More links for the afternoon…
- Danny Knobler of CBS Sports looks at some candidates for waiver trades. Could Freddy Garcia help a National League team?
- Jim Callis of Baseball America ranks the 15 biggest bonuses MLB draft picks have ever received. Stephen Strasburg tops them all, of course.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers will send Jose Vallejo to the Astros along with Matt Nevarez as part of the Ivan Rodriguez trade, as expected. The Astros receive a third player if the Rangers make the playoffs.
- Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News says the Reds have veered away from rebuilding plans instead of devoting themselves to one like the Twins, Rays and Marlins.
- Via Twitter, Matthew Pouliot wonders if the A's, who are interested in adding starters, could pick up Livan Hernandez.
- Remember the Derek Jeter–Jimmy Rollins debate at the WBC? As Tyler Hissey shows, the two shortstops have had remarkably different seasons.