Michael Cuddyer will not leave the Minnesota Twins before the end of the season via trade, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

He may walk when his contract expires at the end of the season, and if the team's announced intention to re-sign him falls through.

The Twins looked like they were going to escape Friday's game with a 1-0 win.

Nick Blackburn pitched seven solid innings.

"I think today everything was just down," said Blackburn, who had struggled earlier this month, "and that hasn’t been the case for probably the last four or five starts."

Joe Nathan took care of business in the eighth.

"He threw the ball very well," said manager Ron Gardenhire after the game. "He’s throwing the ball good."

Less than a few days passed after the 2011 MLB All-Star game before the first major trade domino fell as the July 31st trade deadline creeps closer.

The New York Yankees are searching for a solution to solve their pitching rotation cataclysm, and Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins could be the arm for the job.

Chicago White Sox backup catcher Ramon Castro suffered a broken right hand in the eighth inning of Saturday's 4-3 win against the Minnesota Twins.

Now, with Castro likely out for an extended period of time, the White Sox must decide who is going to fill Castro's cleats behind starter A.J. Pierzynski.

It appears as though the pitcher's era has begun.

There have been many surprises this season, and many teams have ended up with great pitching staffs.

It is very debatable which team actually has the best pitching staff.

In this article, I will give my opinion on the matter, and rank the top five staffs in the NL, along with a few honorable mentions.

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Ryan Dempster was Chicago Cubs manager Mike Quade's biggest supporter last season, openly lobbying for Quade to get the interim tag removed from his title. But perhaps he's second-guessing himself now.

The WGN cameras caught Dempster and Quade in a heated argument after Quade informed the Cubs starter that he was being lifted for a pinch-hitter after the fifth inning.

Everyone knows who the top prospects in baseball are, but it is rare to see many of them play before they reach the majors.

The MLB Futures Game during All-Star weekend gives fans a chance to see these players while they are still in the minors.

All of the players selected to the Futures Game are incredibly talented, but some are much closer to the major leagues than others.

Now that Derek Jeter has reached (and then quickly surpassed) the 3,000-hit mark, I think it’s time to see how Robinson Cano’s young career stacks up to the New York Yankees captain's early years.

Jeter is halfway through his 17th season (16th full season), whereas Robinson Cano is halfway into just his seventh season in the bigs.

The Texas Rangers farm system got the power outfield bats it had lacked in the form of Nomar Mazara and Ronald Guzman. The Dominican outfielders signed with the Rangers Saturday on the opening day of the international signing period.