Orioles acquire K-Rod from Brewers for prospect

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Baltimore Orioles bolstered their bullpen with a late-inning arm Tuesday, acquiring relieverFrancisco Rodriguez from the last-place Milwaukee Brewers for minor league infielder Nick Delmonico.

''We're not playing for (anything) here. But going there now, every game is going to count. I've got to be on top of my game now and help them out,'' Rodriguez said.

Baltimore began the day 2 1/2 games behind first-place Boston in the AL East. Looking for their second straight playoff appearance, the third-place Orioles had a 1 1/2-game lead over Texas for the final AL wild-card spot.

Baltimore already has a proven closer in Jim Johnson, who was leading the majors with 35 saves. Rodriguez, however, gives manager Buck Showalter another option late in the game.

''I think he's the kind of guy that can be a difference-maker,'' Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said. ''When you get into postseason or you get into pennant races in August and September, you always need more than one guy that can pitch in the ninth inning. He's capable of doing that.''

The Orioles cleared space for Rodriguez on the 40-man roster by transferring outfielder Nolan Reimold to the 60-day disabled list before their game against the Kansas City Royals.

K-Rod was one of the game's best relievers during his time with the Angels, saving a major league-record 62 games in 2008. He later spent three seasons as a closer with the Mets that are remembered mostly for an alleged assault of his girlfriend's father at the ballpark.

The 31-year-old Rodriguez has revitalized his career the past three years in Milwaukee, going 1-1 with 10 saves and a 1.09 ERA in 25 appearances this season.

Delmonico, a sixth-round draft pick in 2011, was hitting .244 in 60 games for Class-A Frederick. He hit .249 in 95 games for Class-A Delmarva last season.

Melvin said the 21-year-old Delmonico will be assigned to Class-A Brevard County. Delmonico's father, Rod, was the baseball coach at Tennessee from 1990-2007.

''He's a player that's got good baseball instincts. He's known for being a very good hitter. He comes from a baseball background,'' Melvin said.

Pedroia close to $100M deal through '21

BOSTON (AP) -- All-Star second baseman Dustin Pedroia is close to a contract that could keep him with the Boston Red Sox for his entire big league career.

A person with knowledge of the talks said Tuesday that Pedroia is in the process of agreeing to a deal adding $100 million over seven seasons through 2021.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not yet complete. The new deal was first reported by WEEI.

Pedroia is making $10 million this year and is guaranteed the same amount in 2014 as part of a $40.5 million, six-year contract that started in 2009. That deal includes an $11 million club option for 2015 with a $500,000 buyout.

The 5-foot-8, 165-pound sparkplug was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2007 and AL MVP in 2008.

It's important to Pedroia to finish his career in Boston. The deal would expire after he turns 38.

''It's not official or anything, but, yeah, this is my home,'' he said before Tuesday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. ''I love being here. I love my teammates. I love the city. So if (the deal is finalized), I'll be pretty excited.''

Pedroia is a big reason for Boston's success. The Red Sox began play Tuesday with a half-game lead over the Rays in the AL East with a 60-41 record after winning just 69 games last season.

In 100 games through Monday, Pedroia was hitting .308 with six homers and 57 RBIs. He made only two errors and missed just one game.

A new contract ''is not going to change who I am or my role with this team,'' he said. ''My job is to still go out there and try to help us win a game every day and I'll try to do all I can to make that happen.''

The 29-year-old was a backup on the AL all-star team this season and entered the game after starter Robinson Cano was hit by a pitch. Cano can become a free agent after this season, his ninth with the New York Yankees.

Pedroia might have received a better deal than the one that's close to agreement if he had become a free agent after the 2014 or 2015 seasons.

''I don't look at it like that,'' he said. ''I want to be at a place where it's special to me and this place has been that.''

And he doesn't expect a rich contract to change the way his teammates look at him.

''They still have to look down at me. I'm pretty short,'' Pedroia joked, ''but it's a good feeling.''

In 956 games through Monday, Pedroia had a .303 career batting average, 96 homers and 466 RBIs.

A second-round pick of the Red Sox in the 2004 amateur draft, Pedroia made his major league debut in August 2006. He hit .191 in 31 games that season then had his breakout season in 2007 when Boston won its second World Series championship in four years. He hit .317 with eight homers and 50 RBIs.

He did even better in 2008 with a .326 batting average, 17 homers and 83 RBIs, winning a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award.

In 2011, Pedroia posted career highs of 21 homers and 91 RBIs with a .307 batting average. He dipped slightly last year with a .290 average, 15 homers and 65 RBIs as the Red Sox finished in last place in the AL East with a 69-93 record under manager Bobby Valentine.

''I love being here,'' Pedroia said. ''I live and die by this team and it's important to me to be here my whole time.''

Cubs agree to trade Garza to Rangers

Chicago Cubs pitcher Matt Garza was scratched from his scheduled start on Monday, because the Cubs have reached an agreement to trade Garza to the Texas Rangers, multiple media outlets reported.

As many as four players are headed to the Cubs in exchange for Garza, with two minor-league prospects -- third baseman Mike Oltand pitcher C.J. Edwards -- as well as pitcher Justin Grimm being part of the package going to Chicago, according to Foxsports.com. A player to be named later is also expected to be sent to Chicago.

Garza and the other players must still pass physicals for the deal to be completed.

Garza, 29, is 6-1 with a 3.17 ERA in 71 innings this season. Since June 11, he is 5-0 with a 1.24 ERA in 43 2/3 innings.

He did not pitch until May 21 this season because of a strained left lat, and he did not pitch after July 21 last season because of a stress reaction in his right elbow.

Garza is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2013 season, so this deal could keep Garza in Texas for just a few months unless he signs an extension.

Texas started Monday in second place in the American League East, three games behind the Oakland A's. The Rangers rank second in the American League in earned run average but feel they need another reliable starter to compete down the stretch and the playoffs.

Olt, 24, is hitting .219 with 12 homers this season in Double-A and Triple-A.

Edwards, 21, is 8-2 with a 1.82 ERA in 93 1/3 innings for Class-A Hickory.

Grimm, 24, is 7-7 with a 6.37 ERA for the Rangers in 17 starts this season.

Michigan signs Beilein through '18-19

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Fresh off the first Final Four appearance of his career, Michigan coach John Beilein has a new contract.

Athletic director Dave Brandon told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Beilein has signed a three-year extension that replaces his previous contract and keeps him with the Wolverinesthrough the 2018-19 season. The 60-year-old Beilein will make $2.45 million a year in total compensation.

''I am very excited to have this opportunity to coach at the University of Michigan for at least five more years,'' Beilein said in a statement. ''My staff and I will continue to work every day with our student-athletes to ensure they grow from this incredible educational opportunity.''

The Wolverines lost in the NCAA title game last season to Louisville. Beilein's previous contract extension kept him under contract through 2015-16.

Michigan hired Beilein in March 2007, a week after he led West Virginia to the NIT championship. Last season was the Wolverines' first national championship game appearance in two decades.

''John is a tremendous ambassador of the University of Michigan and one of the most highly respected coaches in the country,'' Brandon said in a statement. ''He recruits outstanding young men to represent the men's basketball program and develops them as players, students and future leaders. John has built a program that will compete for Big Ten Championships on a regular basis and make exciting NCAA tournament runs.''

Everywhere Beilein has been, from little schools to one of the biggest, he has won.

The native of Burt, N.Y., has a career record of 673-403. His first job was at Erie (N.Y.) Community College in 1978, and he went on to coach at Nazareth, LeMoyne, Canisius, Richmond and West Virginia.

With his first contract at Michigan, Beilein became the school's highest-paid basketball coach ever with a six-year deal that was worth $1.3 million a season plus bonuses.

Former athletic director Bill Martin, who hired Beilein to replaceTommy Amaker, said back then that negotiations with Beilein took 10 seconds in part because Beilein said his $2.5 million buyout at West Virginia was his responsibility.

Beilein has taken Michigan to the NCAA tournament four times, and in 2012, the team shared its first Big Ten title since 1986. Guards Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. were both taken in the first round of this year's NBA draft.

MLB on track for more instant replay in 2014

NEW YORK (AP) -- Major League Baseball is moving ahead with plans to expand instant replay next year.

''We're pretty confident we'll have it in place for 2014,'' MLB Executive Vice President Joe Torre said Tuesday before the All-Star game.

Video review has been in place for umpires on home run calls since August 2008. Commissioner Bud Selig initially wanted to add trap plays and fair-or-foul calls down the lines for 2013, but the change was put off while more radical options were examined.

Still, Selig has wanted to proceed cautiously.

''Look, life isn't perfect. The sport isn't perfect, but we live with it, and it's been great,'' he said Tuesday during his annual meeting the Baseball Writers' Association of America. ''We have to be careful in our zest to improve things not to affect the game as we've all known it.''

Part of a replay subcommittee that includes former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz, Torre has said all options are being considered, including an NFL-type system that would give managers the ability to challenge calls. He hopes to have plans for owners to consider when they meet next month in Cooperstown.

''We certainly don't want to get stuck in the mud saying we're not going to do anything when technology is out there saying that we can improve it somewhat,'' Torre said. ''We've got to decide, how much replay do we want? Because if you start doing it from the first inning to the ninth inning, you may have to time the game with a calendar.''

Selig said the calendar was an issue in MLB's refusal to make players available for the Olympics. Baseball was an Olympic medal sport from 1992-2008, then was dropped for last year's London Games. IOC President Jacques Rogge says baseball should make its top athletes available, as they are in basketball and hockey. The IOC will vote in September to select one sport from among baseball-softball, wrestling and squash to add to the 2020 Games.

Stopping the baseball season for the Olympics is impractical.

''First of all, we'd be playing to Thanksgiving, maybe Dec. 1,'' Selig said. ''It just isn't possible. I wish it was.''

Selig said baseball had stopped discussing a possible future shift of the All-Star game from its traditional Tuesday to a Wednesday slot. He said he's not concerned that the tied All-Star game of 2002 in Milwaukee, when the teams ran out of pitchers, is mentioned as part of his reign.

''I don't regard this as part of my history. It happened,'' he said. ''The fate of western civilization, by the way, wasn't changed one iota as a result of that tie, lest anybody get too concerned about it.''

He also repeated his concern about the Tampa Bay Rays, who are next-to-last in the major leagues with a home attendance average of 17,791 despite contending in the AL East.

Selig called the situation ''beyond disappointing'' and ''economically not tolerable.''

''You look at a club in the major leagues that's competitive that's averaging 18,000 people a game. That may have been OK in 1956. It's not OK today,'' he said. ''There's no question there's a stadium problem there. There's no debate about that. The question is what to do about it and when to do and where to do.''

Selig repeated his intention to retire in December 2014 after 22 years in office but said there are no definitive succession plans.

''I've always operated under the theory that if I get hit by a beer truck tomorrow, they'd have to find somebody,'' he said. ''Somehow, some way they'll find somebody.''

MLB Power Rankings: Week 16

MLB Power Rankings

Current Rank	Last Week	Change	Team	W-L (ATS)	Power Rating	Team Comments
1	1			57-36 (48-45-0)	-203.0	A disappointing series split at Wrigley Field wasn't enough to knock the Cardinals from top spot. With the best record in baseball at the break, they're deserving of being at the top of the heap.
2	2			56-37 (57-36-0)	-199.0	Is a second half collapse on the way? Playoff-starved Pirates fans are hoping that's not the case but recent history doesn't paint a rosy picture.
3	4	1		58-39 (50-47-0)	-198.0	The Red Sox are one of only two teams to have posted a winning record against every division in their league, not to mention in interleague play this season.
4	5	1		56-39 (51-44-0)	-196.0	Oakland made a statement over the weekend, taking two of three from the Red Sox. The A's lead the AL West by two games entering the break.
5	7	2		53-42 (46-49-0)	-191.0	Credit the Reds for battling their way to a series split in Atlanta. They're sticking around in a crowded NL Central race, currently sitting five games back of the first-place Cardinals.
6	10	4		52-42 (45-49-0)	-188.0	Detroit didn't have a banner week, but finished it on a high note with a series win over the Rangers.
7	3	4		54-41 (44-51-0)	-184.0	An injury-ravaged starting rotation has kept the Rangers from taking off this season but they're still in excellent position to challenge for a playoff spot and contend for the AL West crown.
8	9	1		55-41 (51-45-0)	-182.0	The Rays are the hottest team in baseball right now, having gone 14-2 over their last 16 games. Keep in mind, they've faced a ridiculously easy schedule this month.
9	6	3		53-43 (54-42-0)	-179.0	Like the Red Sox, the O's have also recorded winning records against every AL division and in interleague play this season.
10	8	2		54-41 (48-47-0)	-176.0	The pieces are in place for the Braves to be considered an elite team, but the consistency simply hasn't been there in recent weeks.
11	14	3		51-44 (47-48-0)	-173.0	The Tribe have stuck around a lot longer than most expected in the AL Central hunt. They enter the break on a roll, winners of four games in a row.
12	11	1		50-45 (44-51-0)	-168.0	It's going to take a big second half push for the D'Backs to hang onto the NL West lead. Even the last place Padres are still in the mix at 8.5 games back.
13	18	5		48-48 (50-46-0)	-163.0	Maybe the Phillies won't be sellers at the trade deadline after all. They've caught fire, pulling within 6.5 games of the NL East lead.
14	13	1		51-44 (48-47-0)	-162.0	The Yankees may boast a solid record, but as far as I'm concerned, they don't pass the 'eye test' right now.
15	12	3		48-47 (40-55-0)	-159.0	A series loss to the Marlins seemed like a perfect way to cap off the first half of the season for the Nationals.
16	16			47-47 (47-47-0)	-155.0	It will be interesting to see how much the Dodgers have left in the tank after climbing back into the race leading up to the break.
17	21	4		46-50 (45-51-0)	-151.0	With Dexter Fowler and Troy Tulowitzki back in the fold, the Rockies could be a team to watch down the stretch.
18	20	2		43-51 (36-58-0)	-149.0	Things might look fairly bleak for the Giants right now, but something tells me that no-hitter from 'The Freak' could be just the spark they needed.
19	17	2		45-49 (50-44-0)	-143.0	While the Jays have been an all-around disappointment, it's been their pitching that has really lagged. Only the Astros have allowed more runs in the American League this season.
20	22	2		43-52 (45-50-0)	-138.0	Perhaps a series sweep of the Angels will give the Mariners a big lift coming out of the break. They'll need it, sitting 13 games back of the first place A's in the AL West.
21	15	6		44-49 (43-50-0)	-133.0	This season has been a true roller coaster ride for the Angels - one that's featured a few peaks and a whole lot of valleys.
22	25	3		42-51 (57-36-0)	-128.0	The Cubs have been playing their best baseball of the season, but we said the same thing at this time last year, before they took a nosedive into a 101-loss season.
23	23			41-50 (45-46-0)	-124.0	Citi Field will host the All-Star game and perhaps provide a boost to a Mets fan base that is just starting to realize that this team has finally pulled up its socks.
24	19	5		43-49 (42-50-0)	-118.0	Lost in another disappointing year in Kansas City has been the turnaround of Eric Hosmer. After suffering through a sophomore slump in 2012, he's bounced back to lead the team in batting average and home runs.
25	24	1		42-54 (49-47-0)	-112.0	Only the Marlins have posted fewer road wins (14) than the Padres (15) this season, a big reason why San Diego finds itself on the outside looking in out west.
26	27	1		35-58 (51-42-0)	-109.0	The Fish have played quality baseball since the second week of June and while they're not close to contending for the playoffs, they've at least given some hope to their waning fan base.
27	26	1		39-53 (51-41-0)	-101.0	The Twins' dreadful record makes little sense when you consider the talent they have on hand. A weak pitching staff has clearly been their downfall.
28	28			38-56 (39-55-0)	104.0	There's nowhere to go but up, although a possible long-term suspension to Ryan Braun could prove otherwise.
29	29			37-55 (43-49-0)	107.0	We saw some signs of life from the White Sox this past week, as they managed to split a six-game road trip through Detroit and Philadelphia.
30	30			33-61 (48-46-0)	112.0	As expected, the Astros are the worst team in baseball heading into the All-Star break. Something tells me they'll be pulling up the rear for a while.

as per SEAN MURPHY