The New York Yankees entered Sunday night's game against the Boston Red Sox with a chance to steal a road series at Fenway Park as they desperately try to stay in the playoff race. They actually scored seven runs, a stunning accomplishment for a lineup that featured the corpses of Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner in addition to Eduardo Nunez, Chris Stewart, and Luis Cruz at the bottom of the batting order. Normally, seven runs would be plenty for this team; they entered the night 23-0 when scoring at least six runs.

Regrettably, they let this rare display of offense go to waste as CC Sabathia had a poor night, but they could have easily scored more than seven runs had first baseman Lyle Overbay not gone through one of the worst games in the history of the Yankees. In fact, it was the seventh-worst game in Yankees history by WPA, even more miserable than Hafner's 0-for-8 in the nightmare 18-inning game in Oakland:

While Pronk needed eight plate appearances to reach his -0.545 disaster, Overbay did it in just six.

1st inning, -.05

Overbay had an opportunity to knock in some early runs against a struggling Ryan Dempster. One run was already in for the Yankees on some sloppy defense, and Overbay had the lefty/righty advantage on Dempster with runners on first and third and one out. A fly ball could have scored a run, but Overbay struck out on five pitches.

2nd inning, -.03

One inning later, Overbay was immediately offered a reprieve. Cano had scored the Yankees' third run on a two-out single, again putting runners at the corners for Overbay. Two pitches and a meek comebacker later, the inning was over and Overbay was 0-for-2 with four runners stranded.

5th inning, -.02

The Red Sox rallied to take a 6-3 lead by the time Overbay came up for a third chance, this time with no one on base. Dempster needed just two pitches to induce a fly ball to center. At this point, Overbay's day was 0-for-3 with a -.100 WPA. It was not the day one would hope for, but it was far from disastrous. His next three at-bats obliterated the normal standard for a poor day.

6th inning, -.21

The Yankees knocked Dempster out of the game during the sixth, and lefty specialist Craig Breslow relieved him with two men on, one out, and the score 7-4, Red Sox. His mission was to take care of the lefties Ichiro Suzuki, Cano, and Overbay (if needed). Breslow did not do his job against Ichiro and Cano, who hit back-to-back singles, making the score 7-5. Although at a big disadvantage facing a lefty, Overbay could tie the game with a single since Ichiro and Gardner were on second and third. Hell, even a fly ball would make it a one-run game. One pitch later, NOPE; it was an easy 4-6-3 double play to kill the rally.

8th inning, -.04

Another lefty was on for the Red Sox in the eighth, the recently-acquired Matt Thornton. A two-run rally against Breslow and Junichi Tazawa had completed a very nice four-run comeback by the Yankees to even the score at seven after seven. In the eighth though, Cano struck out swinging, Overbay struck out looking, and Wells grounded out. Overbay was now a ugly 0-for-5.

10th inning, -.22

The game went to extra innings, and the Yankees faced rookie southpaw Drake Britton, appearing in just his second career game (the first was the previous day). Gardner walked, Ichiro flew out, and Cano singled Gardner to scoring position. Overbay could bloop a single to give the Yankees the lead. Even if he struck out, Red Sox manager John Farrell would have to make a move to bring in Pedro Beato unless he wanted Britton to face the righty Wells up next. It did not matter. Overbay hit a 1-0 pitch to second for yet another 4-6-3 double play to kill the rally.

An inning later, the game ended on a Mike Napoli homer, and Overbay's horrible day was set in stone at 0-for-6 with eight men left on base and a -.567 WPA that clinched him "Mitre of the Game" distinction. Overbay has been a relative surprise this year at a 104 OPS+ with solid defense while replacing Teixeira, but Sunday night was certainly one game to forget for the veteran.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Baby Bomber Recap 7/22/13: RiverDogs win fifth straight
• MLB trade rumors: Yankees close to acquiring Alfonso Soriano
• Yankees 0, Rangers 3: No shelter from the storm
• Ryan Braun suspended for remainder of season; A-Rod, Cervelli next?
• On the 2013 Yankees and moral victories

The pieces seem to be falling into shape for the Yankees and Cubs in their supposed talks to bring righty outfielder Alfonso Soriano back to New York. Joel Sherman reported that the Cubs were scouting Triple-A righty reliever Chase Whitley over the weekend, and Scranton writer Donnie Collins also noted that about five to six scouts in the past month had asked him about Whitley, who has pitched to a 3.52 ERA and 3.28 FIP in 38 1/3 innings this year.

I wrote about Whitley back in Spring Training when he was a non-roster invitee:

Chase Whitley, RHP

Age: 24 (born 6/14/1989)

2012 (AA/AAA): 43 G, 84.1 IP, 3.09 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 1.055 WHIP, 6.6 H/9, 2.9 BB/9, 7.8 K/9

The last of the pitchers did not actually become one until his junior year at Troy University in Alabama. Whitley turned some heads and was then taken by the Yankees in the 15th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. He moved quickly, spending about half a season each at Staten Island, Tampa, and Trenton before joining the Traveling Roadshow in Triple-A on April 13th of last season. Scouts consider Whitley’s changeup his best pitch, and former Padres great Trevor Hoffman demonstrated that if mastered, that’s all one needs out of the ‘pen. Whitley also has a low-90s fastball, and the fastball/change combination might give him an outside shot at a bullpen spot. More than likely though, he will begin 2013 looking to improve further with Scranton. (Video 1) (Video 2)

Whitley appears to be another one of the Yankees' nice late-round relievers with a decent shot of succeeding in the majors. He has an 8.7 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 this year, but he does have some red flags. Strangely, he has a reverse split going on in that lefties are only hitting .197/.304/.212 against him in 79 plate appearances, but righties are pounding him to a .315/.363/.438 triple slash. He did not have these problems last year in Scranton (lefties and righties hit him about equally as hard), so it could just be a small sample size abnormality.

Regardless, the Yankees have plenty of relief talent at least at Whitley's level in the pipeline. Sherman noted Shawn Kelley, Preston Claiborne, Dan Burawa, Dellin Betances, and Tom Kahnle to name a few, and that's not even including the rehabbing Mark Montgomery. Parting with Whitley would not be a major blow at all to the Yankees; he's not even close to the relief prospect that Mark Melancon was in 2010 when they dealt him to the Astros for Lance Berkman in a similar salary dump.

If the deal only involves the Yankees on dealing Whitley and paying Soriano about $6 million, then that's not a bad trade at all. Nothing is definite yet though, so we will see.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Baby Bomber Recap 7/22/13: RiverDogs win fifth straight
• MLB trade rumors: Yankees close to acquiring Alfonso Soriano
• Yankees 0, Rangers 3: No shelter from the storm
• Ryan Braun suspended for remainder of season; A-Rod, Cervelli next?
• On the 2013 Yankees and moral victories

In the 1944 comedy The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, a young woman goes out for a night of drunken revelry with a bunch of soldiers about to go overseas, hits her head, and wakes up married and pregnant. The problem isn't that the sex wasn't consensual -- it was -- but that the heroine can't quite remember which of the soldiers she hooked up with. She recalls only that the private had a funny name, something like "Ratzkiwatzki." By the end of the picture, a new husband/father has been found and, after an appeal to the governor, the original marriage has been annulled. But what about Ratzkiwatzki? What if he objects? "He's out of the picture!" the governor shouts. "Was never in it!" the political boss adds.

This is one of the best double-entendres in movie history as the line is literally true: There is no such character as Ratzkiwatzki in the movie. He's continually referred to in conversation but never actually appears. Thus he is easily deleted, having never been part of the story in the first place.

Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter are the Private Ratzkiwatzkis of the 2013 season. They are not in the picture, were never in it. I was struck by this on Monday afternoon when I spent 15 minutes on the radio talking primarily about the two absentee players. I put down the phone and realized that we had spent a quarter of an hour discussing players who have had zero impact on the 2013 season. I am not denigrating the host's choice of topics; that two historically important players have been non-factors for two-thirds of a season is a story. Add in that one of them is the King of New York and the other is apparently about to be banned for some epic length of time and you have a story worth talking about. Still, for all their relevance to baseball, the game on the field in 2013, we might as well have been talking about Cap Anson and Pete Browning.

A-Rod looking to broker plea deal

The veteran slugger is reportedly trying to make a deal with the league similar to Ryan Braun's. Unlike Braun, however, A-Rod's suspension is not expected to be imminent.

That's not to say that we should be surprised by that outcome. Even without fluke ankle injuries, hip surgeries, and stupid, stupid, stupid dalliances with Florida anti-aging clinics, the odds were always against Jeter and Rodriguez. One was a 39-year-old shortstop, a spectacularly rare creature. Historically, most shortstops have not had the bat to justified continued playing time as their defense started to slip, so with the exception of a couple of above-average hitters who were able to hang on (Honus Wagner and Luke Appling in the prewar period), most shortstops have changed positions or gone home by the time they're pushing 40. More recently, teams have played Ozzie Smith and Omar Viquel regularly at 39 and 40 on the theory that a degraded great defender still had enough left over to be a better fielder than whatever 25-year-old replacement they could muster. However, no shortstop 39 or older has had a season of even 3.0 wins above replacement (as per Baseball-Reference) since 1949.

The other, the third baseman, was only 37, but the list of 37-year-old third basemen having big seasons is actually quite short as well. In both cases, the Yankees needed to roll the 20-sided dice and come up with the facet that indicated Mike Schmidt '87 and Luke Appling '46. The odds were against either happening even if each of them was in mint-on-card condition. They were doomed to be the Ratzkiwatzkis. Rodriguez, in particular, has been in continual decline since his 2007 MVP, Biogenesis magic beans or not. In all the parallel universes that crowd reality, there are precious few where these two had big seasons and countless more where they did exactly what they're doing now.

As Cliff Corcoran wrote recently in these pages, for these players the future is going to bear more resemblance to the present than the glorious past. After all, unless the world is suddenly discontinued, Jeter and Rodriguez have limited baseball left, whereas their team will go on. Whether due to some lengthy ban or simple inability to play, they will head into retirement. The game belongs not to them, but to Yasiel Puig and Wil Myers and Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. The Mariners have brought up a whole passel of interesting young players this year, guys like second baseman Nick Franklin and shortstop Brad Miller. The Marlins are about to promoteChristian Yelich and Jake Marisnick from Double-A. This is the world of the living.

Wikimedia Commons

I do not suggest any equivalency of moral stature when I say that Jeter and Rodriguez are about to share the same fate. One will go soon because time demands it, the other because the Commissioner does. The short-term destination is still the same. Life is not always fair, though Jeter will get something back when he accepts a plaque from the Hall of Fame at a time when Rodriguez will still have to buy a ticket to enter the museum.

Jeter may yet gain relevance to the 2013 season. The Yankees have had a fascinating campaign, hanging in (barely) despite the team's many injuries and a self-defeating winter of lethargy. For Jeter to come riding in on a white horse and save them one last time would be thrilling, perhaps even to non-Yankees fans. Nevertheless, we should resign ourselves to the fact that this is increasingly unlikely. To do that, Jeter will have to be (a) able to play, and (b) able to play shortstop, because (c) after a season of getting .217/.272/.289 from their shortstops and .211/.298/.360 from their designated hitters, if the Yankees are serious about making a run they're going to need to upgrade in both places.

Until such time as that happens, I'm ready to talk about Jose Iglesias and Matt Moore and Henry Urrutia and any player who is actively contributing to a major league baseball team and might have a shelf-life longer than a head of cauliflower. It's time to let go. They are no longer in the picture.

More from SB Nation:

• Ryan Braun suspended for rest of season | Rob Neyer on Braun | Steven Goldman on Braun

• A-Rod may be next superstar to be suspended

• Dodgers sign Cuban INF to $32 million deal

• Cubs, Rangers complete Matt Garza trade

Good afternoon prospect watchers. Let's get down to business.

***Yesterday's Minor League Ball Gameday discussion thread.

***As you likely know, the Miami Marlins promoted outfield prospect Christian Yelich and outfield prospect Jake Marisnick to the major league roster last night. I'll have a "Prospects of the Day" post about them tomorrow. Other items in the work queue: Prospect Retros by request for Chris Davis, Marco Scutaro, and Jeff Kent. Upcoming prospects of the day include Drake Britton and Michael Choice, plus analysis of any trades that occur.

Charlie Drysdale returns tomorrow with a look at some Dominican pitchers making their debuts in North America this summer.

***The Chicago Cubs are alleged to be interested in New York Yankees prospect Chase Whitley as part of a potential Alfonso Soriano deal. Whitley has a 3.52 ERA with a 37/13 K/BB ratio in 38 innings for Triple-A Scranton. He was drafted in the 15th round in 2010 from Troy University, and is viewed as a typical middle relief-type prospect, featuring an 89-91 MPH fastball, a decent slider, and a very good changeup.

***Some guy named Ron Braun or Ryan Baker or something of the Milwaukee Braves or the Boston Bees is in the news, but he's not a prospect so I'm not paying attention.

***Good start yesterday for Seattle Mariners prospect James Paxton: one run in six innings for Triple-A Tacoma, seven strikeouts, four hits, no walks. He's been written off by some, but we're still talking about a lefty with a 104/39 K/BB ratio in 104 innings in Triple-A, which is more important than his 4.40 ERA. That's a prospect.

***Former first round pick and Tommy John rehab guy Alex Wimmers thew 3.1 innings for the Gulf Coast League Twins yesterday, fanning four. He's another guy in the "forgotten prospect" category who could sneak up on us next year once his injury recovery is complete.

***In all seriousness, the Ryan Braun thing is just sad. I try to avoid the PED controversy. I'm not one for witch hunts and I know enough about human nature not to be surprised by anything, but I'm not wild about making excuses either, especially for multiple violations. The issue gives me a bellyache, and I've got a beauty right now.

I will say this though. There is something very American about the whole PED thing, and I mean American in the worst way: the elevation of competition and victory and personal aggrandizement above all other virtues. Yeah, Yeah, I know, "do what it takes to win", etc., except in this case (and more cases to come), "doing what it took" involved breaking the rules in such a way as to risk a huge suspension, potentially bring your whole team down with you.

But I guess that's very American too.

More from Minor League Ball:

• New York Yankees Top 20 2013 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review
• Prospect of the Day: Jonathan Villar, SS, Houston Astros
• Prospect Retrospective: Brooks Kieschnick
• Cubs trade Matt Garza to Rangers for Grimm, prospects Olt, C.J. Edwards
• Minor League Ball Gameday, July 22

The Cubs haven't made any official announcement about the headline to this post, but that's the only conclusion that can be drawn, following this tweet:

#Yankees at #RedSox on Aug. 18 now a night game for ESPN. #RedSox play at San Francisco the next day.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) July 23, 2013

ESPN's schedule page for August 18 confirms that Yankees/Red Sox will be their featured Sunday night game that day. (Gee, what a surprise.)

The Cubs/Cardinals game for August 18 is listed as "TBD" on schedules; that same ESPN.com page says the Cubs game will be at 1 p.m. ET (noon CT), but the more likely result will be that Cubs/Cardinals game will be a 1:20 p.m. CT start and be televised on WGN. I'll update this post when that's officially announced by the Cubs.

There's one other "TBD" Sunday game on the Cubs' schedule -- September 1 against the Phillies. Unless the Phillies miraculously find themselves in contention, that one's also likely headed for a 1:20 CT start.

Alex Rodriguez could be facing a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball due to his connection with the Biogenesis clinic, CBS News' Jim Axelrod reports. The news comes in the wake of Ryan Braun's 65-game, unpaid suspension.

Per an ESPN.com report, Major League Baseball has even more evidence against Rodriguez than it did against Braun. Sources told CBS Evening News that Rodriguez's suspension, expected to be announced within the next two or three weeks, has a chance to go beyond Braun's punishment.

A-Rod tried to buy and destroy Biogenesis documents

Alex Rodriguez was named in April as the player who tried to buy and destroy documents from the Biogenesis of America clinic before they could be discovered by Major League Baseball.

Rodriguez has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs while he was with the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003. He has denied using PEDs since joining the New York Yankees, however. Although sources close to Rodriguez have told USA Today otherwise, if MLB truly has overwhelming evidence against Rodriguez, he may be forced into a situation where he must admit to using PEDs to potentially avoid harsher punishment from the league, just as Braun did.

Rodriguez was tabbed in April as the player who attempted to buy documents from Biogenesis in order to destroy them before they were found by the league. While technically not evidence of wrong-doing -- the information in the Biogenesis documents did not prove PED use, only that players had been linked to the clinic -- the fact that Rodriguez was so hasty raised suspicions, SB Nation's Steven Goldman wrote:

Having said that, it seems odd that a man who is not guilty would be trying to suppress evidence relating to his own case. Thus we seem to now be in a weird baseball version of Watergate, where the "third-rate burglary" of DNC headquarters eventually took a backseat to the White House's attempt to cover it up.

Rodriguez has yet to play this season for the Yankees due to various injuries.

More from SB Nation:

• Ryan Braun suspended for rest of season | Rob Neyer on Braun | Steven Goldman on Braun

• A-Rod may be next superstar to be suspended

• Dodgers sign Cuban INF to $32 million deal

• Cubs, Rangers complete Matt Garza trade

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L 1-4, L 1-3 vs. Toledo Mud Hens

Game One:

2B David Adams 1-3, 2 BB, K
C JR Murphy 1-5, 2B, K - 10th double with SWB
RF Adonis Garcia 2-4, BB
1B Dan Johnson 0-3, RBI
DH Randy Ruiz 1-3, BB, 2 K
3B Ronnier Mustelier 0-4
LF Cody Grice 1-4, 3 K
CF Corey Patterson 0-4
SS Hector Crespo 0-4, 2 K, E6 - fielding error

Michael Pineda 3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K - four groundouts, one flyout
Caleb Cotham 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HB
Sam Demel 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Mike Zagurski 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K - 2.34 ERA with SWB
Yoshinori Tateyama 1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB

The RailRiders and Mud Hens were tied 1-1 through nine before the Mud Hens score three runs in the top of the 10th to break the tie and give them the game.

Game Two:

CF Corey Patterson 0-3, 2 K
DH JR Murphy 1-3, 2B - batting .282/.300/.410 over his last 10 games
2B Adonis Garcia 0-3, K
3B Dan Johnson 0-3
1B Randy Ruiz 0-3
LF Ronnier Mustelier 0-3, K - batting .088/.114/.147 over his last 10 games
RF Cody Grice 1-2. SB
C Bobby Wilson 1-2, HR, RBI - fifth homer of the season
SS Hector Crespo 0-2 - 2013 34th round pick

Chris Bootcheck 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, WP - four groundouts, seven flyouts
Jim Miller 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Heading into the sixth inning the RailRiders led 1-0 before the Mud Hens scored three runs off Bootcheck to complete the doubleheader sweep.

Double-A Trenton Thunder:W 3-2, W 3-1 vs. Altoona Curve

LF Ramon Flores 1-2, 2 BB, K
CF Slade Heathcott 1-4, RBI, SB
2B Jose Pirela 1-3, 3B, RBI - fifth triple of the season
DH Kyle Roller 0-1, RBI, BB
RF Yeral Sanchez 1-3
1B Andrew Clark 0-3
SS Carmen Angelini 0-3, K
3B Reegie Corona 1-3, K
C Jose Gil 1-3, pickoff

David Phelps 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K - three groundouts, one flyout
Francisco Rondon 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Rigoberto Arrebato 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, BB, K, HB

Heathcott's walk-off single broke a 2-2 tie after the Thunder had gotten out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning in game one of the doubleheader.

Game Two:

LF Ramon Flores 0-3, K
CF Slade Heathcott 2-3, 2B, HR, RBI - sixth homer of the season
2B Jose Pirela 0-3, E4 - throwing error, 13th of the season
1B Kyle Roller 1-2, HR, RBI, BB, K - 12th homer of the season
RF Yeral Sanchez 1-3
DH Andrew Clark 2-3 - batting .301 with Trenton
SS Carmen Angelini 0-3, SB
3B Casey Stevenson 0-2, RBI
C Jeff Farnham 0-2

Zach Nuding 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, BB, 3 K, WP - seven groundouts, eight flyouts

Second and third inning homers from Roller and Heathcott were enough to give Trenton the win and the sweep of the doubleheader for their 52nd game of the season.

High-A Tampa Yankees:W 9-5 vs. Palm Beach Cardinals

CF Mason Williams 4-6, 2B, 3B, RBI, K - batting .408/.431/.571 over his last 10 games
2B Rob Refsnyder 3-5, 2B, HR, 6 RBI, BB, K, CS - fourth homer with Tampa
RF Taylor Dugas 2-4, K, CS, HBP
C Peter O'Brien 0-5
DH Tyson Blaser 2-5, K, SB
1B Saxon Butler 0-4, BB, 2 K
LF Jose Toussen 0-3, 2 BB, K
3B Fu-Lin Kuo 2-5, 2 RBI
SS Ali Castillo 2-4, E6 - fielding error, second of the season

Corey Black 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R/2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HB - four groundouts, four flyouts
Joel De Le Cruz 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, K
Diego Moreno 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Williams fell a home run short of the cycle and Refsnyder hit a grand slam as part of a 15-hit game and win for the Yankees.

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:W 5-1 vs. Hickory Crawdads

RF Danny Oh 1-4, 2B, BB - batting .293 this season
SS Cito Culver 2-5, RBI
1B Reymond Nunez 1-5, K
3B Dante Bichette Jr. 1-4, BB, K - batting .262/.340/.524 over his last 10 games
LF Ericson Leonora 1-2, 2B, BB, OF assist
CF Jake Cave 2-4, 2B, RBI, K, SB
C Wes Wilson 1-4, RBI, K
DH Daniel Aldrich 2-4, K
2B Francisco Rosario 0-4, 2 K

Cesar Vargas 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K - ten groundouts, one flyout
John Brebbia 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

The RiverDogs tallied eleven hits on their way to their sixth win in a row and their 57th win on the season.

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:L 4-6 vs. Connecticut Tigers

SS Jose Rosario 1-5, 2B, K - fifth double of the season
LF Michael O'Neill 1-5, K
CF Brandon Thomas 0-5, K
RF Yeicok Calderon 3-4, 2B, RBI - eighth double of the season
3B Kale Sumner 0-4, K
DH Mike Ford 1-4, K
1B Bubba Jones 1-3, K, HBP
C Isaias Tejeda 0-3, K, HBP
2B Derek Toadvine 2-4, K

Giovanny Gallegos 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K - three groundouts, three flyouts
Andrew Benak 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, BB, 3 K, E1 - pickoff error
Stefan Lopez 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, pickoff

The Yankees offense notched nine hits but it wasn't enough to overcome giving up six runs to the opposition, four of which came in the first four innings.

Notes from the Gulf Coast League:

GCL Yankees 1 game was suspended for rain

GCL Yankees 2 game postponed for rain

On February 16, 2004, the Texas Rangers, already tired of the weight of Alex Rodriguez's $252 million contract after just three seasons, traded him to the New York Yankees for Alfonso Soriano.

Soriano didn't do much in two years in Texas and after one year with the Nationals, signed the eight-year, $136 million deal with the Cubs before the 2007 season; this, you already know much about.

A-Rod's tumultuous tenure in New York resulted in eight playoff appearances, one World Series title, and one contract renegotiated to the tune of $272 million, $86 million of which is still due to him from 2014 through 2017.

And now these two players could find themselves intertwined yet again; Soriano could find himself traded back to the Yankees, though it's not yet "close":

But if the Yankees and Cubs can make a deal, is Soriano interested in going back to the place he began his major league career?"I just focus on playing baseball, on playing the game today," Soriano said. "I haven’t talked to my family. If it happens, if they’re getting closer, I will think about it. Now there is nothing there."If the president or the general manager (Jed Hoyer) doesn’t call my agent, that’s because there’s nothing happening, nothing close. So if we get something close I want to have time to think about it. Now, there’s nothing to think about."

Well, that's about as noncommittal as Soriano can get, though you'd think he would like the chance to go back to where he had five good years, three previous playoff seasons and the chance to perhaps get a ring.

As for A-Rod, you have certainly read much already about his possible suspension. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal sums it up:

Is Rodriguez, 38, in bad enough shape to be declared permanently disabled? (Doubtful, considering that he was playing in rehab games last week.)

Will he get a lifetime ban from baseball? (Also doubtful, considering that he never has been suspended and that there is little precedent for such a penalty.)

Either outcome, of course, would end Rodriguez’s career. But call all the lawyers: We are hundreds of billable hours away from either possibility being close to reality.

Lawyers, A-Rod has lawyers. He runs through them the way he runs through his blonde girlfriends. The attorneys he employs today are not necessarily the attorneys he will employ tomorrow.

But more important for the possibility of trading Soriano to the Yankees is this paragraph from Rosenthal's article:

It would greatly benefit the Yankees if baseball suspended A-Rod without pay for as much of 2014 as possible. If such an outcome occurred, the salary he forfeited would not count against their $189 million luxury-tax threshold, according to the New York Post. And if the team got under that number, it would reap a series of financial benefits — a stated goal of ownership.

And that's where Soriano comes in. One early report regarding the Soriano-to-the-Yankees rumor said that the Yankees would pay all of Soriano's remaining contract this year (approximately $7 million), but that the Cubs would then eat the $18 million owed to Soriano for 2014, again to help keep the Yankees under that luxury-tax threshold. This makes some sense for both sides, but the Cubs apparently are looking for a decent prospect or MLB-ready player return, and the Yankees might be balking at that.

But something pointing to this deal being made is the fact that the Yankees, old and injured for much of this year, could really use a right-handed power hitter, and Soriano, even at 37, fits that bill. He's been on one of his hot streaks lately, though no one knows when that streak is going to end, and still plays at least a competent left field. The Yankees could also use him at designated hitter, where Travis Hafner has played much of this year (and not all that well, with a .697 OPS and 91 OPS+).

We've discussed Soriano's years with the Cubs many, many times here. By all accounts he's been a good teammate, a mentor to younger players, a hard worker, and never complained when working his way back from injuries. If the Cubs had won the World Series within the first two or three years of his contract, no one would complain (at least I wouldn't) about the rest of the deal.

But they didn't, and so Soriano has at times, and undeservedly so in my view, become a convenient target for those who want to bash previous management for spending too much. It's all water under the proverbial bridge at this point; it seems as if current management would like to deal him and move on. I have no problem with this.

It's just delicious baseball irony that at the time that A-Rod could be facing a lifetime suspension, the man he was once traded for might return to the Yankees. Stay tuned, both parts of this story could get real interesting, real soon.

Another big trade chip came off the table Tuesday, as the Baltimore Oriolesacquired righty reliever Francisco Rodriguez from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for a mid-level prospect. We're now officially a week away from the deadline, so expect a lot more movement in the next several days.

Here's the latest from Rumorville:

ChiSox reject trade offer from Cardinals

The Chicago White Sox are reportedly in sell mode this summer, but apparently they're not willing to give up all of their valuable trade pieces. The White Sox are expected to depart with Jake Peavy, Jesse Crain, and Alex Rios in the next week, but don't be surprised if shortstop Alexei Ramirez stays put. The club recently rejected a trade offer from the Cardinals that would have sent Ramirez to St. Louis in exchange for a prospect package that included young right-hander Carlos Martinez. Chicago's rejection of the deal indicates that they really see Ramirez as an important part of their future, given that Martinez was ranked the No. 38 prospect in baseball before the season, and has thoroughly dominated hitters in his first go at Triple-A -- 1.98 ERA in 41 innings.

Red Sox, Cardinals getting serious about Peavy

The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals have reportedly moved from the "we're not sure where this is headed yet" stage of the Jake Peavy trade relationship into the "here's the key to my apartment ballpark" stage. The two first-place squads are believed to be the two most serious suitors for Peavy's second-half services, though they're certainly not alone in their pursuit. Rumor maven Jon Heyman speculates that the Nationals, Pirates, and Rockies could all be involved in the Peavy sweepstakes, and the D'Backs, Blue Jays, Yankees, and Orioles all had scouts at his last start. With Matt Garza now in Texas, Peavy is the best starting pitcher left on the market, so expect his price to be pretty steep.

Yankees not that close to getting Soriano

Alfonso Soriano's Bronx reunion is apparently not as much a sure thing as was first reported on Monday. The Yankees are still in talks to acquire their former-second-baseman-turned-corner-outfielder, but Cubs GM Jed Hoyer said that any rumor of a deal is "very premature." Hoyer added that the Cubbies are still in discussions with multiple clubs about Soriano, and that nothing is close to getting done with any of them. The Bombers definitely need help in the outfield corners, but it's unclear whether another old guy with a low-OBP is really going to make things better for them.

More from SB Nation:

• Ryan Braun suspended for rest of season | Neyer reacts | Goldman reacts

• A-Rod may be next superstar to be suspended

• Dodgers sign Cuban INF to $32 million deal

• Cubs, Rangers complete Matt Garza trade

During the current rut the Yankees are in, fans are wondering if their team will be buyers or sellers going into the Trade Deadline. Heading into Wednesday's play, the Yankees are seven back of Boston for the American League East and 3.5 back of Baltimore for the second Wild Card. You can make a real case for the Yankees being buyers or sellers considering their place in the respective standings. However, given their interest in Alfonso Soriano, it appears as though they'll be buyers, but they shouldn't stop at just Soriano.

Yes, talks have stalled between the Yankees and Cubs in regards to Alfonso Soriano, but Jon Heyman still believes this is a trade that will get completed, for what it's worth. If/when this deal gets done, Alfonso Soriano and his 100 wRC+ would become the best right-handed batter on the team, and it's not close. Vernon Wells is currently the best righty hitter on the team (76 wRC+), followed by Chris Stewart (72 wRC+), and Eduardo Nunez (68 wRC+). Soriano's production against lefties (116 wRC+) would also be a nice boost. That 116 mark only trails Ichiro Suzuki (119 wRC+) and is tied with Robinson Cano for best on the team.

With all this said, the Yankees' interest in Soriano is a clear indication they'll buy at the deadline. Personally, over the last couple of days, I have leaned towards the "The Yankees should be sellers at the deadline" side of the argument, given how tough the American League is and how the team appears to be trending downward rather than upward going forward, but whatever. Either way, I'd be much happier if they do something, whether it be buy or sell, rather than just sit on their hands and do nothing.

At the right price, Soriano would be a really nice add, but the Yankees would be foolish to stop there. A corner outfielder with power like Soriano is just what they need, but they also need a shortstop, a third baseman, at least a right-handed platoon partner for Lyle Overbay, and a catcher. The list goes on and on. Some of these holes could be filled by waiting for the injured guys to comeback (ie: Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez,), but that plan has been a massive fail so far. It might be time to actually go outside the organization to get a bat instead of simply relying on the old and injured players to come back.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Luis Cruz headed to the DL with MCL injury; could David Adams be recalled?
• Yankees 5, Rangers 4: Revenge of the All-Star Game Setup Guy
• Cubs possibly asking for Chase Whitley in Alfonso Soriano deal?
• Yankees lineup vs. Rangers; Soriano deal possibly hung up over money
• Biogenesis supensions: Putting the Alex Rodriguez situation into perspective

Good morning prospect watchers.

***Items in my current work queue: Prospects of the Day features on Drake Britton and Michael Choice, unless something more timely is necessary, plus Prospect Retrospectives on Chris Davis, Marco Scutaro, and Jeff Kent. I will continue to bang away at the Pre-Season Top 20 prospect list reviews, concentrating on teams that are likely to be active at the deadline and teams about which there are specific rumors afloat, while keeping a balance between geographical regions and leagues so I can finish the whole project in a timely manner by early August. When time crunches, this will have a higher priority over Retros and any other features except an actual trade.

***Yesterday's Minor League Ball Gameday thread.

***Los Angeles Angels outfield prospect Kole Calhounhit three homers for Triple-A Salt Lake last night, pushing his season line to .349/.417/.604 with 12 homers and 10 steals. Yeah, it's the PCL. Yeah, he's old for a prospect at age 25. And yeah, he doesn't have great tools and is small for an outfielder (5-11, 190, but looks smaller). He's also hit everywhere he's played dating back to his days at Arizona State, and I wouldn't underestimate his ability to surprise us at some point.

***Tyler Glasnow continues to roll along, the Pirates prospect throwing six strong innings for Low-A West Virginia last night, allowing one hit, two walks, no runs, fanning six.

***Miguel Sano is heating up for Double-A New Britain. He homered again last night and has added 40 points to his batting average in the last week, now up to .231/.333/.562 overall in 37 games since being promoted.

***Another ultra-hot player is Yankees outfielder Mason Williams, 4-for-6 with three runs scored last night, adding 40 points to his batting average in the last three weeks, now up to .282/.350/.390 for High-A Tampa.

***Marlins pitching prospect Brian Flynn threw 7.2 shutout innings for Triple-A New Orleans yesterday, fanning nine. Acquired in the Anibal Sanchez trade last summer, he's quietly had a very good season with a 3.36 ERA with a 98/32 K/BB in 99 innings. He has a 3-10 record due to poor run support, but he's pitching very credibly for the PCL, is a big lefty (6-8, 240) who works in the low-90s, and has a good changeup and breaking ball. He seems like a good candidate to sneak up on us. The 23 year old was drafted by the Tigers out of Wichita State in the seventh round in 2011.

More from Minor League Ball:

• Top Dominican Summer League pitchers making their stateside debuts in 2013
• Brewers trade Francisco Rodriguez to Orioles for prospect Nick Delmonico
• Minor League Ball Gameday, July 23
• New York Yankees Top 20 2013 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review
• Prospect of the Day: Jonathan Villar, SS, Houston Astros
• Prospect Retrospective: Brooks Kieschnick
• Cubs trade Matt Garza to Rangers for Grimm, prospects Olt, C.J. Edwards

Nothing like a little Led Zeppelin to provide some clarity though the upcoming chaos we're about to endure. Fool in the Rain is a fantastic song among many fantastic Led Zeppelin songs. Alex Rodriguez is a fantastic baseball player among many fantastic baseball players. Alex Rodriguez is apparently about to be, for lack of a better or less nerdier term, "Red Wedding'd" by MLB. Perhaps if Rob Stark took steroids -- you know what I'll just stop right there.

Two days ago, Ryan Braun agreed to a 65-game suspension from any and all baseball activities due to the ongoing Biogenesis scandal. Whether Braun is actually guilty or not has yet to be one hundred percent proven, but agreeing to this type of suspension doesn't win him any points in the innocence department. We've already discussed Braun's situation in length so there's no real need to go into it. It only served as the proverbial domino to what many Yankee fans all feared, or hoped in some cases, was coming; the Alex Rodriguez conundrum. What a conundrum it is.

A-Rod has his defenders and his detractors, his cheerleaders and his boobirds, and other such nouns and adjectives. The debates have raged on from "He only did steroids with the Rangers" to "Did steroids really improve his performance that much" and it has provided many a sports writer with ample fuel for the fire. Alex Rodriguez is the topic that keeps on giving. The Biogenesis debacle is yet another bottle of lighter fuel being sprayed on the charcoal. In two days, we've gone from Ryan Braun agreeing to a 65-game suspension to Alex Rodriguez could face lifetime ban. That's two days. Something could very easily come up between the time I finish writing this and wake up in the afternoon.

Braun agreeing to that suspension changed the game from Chutes & Ladders to Sorry! According to the article in that link, the evidence against A-Rod is "far beyond" what they had on Braun. Couple that with the fact that Rodriguez supposedly tried to buy the Biogenesis documents before MLB did and it is indeed a nice day for a Red Wedding. Bottom line is that things do not look good for our currently disabled third baseman. They never really did. Only time will tell what becomes of all this. Overall the most important question is, where does this leave the Yankees?

Let's get right down to the real juicy stuff. Barring a successful appeal, a lifetime ban would mean that the Yankees would be free and clear of the A-Rod contract that has him signed till 2017. Tanya, fellow Pinstripe Alley writer/boss/cannon mistress, put it best in another topic:

I don’t think it’s fair, but I care about the Yankees a hell of a lot more than I care about Alex Rodriguez. If Baseball let them off the hook for that deal, I’d be very thankful because I can’t delude myself into thinking that’s not absolutely best case scenario for the Yankees. It would suck for A-Rod, suck for precedent, suck for justice and all that. I don’t think it would happen anyway, but I can’t say I wouldn’t be a little relieved either.

That money could then be freed up to pay Robinson Cano, search for other missing pieces via trades, pay Cano, give them some more footing in the upcoming free agency market, and pay Cano. In addition to the monetary shackles being cast off it would also free up a roster spot, as well as less Jeter/A-Rod DH platooning. Don't get your hopes up on this one, though. No, seriously, do not get your hopes up on this at all!

Another big question is who we replacing him with? This year the Yankees have put Kevin Youkilis, Jayson Nix, David Adams, Chris Nelson, Luis Cruz, Alberto Gonzalez, Brent Lillibridge, Mister Softee, Thorin Oakenshield, Ron Weasely, Morpheus, Tickle Me Elmo, Lion-O, and Mary [expletive deleted] Poppins* at third base this year. Only pre-injured (or 2013'd) Youkilis provided any sort of offense value at that position this year. That was April. It's now July and Luis Cruz, our Plan E, has now been 2013'd and is possibly going on the DL. So the Yankees are now back to either giving David Adams a second chance or Ronnier Mustelier, let's call him Plan H, a first chance. Don't be too happy about the potential loss of A-Rod. It's not looking good at that position, both internally or on the free agent market.

We will hear more about this whole sordid affair as the week progresses. Or by the time I'm eating my bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios. I ask you to wait and see before casting judgement, playing the blame game, or getting your hopes up. This whole situation, from top to bottom, is an absolute mess.. This whole story would make even The Asylum studios shake their heads at potentially making it into a movie.

The thoughts of a fool's kind of careless. I'm just a fool waiting on the wrong block.

*R.I.P. Dennis Farina

UPDATE: Remember how I said that we might be hearing more about this whole debacle by the time I'm eating my Honey Nut Cheerios? I was wrong. It was right after I got out of the shower, 10 minutes before this post is scheduled to go up.

Doctor Alex Rodriguez sought second opinion from says he found no quad injury on WFAN http://t.co/hGGwucQmtM

— The Pinstriped Bible (@pinstripebible) July 24, 2013

There have been a lot of really weird turns in the A-Rod/Yankees/PEDs saga, but this one may be the strangest. The doctor who Alex Rodriguez sought out for a second opinion on his reported quad strain, Dr. Michael Gross, said on WFAN Radio Wednesday that he saw nothing to indicate that A-Rod had an injury, reports Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger.

Dr. Gross added, however, that it's "not impossible" for a clinical diagnosis injury like a Grade 1 strain to be small enough not to appear on the MRI. Chad Jennings of LoHud has Gross' full quote:

"I looked at his MRI this morning," Dr. Gross said. "(Rodriguez) asked me to look at it. I spent about 20 minutes going over it. I look particularly at his quadriceps muscle. To be perfectly honest, I don’t see any sort of injury there…

"A Grade 1 strain is a clinical diagnosis, which means you base it on the person’s symptoms and on examining them. It’s not impossible not to see much on an MRI. It’s such a small thing that you might not see it on an MRI.

"That said, I didn’t see anything."

When, after looking at the MRI, Gross asked A-Rod how he felt, the third baseman answered that he felt "100 percent," which is a slightly different answer from the one he gave over the weekend.

Gross later spoke to McCullough on the phone and reiterated that he "saw nothing" on the MRI that indicated Rodriguez had a quad strain.

On the Prevailing Roid Rage...

Everyone has a #hottake about steroids and how they've ruined America's pastime. Most of them are steaming nonsense. But do you know who can be that disgusted?

Rodriguez, 37, was scheduled to return to the Yankees' roster on Monday after his long hiatus recovering from hip surgery, but was placed back on the 15-day DL over the weekend when an MRI taken by team doctors allegedly revealed that he had strained a quad muscle.

There's still a heck of a lot here that is unknown, but the implications of Dr. Gross' finding (or lack thereof) are potentially huge. This wouldn't be the first time that doctors have disagreed on diagnoses for a player -- that's the whole point of second opinions, after all -- but given the complicated nature of Rodriguez's relationship with the Yankees and the potential lifetime ban that is awaiting him for his part in the Biogenesis scandal, it's not totally out of bounds to wonder if another scenario is at play.

Also of note: Doctors don't typically reveal test results without clearance from the patient (unless they enjoy breaking the law), so it would seem that A-Rod had some part in the reveal. We'll have more on this developing story as more information comes to light.

More from SB Nation:

• Brisbee: On the roid rage of fans and columnists ...

• A-Rod reportedly faces lifetime ban

• Soriano and A-Rod: Connected then, and maybe now

• Ryan Braun suspended for rest of season | Neyer reacts | Goldman reacts

• Cal Ripken talks to SB Nation about brawls, brains and baseball

Your Texas Rangers lineup for tonight's game:

1. Ian Kinsler, 2B
2. Elvis Andrus, SS
3. Nelson Cruz, RF
4. Adrian Beltre, 3B
5. A.J. Pierzynski, DH
6. Jeff Baker, LF
7. Mitch Moreland, 1B
8. Geovany Soto, C
9. Craig Gentry, CF

That's right. A.J. Pierzynski (he of the .672 OPS, .297 wOBA, 79 wRC+ versus lefties this season) is the Ranger designated hitter - and No. 5 hitter - against a left-hander starter tonight. The sad thing is, because Jurickson Profar isn't hitting at all, there's probably no better option.

Earlier today Dr. Michael Gross, a orthopedist that Alex Rodriguez sought out to give him a second opinion on his strained quad, went on WFAN and announced that he did not find an injury when reviewing A-Rod's MRI. The drama has continued to unfold in the hours since, and sounds like it will continue to unfold as Brian Cashman is expected to release a statement on the matter later today.

According to Andy McCullough, A-Rod did not request permission from the Yankees to seek out a second opinion, which puts him in violation of the CBA. The reasoning behind all this is cloudy to say the least. A-Rod went to the Yankees about discomfort in his quad and had what he called a precautionary MRI. The MRI, according to Dr. Christopher Ahmad, showed a strain in the muscle. If A-Rod felt like the diagnosis was incorrect or that the Yankees had incentive to keep him away from the team, he might have sought out a second opinion on his own. Apparently the second doctor told him what he wanted to hear, so Rodriguez signed a HIPAA waiver allowing the doctor to release what he knew on WFAN. According to Jon Heyman, Dr. Gross may not have even seen the same MRI as Dr. Ahmad.

When Brian Cashman said that A-Rod should "shut the f--k up" regarding his tweet about being cleared for rehab games ahead of when Yankees doctors were prepared to rule him healthy enough to play games again, it started the questions about who, exactly, was telling the truth. Was A-Rod ready to play and the Yankees were holding him back to keep the circus of his impending suspension away for as long as possible? Was A-Rod lying so that he could look better? It's the biggest mess I can remember and no one is going to come out of this looking good.

If the Yankees kept A-Rod on the disabled list despite being healthy, even at the detriment of the team that has been playing Luis Cruz and David Adams in his place, they will have a lot of questions to answer. Rumors have already started to fly that another MLB may have filed a complaint against the Yankees on the matter that would draw discipline for the team if they kept a healthy player on the DL.

This drama is not over. By the sounds of it, it may even just be beginning. We'll update this post as new things happen. In the mean time, feel free to discuss your take on everything. Who do we believe here? How much crazier can everything get? What is the end result?

Updates as available:

A Yankees spokesman says the team never released a copy of the MRI to Dr. Gross. Still possible A-Rod sent records to Gross on his own.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughSL) July 24, 2013

Dr. Gross re: reading A-Rod MRI: 'Nobody paid me. I did it as a favor. ... I thought it would be fun. It’s my five minutes of fame.' #nyy

— Jeff Roberts (@TheJRob) July 24, 2013

This is promising:

As Daily News first reported, Dr. Gross reprimanded by NJ Medical Board in Feb. Complaint says he hired person who lacked license...

— Daniel Barbarisi (@DanBarbarisi) July 24, 2013

...to practice medicine,& failed to "Adequately ensure proper patient treatment involving the prescribing of hormones including steroids"

— Daniel Barbarisi (@DanBarbarisi) July 24, 2013

Dr. Gross was ordered "to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $30,000.00 and cost in the amount of $10,000.00."

— Daniel Barbarisi (@DanBarbarisi) July 24, 2013

Yankees GM Brian Cashman has released a statement on the matter:

"I heard via a text message this afternoon from Alex Rodriguez that he had retained a doctor to review his medical situation. In media reports, we have since learned that the doctor in question has acknowledged that he did not examine Mr. Rodriguez and that he was not retained to do a comprehensive medical examination of Mr. Rodriguez. Contrary to the Basic Agreement, Mr. Rodriguez did not notify us at any time that he was seeking a second opinion from any doctor with regard to his quad strain.

"As you know, it is the Yankees' desire to have Alex return to the lineup as soon as possible. And we have done everything to try and accomplish this.

"As early as Friday, July 12, when I suggested to Alex that we move his rehab from Tampa to Triple-A Scranton (at Buffalo), Alex complained for the first time of "tightness" in his quad and therefore refused to consent to the transfer of his assignment. Again, last Sunday, Alex advised that he had stiffness in his quad and should not play on Sunday or Monday. We sent Alex to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for an MRI which evidenced a Grade 1 strain.

"As always, we will follow the rules and regulations set forth in the Basic Agreement, and will again re-evaluate Alex in Tampa tomorrow, as our goal is to return him to the lineup as soon as he is medically capable of doing so."

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Alex Rodriguez & Biogenesis: It's all a terrible mess
• The Yankees appear to be buyers, but adding Alfonso Soriano won't be enough
• Yankees trade rumors: Alex Rios possibly targeted as backup plan for Alfonso Soriano
• Luis Cruz headed to the DL with MCL injury; could David Adams be recalled?
• Tracking Robinson Cano's milestone homers

Reports the other night were that the Yankees and Cubs were nearing a deal that would send Alfonso Soriano back to the Bronx. Those talks stalled a bit over a dispute of how much money each side would be obligated to pick up on the 37-year-old outfielders remaining contract. As of today, it sounds yet again like a deal may happen.

Soriano gave a list of teams he'd waive his no-trade clause for to Theo Epstein, which is said to include the Yankees. Like most baseball players, Soriano wants another chance to potentially make it to a World Series, and realizes he has a better chance with the Yankees than he does with the Cubs. Reports are that Soriano seems ready to be moved, particularly in a trade back to New York.

The Yankees and Soriano have been connected plenty of times in the past, but nothing has ever come of those rumors. Soriano believes that this represents the closest he has come to being traded, although he admits that nothing is 100% as of yet. That would seem to indicate that if a move isn't imminent, it may not be far off. The Yankees could use his production in their lineup as soon as possible.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Alex Rodriguez vs. the Yankees: Who is lying and why?
• Alex Rodriguez & Biogenesis: It's all a terrible mess
• The Yankees appear to be buyers, but adding Alfonso Soriano won't be enough
• Yankees trade rumors: Alex Rios possibly targeted as backup plan for Alfonso Soriano
• Tracking Robinson Cano's milestone homers

The Alex Rodriguez vs. Yankees news with a suspension likely coming has made this podcast longer than the previous few, but we also address several other topics. We promise we're not on steroids. Maybe.

[1:01]: A-Rod, Biogenesis, conflicting MRIs, and collective confusion
[10:50]: Effects of a potential A-Rod suspension
[18:49]: The return of Alfonso Soriano?
[20:11]: A brief, deserved Greg Bird tangent
[21:18]: More on Soriano
[26:18]: The unremarkable week in Yankees baseball
[28:31]: Tweetbag questions on opposing fans, the 2013 Yankees movie, Cano's new contract, underrated prospects, using banned substances, and A-Rod's fate
[1:02:00]: Yankee/Mitre of the Week

Podcast link (Length: 1:06:54)

iTunes link

RSS feed

Sound off in the comments if you have any questions you'd like us to answer for next time, or if you have any feedback on the podcast! Send your tweets to the Tweetbag by tweeting @pinstripebible.

The Philadelphia Phillies have had recent talks with second baseman Chase Utley about a contract extension, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhiladelphia. While the Dodgers, Blue Jays and Royals have been linked to Utley in trade rumors, Salisbury notes that Philadelphia is not listening to trade offers for the 34-year old.

Utley is in the final year of the seven-year, $85 million contract that he signed before the 2007 season, and will be one of the most coveted free agents if he hits the market this winter. According to Salisbury, the Phillies' are planning to move forward with Utley as one of the faces of the franchise, and have planned promotions centered around him for the week after the trade deadline passes.

At 34, Utley will likely be in line for a contract in the ballpark of the 3-year, $45 million one that Philly.com's David Murphy suggested this morning. In 72 games on the season, Utley is hitting .286 with 13 HR and 36 RBI.

The Phillies have told teams that they are not willing to sell key assets, but their recent struggles may change their thinking. While Utley, Jonathan Papelbon, Cliff Lee and Carlos Ruiz are almost guaranteed to stay put, third baseman Michael Young may be on the move. The 36-year old has drawn interest from many teams including the Red Sox, Yankees and Reds.

Alex Rodriguez has issued a statement regarding yesterday's "Quadgate" contretemps, a controversy single-handedly and ineptly created by the player himself:

"I think the Yanks and I crossed signals. I don't want any more mix ups. I'm excited and ready to play and help this team win a championship. I feel great and I'm ready and want to be in the lineup Friday night. Enough doctors, let's play"

USA Today's Bob Nightengale adds:

There's a disagreement between A-Rod's camp and #Yankees whether A-Rod informed the Yankees before or after his second medical opinion.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 25, 2013

Alex Rodriguez's messaging is always a little, or a lot off. There is a famous photo of Richard Nixon walking on the beach that speaks to A-Rod's situation. Nixon was always competing with John F. Kennedy whether Kennedy was alive or dead, and since the latter got a great deal of mileage out of being photographed in informal, "sporty" contexts -- sailing, or just looking relaxed and human -- and Nixon, who always worried about seeming relatable (because he wasn't; that a man who every biographer relates was severely uncomfortable in the presence of other humans chose politics as a vocation is one of those great tragic ironies of history), said, "I should get me some of that."

Wikimedia Commons

And so off Dick went for a relaxed walk on the beach. Score one for Nixon, everyman, right? Not really. Look at the picture: Everything about it is wrong, from Nixon's "Hey, look at me! I'm walking on a beach!" expression to the slacks that look like the lower half of a business suit to, most disconcerting of all, his wingtip shoes. The shot does everything it can to underscore the impression of a man out of his element.

There is a similar confusion about the infamous meeting of the President with Elvis Presley, the one which resulted from Elvis's desire to be made a special drug enforcement agent, which is a bit like Bernie Madoff asking to be put in charge of the Federal Reserve. Nixon thought meeting the King would somehow make him cool with those hippie counterculture kids that hated him so much, when in fact transparent pandering involving a guy who had peaked in 1957 was going to have the opposite effect.

American League teams as professional wrestlers

If you clicked through based on the headline, clearly you're in the right place.

So too with Alex Rodriguez. He brings the Yankees an injury, resents what they do with that injury (whatever their motivation) and so he orchestrates a clumsy PR campaign in which said doctor, who never met him, is not a radiologist, and has been disciplined by the state of New Jersey for failing to "adequately ensure proper patient treatment involving the prescribing of hormones, including steroids." No, they weren't the kind of steroids that athletes abuse, but the lack of due diligence, the pure ham-fistedness of the effort, makes A-Rod and his handlers pretty much the ultimate human exemplars of tone deafness.

The topper, of course, is that Major League Baseball may be about to hit Rodriguez with a suspension that builds in extra time (perhaps a lifetime) for his trying to interfere with their investigation via the destruction of incriminating documents. The Nixon analogy is endlessly instructive: The third-rate burglary that destroyed the President came late in the campaign season of an election that Nixon ultimately won by nearly 20 million votes -- his minions could have found evidence that the Democrats were taking direct instruction from the ethereally-mustachioed ghost of Uncle Joe Stalin and it wouldn't have changed the outcome even slightly. Similarly, Rodriguez's self-immolation came late in a career in which he already had all of the money and a performance record that was going to make him an inner-circle Hall of Famer. Instead, he had to press his luck.

This morning, Buster Olney said

A-Rod is Charles Foster Kane of Citizen Kane as he nears the end of his baseball life: In his castle, surrounded by riches, without allies.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 25, 2013

No, no, Buster. Kane, like Orson Welles himself, was destroyed by his unrestrained appetites. When it comes to proper A-Rod analogies, Nixon's the one.

Regardless of who your model for self-destruction is, "Enough doctors, let's play," is two words over the line -- you can't cry "doctors" when you're the one who dragged the interloping doctor into the story. As for "Let's play," sounds like famous last words to me.

More from SB Nation:

• The Dayton Moore All-Stars

• Braves will survive Hudson's tough break

• Cashman responds to A-Rod's second opinion

• Why do we obsess over the trade deadline?

• Brisbee: On the roid rage of fans and columnists ...

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters that injured third baseman Alex Rodriguez (quad) will continue his rehab and that he hopes Rodriguez will be able to play in a simulated game as soon as Aug. 1. Rodriguez had already completed his rehab assignment and was expected to be taken off of the disabled list on Monday, but that was pushed back following reports that Rodriguez was feeling "tightness" in his quad.

But Rodriguez got a second opinion and the doctor reportedly told him that he could see no injury in the leg from an MRI. This second opinion was not approved by the Yankees, but Cashman would not comment on Thursday whether or not he was angry over the matter or if Rodriguez would be disciplined.

All of this news comes amid reports that Rodriguez could be facing a lifetime ban over the Biogenesis scandal that has already gotten Ryan Braun suspended for the rest of the 2013 season.

More from SB Nation:

• The Dayton Moore All-Stars

• Braves will survive Hudson's tough break

• Cashman responds to A-Rod's second opinion

• Why do we obsess over the trade deadline?

• Brisbee: On the roid rage of fans and columnists ...