My Sports News Digest

Marc Topkin, beat writer for the freshly-branded Tampa Bay Times, reports that the Rays inked outfielder Jeff Salazar to a minor league contract.

The deal comes with an invitation to spring training, though Salazar is doubtful to earn a spot on the Rays’ Opening Day roster. The 31-year-old has not appeared in a major league game since the 2009 season and he batted just .228/.355/.374 with nine home runs and 39 RBI in 344 plate appearances last year between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

Tampa Bay also agreed to a minor league contract Tuesday with Brad Coon, a career minor-leaguer.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more MLB news see: Rays sign outfielder Jeff Salazar to minor league deal.

Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Indians have signed outfielder Felix Pie to a minor league contract worth potentially $ 1 million.

The deal also comes with an invitation to spring training, where Pie will attempt to land a spot on Cleveland’s 25-man roster. If he’s unable to pull that off, he can request his release on Opening Day.

Pie, 26, batted .220/.264/.280 with zero home runs and only nine total extra-base hits in 175 plate appearances this past year for the Orioles. He was also caught on two of five stolen base attempts.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more MLB news see: Indians sign outfielder Felix Pie to minor league contract.

From Nick Camino of Newsradio WTAM 1100 in Cleveland comes word that the Indians have put an early end to Trevor Crowe’s 2011 season.

Crowe, who underwent surgery on his right shoulder in March, strained his left shoulder during Saturday’s 8-2 defeat of the Twins. It’s not a major injury, and shouldn’t affect his offseason regimen, but the out-of-contention Indians will wrap up their regular season schedule on Wednesday evening and that does not leave enough time for a proper recovery.

Crowe, 27, batted .214/.313/.250 with just one extra-base hit in 15 games this season after returning from the 60-day disabled list in early September.

Mike Trout appears to be in the majors to stay, but today Baseball America named the 20-year-old Angels outfielder their minor league player of the year.

Trout ranked second to Bryce Harper’s on Baseball America‘s preseason prospect ranking and had a spectacular year at Double-A, batting .326 with 11 homers, 42 total extra-base hits, 45 walks, and 33 steals in 91 games despite being a teenager for nearly the entire season. He was the youngest player in the entire Texas League.

Jeremy Hellickson was BA‘s minor league player of the year in 2010 and is now a leading Rookie of the Year candidate for the Rays, throwing 164 innings with a 2.90 ERA that ranks fifth in the AL. Trout figures to exhaust his Rookie of the Year eligibility while playing regularly for the Angels down the stretch, but in terms of long-term upside there are few players in all of baseball who can compete with the 2009 first-round pick.

For a whole lot more on Trout, check out J.J. Cooper’s excellent article.

While the Rangers await word on Nelson Cruz’s latest hamstring injury Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News speculates that Lance Berkman of the Cardinals would be “their prime target … if the Rangers do go elsewhere for help.”

Berkman cleared waivers last week, so the Cardinals are free to trade the 35-year-old outfielder, and he’s owed around .3 million for September as part of a one-year contract.

Fraley notes that Berkman considered signing with the Rangers before choosing the Cardinals and he’s been an incredible pickup for St. Louis, hitting .289 with 30 homers and a .975 OPS in 118 games.

Obviously the Rangers would love to add an impact bat to the lineup as they try to stay ahead of the Angels in the AL West, but Berkman said last week that he’d ideally like to re-sign with the Cardinals and regardless of Cruz’s status a last-minute deal for a hitter as good as Berkman seems unlikely.

Cory Sullivan never officially announced his retirement after the Phillies let him go from Triple-A earlier this year, but he’s done as an active player and is looking for a front-office job, the Denver Post’s Troy Renck reports.

Sullivan, a six-year major league veteran, hit .271/.327/.381 in 1,127 at-bats, most of them coming with the Rockies.  He was Colorado’s primary center fielder for much of 2005 and ’06 — his claim to fame came on Apr. 9, 2006, when he became the first player since 1951 to triple twice in an inning - but then the Rockies traded for Willy Taveras to start over him in 2007.

Sullivan always had more of a fourth outfielder’s skill set anyway.  However, he had a surprisingly hard time finding work as a reserve.  After spending most of 2008 in the minors with the Rockies, he did play fairly well for the Mets in 2009, hitting .250/.338/.382 in 157 at-bats.  Still, he again struggled to find work afterwards and that he hit just .188 in 64 at-bats for the Astros in 2010 pretty much ended his career.

So now, having just turned 32, Sullivan is looking to break into some team’s scouting department, with higher aspirations along the way.  Former teammates Troy Tulowitzki and Chris Iannetta both believe he has what it takes to advance.

“He was brutally honest. And he knows the game,” Tulo said. “He’s had success, and he’s failed. He’s been in different situations. Those things can only help you, in my opinion, if you go into the front office.”

Reds outfielder Jay Bruce is not in Wednesday’s lineup against the Padres because he tweaked a muscle in his groin on Tuesday night. This according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Reds are saying that Bruce is available to pinch-hit, a strong indication that the groin injury is minor and will not require an extended absence nor a stint on the 15-day disabled list.

Bruce is off to a slow start this season, batting just .220/.267/.268 with no home runs and only three RBI through 28 at-bats. Chris Heisey, hitting a healthy .294/.400/.471 in 17 at-bats, drew the start in right field on Wednesday night against San Diego’s Tim Stauffer. Bruce should be back in action by the weekend.

Ryan Braun left this afternoon’s game against the Diamondbacks after the top of the first inning due to a strained left intercostal muscle, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

The team has him listed as day-to-day right now, but there’s some reason for concern here. Braun has suffered intercostal injuries multiple times in the past, including one that carried into the 2009 season. There’s nothing to suggest that today’s injury will impact his availability for Opening Day, but look for the Brewers to take every precaution here.

Braun batted .304/.366/.501 with 25 homers, 103 RBI, 14 stolen bases and an .866 OPS last season. He is often overlooked in the conversation about the game’s best sluggers, likely by virtue of where he plays, but the 27-year-old outfielder has compiled 128 home runs over his first four seasons, eighth-highest in major league history. As you can see below, the company is pretty impressive.

1. Ralph Kiner – 168

2. Albert Pujols – 160

3. Eddie Matthews – 153

4. Mark Teixeira – 140

5. Joe DiMaggio – 137

6. Frank Robinson – 134

7. Ryan Howard – 129

8. Ryan Braun – 128

9. Ted Williams – 127

10. Chuck Klein – 125

(Hat-tip to the irreplaceable Baseball Reference)