The Cardinals, who have blown two consecutive late-inning leads, signed reliever Mike MacDougal, according to Brian Walton of FOXSportsMidwest.com. The Cardinals are MacDougal's third organization of the year. The Marlins signed him in February and released him a month later. He then signed with the Nationals and pitched in the minors before opting out of his deal last week.

In 22 minor league innings this year, the 33-year-old right-hander has allowed 26 hits and 13 walks, striking out 13 for a 5.32 ERA. MacDougal, who represented the Royals in the 2003 All-Star game, pitched for the White Sox and Nationals last year.

Tomorrow, Seattle Mariners hurler Cliff Lee goes up against the team he tamed twice in the World Series last...

It still isn't clear if the Chicago Cubs are going to be buyers or sellers at the trading deadline but...

In judging rookie left-hander Jonathon Niese, there are markers Mets manager Jerry Manuel looks for. One of them was on display Wednesday.

A one-hit shutout of the Twins earlier this season might flash the potential of Niese, but for Manuel, a more telling sign is how a pitcher responds when he faces a team that has already seen him. And the first time Niese faced the Reds this season, he was pelted for a career-high 12 hits.

So there was a lesson to be learned Wednesday, and Niese showed himself to be an adept pupil—even in defeat. This time Niese allowed just one hit through the first six innings before eventually taking the loss with a six-hit, three-run effort over 7 2/3 innings as the Mets fell 3-1.

"If he has had success against that team, then they have...

The Cliff Lee trade talk started intensifying yesterday, as the Twins, Mets, Yankees, Rangers, Phillies and Tigers now have a new suitor to out-bid: the Rays. Not only are the Rays on the periphery of the Lee sweepstakes, they are ready to add payroll and appear willing to part with B.J. Upton. The Yankees are confident that they can jump in and pry Lee away from their divisional foes, but let's not rule out the Yanks' crosstown rivals. Here is the latest on Cliff Lee, with more rumors to come throughout the day:

• MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says that the Rangers are working hard to acquire Lee, but nothing is imminent. Texas has plenty of minor league talent to offer, but they don't appear to be willing to move Tanner Scheppers or Martin Perez according to Sullivan. Derek Holland, Blake Beavan, Chris Davis, Justin Smoak, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia could all be fair game.  Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says the Mariners "inquired about the availability" of Davis and Saltalamacchia.  Righty Alexi Ogando is said to be on the Mariners radar, though "there is some resistance to include him in a deal" on the Rangers' side. 
• Morosi expands on his earlier tweet, saying that the Reds and Mariners have exchanged names "in preliminary fashion," though the two sides have yet to exchange firm proposals. One GM called Cincinnati a "sleeper" in the Lee sweepstakes.
• CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam checked on the status of Boston's interest in Lee earlier today, and heard that the asking price was too high (Twitter links). Seattle wants a "stud catcher" close to the bigs, which the Red Sox simply don't have.
• Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune gets the impression that the Mariners aren't close to moving Lee, at least not to the Twins. He was also told that the two sides haven't exchanged official proposals, and that the Ramos-Hicks talk is "pure speculation."
• The Mariners are seeking a “mammoth return” for Lee, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. One executive interested in the left-hander said the Mariners made a “crazy ask,” demanding an even better package than Wilson Ramos and Aaron Hicks.
• FOX reports that the Twins offered Ramos and Kevin Slowey for Lee. At the moment, the Twins, Mets, Yankees and Rangers are most actively engaged with the Mariners in trade talks.
• The Mariners are calling teams back and telling them that it will take two blue-chip prospects plus a third young player to acquire Lee, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.
• Two scouts tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that third base prospect Juan Francisco would be the Reds' best trade chip, not Yonder Alonso (Twitter link).
• ESPN.com’s Buster Olney hears that the Yankees are not engaged in trade talks for Lee now. They are confident they could acquire the left-hander, but do not intend to deal for him. Olney says the Twins are the favorites to acquire Lee, followed by the Reds, the Rays, the Mets, the Rangers and the field.
• The Mets officials who have spoken to Joel Sherman of the New York Post don’t seem concerned that the Twins are the perceived frontrunners for Lee. The perception within the game is that the Mariners are leaning more toward scouting than number crunching, and the Mets believe that will work in their favor.

After the season the Elias Sports Bureau will take all players over the 2009-10 period, divide them into five groups for each league, and rank them based on various statistics.  Then each player will be labeled a Type A, B, or none.  Those designations and the possible accompanying arbitration offers determine draft pick compensation (click here for a refresher).

Eddie Bajek has reverse-engineered the Elias rankings, and he's providing that information exclusively at MLB Trade Rumors.  Here's a look at how the players rank for the period beginning with the 2009 season running through July 6th, 2010.  The Google spreadsheet below has separate tabs for each position group.  The players have about three more months to change these rankings.  You can also go directly to the Google spreadsheet here and download the rankings in Excel here.

Some links on the night Atlanta became the NL's first 50-win team...

• Dan Hayes of The North County Times says (via Twitter) the international market has been slow for the Padres, and he doesn't expect any "major splashes." San Diego did sign Duanel Jones for $900K back in January.
• Meanwhile, AOL FanHouse's Tom Krasovic sheds some light on the insurance on Chris Young's contract. The Padres' righty will earn $6.25MM this year, though he made just one start before a shoulder issue forced him to the disabled list.
• MLB.com's Jason Beck and Alex DiFilippo report that the Tigers have signed their sixth through eight round draft picks. 
• The Diamondbacks have signed 16-year-old Venezuelan center fielder Yorman Garcia to a six-figure bonus, reports Baseball America's Ben Badler.
• ESPN's Buster Olney says that the Yankees are currently focusing on adding a veteran player who can play third base and provide some power (Twitter links). Alex Rodriguez has been dealing with an on-and-off hip issue all season.
• Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com tweets that it is possible the Red Sox will pursue Chris Snyder after the season, though he doesn't think they'll go after him before the deadline.
• MLB.com's Peter Gammons tells us what to watch out for in the second half of the season, specifically with regards to the trade deadline and August 16th draft signing deadline.
• MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling reports that the Nationals have adjusted their plan to manage Stephen Strasburg's innings this season. The phenom will now remain on a regular schedule and be shut down when the time comes in September.
• The Athletics have called up righthander Ross Wolf according to a team press release. Oakland acquired Ross from the Orioles in exchange for Jake Fox late last month.

Bronson Arroyo was standing on third base laughing about his blooped bunt that landed beyond the pitcher's mound for a base hit earlier in the seventh inning. It's easy to feel giddy when almost everything is on target. Arroyo outpitched Jonathon Niese in a crisp duel, and the Cincinnati Reds used two more long balls and a few fine plays in the field to beat the New York Mets 3-1 on...

WEDNESDAY, 8:48pm: Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com tweets that the two sides are expected to talk about a possible Hart trade before their series ends tomorrow night. Rosenthal notes that Milwaukee likes Jonathan Sanchez, but it remains to be seen if a deal can be worked out.

TUESDAY, 7:40pm: Updating his initial report, Schulman adds that the Brewers haven't decided yet whether or not they want to move Hart, so talks between the two teams aren't far along.

7:00pm: Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News says (via Twitter) that the Brewers will only deal Hart this week if a team overpays. The Giants, who don't seem entirely convinced that Hart would have as much success in their ballpark, probably aren't going to do that. Schulman, meanwhile, tweets that it would likely take "Sanchez-plus" to pry Hart from the Brew Crew.

6:24pm: The Giants could be "focusing on a possible trade" involving Corey Hart, tweets Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Giants were recently reported to have interest in the Brewers' outfielder, and Schulman noted yesterday that the Giants' brass may have been scouting players at the Giants-Brewers game.

Despite Pat Burrell's success in San Francisco so far (.316/.391/.553), the Giants have still been linked to outfield bats, such as David DeJesus and Jose Guillen. Hart would be of particular interest to the Giants, since he's under contract through 2011, and Brian Sabean has said his club would like to avoid merely renting players for a couple months.

When we asked nearly two weeks ago whether the Brewers ought to deal Hart, over half of our poll respondents suggested that trading the 28-year-old would be in Milwaukee's best interest. For their part though, the Brewers aren't eager to hold a fire sale, particularly with players like Hart and Prince Fielder, who are under team control past this season. In a second tweet, Schulman cautions that Hart, in the midst of a potential career year, would not come cheaply for the Giants.

The Marlins have been looking for relief help all season, going so far as to sign Armando Benitez to a minor league deal, but MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says to keep an eye for Leo Nunez in future trade talk. 

There's no denying that Nunez has been outstanding this season (3.12 ERA, 9.1 K/9, 18-for-23 in save opportunities), but a team may be willing to overpay for the Marlins' closer in a trade given the dearth of quality relievers on the market. As Frisaro notes, the goal isn't just to improve this year, but in 2011 and beyond.

Money, unsurprisingly, would be a driving force behind any Nunez deal. The 26-year-old will earn a total of $2MM this season, his first time eligible for arbitration. He might be able to double that salary the second time through next year, and the Marlins traditionally don't pay their bullpen workers more than $2.5MM per season. 

Considering the number of contenders looking for relief help - the Red Sox, Phillies, and Tigers, just to name a few - the Marlins would have no trouble finding a suitor for the hard throwing, high strikeout Nunez. It's just a question of whether or not Florida will make their closer available in a trade.

The Cubs have yet to declare themselves buyers or sellers despite a 37-47 record, but Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweets that the team is starting to get "more serious" about making deals. Davidoff also mentions that the Mets "like the idea" of adding Ted Lilly to their rotation while assuming the $6MM left on his contract in order to give up fewer prospects in a trade. 

Lilly is just one of several pieces the Cubs could shop, along with Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, Jeff Baker, Derrek Lee, Kosuke Fukudome, and Xavier Nady. The Giants could have interest in Theriot and Chicago tried to push Fukudome on the Red Sox, but nothing has materialized just yet. 

The Mets have expressed interest in adding a quality starter, and Lilly would certainly fit the bill. There is some uncertainty about the team's ability to add payroll however, so whether or not they can actually take on Lilly's salary remains to be seen.

The Red Sox designated Niuman Romero for assignment to make room for Ryan Shealy, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter). The 25-year-old Romero appeared in one game at first and another at second, but did not reach base in four plate appearances this year.

Shealy, 30, has posted an overall .240/.361/.489 line with the Triple A affiliates for the Rays and Red Sox this year. The right-handed hitting first baseman has a .764 OPS in parts of four big league seasons, though he hasn't played in the majors since 2008.

Kevin Youkilis is in tonight's lineup, but he gave Red Sox fans a scare when he appeared to hurt his right ankle last night. Shealy will provide depth off the bench and could play first if Youkilis needs a break.

The Astros signed top Dominican outfield prospect Ariel Ovando, according to the team. Ben Badler of Baseball America reports that the Astros will pay Ovando a franchise-record bonus worth between $2.6-2.8MM. The 16-year-old bats left-handed and plays right field, and the Astros see him as an impact player.

“Ariel profiles as a middle of the order power hitter with excellent defensive skills,” GM Ed Wade said. “He profiles as a front line major league right fielder and should move quickly through the minor league system.”

Executives in the Astros' system compared Ovando to players such as Darryl Strawberry, Domonic Brown Jason Heyward, Fred McGriff, Carlos Delgado and Cliff Floyd. That's an impressive group of players, and it's not just the Astros building hype. Two scouts who chatted to MLBTR contributor Blake Bentley compared Ovando to Strawberry earlier in the season.

Links for Wednesday, as the Red Sox keep getting banged up...

• The White Sox announced that Jake Peavy is going on the DL with a detached muscle in his right shoulder. ESPN.com's Buster Olney says it looks like Peavy's season could be over (Twitter link).
• Tigers manager Jim Leyland told MLB.com's Jason Beck that he wouldn't mind if Santa delivered a reliever to the Tiger 'pen. GM Dave Dombrowski may bring Leyland the present he's hoping for; the Tigers are interested in relievers.
• Matt Klaassen of FanGraphs argues that the Royals should be looking to trade David DeJesus, even though he projects to be a Type A free agent.
• Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun hears that Dodgers assistant GM Logan White and former Padres GM Kevin Towers are in the running for the D’Backs GM job. However, Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer, tops the D’Backs' wish list (Twitter links).
• The Orioles have scouted the Padres' system recently, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
• Alex Speier of WEEI.com takes a year-by-year look at the in-season bullpen moves the Red Sox have made under GM Theo Epstein.
• Paul Konerko tells Ben Bolch of the LA Times that he doesn't want to be traded. Now that the White Sox are in contention, a trade seems unlikely.
• Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says Rangers GM Jon Daniels should be creative and trade for starting pitching this summer.
• Indians GM Mark Shapiro tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney that Matt LaPorta is hitting better because his toe has healed and he has less pressure than he did earlier in his Indians career.

Given the run support he's received lately, Johan Santana's first career homer came at a very opportune time.

Eager for a sliver of run support, Johan Santana found a clever solution. He provided his own. Santana lined his first major league homer and that was plenty as he pitched a three-hit shutout and led the New York Mets past the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 on a blazing Tuesday night. Santana's solo shot in the third inning drew a huge cheer from the baked crowd and an even bigger reception from his...

Jose Reyes returned to the New York Mets' lineup Tuesday night and said he plans to play in next week's All-Star game. The speedy shortstop was batting leadoff against left-hander Matt Maloney and the Cincinnati Reds. The switch hitter said he will bat from the right side throughout the game to protect his balky back.

The New York Mets had to wait until Monday night to blow off their Fourth of July fireworks, but the result was...

AccuScore uses past performance statistics to describe how players perform under different environmental,...