate Field. ‘‘In..." June 25

New York Daily News "Jay Bruce has already done this. For the first four months of last season, the right fielder spent part of every day either talking about possibly being traded or at least wondering about it. Signed by the Reds as an 18-year-old with braces and long hair, Bruce wondered about the baseball world..." June 25

WEEI Boston "The Red Sox might be close to actually having their entire rotation intact. Eduardo Rodriguez took his last step before heading out on a rehab assignment, throwing a 68-pitch simulated game at Fenway Park Saturday afternoon. It was the first time the lefty had faced live hitters since going on..." June 25

Detroit Free Press "Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus acknowledged the current seven-game losing streak feels similar to the stretch last May. The Tigers lost seven in a row and 11 of 12 before J.D. Martinez's home run at Baltimore helped spark the Tigers to a win. The Tigers went on to win eight of their next..." June 25

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "During the press conference that should have ignited a resolute urgency around the Cardinals clubhouse, general manager John Mozeliak said at some point the team was going to have to bring outfielder Randal Grichuk back to the majors and have him "sink or swim." That time has arrived. A day..." June 25

L.A. Daily News "For now, Corey Seager will avoid a trip to the disabled list. An MRI of Seager’s right hamstring on Saturday revealed he had suffered only a grade I strain, a positive development for the Dodgers’ star shortstop who was pulled from a 6-1 victory over Colorado the previous day after experiencing..." June 25

WEEI Boston "The David Ortiz comedy roast was too risque for NESN. According the Boston Globe, the network won't air the special this weekend due to vulgar and profane humor. Rob Gronkowski and Dustin Pedroia, as well as comedians Bill Burr, Lenny Clarke, and Sarah Tiana, gathered at the House of Blues..." June 24

Fox Sports "Reality finally is setting in for the injury-plagued and inconsistent Mets, who are 12 games back in the NL East and 13.5 games behind in the NL wild-card race. According to an ESPN report, New York is “open for business now” in terms of trade talks, and GM Sandy Alderson didn’t exactly squash..." June 24

Sporting News "Texas Rangers fans and fantasy owners alike can breathe a little easier now, Cole Hamels is back. The Rangers announced Saturday the 33-year-old starting pitcher will be making his return to the rotation Monday when Texas takes on the Indians in Cleveland. Hamels (oblique) has been on the..." June 24

Sportsnet "Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna says he has felt “anxious and lost” of late. Osuna was not available in Friday night’s 5-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals, with manager John Gibbons saying after the game that the closer “wasn’t feeling good today. That’s all you need to know.”" June 24

New York Daily News "For a team that has been in the building-up mode for the last five seasons, Friday was something of a shock to the younger players in the Mets clubhouse. As word started to filter around the visiting clubhouse at AT&T Park that Asdrubal Cabrera was asking for a trade, younger players were..." June 24

ESPN "The New York Yankees have designated Chris Carter for assignment and will promote Tyler Austin from the minors in an attempt to boost their production at first base. The Yankees announced the moves late Friday after their extra-innings victory over the Texas Rangers. Austin will be recalled..." June 24

SI "Cody Bellinger can never be Jerry Seinfeld's latex salesman. The Dodgers' phenom told ESPN's Scott Van Pelt on Friday that he isn't familiar with this Seinfeld guy. And there is definitely something wrong that. This all started when Bellinger's teammate (and Tweeter extraordinaire, Brandon..." June 24

Sportsnaut "Game 3 of the 2005 World Series is one of the more memorable in recent memory. The Chicago White Sox defeated the Houston Astros in 14 innings. The pitching staff’s were stretched so thin that Mark Buehrle — who had started Game 2 in Chicago two days earlier, picked up the save. In the years..." June 24

CBS Sports "The New York Mets love Jose Reyes -- that much is clear. Why the Mets love Reyes is unclear. He's an unskilled defender who entered Friday night hitting .193/.265/.321. Add in his domestic violence suspension last season, and there isn't much to recommend him. Yet the Mets have nonetheless..." June 24

WEEI Boston "The Red Sox have added some depth at third base. Speaking prior to Friday's game against the Angels, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced the Red Sox have signed third baseman Jhonny Peralta to a minor league deal. He will report to Triple-A Pawtucket on..." June 24

Tampa Bay Times "C Derek Norris tied a career-high with three hits in Friday's 15-5 win against the Orioles then was designated for assignment after the game to make room on the 25-man roster for C Wilson Ramos. Ramos, signed in December to a two-year, $12.5 million, has been out since late September after..." June 24

Sports Day "The latest Rangers' pitching injury comes courtesy of a hotel room door. On Friday, the club said left-hander Martin Perez tore the nail off his right (non-pitching) thumb and also suffered a small fracture at the tip of the bone in his thumb after catching it in a door in his hotel room...." June 24

CBS Sports "Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher Julio Urias has had a most unusual development arc. The 20-year-old has had his workload curbed by the Dodgers throughout his professional career, all with the hope that he'd be able to avoid the injuries that are so common in young pitchers. It looks like..." June 24

Newark Star-Ledger "As the Mets crumble, it's time to look forward to the trade deadline in Queens. While general manager Sandy Alderson hasn't put up the 'FOR SALE' sign quite yet, the Mets should seriously think about marketing players in a trade deadline sell off. The usual suspects--veterans, soon-to-be free..." June 23

MLB Trade Rumors "The Mets are “open for business now,” in the words of ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (via Twitter), whose report suggests the organization is preparing to throw in the towel on a snakebitten season. Per Olney, the Mets are amenable to dealing away a variety of veteran assets. As things stand, New York..." June 23