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Orioles 11, Yankees 3: Chris Davis hits two home runs to power rout of New York

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There is an alternate universe wherein the 1996 Orioles, unencumbered by the Jeffrey Maier play, went on to win the World Series. In that universe, it is the Yankees franchise that turned into an overpriced, underachieving team for the next decade or more, while the Orioles quality still shines on. I have often wondered what that universe might look like. Tonight's 11-3 victory over the Yankees, with Chris Davis hitting two home runs to blast a team stocked with a number of possibly washed-up guys off the playing field, was a glimpse into that universe.

Though the final scoreboard totals make it look like an Orioles victory was inevitable, this was not the case. The top of the first inning saw the bases loaded against Zach Britton after three ground balls snuck through the infield. The usual Orioles starter disaster loomed large, but Britton escaped the jam with no runs crossing the plate. The BABIP dragon was unkind to him: all of the grounders resulted in base hits with the fly balls and line drives bringing the outs.

Thanks to that escape, the Orioles came up to the plate with a chance to take the lead. That's when the fun began. After Nate McLouth popped out foul - he was the only Oriole starter not to get a hit tonight - the O's got three straight singles by Manny Machado, Nick Markakis, and Adam Jones. The Jones single was a ground ball that barely snuck by Yankees third baseman David Adams. They can't all be Machado. Jones got an RBI, and two men were on for Chris Davis against Yankees starter David Phelps.

Phelps, we were helpfully informed before the game by the Buck/McCarver broadcasting tandem, struggles in the first inning and then tends to settle down. What kind of things might a pitcher who struggles in the first inning do? Say, do you think he might leave a hanging slider out over the plate, just about belt-high, against a left-handed batter who crushes right-handed pitching?

BOOM.

The swing was one of those where you knew the ball was gone off the bat. The ball landed in the Orioles bullpen, with the relievers scattering instead of their usual game of trying to catch the homer. Relievers took cover like there was incoming mortar fire as the ball ricocheted off the bench and around like a pinball. This Earl Weaver Special was the 29th home run of the season for Davis, and put the Orioles ahead 4-0.

As the Yankees offense found little traction against Britton, the Orioles kept scoring. The third inning brought Davis to the plate again. Phelps wanted no part of him, and he walked. Matt Wieters followed that up with a single, and J.J. Hardy walked to load the bases. Chris Dickerson delivered a two-run single, no small feat as it scored Wieters from second with less than two out.

Up to the plate came Ryan Flaherty. He has to know his days as a starting second baseman are numbered, because Brian Roberts will be back tomorrow. Flaherty will not go quietly. He swatted one last poor pitch from Phelps onto the flag court, the second three-run homer of the game for the O's, to make the score 9-0 and chase Phelps from the game.

Flaherty has now hit safely in eight straight games and, after a 2-4 night, is batting .214/.278/.355. That's not good, but the .789 OPS Flaherty is sporting in June is trending the right way. Will he keep getting chances, and will he stay hot?

Britton gave every indication he would cruise through the game through five innings, with 58 pitches thrown through five. Then, as with the last start, the sixth inning started. Britton would walk three guys in the inning, and while he should have gotten out of it with only one run in, a Chris Davis error on an inning-ending grounder prolonged the inning and chased Britton.

If you want to know why he doesn't have a spot solidified in the rotation, it's because he does things like walk three batters in one inning, an inning which he began with a nine-run lead. There was no excuse of a high pitch count. He simply could not find the strike zone the third time through the order.

A 5.2 inning outing with only one earned run surrendered doesn't look bad, but six hits and three walks with only one strikeout is not good, either. Britton should have gone seven and could not even go six.

He was relieved by Jair Jurrjens, who finished the sixth and pitched the seventh and eighth while allowing three hits and no runs. Jurrjens will probably only be on the roster for this game, with Roberts due to be activated tomorrow. He was one-day bullpen help, and he helped.

Phelps was relieved by Ivan Nova, who didn't have a bad outing of long relief, finishing out the final 5.2 innings of the game, giving up six hits while striking out four, with no walks. The only problem for Nova was Davis. Was it even a problem? The pitch was low and away, the kind of pitch Davis often lunges for and misses, while tossing his bat into the stands. Instead, his one-handed swing made contact and the ball went high into the sky and came down on the flag court, his 30th of the season. 11-2 Orioles.

All of the offense was part of a 15-hit flurry, with six Orioles having multi-hit games. The Yankees did not do bad in the hit column themselves, with 11. The Orioles have Davis (and Flaherty!) and the Yankees do not.

Pedro Strop gave up a run on two hits in the ninth to finish the game with the final 11-3 score, treating a sellout crowd of 46,607 to the O's second straight win over the Yankees.

With the win combined with a Boston loss, the Orioles now find themselves 2.5 games back in the American League East, with a 46-36 record. After 82 games last year, the Orioles were 44-38, 5.5 games back in the East.

The O's will go for the sweep on Sunday night as they once again find themselves on national television, with ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball in town as Chris Tillman faces off against Hiroki Kuroda. The broadcast begins at 8. The O's have yet to complete a sweep of a series of three games or longer this season

Poll
Who was the Most Birdland Player for June 29, 2013?

  438 votes |Results


Michael Young rumors: Red Sox interested in Phillies 3B, per report

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The Boston Red Sox would be interested in acquiring Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Michael Young if he is made available, George A. King III of the New York Post is reporting.

An industry source told King that the Red Sox "want him badly." The two teams have yet to discuss any trade possibilities, a different source told Rob Bradford of WEEI.

Young is spending his first season in Philadelphia after playing for the Texas Rangers for 13 seasons. The veteran entered Saturday hitting .289/.348/.412 in 302 plate appearances. Young will make $16 million this year, although the Rangers are paying $13 million of his salary, and he's eligible for free agency in the offseason.

Will Middlebrooks started the season as the Red Sox everyday third baseman, but struggled offensively, hitting .192/.228/.389 in 216 plate appearances. Boston optioned Middlebrooks to Triple-A on Tuesday, with Jose Iglesias replacing Middlebrooks at third. Iglesias has hit a scorching .419/.467/.548 in 137 plate appearances, but only hit .202/.262/.319 in 133 plate appearances at Triple-A before his promotion.

More from SB Nation:

The ins and outs of Yasiel Puig

Mets may limit Harvey’s innings

Scherzer’s 12-0 start best since 1986

Yankees, Red Sox interested in Michael Young

MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish

Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 6/30/13

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Yesterday on Pinstriped Bible

Around the Internet

Quick Hits

  • Joe Girardi thinksBrett Gardner should be a an All-Star.
  • Yankees 40th round draft pick Kyle Buchanan is struggling mightily in the Florida Collegiate League.
  • Yankees 29th round draft pick Charlie White is on a tear.
  • Tyler Webb has already been promoted from Staten Island to Charleston.
  • Check out these totallyrad pictures from the '90s.

Questions of the Day

  • Who is the weakest link in the rotation?
  • What team would you trade Phil Hughes to?
  • Do you drink decaf or regular coffee?
  • Do you stay in bed all day on the weekends or do you tend to get up early and get things done?

Coming Up Today

  • Baby Bomber Recap 6/29/13: JR Murphy picks up four hits in RailRiders win@ 10 am
  • MLB Trade Deadline 2013: The Yankees' biggest need @ 11 am
  • Yankees injury updates: Jeter, A-Rod, Pineda, Granderson @ 1 pm
  • New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles at 8:05 pm (Game Thread at 7:30 pm)

Early Trade Deadline Ponderings

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As I looked at Ryan Dempster's game log for this 2013 season I saw, much to my dismay, that he's already faced the Blue Jays twice and I wrote previews about him twice (here and here). Due to me not wanting to beat the horse dead with talk of Dempster, I decided to look at some Blue Jays who could be traded before the deadline at the end of July and next time I'll look at players Alex Anthopoulos may look at acquiring.

Players the Blue Jays Could Trade

Mark DeRosa

Shocker right? On a team that is trying to contend for a postseason spot, a player that brings little more to the team than "veteran presents" is the first candidate to be shipped out. If the Blue Jays are going to stick with this 8-man bullpen business then wasting a precious roster spot on Mark DeRosa is poor roster management. With a $750,000 salary (and team option of equal value next season), DeRosa could be shipped to a team that needs infield help or more presents. It's clear the Blue Jays do not need either considering almost half the team is an infielder at this point.

DeRosa's line of .216/.311/..402 is actually not that horrific (all things considered) and he could probably net a B to C grade prospect or another reliever that Anthopoulos seems to love.

Possible destinations: Yankees, Reds.

Emilio Bonifacio

Although Maicer Izturis could also be shipped instead, the play of Bonifacio has been so astoundingly bad that I put him here over Izturis. Being paid $2.6 million, Bonifacio has been absolutely awful in a Blue Jays uniform. Batting .206/.237/.309 this season combined with defense that resembles high school baseball at times, Bonifacio has no place on a contending teams' roster. With such a surplus of infielders, Emilio is starting to be a waste of a 25-man roster spot with Kawasaki, DeRosa, and Izturis all ahead of him in the 2B depth chart.

When Brett Lawrie comes back there will need to be some serious movement with the big league squad. Optioning Kawasaki won't solve the issues as there will still be three second basemen who all aren't very good. Aside from his speed off the bench, it's hard to see how he will help the Blue Jays going forward. I think Alex Anthopoulos would be happy to get rid of Bonifacio for a bag of balls at this point unless he thinks that 2011 wasn't a fluke for Emilio. Once again, a lower grade prospect or reliever would be a fine return for the soft hitting second baseman.

Possible Destinations: Yankees, Reds, Marlins (HA!), Mariners, Angels.

J.P. Arencibia

Not many things in the sports world get me very agitated, but thinking about how comfortable JPAwful is in the starting catcher spot for a team trying to make the playoffs is gag-worthy. Hitting .192/.241/.342 in June with a K% over 30% and Josh Thole sitting on the bench receiving no opportunity to prove himself has frustrated plenty of Blue Jays fans. It isn't possible that Toronto is willing to go into a playoff game with Arencibia behind the plate, is it?

You have to think there are teams out there that either think Arencibia's power is enough to give him a starting job or to acquire him as a young controllable back-up (which is how he should be used!). It's tough to say what Arencibia could get the Jays in the trade market (post a comment with your guesses).

Possible Destinations: Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Dodgers.

Darren Oliver

The 42-year-old lefty was convinced to come back for another season to try and get a ring by the Blue Jays brass. As it turns out, Toronto has two LOOGY's being paid a combined salary that is one third of Oliver's $3 million and performing better to boot. Oliver's 2.78 ERA is not terrible, but his strikeouts are down, his walks are up, he's been injured, his velocity is still dropping and the Blue Jays already have a surplus of relievers with half of the 8-man bullpen of the left-handed variety. Something will have to happen to the bullpen eventually, because Toronto is handicapped with their 3-man bench, but who the odd man is remains to be seen, with a trade being a possible solution.

There's probably some agreement between Oliver and Anthopoulos that the pitcher won't be traded during his last season in the big leagues, similar to the ultimatum talked about at the beginning of the year where Oliver (supposedly) said he would only play for Toronto or Texas. The Rangers already have two solid left-handers in the bullpen so it's doubtful they are interested in Oliver's services.

Possible Destinations: About 15 teams that need a reliable left-hander out of the bullpen.

Let us know in the comments who the Blue Jays need to get rid of before they make a march towards the playoffs in the second half of the season.

Poll
Who should the Blue Jays trade before the Deadline

  283 votes |Results

Michael Pineda roughed up in latest rehab start for Double-A Trenton

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Michael Pineda ran into the first real trouble he's had during his rehab starts this afternoon pitching for the Trenton Thunder in Binghamton. In three innings of work, the big right-hander gave up four hits that turned into four runs, walked four batters, and allowed two home runs. Pineda's outing lasted 67 pitches, 32 of which were strikes.

In his rehab starts prior to today, Pineda had only given up one earned run which came when he was pitching for the High-A Tampa Yankees. Today's four walks also brings his rehab period total to six in 17.1 innings between the two different levels. Pineda has also struck out 15 batters since starting his rehab outings. All told, he's done extremely well for a pitcher returning from labrum surgery.

The 30-day clock on rehab assignments lasts only just a little more than a week longer for Pineda, forcing the Yankees to make a decision on his next destination pretty soon. Brian Cashman has said from the beginning that Pineda will either be optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre or be brought up to the majors once his rehab assignment is complete. With the pitching situation in the Bronx perhaps not looking as strong as it once did with the struggles of Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, and David Phelps, Pineda could possibly represent an upgrade in the rotation. Unfortunately, he is still likely going to need work on building up his pitch count, which will likely need to take place at the minor league level.

If Pineda does replace someone in the Yankees rotation, there is reason to be concerned that it might not be the pitcher who was struggling most, but the pitcher who is just the least cemented into the rotation in their eyes, and that seems like it might be Phelps, whether he is the most deserving or not. With the offense seriously lacking the firepower of seasons past, the Yankees have to be able to depend on the pitching, and Pineda may be able to really boost the strength of that a bit once he's back to 100% on the mound.

More From Pinstriped Bible:

MLB Trade Rumors and the Yankees: Konerko, Hart, Hughes, and Utley

Robinson Cano contract extension: Show him the money!

Yankees injury updates: A-Rod, Jeter, Pineda, Nunez

MLB Trade Deadline: What if the Yankees were sellers?

MLB Trade Deadline: What is the Yankees' biggest need?

Yankees lineup vs. Orioles, Yankees scout international free agents

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The Yankees take on Chris Tillman and the Orioles as they try to prevent their second five-game losing streak of the month. The team has gone 11–15 in the month of June and currently has the worst offense in all of Major League Baseball with a 68 wRC+ over the last 30 days.

Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki at the top of the lineup is an interesting idea, one I hope will pay off. It makes little sense as to how Joe Girardi determines this arrangement, because Ichiro has hit lefties much better than righties this season, yet Jayson Nix is always in the two spot against lefties.

Vernon Wells is finally out of the lineup, but now Travis Hafner is back in and batting cleanup. Neither player is hitting much, but I feel more confident with Hafner at this point. I like seeing Zoilo Almonte hitting higher up in the order, so we'll see what he can do in a more prominent role. He did hit two hard balls in two at-bats with the bases loaded last night, but was only able to manage one RBI on a sac fly.

Lyle Overbay is back at first base with a righty on the mound and David Adams is at third and batting last. He's fallen pretty far if he's batting behind the likes of Chris Stewart and Jayson Nix.

The Yankees have been said to be interested in the Domican Republic's Rafael Devers and Leonardo Molina. Devers, a third baseman, is ranked third on Baseball America's list of top 30 international prospects, while Molina, a center fielder, is ranked fifth. The Yankees only have $1.8 million to play with because of the new international free agent spending restrictions, but could seemingly trade for a bigger international pool if they want.

The Yankees have also scouted Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, a non-restricted 16 26-year-old free agent, in Mexico, but are not planning to offer him a contract. Instead, the Dodgers look to be the favorites on signing him.

Yankee people watched Omar Luis Rodriguez pitch a simulated game in Tampa yesterday. The Yankees spent $4 million on the 20-year-old lefty last June, but the Cuban had to wait in Haiti before his immigration papers were approved. After eight month of waiting he has seemingly gotten heavier and might be out of shape.

The Red Sox off-season: A look back

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Three full months into the season and the off-season is now a distant memory. Looking back, it was a tough time in light of the season the Red Sox had just come off of. And yet 2012 be damned, because the 2013 season to date has been, to be fanboyish about it, awesome.

If I told you last February the Red Sox would have a worse record than the Pittsburgh Pirates at the end of June, you probably would have come up with something else to do during the summer. Rock climbing or something. Well, the bad news is they are worse than the Pirates, but the good news is that's the only team in baseball with a better record than the Boston Red Sox. Pretty impressive, eh? Not many people called for that and therefore I think it's worth looking back at the moves that were made to assemble this juggernaut*.

*Kidding.

I should note that this isn't intended as a definitive statement on the quality of the Red Sox most recent off-season. Though we like to grade them immediately because we are impatient by nature, off-seasons, like drafts, require time to judge accurately. We'll take this position by position and for the record I'll be leaning a bit on the Armchair GM pieces that went up here at OTM just in late October.

Catcher

The Red Sox had Jarrod Saltalamacchia coming off an uneven season under team control for one more year. The only other player pushing for playing time at the position was Ryan Lavarnway. The real decision here was whether to go with Salty and keep Lavarnway in the minors, a route that would necessitate adding a back-up catcher, or to start Lavarnway and put Salty on the bench.

Photo credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports/em>

Of course, we know what the Sox did, and so far the choice has been successful on the field. Salty has hit really well, a .262/.328/.453 slash line to date that puts him well into the top half of starting catchers by OPS. Ross has been more uneven, but has played acceptably well for a back-up when he's been healthy enough to play, which has been most of the time, and you can cut him some slack considering he's dealt with concussions.

This coming off-season will feature some interesting catcher-related decisions but for now it seems that the trio of Salty, Ross, and when called upon, Lavarnway, have done well enough to justify the front office's faith in them.

Preliminary Grade: B

First Base

With the trades of Adrian Gonzalez to Los Angeles and Kevin Youkilis to the White Sox, the Red Sox found themselves without a franchise first baseman for the first time in a long while. GM Ben Cherington opted to sign ex-catcher Mike Napoli for the role and to this point the results have been mixed. Nobody would confuse Napoli for a gold glover, but that wasn't why he was brought in so it's unfair to hold that against him, and for the most part he's handled balls and throws coming his way acceptably well. Surprisingly it's the hitting that has been the issue, and even more surprising it's been his hitting at Fenway. We're talking about three months of baseball here which is enough that this could (and likely is) a small sample fluke kind of thing. Napoli himself has said he hasn't felt right at the plate yet so for whatever that's worth, and the guy has a track record of hitting well, so the second half appears promising in that regard.

Even in light of Napli's struggles, the alternatives available to Cherington last off season haven't fared much better. Ex-Red Sox Kevin Youkilis signed with the Yankees, was briefly good, then wasn't, then promptly got hurt. He's out for if not the rest of the year then the majority of it. Coming off a great year in Washington, Adam LaRoche, another former Red Sox, has hit closer to his career norms (a 777 OPS) and he required a mult-year commitment that Napoli didn't, though that was mostly due to the discovery of Napoli's degenerative hip condition which has so far yet to impact him on the field (so far as we know). The idea of dealing for one of the Mets young first basemen was also floated but given what they've done so far, we should be happy the front office never entertained the notion.

Of the available players, Napoli offered the highest upside and the lowest cost. What's more he's actually been the healthiest and best hitter of the available guys. It's hard to knock this choice given what we know right now.

Preliminary Grade: B+

Shortstop

This was the subject of much discussion. Should the Red Sox hand the position to Jose Iglesias and let his defense be the shining beacon in the night at the major league level and live with his sub-putrid offense, or should they do something else? We know they signed Stephen Drew to a one year make-good contract and I heartily endorsed that deal. There's much to love about what Iglesias has done this season, but we're only three months in and he's still the king of the cheap hit (.468 BABIP). Not to mention, when the front office made the choice to go with Drew they did it with Iglesias's horrific 2012 in their memory banks.

Photo credit: Jim Rogash

Drew has performed acceptably especially when you keep in mind his competition around the league at shortstop, and perpetually seems on the verge of turning the corner before suffering minor injuries. In any case, signing him seems to be an entirely rational move for a team that thought of itself as a contender and couldn't stomach the possibility of a starting shortstop with a .500 (or lower) OPS. Drew was insurance against that possibility. We couldn't have known in February that Iglesias would hit .450 or whatever ridiculous number he's currently at and expecting it would have been the height of incompetence from a front office that thought they could compete in an AL East that lacked a great team. That Iglesias has played the way he has isn't an indictment of their choice so much as an opportunity for the franchise. Not many teams have two starting caliber shortstops. It's a nice problem to have, and especially so in light of Will Middlebrooks lousy season.

Grade: A

Outfield

There was much talk about trading Jacoby Ellsbury this past off-season but that never really made much sense. Coming off a sub-par season mostly due to injury, Ellsbury was worth more to the Red Sox on a one-year deal than was any return he might command. The real option was whether Boston should fork over bucks to keep free agent Cody Ross. We'll miss his bat flip'n ways, but at right now it seems good that he's taken his talents to Arizona and saved the Red Sox from giving his mid-30s body a multi-year contract.

In his place the team signed two free agents in Shane Victorino (3 years, $39 million), and Jonny Gomes (2 years, $10 million) to play the corner spots. Gomes has played his way into a platoon role, although that might be a bit unfair to him as it's really more Daniel Nava's impressive three months that have pushed Gomes to the bench.The real prize here though was Victorino who has played stellar defense, got on base, and run the bases with aplomb.

The alternatives to Gomes and Victorino were many, but one stood out. That was ex-Yankee Nick Swisher who signed with Cleveland for 4 years, $56 million after sitting on the market for a good bit of time. Had the Red Sox signed him though he would have required more money and possibly a fifth season as well. Grabbing Victorino for what they did was actually a low-cost option compared to what many thought Swisher would get.

There was also talk of going after Melky Cabrera, Josh Hamilton, Torii Hunter, or even Angel Pagan. To date, Cabrera has a sub-.700 OPS in Toronto, Pagan the same and he's hurt in San Francisco, and Josh Hamilton has been a massive disaster for the Angels in whatever town name they play in nowadays. Torii Hunter wasn't coming to Boston as he signed with Detroit almost immediately (though maybe if the Red Sox had offered Victorino's deal he might not have done so). What's more Victorino has a similar OPS (not that that is the ultimate arbiter of quality or anything but it's late), is younger, and is better defensively and on the bases. It's not hard to make the case that Victorino is one of the few best free agent outfielders to sign from last season's group (not that that's a huge badge of honor or anything but it's what the team had to work with).

Gomes hasn't played to expectations but holding on to Nava has made up for that. Plus, Gomes's contract isn't close to onerous so should the Red Sox find a better fit they can move on if the want to.

Grade: B+

Starting Pitching

The big moves here were as follows:

  • Sign Ryan Dempster (2 years, $26 million)
  • Count on Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester to regain their forms
  • Count on John Lackey to come back healthy
  • Expect the farm system to provide depth should injuries rear their head

To date all those moves have worked out fabulously with the possible exception of Jon Lester, whose mechanics seem stuck halfway between his past forms. Still, it's hard to fault the Sox for that one, given Lester's track record. More to the point, the signing of Dempster hasn't looked like a master stroke, but then it was never intended to be so. It has looked like the addition of a dependable mid-rotation starter and that's exactly what he's been and that's exactly what the team needed coming off of 2011 and 2012. There's still a year and a half on the deal but the early returns are positive.

Grade: B+

The Bullpen

This is probably the one area to really quarrel with. The team moved Mark Melancon, who has gone on to be one of the best relievers on the Pirates, for closer Joel Hanrahan, who was lousy then hurt )or lousy and hurt) and is now done for the season. Beyond that though, adding Koji Uehara, extending Craig Breslow, and keeping Andrew Miller and Junichi Tazawa has made for a strong if not impenetrable pen.

Grade: C

Other Positions

Nobody expected the team to do much as second base or designated hitter and they didn't. Fortunately. Also after his rookie campaign, keeping Will Middlebrooks was a no-brainer.

Overall

Three months in and it appears the Red Sox did an admirable job of adding talent and minimizing commitment. Six positions are being manned by players only signed through this season (catcher, first base, shortstop, third base, left field, and center field), which gives the club great flexibility to alter the team, to make upgrades, and to switch out under-performing pieces should they need to do so. Most of all the team managed to alter its clubhouse and upgrade its talent level for essentially the same cost. That's a job well done.

It's still early on, both in terms of this season and the impact of the decisions made this past off-season, but for now, well, it's hard to argue with 50 wins. For now at least, things are looking pretty good.

Grade: A

Read more Red Sox:

Baby Bomber Recap 6/30/13: RailRiders hit four homers in win over Red Sox

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Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W 9-6 vs Pawtucket Red Sox

CF Corey Patterson 3-5, 2B, HR, RBI, SB - first homer with SWB
2B Walter Ibarra 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI, K
RF Fernando Martinez 0-3, 2 RBI - batting .421/.511/.763 over seven games with SWB
DH Randy Ruiz 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K - fifth homer with SWB
1B Dan Johnson 1-5, 2 K
LF Thomas Neal 0-5, 3 K - batting .359/.375/.385 over his last ten games
3B Josh Bell 1-3, HR, RBI, 2 BB, K, E5(5) - fourth homer with SWB
SS Addison Maruszak 2-5, HR, RBI, 3 K - second homer this season
C Bobby Wilson 2-4, RBI, K

Jose Ramirez 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R/2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K - one groundout, four flyouts
Matt Daley 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB
Mike Zagurski 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K - 25 of 42 pitches for strikes
Jim Miller 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

The Red Sox tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but a three-run eighth by the RailRiders put them back ahead and they stayed there for good. The game was a bit of a slugfest with 22 combined hits, but the RailRiders' bats prevailed with four home runs in the game. David Huff starts for SWB tonight at 6:15 pm.

Double-A Trenton Thunder:L 4-5 vs. Binghamton Mets

LF Ramon Flores 1-4, HR, RBI, BB - fourth homer of the season
3B Reegie Corona 0-5, 2 K
RF Tyler Austin 0-5, 2 K
1B Kyle Roller 1-4, BB, 3 K - batting .274 this season
SS Carmen Angelini 1-4, BB, 2 K
DH Andrew Clark 1-5, K - batting .359 since being acquired
2B Jose Pirela 2-4, 2B
C Francisco Arcia 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, pickoff - second homer with Trenton
CF Cody Grice 1-3, BB, 2 K, E8 - fielding error

Michael Pineda 3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, HB - three groundouts, zero flyouts
Rigoberto Arrebato 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Cesar Cabral 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, BB
Danny Burawa 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, E1

A three-run homer by Arcia in the sixth inning tied the game, but Arrebato gave up the go ahead run in the bottom of the same inning. Pineda made two big mistakes that ended up over the fence, which really represented the first time he'd struggled since beginning his rehab assignment. Sean Black gets the start for Trenton today at 7:00 pm.

High-A Tampa Yankees: Game suspended for rain

Joel De La Cruz starts for Tampa against the Dunedin Blue Jays today at 6:30 pm.

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs: Postponed for rain

Evan Rutckyj gets the start for the RiverDogs tonight at 7:05 pm.

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:W 6-2 vs. Aberdeen Ironbirds

SS John Murphy 0-2
SS Jose Rosario 1-4, 2B, RBI, K
DH Michael O'Neill 2-4, 3 RBI, BB, K - batting .278/.395/.306 in his last 10 games
CF Brandon Thomas 1-3, 2 BB
RF Yeicok Calderon 1-4, BB - batting .289 with SI
3B Kale Sumner 1-5 - batting .366 this season
C Isaias Tejeda 0-4, BB, K, PB
LF Daniel Lopez 2-3, RBI, 2 BB, SB
1B Bubba Jones 2-5, K
2B Hector Crespo 2-4, RBI, BB

Rookie Davis 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 2 EP - four groundouts, zero flyouts
Andrew Benak 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Dillon McNamara 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Charles Haslup 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, BB, K

A solid pitching performance all around coupled with 12 hits and two multi-run innings helped Staten Island to their sixth win of the season. The Yankees play a doubleheader against the Cyclones beginning tonight at 6:00 pm.


Twins vs. Yankees: News and Notes

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Probables (all games FSN)

Yankees Notes

  • You look at that Yankee lineup, and you're used to seeing seven Hall of Famers, a veteran catcher, and one random young guy in left field or something like that who is still somehow hitting .330. Now? Sunday, the first three hitters were Brett Gardner, Ichiro, and Robinson Cano - so far, so good. But then comes the 86-year-old Travis Hafner, followed by Zoilo Almonte, Lyle Overbay, Jayson Nix, Chris Stewart, and David Adams. I'm sure those guys are good players... but this looks like the kind of lineup the Blue Jays would put out in September when they were 27 games out of first.
  • Maybe not surprisingly, the Yankees have lost five straight and 20 of 32, and have fallen to fourth in the AL East, six and a half games behind Boston and just two games ahead of Toronto for last. (Granted, they're still 42-39, but .500 muddlers do not the AL East win.)
  • Let's go down the injury list and hit the highlights: Curtis Granderson, fractured knuckle on left pinky, could return in mid-July. Derek Jeter, cracked left ankle, took simulated at-bats last week and could return sometime after the All-Star Break. Alex Rodriguez, right hip dysplasia (or whatever he has, I can't remember), could return as soon as he gets done getting yelled at by the GM, probably after the All-Star Break. Kevin Youkilis, herniated disk, had surgery a couple of weeks ago and could return in September.
  • Meanwhile, Mark Teixeira, who has torn tendons in his wrist, underwent season-ending surgery last week, so there's no hope for him.
  • The Twins are done with the Yankees for the year at the end of next week, in the last series before the All-Star Break, so they can probably look at the above and thank their lucky stars. (I suppose the problem is that they'll still lose six of seven or something like that.)

Twins Notes

  • Mike Pelfrey is scheduled to make a rehab start today in Fort Myers; if he comes through that with no injury issues, he could start as soon as next Saturday for the Twins. One assumes that P.J. Walters and Scott Diamond may be pitching for their roster spots this week.
  • It was widely reported that clubhouse attendant Wayne "Big Fella" Hattaway suffered a stroke last week, but according to La Velle, he didn't officially have one - and the doctors just ordered him to drink more water and get more exercise. If it's good for Big Fella, it's good for all of us, I say, so I command you to get some water, go for a walk, and then grow an epic mustache.
  • Aaron Hicks played again Sunday, his sixth game at Rochester, as part of his rehab assignment. It's worth noting once again that Hicks' time in the minors counts as major league service time, since he's on the major-league disabled list; his stint at Triple-A won't help the Twins keep him longer. Unless, of course, they choose to send him down for two months after the All-Star Break, which would be confusing, to say the least.
  • Josh Willingham's knee is made out of recycled plastic bags, at this point. The Twins are hoping he'll be back in the starting lineup today, but as Jesse points out, if he goes on the DL again, it's probably curtains for the team's ability to trade him.

Is sweet Minnesota relief ahead for the stumbling Yankees?

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The Yankees had a four-game winning streak in June and outside of that, they went a horrible 7-16 last month. Even including the winning streak gave them their worst month in six years, the drudgery that was April 2007 (9-14). They ended May a game behind the Red Sox for first place in the AL East and they ended up in fourth place, six and a half games in back of Boston. At 42-39, they are closer to the last place Blue Jays (two games behind at 40-41) than even the second place Orioles (47-36). The Yankees have gone from a season-high 12 games over .500 on May 25 to just three games over entering tonight's series in Minnesota. Piss off, June.

Fortunately, July offers some promise in that the Yanks get to play seven games against the Twins, the worst team in the AL last year. The Twins haven't been quite as bad so far in 2013 at 36-42, a mark better than three other AL teams. Hell, thanks to the massive decline of the Chicago White Sox, they are not in last place in the AL Central. Nonetheless, the Yankees should not drop a series against a team that has a -28 run differential and is starting three underwhelming pitchers in this series.

The Yankees have also made a habit of beating up on the Twins since Ron Gardenhire took the reins from the retiring Tom Kelly in 2002. Their sustained success against the Twins has been remarkable since despite their recent struggles, the Twins have won six AL Central titles in the Gardenhire era. Yet against the Yankees, Gardenhire's best teams always seemed to turn to mush. The Yankees have gone 67-23 when Gardenhire's teams opposed them, an astounding .744 winning percentage that includes a 12-2 record in Division Series play. On the road at the old Metrodome and the Twins' new home at Target Field, the Yankees have gone 34-14. They have the Twins' number and everybody knows it.

That being said, is there any reason to actually care about it? The 2013 Yankees are not the 2002-12 Yankees. Their offense is not among the league's elite; it's among the league's dreck. A kid who was in Scranton a month ago is hitting fifth in their regular lineup. They have often featured possibly the worst regular in baseball since 2011 in the cleanup spot. You want Derek Jeter? You get utilityman Jayson Nix. You want Alex Rodriguez? You get rookie David Adams. You want Mark Teixeira? You get washed-up Lyle Overbay. You want Curtis Granderson? You get washed-up Vernon Wells or rookie Zoilo Almonte. Only the Astros, White Sox, and Mariners have scored fewer runs per game than the Yankees (3.83). The days of "too many damn homers" are long gone, as the Yankees have only belted 81 out of the yard, or in 2013 terms, 2.6 Chris Davises. It's a disaster.

The Twins will send lefty Scott Diamond, WBC hero Samuel Deduno, 28-year-old journeyman P.J. Walters, and highly-regarded prospect Kyle Gibson against the Yankees, who have minimal experience against these pitchers. Their hitters have never faced Walters or Gibson, and they have a combined 18 plate appearances against Diamond and Deduno, far too small of a sample size to mean anything. In theory, the Yankees' meager offense should be able to at least do something against Diamond and Walters, who have both struggled to ERA-s above 130 in 2013. Deduno has been solid in seven starts, but he had a -0.2 fWAR in 15 starts just last year, so it's tough to say which mediocre sample size is more accurate. Gibson could cause problems even though he is a rookie because he's had great numbers in the minors. However, the Yankees have pounded well-regarded young pitchers as recently as this year. It's not unrealistic to think they might do the same to Gibson.

There is no real reason to lose to Diamond or Walters. Granting a possible loss to Gibson or Deduno and maybe an embarrassing loss to Diamond or Walters, the Yankees should be able to leave Minnesota with at least a split. Anything worse would inch the Yankees even closer to .500.

Although they have all had their struggles at points in 2013, the big park in Minneapolis should guide Andy Pettitte, CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and David Phelps to decent rebound starts against the Twins' below-average offense. All four of the Twins' pitchers are beatable, and yet the current Yankees' offense just does not inspire much hope.

These are dark times, there is no denying.

More from Pinstriped Bible

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How will the Yankees fare against the Twins?

  64 votes |Results

Red Reporter Grills Grant Brisbee

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The San Francisco Giants enter Great American Ball Park to face the Reds tonight in the first of a 4 game series. While they enter fresh off a 5-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies, they're hardly rolling into Cincinnati on a hot streak. Prior to their victory yesterday, the Giants had dropped 6 games in a row and 8 of their last 9, none of which could be described as having come against top competition (Marlins, Dodgers, Rockies). That stretch saw the Giants sink to 39-42 overall, putting them in 4th place in the NL West (albeit just 3 games back from the division leading Arizona Diamondbacks).

I thought it would be a good idea to interview McCovey Chronicles' own Grant Brisbee to get his insights into the current state of his beloved Giants and also to hear some of his thoughts about our own favorite team, the Cincinnati Reds. Grant was nice enough to fly me to San Francisco on the Baseball Nation private jet for the interview. Do us both a favor and don't mention it to Accounting.

Red Reporter - Who is the most GIF-able Red?


Grant Brisbee - Probably Tony Cingrani at this point, right? He's a hard-breather, and he looks like he's going to shoot a porcupine out of his nose before every pitch. Plus, he's a dreamy pitcher. He doesn't even have a Cy Young yet, but I would trade a two-time Cy Young winner for him. I can make some calls if you think the Reds would be interested.

RR - Who would win in an eating contest...Pablo Sandoval, or Jonathan Broxton?


GB - Sandoval is the kind of big that makes you picture him using a straw to eat fried chicken. Jonathan Broxton is the kind of big that makes you picture him silently mouth-breathing behind his dad, the owner of the small-town auto-repair shop explaining to you why the repairs are going to cost $3,000. He doesn't say a word the entire time you're in there.

That's the kind of big Jonathan Broxton is, even if that doesn't make sense. So Sandoval.

RR - You're the Giants GM. Walt Jocketty calls and offers Joey Votto for Buster Posey straight up. Your reaction?

GB - Nah. Even before you get to the age and position, you're exchanging a right-handed hitter for a left-handed hitter, which is a big deal in AT&T Park.

RR - Both the Reds and the Giants are coming off disappointing road trips. We know why Cincinnati has sucked of late...what's up with San Francisco?

GB - They are playing like absolute jackasses. The starting pitching has been pretty okay, but the hitting and bullpen have been dreadful.

RR - So, this Brandon Crawford...it's not the real Brandon Crawford, is it? It can't be, can it?

GB - It isn't! He's been a lot worse lately. Looking back at the Crawford frenzy from the first month is funny. Sample size was going through everyone's wallets the whole time. Why does this always mess us up? I don't know, man, but I'm as guilty as anyone.

If he can even be average, though, he's one of the more valuable Giants. Hopefully he can get back to being at least decent.

RR - I want to see a Pablo Sandoval for Homer Bailey trade this offseason. Do you?
GB - Huh. That's almost plausible. The Giants will need pitching, and they're both under contract for just one more season. I'm pretty sure the Giants are a little wary about a long-term deal for Pablo, too. Not sure why, other than the broken bones and weight.

But, no, I'll keep Pablo around. The Giants have a tougher time finding hitters than they do pitchers, and maybe Sandoval will sign at a relative discount if his hitting doesn't pick up. I'd take that gamble.


RR - The Giants are 38-42 right now. Aside from retribution from the Baseball Gods for the 2012 NLDS, what gives?

GB -The pitching was awful, but the hitting was great. Then the hitting was awful, while the pitching was good. The difference between good and great in those two sentences is the four games under .500. It's been frustrating, to say the least.

RR - It's April 1, 2015...what's Tim Lincecum's salary, and who's paying it?

GB - $5 million, Yankees. He'll have an erratic season next year on a much bigger one-year deal. Then the Yankees will sign him on the cheap, and he'll go back to being a Cy Young candidate.

RR - Do you even care that we were heartbroken after the 2012 NLDS? Do you still think about us?

GB - lol no

Bunch of Latos lovers, you are.

Many thanks to Grant for the interview. And Grant, if you happen to find "VOTTO 4-EVA" carved into the wall of the Gulfstream's bathroom, it wasn't me, I swear.

Alex Rodriguez injury: Yankees' 3B starts rehab assignment Tuesday

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Alex Rodriguez has been cleared by the Yankees to resume game activities, and will begin a rehab assignment with the Low-A Charleston RiverDogs on Tuesday. According to the Yankees, Rodriguez will play a "minimum" of three innings in the contest, in his first on-field step towards a major-league return this season.

Rodriguez has missed all of 2013 recovering from hip surgery, but hit .272/.353/.430 in 2012 despite a broken hand caused by a hit by pitch. While that might not sound as productive as the A-Rod of old, Yankees' third basemen have combined to hit .231/.293/.315 this season: even Rodriguez as a shadow of his former self would be an upgrade for a club desperate for anything out of the hot corner, one that currently sits in fourth place in the American League East.

Even if Rodriguez is forced to fill-in as the designated hitter most of the time, New York has only received a 689 OPS out of that lineup slot -- he should help wherever he ends up. So long as he makes it back healthy, anyway: That's the question now, one that will be answered little by little over the coming weeks.

More from SB Nation:

Royals discuss trade for Chase Utley

Will the Pirates' best record in baseball be enough?

Bryce Harper returning from disabled list

The ins and outs of Yasiel Puig

MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish

Alex Rodriguez injury: Will begin minor league rehab assignment tomorrow

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News has sprung forth from the Twitter spring that Alex Rodriguez of insurance fraud speculative fame has been cleared to begin a minor league rehab assignment down in Low-A Charleston. He is scheduled to play a minimum of three innings at third base.

With the Yankees in desperate, throwing $1 coins into a wishing well need for offense, this news could not have come at a better time. If everything goes well, A-Rod could be back up at the major league level right after the All-Star break. It's 2013 though, so let's not quite get our hopes up yet. We've already had two prime Yankees in Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira come back from injury and almost instantly go right back on the disabled list. Anything is possible this year, but this is still welcome news.

Now let the standard A-Rod bashing commence in 3...2...1... GO!

More from Pinstriped Bible:

MLB Trade Deadline: Where do the Yankees need to upgrade the most?

MLB Trade Deadline: Should the Yankees be buyers or sellers?

MLB Trade Rumors and the Yankees: Konerko, Hart, Hughes, Utley

Yankees injury updates: A-Rod, Jeter, Pineda

Michael Pineda roughed up in latest rehab start

Yankees lineup vs. Twins; First-rounder Aaron Judge wants more money to sign

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Andy Pettitte heads to the mound to try and stop a five-game losing streak for the Yankees against the Minnesota Twins. Pettitte has not been very sharp recently, with his ERA now sitting at 4.22. In five June starts, Pettitte was 1-3 with a 4.83 ERA. With the offense scuffling as much as it is, the pitchers need to be better, and that includes Andy. Pettitte will almost certainly pass Whitey Ford for the Yankees' leader in strikeouts, as he trails Ford by only one heading into tonight's game.

Jayson Nix batting second has been a common feature for most of the season, but he has only hit .196/.281/.314 in his last 14 games. Batting between the Yankees' only two good hitters is not a place Nix should be batting right now. Unfortunately, with so many holes in the lineup, there aren't a ton of choices. Vernon Wells is still batting cleanup because Joe Girardi is a masochist.

Wells, Robinson Cano, and Travis Hafner are the only Yankees who have ever faced Twins starter Scott Diamond. Cano is 1-2 with a triple against the left-hander, Hafner is 2-6 against Diamond in his career, and Wells has one single in three-at bats. Any time this offense goes up against a lefty, it has the potential to be ugly.

Aaron Judge is the lone draftee in the Yankees' first 17 picks from last month to have not yet signed. He wants more money than the slot value dictates, which is not something the team gave either of the other first round picks, Eric Jagielo or Ian Clarkin. As a college junior, Judge does have the option of returning to school, but the Yankees saved money with some of their other picks like John Murphy, so it seems unlikely that a deal won't happen at some point.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

MLB Trade Deadline: Where do the Yankees need to upgrade the most?

MLB Trade Deadline: Should the Yankees be buyers or sellers?

MLB Trade Rumors and the Yankees: Konerko, Hart, Hughes, Utley

Yankees injury updates: A-Rod, Jeter, Pineda

Report: Braves Interested in Joba Chamberlain

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There are going to be a number of rumors that pop up between now and the end of the month, and I promise not to post about every single one of them. This rumor seemed interesting to me though and not because of the player the Braves are said to be interested in, but because of the team. The Braves are interested in Joba Chamberlain of the Yankees, according to a report from the New York Post.

I have been saying on twitter for a few weeks that Joey Terdoslavich would be a great fit for the Yankees. With Mark Teixeira's injury now much worse than originally thought and the struggles the Yankees have at the corner outfield spots and also at DH, Terdoslavich could be a tremendous fit for a team that is steadily falling down the standings. My thoughts of Terdoslavich have evolved from him being a great bench bat to potentially being a useful starter on some team. I think the Yankees could certainly be that team given his flexibility and how well he has hit this year.

I have some serious concerns about the Braves being interested in Joba, however. He just is not that good anymore and while he could obviously have a nice little stretch for a few months in Atlanta, the odds are he will not be very effective since he hasn't been for a few years.

If the Braves did make a move for Chamberlain I would like to see a prospect included and the Braves move Terdoslavich as well. It would have to be a quality prospect and probably someone who is decently far from the majors. In the end the trade probably does not end up happening, but I see the Yankees as a quality trade partner given Terdoslavich's and the Yankees' current situation.


MLB Trade Rumors: Giants and Braves have interest in Joba Chamberlain

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According to George King, the Giants and Braves have interest in Joba Chamberlain and have sent talent evaluators to watch him pitch. Braves scout Jim Fregosi was in Baltimore to see him pitch a scoreless inning against the Orioles and Giants scout Lee Elder was at Target Field to see Joba pitch another scoreless. The Texas Rangers were also interested in Chamberlain at the beginning of the season.

Joba has had a bumpy season in 2013. He posted a 3.86 ERA and batters hit .278/.372/.306 off him in the month of April, but has struggled since coming back from injury. Since May 30 he's had a 7.36 ERA and opposing hitters have a .319/.385/.596 batting line against him. He's also give up four home runs in the month of June.

The Braves' bullpen has been devastated by injury after both Jonny Venters and Eric O`Flaherty underwent Tommy John surgery. Craig Kimbrel and Jordan Walden have both managed to be 0.7 WAR players, but after that the bullpen declines swiftly and currently ranks 12th in the league with 1.9 WAR.

The Giants' bullpen has Sergio Romo at 0.9 WAR and Javier Lopez at 0.5 WAR, but that's basically it. They rank 18th in the league with 1.5 WAR and Chad Gaudin has been their third most valuable reliever. That means they need help.

It's unknown if discussions have taken place or how serious they are interested in Joba or even what kind of return he could get, but if someone offers up a live body I have to imagine the Yankees will take it.

UPDATED:

sad face

More From Pinstriped Bible

MLB Trade Deadline 2013: Should the Yankees be buyers or sellers?

MLB Trade Deadline 2013: The Yankees' biggest need

MLB Trade Rumors and the Yankees: Konerko, Hart, Hughes, and Utley

Yankees trade rumors: Giants, Braves interested in Joba Chamberlain

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The San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves have interest in trading for New York Yankees right-hander Joba Chamberlain, according to a report from George A. King III and Dan Martin of the New York Post. The two teams have sent scouts specifically to watch the 27-year old, who is eligible to become a free agent after the season and is not expected to re-sign with the Yankees.

The Braves, known to be looking for relievers after losing Eric O'Flaherty and Jonny Venters to injury, are also expected to pursue Cubs' closer Kevin Gregg in trade talks.

The Giants have not been known to be pursuing bullpen help, but have been linked to available starting pitchers like Bud Norris, Ricky Nolasco and Matt Garza.

The Yankees, who currently sit six games behind the Boston Red Sox for the AL East lead, may decide to part with assets like Chamberlain and Phil Hughes in order to bolster other parts of their ballclub. While they are not confirmed to be actively shopping Chamberlain, his on-field struggles and problems with teammates throughout his tenure with the team make him a perfect candidate for a change-of-scenery trade.

In 21 appearances this season, Chamberlain is 1-0 with a 5.75 ERA and 1.721 WHIP. He has been a major disappointment for the Bronx Bombers since the extremely promising start to his career in 2007 and 2008.

UPDATE 1:17 PM: Lee Edler, the Giants' scout who was reported to be watching Chamberlain in Minnesota, was actually scouting Twins relievers, according to Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Available members of the Twins' bullpen could include Glen Perkins, Jared Burton, or Casey Fien.

Even if the Giants were not scouting Chamberlain, their scouting presence at the game signals that they are in search of bullpen help. The team had strong interest in New York Mets reliever Carlos Torres back in June, when he was allowed to talk to other teams while deciding whether or not to exercise the opt-out clause in his minor league contract. The Giants offered Torres a major league contract and a spot on the 25-man roster, but the Mets decided to promote him to the majors before he could sign with another team.

More from MLB Daily Dish:

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Joba Chamberlain rumors: Braves, Giants interested in Yankees reliever

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The Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants are rumored to have interest in acquiring Joba Chamberlain from the Yankees, report George A. King III and Dan Martin of the New York Daily News.

While the exact level of interest the pair of squads have in the righty reliever is unknown, both teams have sent a scout to watch Chamberlain throw in the last week. The Braves sent Jim Fregosi to watch Joba throw a scoreless inning in Baltimore last Friday, while Giants scout Lee Elder was in attendance for the right-hander's scoreless inning in Minnesota on Monday.

Chamberlain, 27, is in his final year of arbitration with the Yankees, and is not believed to be part of the club's future bullpen plans. While a series of injuries over the last four years have derailed Chamberlain's career -- he's no longer viewed as a premier pitcher -- he still boasts a fastball in the mid-90s and could be a solid addition to a bullpen that's short on power right-handers.

Chamberlain pitched well in relief at the beginning of the season, but has struggled since coming off the disabled list (oblique strain) in late May. The right-hander has allowed nine runs -- including four home runs -- in 11 innings since returning to the mound for the Yankees, bumping his ERA up to 5.75 in 20⅓ innings overall on the year.

Of the two teams, the Braves seem to have the least need for someone like Chamberlain. Atlanta's bullpen is already very righty-heavy with Anthony Varvaro, Jordan Walden, and Cory Gearrin in the 'pen -- not to mention Craig Kimbrel -- so where Joba would fit into the mix is unclear.

The Giants also have several solid (non-closer) right-handers in the 'pen, but two of them -- Santiago Casilla and Chad Gaudin -- are currently on the disabled list, which may put them on the market for a guy like Chamberlain. San Francisco also have former Yankees right-hander George Kontos in the bullpen, but he's been unable to duplicate his 2012 success and currently holds a 5.45 earned run average.

More from SB Nation:

Royals discuss trade for Chase Utley

Will the Pirates' best record in baseball be enough?

Bryce Harper returning from disabled list

The ins and outs of Yasiel Puig

MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish

MLB youth movement has star power

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Baseball is once again a young man's game. At least that's the current narrative being used to explain an impressive crop of under-aged stars who have burst upon the scene. But, is youth really being served throughout the sport, or are these headline acts misleading?

Players (Age-23 or Younger) with an OPS+ of 120+ (minimum 100 PA)
23under120over_medium

Source: baseball-reference.com

Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Yasiel Puig, and Manny Machado have become the poster boys for the 2013 season. Each member of the quartet has quickly and spectacularly established himself as a superstar at an age when most players are still working their way up through the minors. However, these likely All Stars are not alone in their youthful brilliance. So far, there are 10 different players age-23 or younger who have posted an OPS+ of at least 120 in 100 plate appearances this season. If that group, which also includes the likes of Nick Franklin, Jean Segura, Giancarlo Stanton, and Freddie Freeman, maintains its performance over the entire year, it would represent the third largest collection of such players in baseball history. Obviously, there's plenty of time to either add or subtract from that list, but the impressive display of talent is undeniable.

Player and PA Distribution by Age Group, 1901 to 2013YTD
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Note: Excludes pitchers without at least 25 PAs as a pinch hitter or position player.
Source: Baseball-reference.com

The injection of youth has been a boon to baseball, but is it representative of a more pervasive trend throughout the game? Compared to 2003 (chosen because it was the first year of PED survey testing), the answer is yes, but perhaps not to the degree implied by the prominence of the best young players. Still, the increase in the number of plate appearances allocated at the younger end of the spectrum as well as the drop in weighted average age of all non-pitchers from 29.2 to 28.8 indicate a gradual shift in the talent pool.

Relative OPS by Age Group: 2003 vs. 2013YTD
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Note: Excludes pitchers without at least 25 PAs as a pinch hitter or position player. For OPS, 1.0 is the baseline.
Source: Baseball-reference.com

Not only have younger players been trusted with a higher percentage of plate appearances compared to 2003, but their relative performance has also been much better. In 2003, players who were age-23 or younger collectively posted an OPS that was only 94% of the overall average, the lowest relative rate among all cohorts. This season, however, the youngest group has been one of the best, trailing only the age-28 to age-31 segment in terms of relative OPS (excluding the relatively small sample of those 40 years or older).

Baseball isn't really in the midst of a youth explosion, but the average major league position player is getting younger, and the average young player is getting better. The reasons for this shift are open to interpretation (PED testing, amphetamine ban, better player development, normal cyclical trends), but if it means more players like Harper, Trout, Puig and Machado, baseball fans will be better off as well.

International free agents signing day tracker

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July 2 marks the beginning of the international free agent signing period, where athletes from outside the United States can sign with MLB teams as long as they are 16 years of age. Teams now need to stick to slotted pool space when allocating money for their signings so that bad teams get to spend more and good teams have to spend less. The Yankees have one of the lower pools in baseball this season with only $1.8 million allotted to them in 2013. They can trade for more pool space, like the Rangers, Orioles, and Dodgers did, in order to spend more money, but so far that hasn't happened and it looks like they're going to miss out on the international market as teams have already snatched up many of the best prospects from the Caribbean, South America, and Central America.

Baseball America's top 30 international prospects:

1. Eloy Jimenez, of, Dominican Republic
2. Gleyber Torres, ss, VenezuelaCubs for $1.7M
3. Rafael Devers, 3b, Dominican RepublicRed Sox for $1.5M
4. Luis Encarnacion, 3b, Dominican Republic
5. Leonardo Molina, cf, Dominican Republic
6. Marcos Diplan, rhp, Dominican RepublicRangers for $1.3M
7. Yeyson Yrizarri, ss, Venezuela/Dominican Republic Rangers for $1.35M
8. Yeltsin Gudino, ss, Venezuelasigned by Blue Jays
9. Micker Zapata, of, Dominican RepublicWhite Sox for $1.6M
10. Jose Herrera, c, Venezuela Diamondbacks for $1M
11. Carlos Herrera, ss, VenezuelaRockies for $1M
12. Marten Gasparini, ss, ItalyRoyals for $1.3M
13. Erick Julio, rhp, Colombia Rockies for $700K
14. Jesus Lopez, ss, NicaraguaAthletics for $960K
15. Lewin Diaz, of/1b, Dominican Republic Twins for $1.4M
16. Erling Moreno, rhp, Colombia Cubs for $800K
17. Carlos Hiciano, ss, Dominican Republic Athletics for $750K
18. Freddy Rodriguez, of, Venezuela
19. Mayky Perez, rhp, Dominican Republic
20. Nicolas Pierre, of, Dominican RepublicBrewers for $800K
21. Greifer Andrade, of, Venezuela
22. Cristhian Vasquez, of, Venezuela Royals for $775K
23. Jen-Ho Tseng, rhp, Taiwan
24. Wilson Amador, ss, Dominican Republic
25. Ali Sanchez, c, VenezuelaMets for $690K
26. Michael de Leon, ss, Dominican Republicsigned by Rangers
27. Ricardo Sanchez, lhp, Venezuela
28. Carlos Talavera, of, VenezuelaCardinalsfor$500K
29. Anderson Franco, 3b, Dominican Republic
30. Luis Carpio, ss, Venezuela

Those listed as some of the top talent over at Minor League Ball:

14. The Rangers signed outfielder Jose Almonte (DR) for $1.8M

36. The Astros signed shortstop Joan Mauricio (DR) for $600K

38. The Astros signed outfielder Nestor Tejada (VZ)

44. The Cardinals outfielder Carlos Talavera (VZ) for $500K

48. The Yankees signed shortstop Yonauris Rodriguez (DR) for $575K

49. The Red Sox signed left-handed pitcher Emmanuel DeJesus (VZ) for $780K

Other Signings:

The Padres signed shortstop Ruddy Girón (DR) for $600K

The Mets signed right-handed pitcher Luis Silva (VZ) $275K

The Diamondbacks signed outfielder Francis Martinez (DR) for $350K and third baseman Josue Herrera for $150K

The Indians signed outfielder Junior Soto (DR) $600K

The Tigers signed catcher Elys Escobar (VZ) for $350K

The Brewers signed catcher Johel Atencio (PAN) for $130K

The Cardinals signed right-hander Sandy Alcantara (DR) for $150K

The Cubs signed right-handed pitcher Jefferson Mejia (DR) for $850K

The Tigers signed shortstop Hector Martinez (DR) for $400K

The Mets signed shortstop Yeffry de Aza (DR) for $475K

The Cardinals signed shortstop Hector Linares (DR) for $400K

The Cardinals signed left-handed pitcher Kerrion Bennett (NIC) for $30K

The Astros signed shortstop/outfielder Osvaldo Duarte (DR)

The Blue Jays signed outfielder Freddy Rodriguez (VZ)

The Astros signed shortstop/catcher Jonathan Matute (VZ) for $245K

The Marlins signed catcher Onil Pena (DR) for $385K

The Indians signed shortstop Wily Castro (DR) for $850K

The Brewers signed shortstop Franly Mallen (DR)

The Brewers signed shortstop Henry Correa (DR)

The Brewers signed right-handed pitcher Nelson Hernandez (VZ)

The Padres signed right-handed pitcher Jaimito Lebron $410K

The Mariners signed outfielder Ronald Rosario (DR)

The Blue Jays signed shortstop Jesus Ramirez (DR)

The Blue Jays signed shortstop Miguel Almonte (DR)

The Phillies signed outfielder Edwin Rodriguez (DR)

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