Truth & Rumors > MLB

07:36 AM ET 07.15 | Former David DeJesus teammate John Buck doesn't believe his friend would melt under the brightest lights. [After] years spent watching DeJesus play, Buck feels like he is in a good position to appreciate the outfielder's talents. Buck suggests that DeJesus has been underrated by the baseball world as a result of his relative obscurity, and that he would represent a great all-around fit -- offensive, defensive and in the clubhouse -- for a team in contention. "I don't think he gets enough credit," said Buck. ... "I think he would love to [compete in a pennant race]," said Buck. "Knowing his personality, I think he would be excited to play for something meaningful."

WEEI.com

> Comment

07:31 AM ET 07.14 | Reports suggest George Steinbrenner's family will save a fortune based on tax laws, but another question is whether they will have the same "level of passion" for the Yankees. There was no doubt that even in the past few years when Steinbrenner's health was declining and the role of sons Hal and Hank increased, that George was still The Boss, and that things had to meet his approval, or at least have his blessing. What we don't know is what level of passion Hal Steinbrenner has for running the Yankees. ... What we don't know is whether the family would love to sell the team for a couple of billion or so and bow out from the public eye.

The Boston Globe

> Comment

07:30 AM ET 07.14 | The 2013 All-Star Game may belong to the Citi. Bud Selig said in his annual meeting with the Baseball Writers Association of America Tuesday that the Mets "deserve" to host an All-Star Game at Citi Field. MLB is expected to award the 2013 game to the Mets. Selig would not confirm that but did say, "The Mets have built a great new ballpark and, yes, they deserve an All-Star Game."

New York Daily News

> Comment

07:31 AM ET 07.14 | Though "it will almost certainly happen," Buck Showalter is not as close as reported to managing the Orioles. Fact: Andy MacPhail and Showalter have talked several times but no offer has been made. Speculation: MacPhail and Showalter have talked a lot of specifics. Showalter -- again, he's the king of preparation -- has a plan as to what can fix this mess and it has been shared with MacPhail and owner Peter Angelos. Fact: Buck Showalter will not be named manager this weekend. Speculation: We wrote in Monday's paper that Juan Samuel will manage this team on Friday, when the Orioles come back from the all-star break. So now there's been national speculation that Showalter will take over Saturday or Sunday. Not the case.

The Baltimore Sun

> Comment

07:39 AM ET 07.13 | Jonathan Papelbon's ERA is nearly a half-run higher than his career average, and baseball's second half may mean Daniel Bard challenging for the closer role in Boston. There's no question that Papelbon has not been himself this year. His 3.50 ERA is much higher than his career 2.02 mark, while his 2.58 strikeout-to-walk ratio is far worse than his career 4.24. On the other side of the equation, Bard has been nothing short of lights-out for the Red Sox in 2010. In fact, with a 1.90 ERA and 0.82 WHIP (best among AL relievers), Bard has been one of the top relief pitchers in baseball this year.

NESN.com

> Comment