Can Joe Kelly Be Part Of Red Sox Future?

In 2013, Joe Kelly was an above-average pitcher -- perhaps even exceptional. He posted an overall 10-5 record and 2.69 ERA overall; out of the rotation, he was dominant, going 9-3 with a 2.28 ERA in 15 starts.

Boston Globe

Lance Lynn: The Development Of The Cardinals Workhorse

The game did not result in a Cardinal victory, but St. Louis right-hander Lance Lynn pitched very well against the Chicago Cubs in his first outing this year: nine strikeouts, two hits, one walk, one earned run and one unearned run in a contest that the Redbirds eventually lost 2-0.

Minor League Ball

Rich Harden Throwing Again, Plans Showcase This Summer

Rich Harden's parents, Russ and Sandra, were on hand for the finale at Phoenix Muni. Russ Harden said that Rich, the A's former starter, is throwing again and plans to have a showcase for teams this summer. The right-hander's career was interrupted by shoulder injuries.

SF Gate

Rich Harden Asked For & Was Given His Release By Twins

Dustin Morse Twitter

P.J. Walters Accepts Designation To Minors

Right-hander P.J. Walters has decided to stay in the Twins organization, accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Rochester on Monday after being designated for assignment last Thursday.

Minnesota Official Site

P.J. Walters Hanging On With Twins

The Twins essentially have two more roster cuts to make, and it's expected to be from the group of right-hander P.J. Walters, left-handed reliever Tyler Robertson and Ramirez.

Minnesota Official Site

Bernie Bits 7-9-11: Cardinals Can't Focus Only On Albert Pujols

Don't think too much about this scenario, Cardinals fans, for it will keep you up at night: Cardinals management, obsessed with trying to sign Albert Pujols, delays contract talks with Lance Berkman. Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, stalls because he wants to see what agent Scott Boras gets on the open market for Milwaukee first baseman Prince Fielder.

Bernie's Five Minutes

Star Pitchers Returning From Injury

Penny was supposed to be a reclamation project for the St. Louis Cardinals last season, but a back injury in May ended his year after just nine starts, two weeks before Detroit's Armando Galarraga had a perfect game taken away by a missed call by umpire Jim Joyce in early June.

Penny finished the year 3-4 with a 3.23 ERA but he had apparently done enough to warrant a contract from the Detroit Tigers this offseason worth $3 million with another $3 million in incentives. His arrival in the Motor City allowed Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski to trade Galarraga to the Diamondbacks, leaving Detroit with a rotation of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and Phil Coke.

Penny, 32, is a two-time National League All-Star who pitched for the 2003 World Series champion Florida Marlins. He's won 108 games in 11 seasons, including consecutive 16-win seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006 and 2007. But he's struggled in the American League. He had a 5.61 for the Boston Red Sox in 2009 and was traded to the San Francisco Giants at midseason, where he went 4-1 in six starts.

Sports Illustrated

Athletics, Brian Fuentes Agree On Two-Year Contract

The Oakland Athletics have made another move to boost their bullpen, agreeing to terms with free-agent lefty reliever Brian Fuentes on a two-year contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday night.

Sports Illustrated

Cardinals Have Minor Interest In Jeremy Bonderman

2. Jeremy Bonderman, RHP, free agent — He still hopes to hook on to the end of a rotation somewhere. The Yankees have been in contact with Bonderman’s agents, and there’s minor interest from Texas and St. Louis. Bonderman made 29 starts last season for the Tigers but had a 5.53 ERA and an 8-10 record. He is only 28 and did not suffer any aftereffects from the blood clot in his shoulder that essentially took away almost two years of his career. But he just hasn’t returned to his previous form.

Boston Globe

So You Need: Starting Pitchers

Like any free-agent pitching market, this one is full of risks. Youth is almost nowhere to be found—just six of the 37 starters available are under 30 years old, and many of those seem much older. The free-agent starters are risky for different reasons, though, be they for health, poor 2010 performance, or age, but if teams sort through the options, they are sure to find a few pitchers worth adding to their roster.

Baseball Prospectus

Jaime Garcia's Efficient, Impressive Shutout

Sick of reading about how great Jaime Garcia‘s start yesterday was? Good, me neither, so here’s some more…

Pitcher's Hit Eighth

Adam Wainwright Seizes Cy Young Lead

The Baseball Writers Association of America ballots for the 2010 awards went out this week, scattered to the inboxes of beat writers around the league. There are four different ballots, and each ballot goes to two different writers in each city or to a few at-large voters.

Birdland

Dan Haren Goes Distance In Tough-Luck Loss

Teammates in Oakland for three seasons, Dan Haren and Rich Harden hooked up for old times' sake with their new clubs on Saturday night in front of 41,011 at Angel Stadium. The reunion included another figure familiar to this house.

Angels Official Site

Rangers Shopping Rich Harden

The Rangers are trying to see if there is interest in either Scott Feldman or Rich Harden before Saturday's trade deadline. One of them has to pitch on Saturday night against the Angels.

Postcards From Elysian Fields

Rangers Interested In Roy Oswalt

Imagine a Rangers rotation with both Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt.

The Rangers did, revisiting their Oswalt discussions with the Astros even after acquiring Lee, according to major-league sources.

The talks went nowhere, with one source saying, “there is not a match at all.”

Fox Sports

Memphis Redbirds Set To Get Silly (Bandz)

Two Major League pitchers will take the mound on Monday, July 26th at AutoZone Park. St. Louis Cardinals starter, Kyle Lohse will get the start for the Memphis Redbirds and Texas Rangers pitcher, Rich Harden, will throw for the Oklahoma City Red Hawks. Both players are making rehab starts. First pitch is 7:05pm

Memphis Redbirds Official Site

Chris Narveson Has Best Start Of The Season

As lefty Chris Narveson struck out the side in the first inning Friday, it set the tone for the rest of the night.

Brewers Official Site

Cardinals Best In National League At Home Since 2000

St. Louis went into Wednesday night with a 493-319 record at home since 2000, tops in the National League. Atlanta was second at 468-343 followed by the Giants at 469-348.

Fox Sports

Not Your Average Joe

The Cardinals would love to use Joe Mauer's deal as a model for Albert Pujols' next contract. But nobody we've talked to thinks they have a prayer of getting that wish granted.

"I don't see any way Pujols gives the Cardinals that kind of discount," said an official of one big-market club. "Everything I hear is that he's looking for A-Rod money, and I think he'll get it -- because he'll get it on the open market if the Cardinals don't find a way to do it. But obviously, they will. You don't give Matt Holliday the kind of money they gave him and then turn around and not give Albert Pujols what he wants."

ESPN