Week In Review

As the regular season gives way to the playoffs this week, let's take a break from the excitement to catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…

• The Astros named Nationals third base coach Bo Porter their new manager on Thursday morning. Porter will remain with Washington until they complete their postseason run.
• The Orioles claimed first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce off of waivers from the Yankees. Pearce owns a .234/.309/.369 slash line across six big league seasons with a .266/.343/.464 line against left-handers.
• Cleveland's second half slide cost Manny Acta his job. The Indians dismissed Acta and replaced him with Sandy Alomar Jr. on an interim basis for the remainder of the 2012 season.
• Terry Francona will interview for the Indians' managerial position either Wednesday or Thursday. Francona has strong relationships with GM Chris Antonetti and team president Mark Shapiro following his 2001 stint with Cleveland as a special assistant to the GM. 
• The White Sox finalized the signing of Dominican shortstop Johan Cruz with a $450K deal. Cruz, a 6'1" right-handed hitter, was the club's only pickup from the July 2nd class of this year.
• The Phillies acquired infielder Stefan Jarrin from the Dodgers. The move completes the July 31st trade that sent Shane Victorino to Los Angeles for Ethan Martin, Josh Lindblom and player to be named or cash.
• The Twins unconditionally released Tsuyoshi Nishioka at the infielder's request. Nishioka had been under contract for 2013, but he will relieve the Twins of the $3.25MM remaining on his contract. 
• Barring another unexpected setback, Adam Greenberg will finally get an official at-bat in the Major Leagues. Greenberg, who was hit in the head with a pitch when he debuted with the Cubs seven years ago, has signed a one-day MLB contract with the Marlins.
• The Yankees designated left-hander Justin Thomas for assignment. Thomas also appeared in four Major League games for New York, allowing three runs in three innings of work.
• Shortstop Jack Wilson will retire following a 12-year MLB career. Wilson, 34, decided along with his family that the 2012 season would be his final one in the Major Leagues.
• The Tigers acquired right-hander Greg Ross from the Braves. The move completes the August 31st trade that sent Jeff Baker from Detroit to Atlanta for a player to be named later.

With the addition of a second Wild Card causing madness in both the American and National Leagues, let's take a moment to catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…

• The Brewers acquired catcher Yorvit Torrealba from the Blue Jays for a player to be named later or cash considerations. In 212 total plate appearances with Texas and Toronto this year Torrealba has a .233/.297/.339 batting line.
• The White Sox will promote their top two baseball executives following a surprising season that has the team leading its division. The team is expected to promote longtime general manager Kenny Williams to the role of vice president of baseball operations and shift assistant GM Rick Hahn into the GM role.
• Jake Peavy and the White Sox may be parting ways after this season as Chicago's unlikely to exercise their $22MM club option for 2013. Instead, the team is expected to pay a $4MM buyout in a move that would make Peavy a free agent.
• The Diamondbacks designated outfielder Cole Gillespie for assignment. Gillespie, 28, hit .308/.390/.494 with 13 homers in 510 plate appearances for Arizona's Triple-A affiliate this season. 
• Colby Lewis and the Rangers agreed to a one-year contract extension for 2013. Lewis' deal is worth $2MM in guaranteed money plus incentives.

With the start of the playoffs just weeks away, let's take a break in the action to catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…

• The Dodgers and GM Ned Colletti agreed to a contract extension. The team has gone 586-530 under his watch, thrice winning the NL West and never winning fewer than 80 games in a season.
• The Orioles released right-handed reliever Kevin Gregg. They had designated Gregg and Ryan Adams for assignment earlier in the week to create space on the 40-man roster.
• Right-hander Francisco Cordero finds himself in search of a new home after being released by the Astros. Houston acquired Cordero as part of a 10-player trade with the Blue Jays that also netted them Ben Francisco and five minor leaguers.
• The Pirates designated right-hander Evan Meek for assignment. Meek, a 2010 All-Star, has been in the Pittsburgh organization since the Pirates selected him in the 2007 Rule 5 draft.
• The Brewers claimed left-hander Miguel De Los Santos off waivers from the Rangers. The 24-year-old posted a 5.22 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 58 2/3 innings at Double-A Frisco this year covering 22 relief appearances and four starts.

With the battle for playoff spots heating up, let's take a break in the action to catch up on the week that was at MLBTR…

• The Giants designated Steve Edlefsen for assignment. Edlefsen, 27, has made 27 relief appearances for San Francisco over the last two seasons, pitching to a 6.75 ERA with more walks (16) than strikeouts (15) in 26 2/3 innings.
• The Cubs claimed Jason Berken off of waivers from the Orioles, who designated the right-hander for assignment. Berken spent most of the 2012 season at Triple-A, where he posted a 3.50 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 26 starts.
• The Rangers released left-hander Miguel De Los Santos. The 24-year-old posted a 5.22 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 58 2/3 innings at Double-A this year.  
• Outfielder Chris Denorfia agreed to a contract extension with the Padres that will keep him in San Diego through 2014. The Pro Star Management client will earn $2MM in 2013 and $2.25 in '14.
• The Giants designated Eric Hacker for assignment. Hacker spent the bulk of the year with Triple-A Fresno, posting a 4.01 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 25 starts and one relief appearance.
• The Padres designated pitcher Ross Ohlendorf and catcher Eddy Rodriguez for assignment.  The moves allowed the club to recall right-hander Brad Boxberger and infielder/outfielder Andy Parrino from Triple-A.
• Minor league catcher Guillermo Quiroz joined the Red Sox organization after being acquired from Seattle for cash considerations. Quiroz posted a .278/.362/.483 batting line in 347 plate appearances at Triple-A Tacoma in 2012.
• The Mariners designated outfielder Johermyn Chavez for assignment. The 23-year-old posted a .232/.339/.386 batting line in 288 plate appearances at Double-A.
• The Yankees released outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, who had signed a minor league deal with New York in July. In five big league seasons, Fukudome owns a .258/.359/.395 batting line for the Cubs, Indians, and White Sox.
• Utility man Oscar Tejeda has been outrighted to the minors after being designated for assignment by the Pirates. The 22-year-old has hit .253/.293/.380 with eight homers in Double-A this season with most of his time coming at left field.

With rosters in place for the home stretch, let's take a break from the action to catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…

• The Cubs officially signed Starlin Castro to a contract extension that will keep the 22-year-old shortstop under contract for the remainder of his 20s. Castro has posted a .276/.311/.418 batting line with 12 homers in 540 plate appearances this season.
• The Orioles acquired Joe Saunders and cash from the Diamondbacks in exchange for reliever Matt Lindstrom and a player to be named later. 
• Brandon Laird joined the Astros this week after Houston claimed him off of waivers from the Yankees, who designated the infielder for assignment. Laird, 24, posted a .254/.307/.414 slash line with 15 home runs and 31 doubles in 550 plate appearances for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.
• The Yankees acquired Steve Pearce from the Astros for cash considerations. Pearce, 29, has a career line of .277/.347/.484 against left-handed pitching.
• The Giants designated right-hander Hector Correa for assignment. Correa, 24, has pitched to a 7.50 ERA in just 18 innings for the club's Triple-A affiliate this year while battling injury.
• Will Rhymes' struggles at the plate may have him looking for a new team as the Rays designated the infielder for assignment. Rhymes, 29, hit .228/.299/.285 in 137 plate appearances for the Rays this season while playing second and third bases. 
• The Yankees designated Ramiro Pena for assignment. Pena, 27, hit .258/.325/.328 in Triple-A this summer while playing second, third, and shortstop. 
• The Rangers designated left-hander Miguel De Los Santos for assignment. De Los Santos, 24, has pitched to a 5.22 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 58 2/3 innings for the club's Double-A affiliate this season.
• First baseman Frazier Hall headed to the desert this week as the player to be named later from a July trade between the Diamondbacks and Angels for right-hander Barry Enright. 
• The Rays acquired Ben Francisco from the Astros in exchange for a player to be named later. Tampa Bay designated right-hander Albert Suarez for assignment in order to clear space for Francisco on the team's 40-man roster. 
• The Tigers traded Jeff Baker to the Braves for a player to be named later. The veteran has played second base and all four corner positions this year, while posting a line of .254/.293/.408 in 181 total plate appearances.
• Cody Ransom finds himself headed back to the Diamondbacks as the team claimed him off waivers from the Brewers. Ransom, 36, has played all four infield positions this year.
• The Orioles signed free agent left-hander Randy Wolf to help bolster their pitching depth for the remainder of the season. The 36-year-old started 24 games for the Brewers in 2012, posting a 5.69 ERA with 6.1 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 43.4% ground ball rate in 142 1/3 innings.
• The Indians designated Shelley Duncan for assignment. Duncan, 32, hit .203/.288/.388 with 11 homers in 264 plate appearances for Cleveland this season. Cleveland also claimed left-hander Scott Maine off of waivers from the Cubs, who had designated him for assignment. Maine, a sixth round selection in 2007, appeared in 21 games for the Cubs this year, posting a 4.79 ERA with 11.3 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 20 2/3 innings.
• Shortstop Jack Wilson finds himself without a home after the Braves released the veteran. The 34-year-old appeared in 40 games before getting injured, playing shortstop and a little second base.
• The Cubs designated left-hander Alex Hinshaw for assignment just nine days after claiming him from the Padres.
• Lefty Erik Bedard and the Pirates parted ways this week as Pittsburgh released the veteran after he couldn't regain form from earlier in his career. The Bucs signed Bedard in December to a one-year, $4.5MM free agent deal, so they still owe him about $910K.
• The Rangers designated infielder Luis Hernandez for assignment. The 28-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A Round Rock, where he posted a .262/.302/.372 batting line in 548 plate appearances.
• The Cubs acquired Anthony Recker from the Athletics in exchange for catcher Blake Lalli.

As the dust settles from Saturday's trade of historic proportions, let's catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…

• The Red Sox and Dodgers completed a nine-player blockbuster sending Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto to Los Angeles for James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus, Jerry Sands, and Rubby De La Rosa. The deal provides Boston with financial flexibility and talent for the future while Los Angeles' hopes for the playoffs will be bolstered by Gonzalez's bat. 
• Starlin Castro and the Cubs reached agreement on a seven-year contract extension worth $60MM. The deal includes a $16MM option for 2020 which would boost the overall value of the deal to $76MM. 
• The Astros designated right-hander Armando Galarraga for assignment. The 30-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Astros in late May to help fill a spot in Oklahoma City's rotation.
• Bartolo Colon failed an MLB-issued drug test and has been suspended for 50 games. The veteran right-hander has pitched to a 3.43 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 24 starts and 152 1/3 innings for the Athletics this season after signing a one-year, $2MM contract. 
• The Cardinals agreed to a contract extension with Jake Westbrook that will keep the right-hander off of the free agent market for at least one more year. The deal covers the 2013 season and adds a mutual option for 2014.
• The Diamondbacks traded Stephen Drew to the Athletics for minor league infielder Sean Jamieson. Batting just .193/.290/.311, Drew has yet to rediscover his stroke at the plate. Jamieson, 23, was Oakland's 17th-round selection in the 2011 draft. 
• An unidentified team claimed Justin Upton on waivers but the outfielder is expected to remain with the Diamondbacks for the remainder of the season. Upton will earn $9.75MM in 2013, $14.25MM in 2014 and $14.5MM in 2015.
• The Orioles designated left-handed reliever J.C. Romero for assignment after acquiring the veteran from the Indians nearly two weeks ago and purchased his contract from the minor leagues the following day.
• The Pirates claimed Angels reliever Hisanori Takahashi off of waivers. The 37-year-old has held left-handed hitters to a .244/.287/.384 batting line with 9.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in three MLB seasons.
• Outfielder Chad Tracy agreed to a $1MM contract extension for next season with the Nationals. Tracy, 32, has a .283/.353/.517 batting line in 68 plate appearances as a backup corner infielder and pinch hitter.
• The Athletics acquired right-hander Jesse Chavez from the Blue Jays for cash considerations. Chavez, 29, posted an 8.44 ERA with 11.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 21 1/3 innings with the Blue Jays this year before getting designated for assignment.
• The Padres designated right-hander Neil Wagner for assignment. San Diego claimed Wagner off of waivers from the Athletics at the end May, but haven't promoted him to the MLB level.
• Jason Bartlett finds himself in search of a new home after being released by the Padres. The 32-year-old batted just .133/.240/.193 in 98 plate appearances, and overall batted only .231/.299/.292 in 168 games as a Padre.
• The Pirates released Juan Cruz after he cleared waivers and refused an assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis. The 33-year-old appeared in 43 games for the Pirates, posting a 2.78 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 in 35 2/3 innings.
• The Dodgers signed left-hander Julio Urias. Urias, a 16-year-old from Mexico, signed for an unknown amount that will only partially count against the Dodgers’ $2.9MM spending pool for 2012-13. 
• Right-hander Miguel Socolovich's headed to the Cubs after the franchise claimed him off of waivers from the Orioles and designated catcher Blake Lalli for assignment to create roster space for Socolovich.
• The Padres claimed right-hander Thad Weber from Detroit. Weber, 27, made his MLB debut this year, appearing in two games for the Tigers in April. The team also designated outfielder Jeremy Hermida for assignment. Hermida signed a one-year, $800K contract with the Padres last offseason only to spend considerable time on the disabled list with a strained hip flexor.
• The Brewers released left-hander Randy Wolf. Wolf led the National League in hits and earned runs this year, the final season of his three-year contract with Milwaukee.
• Cesar Izturis elected free agency instead of accepting an assignment to the minor leagues. Izturis posted a .241/.254/.343 batting line in 173 plate appearances for the Brewers and Nationals this year.
• The Athletics designated catcher Anthony Recker for assignment. The 28-year-old has a .265/.358/.435 batting line in 229 plate appearances at Triple-A this year.
• The Braves signed first baseman Lyle Overbay to a minor league contract. The 35-year-old posted a .292/.367/.448 batting line in 110 plate appearances with Arizona this year.

As we tip our proverbial caps to King Felix for delivering perfection to the baseball world on Wednesday, let's catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…

• Starlin Castro and the Cubs reached an agreement on a seven-year contract extension worth $60MM. The deal includes a $16MM option for 2020 which would boost the overall value of the deal to $76MM. 
• The Astros appointed Tony DeFrancesco as their interim manager after dismissing manager Brad Mills, hitting coach Mike Barnett, and first base coach Bobby Meacham. The 49-year-old was the skipper for the club's Triple-A affiliate.
• The Blue Jays signed Jeff Mathis to a two-year contract extension worth $3MM with a club option for 2015 worth $1.5MM. Mathis, 29, is hitting .215/.252/.415 with six homers in 147 plate appearances this season.   
• Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera received a 50 game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Cabrera hit .346/.390/.516 with 11 homers in 501 plate appearances during his first season in San Francisco, earning him his first All-Star Game nomination.
• The Marlins designated Gil Velazquez for assignment. Velazquez, 32, had one single in eight plate appearances with the Marlins since being called up earlier this week.
• The Nationals designated infielder Cesar Izturis for assignment. Izturis' stay in Washington lasted just eleven days as he was claimed off of waivers from Milwaukee on August 6th.
• Right-hander Mark Prior is in search of a new home after being released by the Red Sox in order to create space for the newly-acquired Pedro Beato, who arrived from the Mets in the Kelly Shoppach deal. During his time in Triple-A Pawtucket, Prior posted a 3.96 ERA with 13.7 K/9 and 8.3 BB/9 in a small sample size of 25 innings of work.
• The Red Sox placed Aaron Cook, Felix Doubront and Andrew Miller on trade waivers.
• The Phillies acquired right-hander Ryan O'Sullivan from the Dodgers to complete the Joe Blanton trade. O'Sullivan, 21, has pitched to a 3.05 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 88 1/3 innings at the Single-A level this season.
• Veteran catcher Yorvit Torrealba signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays after recently being released by the Rangers. Torrealba, 34, posted a .236/.302/.342 batting line in 182 plate appearances for Texas.
• The Blue Jays sent right-handed pitching prospect Kevin Comer to the Astros to complete last month's ten player trade.
• The Pirates signed Dallas McPherson to a minor league deal. The 32-year-old infielder hit .253/.335/.463 with 12 homers in 264 plate appearances in the White Sox's farm system earlier this year.
• Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Marmol cleared trade waivers. Soriano is now eligible to be traded anywhere, pending his approval due to his ten-and-five rights.
• The Athletics signed pitcher Jeremy Accardo, who will report to Triple-A Sacramento. The 30-year-old posted a 4.58 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 26 appearances for Cleveland this season.
• The Rockies designated Mike Ekstrom for assignment. Ekstrom, 28, allowed 11 runs in 15 2/3 relief innings for Colorado this season, striking out nine and walking two.
• Outfielder/first baseman Mark Kotsay agreed to terms on a $1.3MM extension with the Padres through the 2013 season. Kotsay, 36, has a .275/.333/.363 slash line with one home run in 111 plate appearances.
• The White Sox signed Jose Lopez to a minor league contract and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate. Lopez, 28, hit .249/.272/.366 in 224 plate appearances for Cleveland this year while playing first, second, third and right field before being released.
• The Orioles designated right-hander Miguel Socolovich for assignment. The native of Venezuela pitched ten and one-third innings for the O's this season, allowing eight earned runs with six strikeouts and six walks.
• Infielder Yuniesky Betancourt can now sign with the team of his choosing after being released by the Royals. Betancourt, 30, has posted a career line of .266/.290/.392 with 67 homers in 3,869 plate appearances.
• The Padres designated left-handed pitcher Alex Hinshaw for assignment. Hinshaw, 30 in October, posted a 4.50 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 28 innings of relief work for San Diego this season.
• The Orioles acquired J.C. Romero from the Indians for minor league infielder Carlos Rojas. Romero, 36, allowed nine runs in eight innings for the Cardinals earlier this season, and has pitched to a 2.74 ERA in 23 Triple-A innings.

As we hit the dog days of August, let's take a moment to catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…

• The Yankees signed Derek Lowe after New York placed CC Sabathia on the DL with elbow stiffness. Lowe, 39, was released by the Indians last week after pitching to a 5.52 ERA in 21 starts for Cleveland this season.
• The Mets designated left-hander Garrett Olson for assignment. In 104 career big league appearances, Olson has a 6.26 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.
• Right-hander Andrew Carpenter signed a minor league contract with the Mets and has been assigned to Double-A Binghamton.
• The Diamondbacks designated pitcher Mike Zagurski for assignment. Zagurski had a 6.18 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 27.2 innings of work this season.
• The Red Sox put Kelly Shoppach and Mike Aviles on waivers on Friday while Nick Punto and Carl Crawford have now cleared waivers.
• Venezuelan left-hander Dedgar Jimenez signed with the Red Sox. The 16-year-old obtained a bonus of $175K.
• The Rangers designated infielder Alberto Gonzalez for assignment. Gonzalez appeared in 24 games for the Rangers this year, playing second base, third base and shortstop.
• The Blue Jays designated right-hander Scott Richmond for assignment. Richmond appeared in three games for Toronto this year, but has spent most of the season at Triple-A. 
• High school right-hander Felipe Perez signed with the Diamondbacks for a reported bonus of $400K.
• The Blue Jays claimed right-hander Juan Abreu off of waivers from Houston. The Astros designated Abreu for assignment on Tuesday.
• The Red Sox signed Scott Podsednik to a Major League contract. Boston traded the outfielder to the Diamondbacks in the Matt Albers–Craig Breslow trade, but Arizona released him a few days later.
• A few recognizable names find themselves headed to Triple-A after struggling at the big league level. The Rays outrighted Brooks Conrad to Triple-A Durham, the Tigers outrighted Don Kelly to Triple-A Toledo and the Dodgers outrighted Tony Gwynn Jr. to Triple-A Albuquerque.
• The Indians released Johnny Damon and Jeremy Accardo after previously designating both veterans for assignment.
• The Astros designated infielder Brian Bixler for assignment. He posted a .193/.253/.330 line in 96 plate appearances at the big league level.
• Bobby Abreu cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Dodgers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A.
• The Astros acquired utility player Tyler Greene from the Cardinals for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The 28-year-old has a .218 /.272 /.358 batting line in 197 plate appearances so far in 2012.
• The Rangers placed catcher Yorvit Torrealba on release waivers. Torrealba, 34, posted a .236/.302/.342 batting line in 182 plate appearances for Texas before getting designated for assignment.
• Kip Wells cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Tucson from the Padres.
• The Blue Jays outrighted Andrew Carpenter to Triple-A. Carpenter, 27, spent the bulk of July with the Blue Jays and saw just nine innings of work across six appearances.
• Drew Sutton's headed to Triple-A Indianapolis after the Pirates outrighted the outfielder, who posted a .243/.278/.419 batting line in 79 plate appearances. 
• The Indians designated infielder Jose Lopez for assignment. The 28-year-old posted a .249/.272/.366 batting line in 224 plate appearances.
• The Blue Jays designated right-hander Jesse Chavez for assignment. Chavez, 28, has an 8.44 ERA with 11.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 21 1/3 innings with Toronto this year.
• Catcher Wil Nieves's found a new job as the Diamondbacks claimed the veteran off waivers from the Rockies. The 34-year-old posted a .298/.333/.404 batting line in 51 plate appearances this year.
• The Nationals outrighted catcher Carlos Maldonado to Triple-A Syracuse. He has spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he has a .223/.343/.405 batting line in 146 plate appearances.
• The Giants claimed left-handed reliever Jose Mijares from Kansas City. Mijares has a 2.56 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 33.3% ground ball rate in 38 2/3 innings this year.
• Infielder Cesar Izturis's headed to the Nationals after Washington claimed the veteran off of waivers from the Brewers. Izturis has a .235/.248/.333 batting line in 169 plate appearances this year.
• The Diamondbacks released Lyle Overbay after the veteran posted a .292/.367/.448 batting line in 110 plate appearances.
• The Royals designated Yuniesky Betancourt for assignment after the infielder posted a .232/.260/.408 batting line in 56 games with Kansas City this year. 
• Mike Fontenot finds himself without a job after the Phillies released the infielder. Fontenot, 32, hit .289/.343/.340 in 105 plate appearances this year for the Phillies.
• The Red Sox acquired third baseman Danny Valencia from the Twins for minor league outfielder Jeremias Pineda. Valencia has struggled this season hitting .198/.212/.310 in two tours with the Twins.
• The Tigers acquired Jeff Baker from the Cubs in exchange for two players to be named later. Baker, 31, has a .269/.306/.448 slash line in 144 plate appearances on the year. 

With the trade deadline but a distant memory, let's catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…

• The Giants acquired right fielder Hunter Pence from the Phillies for right fielder Nate Schierholtz, minor league reliever Seth Rosin and minor league catcher/first baseman Tommy Joseph.
• The Rangers acquired Ryan Dempster from the Cubs for minor league third baseman Christian Villanueva and minor league right-hander Kyle Hendricks.  
• Shane Victorino has taken his talents to Chavez Ravine as the Dodgers acquired the outfielder from the Phillies for starting pitching prospect Ethan Martin and reliever Josh Lindblom.
• The Dodgers claimed Cliff Lee off of waivers from the Phillies, who didn't appear to be interested in letting the left-hander go for salary relief alone.
• The Padres agreed to sign Huston Street to a two-year extension that includes a club option for 2015. The contract between the Padres and the Hendricks Sports client will be worth $14MM and the '15 option will be valued at $7MM.
• Brandon League switched leagues this week as the Mariners traded the reliever to the Dodgers for prospects Leon Landry and Logan Bawcom.
• The Reds added a late-inning reliever by acquiring Jonathan Broxton from the Royals in exchange for Triple-A lefty Donnie Joseph and Double-A righty J.C. Sulbaran.
• The Dodgers acquired Joe Blanton from the Phillies for a player to be named later or cash considerations after claiming the right-hander on waivers. 
• Left-hander Paul Maholm and outfielder Reed Johnson find themselves atop the National League Wild Card standings as the Cubs traded the duo along with cash considerations to the Braves in exchange for right-handers Jaye Chapman and Arodys Vizcaino.
• The Diamondbacks acquired third baseman Chris Johnson from the Astros for minor league outfielders Marc Krauss and Bobby Borchering.
• The Pirates acquired first baseman Gaby Sanchez and right-handed reliever Kyle Kaminska from the Marlins for outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and a competitive balance pick.
• Reliever Craig Breslow finds himself in the American League East as the Red Sox acquired the reliever from the Diamondbacks in exchange for Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik.
• The Cardinals acquired reliever Edward Mujica from the Marlins for third baseman Zack Cox.
• The Indians designated Jeremy Accardo for assignment after the right-hander posted a 4.58 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 26 appearances this season with Cleveland.
• Xavier Nady's getting another chance as the Giants agreed to a minor league contract with the veteran outfielder. The Nationals designated Nady for assignment in late July before granting him his unconditional release last Sunday.
• The Blue Jays signed Jack Cust to a minor league deal after being cut loose by the Yankees on Wednesday.
• The Orioles designated Endy Chavez for assignment after the outfielder posted a .190/.222/.281 batting line in 47 games for the Baltimore this year.
• Catcher Wil Nieves cleared waivers and rejected an assignment to the minors to become a free agent after the Rockies designated nine-year veteran for assignment. 
• The Blue Jays designated Andrew Carpenter for assignment. The right-hander threw nine innings over six appearances with Toronto.
• The A's acquired right-hander Pat Neshek from the Orioles in exchange for cash.
• Right-hander Kip Wells recorded more walks (20) than strikeouts (19) this season, which may have led to the Padres' decision to designate the veteran for assignment.
• The White Sox sent minor league right-hander Chris Devenski to the Astros to complete the trade that sent Brett Myers to Chicago.
• The Nationals designated catcher Carlos Maldonado for assignment to make room for newly-acquired Kurt Suzuki.
• Johnny Damon may be in search of a new team as the Indians designated the veteran outfielder for assignment.
• The Tigers designated utility player Don Kelly for assignment despite his versatility around the diamond. 
• The Yankees designated Ramiro Pena for assignment to clear roster space for Casey McGehee, who was acquired from the Pirates on Tuesday in exchange for Chad Qualls. 
• Right-hander Derek Lowe may be able to make a return to pitching-starved Boston as the Indians designated the veteran for assignment.
• The Reds designated Mike Costanzo for assignment as the infielder struggled at the plate during his limited tenure in Cincinnati.
• The Rays released Hideki Matsui after the team had designated the outfielder for assignment last week.
• Infielder Mike Fontenot's in search of work after being designated for assignment and later released by the Phillies. The veteran should attract attention from other teams given his solid hitting ability.
• The Dodgers designated Bobby Abreu for assignment. Abreu joined the Dodgers after being released by the Angels earlier in the season.
• The Indians acquired first baseman/left fielder Lars Anderson from the Red Sox for Double-A starter Steven Wright.
• Catcher Yorvit Torrealba may be in search of a new home as the Rangers designated the veteran for assignment after Texas acquired Geovany Soto from the Cubs.
• The Diamondbacks designated first baseman Lyle Overbay for assignment. Overbay, 35, posted a .292/.367/.448 batting line in 110 plate appearances this year. 
• The Mariners acquired outfielder Eric Thames from the Blue Jays for reliever Steve Delabar.
• The Blue Jays and Pirates swapped outfielder Travis Snider for right-hander Brad Lincoln.

With the trade deadline less than 48 hours away, let's take a moment to catch up on the busy week that was here at MLBTR…

• The Angels acquired Zack Greinke in a trade with the Brewers. Milwaukee received top infield prospect Jean Segura and Double-A right-handers Ariel Pena and John Hellweg in exchange for its ace.
• The Phillies signed Cole Hamels to a six-year contract extension worth at least $144MM. The contract, which includes limited no-trade protection for Hamels, includes an option for a seventh year.
• Hanley Ramirez must hope that heading West will lead to improved production after being traded to the Dodgers. Los Angeles acquired the infielder and Randy Choate from the Marlins for Nathan Eovaldi and minor league right-hander Scott McGough. 
• The Tigers acquired Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez from the Marlins in exchange for top pitching prospect Jacob Turner, along with Rob Brantly and Brian Flynn.
• The Pirates acquired left-handed starter Wandy Rodriguez from the Astros in exchange for minor leaguers Rudy Owens, Robbie Grossman, and Colton Cain. 
• Ichiro Suzuki bid farewell to the only big league team he's ever known. The Yankees acquired  the outfielder and cash from the Mariners in exchange right-handers D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar.
• The White Sox acquired Francisco Liriano from the Twins for infielder Eduardo Escobar and left-hander Pedro Hernandez.
• The Padres announced the signing of Carlos Quentin to a contract extension through the 2015 season with a mutual option for 2016. 
• The Giants designated infielder Emmanuel Burriss for assignment in order to clear room for the newly acquired Marco Scutaro. San Francisco acquired Scutaro and cash considerations from the Rockies in exchange for minor league second baseman Charlie Culberson.
• Jason Kendall retired on Tuesday after a long career in which he earned three All-Star appearances. 
• Houston claimed first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce off of waivers from the Orioles.
• Chuckie Fick was claimed off of waivers by the Astros from the Cardinals, who designated the right-hander for assignment last week.
• The Indians acquired Brent Lillibridge from the Red Sox for right-hander Jose De La Torre. 
• The Angels acquired right-handed pitcher Barry Enright from the Diamondbacks in exchange for a player to be named or cash considerations.
• First baseman/outfielder Brandon Allen is headed to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks after the Rays sold his rights.
• The Nationals released Rick Ankiel after the team designated the outfielder for assignment last week.
• Miguel Batista will remain in the National League as the Braves agreed to sign the right-hander after the Mets released the 41-year-old on Thursday.
• The Rays designated Hideki Matsui for assignment to create roster space for newly-acquired infielder Ryan Roberts.
• The Indians designated Aaron Cunningham for assignment.
• The Brewers designated catcher George Kottaras for assignment after activating Jonathan Lucroy from the disabled list. Catcher Humberto Quintero signed a minor league deal with Milwaukee. 
• The Brewers also designated outfielder Brock Kjeldgaard and infielder Edwin Maysonet for assignment.
• The Orioles designated left-hander Dana Eveland for assignment.