AL East notes: Bradley Jr., Ross, Farnsworth, Longoria, A-Rod, Perez

Here's the latest out of the American League East, where the Red Sox are reeling (pshaw!) after two losses in Kansas City, the Rays have dropped three in a row, the Orioles have picked up three in a row, the Yankees are barely hanging on to .500 (and we all wait in anticipation to see how the home crowd reacts to A-Rod's return), and the Blue Jays keep on coping with a savagely disappointing season.

Red Sox (70-48)

• Red Sox sign international free agent Rafael Devers for $1.5 million - Over the Monster
  Boston finally makes it official and signs one of the best international names on the market.

• Jackie Bradley Jr. activated from disabled list - Over the Monster
  The elbow inflammation has subsided, returning Bradley to his regular gig in Pawtucket.

• David Ross cleared to begin rehab assignment Friday - Over the Monster
  He's been out with a concussion for nearly two months but he's been cleared to take the field by a specialist.

Rays (66-48)

• Rays designated Farnsworth for assignment - MLB Daily Dish
  The Rays designated the 37-year-old reliever for assignment on Friday.

• Evan Longoria says Alex Rodriguez appeal not 'fair' for AL East - SBNation.com
  Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went on the Hot Clicks podcast with Jimmy Traina and discussed a number of topics with the writer, including his feelings on New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

• True Runs Allowed - DRaysBay
  When you take a step back and look at the whole season, the Rays starters have been absolutely incredible, sporting a 4.11 tERA this year (second only to the Tigers in the American League).

Orioles (64-51)

• Orioles trade rumors: "Most aggressive team in waiver claims," says Olney - Camden Chat
  The Orioles are the "most aggressive team" in making waiver claims, possibly just to block other contenders from getting players.

• Three Orioles ranked as having best tools in Baseball America manager's survey - Camden Chat
  Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy, and Adam Jones were all named in a Baseball America manager's survey as having the best tools in their given area of expertise.

Yankees (58-56)

• Michael Young clears waivers, but is it already too late? - Pinstriped Bible
  Michael Young has cleared waivers, but it might already be too late for the Yankees to improve their team.

• Give Austin Romine a shot - Pinstriped Bible
  It's time to find out if Austin Romine can establish himself as the catcher in 2014. Chris Stewart is finished, and JR Murphy and Gary Sanchez are getting closer to the big leagues. With the season in shambles, there's no better time for evaluation.

Blue Jays (53-62)

• Juan Perez 'likely' to go on DL - Bluebird Banter

• Who's Up, Who's Down On the Blue Jays In the Last Two Weeks, July 25 to August 8: Pitchers - Bluebird Banter
  A look at how the Blue Jays pitchers have done over the last two weeks.