A plaque that honors former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds is missing from AT&T Park, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

The report says that the plaque commemorating Bonds hitting his major-league record 756th home has been swiped and that officials are looking into what happened to the six-foot-tall plaque.

The plaque used to be bolted and glued just beyond right field. Another memorial plaque honoring Bonds hitting 500 home runs still remains in place.

Bonds, who played for the Giants from 1993 to 2007, hit his 756th career home run on Aug. 7, 2007 breaking Hank Aaron’s record which had stood for over two decades. Bonds finished his career with 762 home runs.

More from the San Francisco Chronicle:

Bonds was one of the franchise’s greatest players. The team and its marketing were built around him for more than a decade. On the other hand, Bonds is a felon appealing his federal obstruction-of-justice conviction related to the BALCO drug case.

Despite speculation to the contrary, the Giants say they had no reason or desire to remove the sign. In fact, the Giants are planning to replace it, perhaps with a painted sign that cannot be swiped.

“We’re in the process of having a new and improved version made,” said Staci Slaughter, the Giants’ senior vice president of communications.

This is a photo of the wall where the Barry Bonds plaque hung. See glue daubs. http://t.co/qoSqnPKaD0—
Scott Ostler (@scottostler) April 23, 2013

The Giants are expected to place reliever Jeremy Affledt on the DL with an oblique strain. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The San Francisco Giants will place reliever Jeremy Affeldt on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday night after an MRI showed the left-hander has a right oblique strain, reports the San Jose Mercury News.

Jean Machi, who has given up five hits and struck out five in five scoreless appearances for the Triple-A Fresno, will take Affeldt’s roster spot.

The Giants are in Milwaukee to play the Brewers in a three-game set starting Tuesday night.

Affeldt has a 5.79 ERA in six appearance this season and had an MRI on Tuesday morning after he felt a twinge in his oblique on the team’s off day Monday. He is in the first season of a three-year, $18-million contract.

From the Mercury News:

“We decided to go with Machi,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s throwing the ball well. We really haven’t had a good look at him up here. This spring, we liked the way he was throwing the ball. He’ll get the first look.”

Affeldt hurt his left oblique in 2010 and had a right oblique strain in 2004. According to the Giants media guide, the 2004 injury, similar to this one, put Affeldt out for nearly two months.

The Seattle Mariners are one of four MLB teams that did not have a single African-American player on their opening day roster. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Major League Baseball is set to announce the creation of a task force on Wednesday to help reverse the record low of African-Americans playing the sport, reports USA Today.

On opening day, African-Americans made up 7.7 percent of major league rosters, which is an all-time low. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has yet to announce the move.

Four major league teams did not have a single African-American on their roster on opening day. Those teams were the St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers. The Giants have won two of the last three World Series championships but did not have one black player in their major-league camp.

From USA Today:

The 17-member committee will consist of owners, executives and coaches, including Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, Chicago White Sox vice president Kenny Williams, Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg and Southern University baseball coach Roger Cador.

“I never thought I’d see anything like this,” Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan said to USA Today. “But I’ve seen it coming. There, for a long time, there were a lot of African-American players to look up to and emulate, but there’s not enough big stars now to dissuade them from basketball and football.”

Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval is dealing an elbow injury. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval is dealing with elbow discomfort and the team is optimistic that he will be available for the season opener, reports the San Jose Mercury News.

Sandoval did take batting practice on Saturday to see how his elbow responded. The Giants open defense of their World Championship Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Yeah, for sure,” Sandoval said, when asked if he anticipated playing on Monday. “I’m feeling better. If I’m allowed to, I’m going to be there.”

Giants manager Bruce Bochy felt confident as well about Sandoval’s availability to play

“It’s going to go down to the wire,” Bochy said. “It won’t be an easy call, but we’re pretty optimistic that he’s going to make it.”

From the Mercury News:

Bochy said the Giants could potentially use Sandoval off the bench for the first two or three games to give him additional rest. The Giants are off Sunday and have another off day on Thursday after three games with the Dodgers.

The Baltimore Orioles acquired veteran reliever Scott Proctor from the San Francisco Giants for cash Friday, according to multiple reports. Proctor will report to Triple-A Norfolk following the trade.

Proctor last pitched in the big leagues in 2011 for the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves and pitched in Korea in 2012. The seven-year right-hander has played for the Yankees, Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a 4.78 ERA over 343 innings as a big leaguer.

Scott Proctor traded to Baltimore for cash considerations. He will report to their 3A club in Norfolk.—
Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) March 29, 2013

The #Orioles get RHP Scott Proctor from #SFGiants for cash.—
Scott Miller (@ScottMCBS) March 30, 2013

[SI's Complete Team-By-Team MLB Season Preview]

Buster Posey and the Giants agreed to an eight-year extension worth $167 million. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The San Francisco Giants and catcher Buster Posey agreed to an eight-year extension Friday, with a ninth-year option, citing multiple reports.

Posey was scheduled to make $8 million this season so the total deal is worth $167 million over eight years.

He also receives a $21.4 million club option for 2022 and the contract also contains a no-trade clause.  Posey was under contract through the 2016 season, but this new deal buys out several years of free agency.

Posey, the 2012 National League Most Valuable Player, hit .336 with 24 home runs and 103 RBI last season, leading the team to their second world championship in three seasons.

Posey missed the majority of the 2011 season have suffering a leg injury. In four MLB seasons, Posey is batting .314 with 46 home runs and 191 RBI winning the  National League Rookie of the Year award in 2010.

Giants, Buster Posey agree on extension through 2021 season cbsprt.co/YIIMqK via @cbssports—
Eye on Baseball (@EyeOnBaseball) March 29, 2013

Buster Posey, the 2013 NL MVP, is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2016 season. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Giants have quietly begun talks with All-Star catcher Buster Posey on a “mega-deal” contract extension, according to a CBSSports.com report.

Jon Heyman reports word of a “decent-sized gap” between the Giants and Posey in early contract talks, but the difference is not insurmountable.

Posey, the reigning National League Most Valuable Player, has been a big part of the Giants’ two World Series wins in the last three years. The fact that he’s 25 years old could lead Posey to seek a deal of 10 years or longer, according to Heyman.

Giants chairman Larry Baer acknowledged last week that the team and its franchise player were already discussing a deal that would cover three extra arbitration years on Posey’s current contract. He is scheduled to be paid $8 million in 2013 and becomes a free agent after the 2016 season.

Posey, who had the major league’s best batting average (.336) to go with 24 home runs and 103 RBI in 2012, already owns the MLB record for largest first-year arbitration settlement at $8 million for 2013.

Buster Posey and the Giants are in talks about a contract extension. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The World Champion San Francisco Giants and National League Most Valuable Player Buster Posey are in preliminary talks on a contract extension, reports Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. 

Posey hit .336 with 24 home runs and 103 RBI for the Giants last season, after missing the most of the 2011 seasons with an injury. Posey is scheduled to make $8 million this season after agreeing to a one-year deal in January. He is eligible for arbitration the next three seasons before becoming a free agent after the 2016 campaign.

“Our view of Buster is that he’ll be reasonable,” Giants CEO Larry Baer said. “We’ve thrown some things out. They’ve thrown some things out. It’s going to be more evolved over time. It’s not a ‘check back in two weeks, we may have something’ kind of thing. Buster knows he’s going to be a Giant for the next four years, at least. There isn’t that kick of, ‘Come October, I might be changing uniforms.’ He’s not changing uniforms.”

Former Giants closer Brian Wilson is rehabbing following Tommy John surgery. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Free-agent reliever Brian Wilson is unlikely to sign with a new team before the 2013 season opens, according to a source in a report by Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.

The former Giants closer is said to be at about “80 to 85 percent” in bullpen sessions while rehabbing from a second Tommy John ligament transfer surgery. Wilson does not want to audition for clubs until he is 100 percent, according to a source with knowledge of pitcher’s situation.

A pitcher undergoing Tommy John surgery typically requires at least 12 months to regain full strength in his pitching arm. Wilson is 11 months into his recovery.

Wilson was not satisfied with his arm strength in a January audition with the Mets and reportedly is most likely to sign with a club several weeks after opening day.

He appeared in two games for the Giants, pitching two total innings for one save. He played the last seven years with the Giants, making the All-Star game three times and winning a World Series with the team in 2010.

Seven-year MLB veteran Scott Proctor says alcoholism contributed to his downfall after he became a workhorse reliever with the Yankees. (Nick Laham/Getty Images)

After a successful start to his career, veteran major-league reliever Scott Proctor suffered a precipitous decline beginning in 2008 that eventually led him to leave MLB to play professionally in Korea last year.

Now attempting to come back with the San Francisco Giants on a minor-league deal, Proctor came clean about his battle with alcoholism in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. Many blamed manager Joe Torre’s overuse of Proctor — he appeared in 83 games for the Yankees and Dodgers in both 2006 and 2007 — for the righty’s downfall.

“I think some things that happened and some poor choices on how I lived my life led to it more than anything,” he said.

Part of that was not eating right or sleeping enough, the basics of being a good athlete, but that was not the killer. He said he had a “serious drinking problem,” a binge drinker who stopped when he ran out of booze or passed out.

Proctor’s ERA fell from 3.65 in 2007 to 6.05 in 2008, and he continued to struggle in brief stints with the Braves and Yankees.

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was among the people Proctor, now 36, credited with helping him turn his life around. A productive 2012 season with the Korea Baseball Organization’s Doosan Bears earned him his shot at a job in the Giants’ bullpen.

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was not shy about telling Proctor he needed to stop. In 2009, he said, he did stop while rehabbing after Tommy John surgery.

“Mariano had been on me a long time about just making wiser choices,” Proctor said. “Then I had a bullpen coach, Steve Foster, a really good Christian guy who tried to help me make a change in my life, and thank goodness I’m married to a great woman (Carrie) who has been supportive throughout my career, through the good and bad, and I owe a lot to her.”

Melky Cabrera addressed his 50-game suspension in a statement on his first day at Blue Jays camp. (Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

Melky Cabrera issued a statement Friday at the Blue Jays spring training camp accepting responsibility for the failed drug test that resulted in his 50-game suspension, but feels that he still deserves a Giants World Series ring.

The Jays signed Cabrera to a two-year, $16 million deal in November.

Under the advice of his lawyers, Cabrera kept his remarks short, especially answers to questions about his name reportedly appeared in records of the Biogenisis clinic now under investigation by MLB for selling performance-enhancing drugs.

“Last season ended for me when I admitted taking a banned substance and accepted and served my punishment of a 50 game suspension. Since that day, my goals have been to serve my punishment and to put that mistake behind me, and to work hard to be the best baseball player I can be. At the end of last season, when it became clear that I would win the batting title despite my positive test, I asked the Players Association and MLB to make sure a more deserving player won, and I am very happy that my former teammate Buster Posey won that award instead of me.
“I also accepted the Giants’ decision not to bring me back for the Playoffs after I served my punishment. Instead, I continued to work hard so I could be ready for the 2013 season. I hoped and expected that I would be allowed to put my mistake behind me and to start this season fresh.

“I am aware that in the past weeks, there have been news articles written about so-called patient files from a Miami clinic, and the MLB and others are investigating those allegations. I have told MLB I will cooperate in their investigation the best I can, just as my legal counsel has told federal investigators. I have been instructed by legal counsel not to answer questions relating to the pending investigations. This statement will be the last comment I will make on the events of the 2012 season. I have put my mistakes behind me, have learned my lesson, and have served my punishment.

“I am here to play the best baseball I can to help the Toronto Blue Jays win a World Championship.”

Cabrera said he was happy that the Giants won the World Series and he wasn’t sure whether the team would give him a World Series ring. He said the Giants have not asked for his ring size.

“I feel like I deserve a ring,” he said. “I gave everything to that organization. If they decide not to give me a ring, I’d understand that, too.”

Free agent reliever Brian Wilson is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and will not sign until he is fully healthy, according to his agent. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Former Giants closer Brian Wilson remains on the free agent market while he recovers from a second Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss almost all of last season.

While reports throughout the offseason have hinted at possible return to San Francisco for Wilson — most recently manager Bruce Bochy telling MLB.com that the “can’t say the door is closed” — Giants general manager Brian Sabean and Wilson’s agent Dan Lozano are currently in a disagreement over contract discussions.

Sabean says that Lozano is asking for too much guaranteed money rather than an incentive-laden deal, while Lozano says that they never discussed terms and money, according to CSNBayArea.com’s Andrew Baggarly.

Wilson’s agent responded immediately and forcefully to a comment that Brian Sabean made during a media session on the eve of FanFest Friday, in which the Giants’ longtime GM said, “Their camp holds hope he can get a contract with more guaranteed money, and we’re looking for more of an incentive-type deal.”

Dan Lozano of MVP Sports Group called Sabean’s statement inaccurate because, under direct order from Wilson, there have been no discussions about contract terms with the Giants or any other club.

“(Wilson) has instructed us not to talk terms or money until he’s 100 percent,” Lozano said. “We haven’t talked terms or money with the Giants or any other team. So I’m a little baffled by Brian Sabean’s comment that we’re out there looking for more money.”

Informed of Lozano’s reaction, Sabean said he stood by his comment.

“The organization’s stance, and what our intent has been all along, is an incentive-based contract, and we haven’t gotten past square one,” Sabean said. “That’s what I was being blunt about. If you don’t want that, don’t you want more guaranteed money? Isn’t that what you would deduce?”

Wilson is throwing off a mound three times a week and is close to 90 percent, according to the report. Four or five teams are interested in the closer, who owns 171 career saves and a 3.21 lifetime ERA.

Giants reliever Sergio Romo avoid arbitration by agreeing to a two-year deal with the team. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The San Francisco Giants avoided arbitration with right-handed pitcher Sergio Romo by agreeing to a two-year contract on Wednesday, the team announced. 

Financial terms were not disclosed. Romo, who will begin next season as the team’s closer, had requested $4.5 million and was offered $2.675 million by the Giants when arbitration figures were exchanged last month.

The new two-year deal buys out Romo’s two arbitration years. Romo appeared in 69 games last season, going 4-2 with 14 saves and 23 holds. He had a 1.79 ERA and struck out 63 batters in 55.1 innings pitched.

The Giants are in “deep discussions” with reliever Brandon Lyon. (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

The San Francisco Giants are in “advanced negotiations” with Brandon Lyon, who could possibly replace longtime closer Brian Wilson in the bullpen.

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s Andrew Baggarly reported that the Giants have “aggressively pursued” Lyon, who went 4-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 67 games with the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros last season. The Giants put off discussions for a week while handling arbitration cases, but the two sides are now back to talking extensively.

Giants vice president Bobby Evans told Baggarly that signing Lyon wouldn’t necessarily rule out bringing back Wilson, but he conceded that “there are only so many spots that can be filled.”

Sergio Romo was expected to get a chance to become the Giants closer this season. But Lyon has served as a closer as recently as 2010, when he saved 20 games for the Astros.

Last season, Lyon struck out 63 batters in 61 innings and walked only 20.

Brian Wilson may be bringing the beard to the New York Mets. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images)

San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson is working out with the New York Mets, according to a report on ESPN.com.

Wilson missed nearly all of the 2012 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He appeared in two games for the San Francisco Giants, pitching two total innings for one save. Wilson has played the last seven years with the Giants, making the All-Star game three times and winning a World Series with the team in 2010.

Wilson has said he expects to be ready for the start of the 2013 season, and the Mets are willing to offer the right-hander a minor league contract.

Giants reliever Sergio Romo saved three of the team’s four wins in the 2012 World Series. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Sergio Romo, who saved three of the four games in the San Francisco Giants’ sweep of the Detroit Tigers in the 2012 World Series, was handcuffed New Year’s Day at the Las Vegas airport after allegedly becoming belligerent with a TSA officer, according to TMZ.com and ABC7.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ Romo was detained after not providing proper ID at an airport security checkpoint. Police handcuffed Romo after he reportedly became “angry and aggressive” and appeared to be under the influence. Officers saw Romo in an “agitated posture” with “clenched fists” and “pacing around,” according to ABC7.

Romo, who reportedly was attempting to return to San Francisco after attending a party in Las Vegas, was not allowed to fly and given a misdemeanor citation for violating airport rules before being escorted off airport grounds.

The TSA issued a statement saying:

“…a male passenger was unable to provide identification required of travelers at the TSA Document Control station…airport police noticed the individual engaged in a dispute with a TSA officer and took action.”

Giants outfielder Angel Pagan gets a new 4-year, $40 million deal with the club. (Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

San Francisco Giants centerfielder Angel Pagan agreed to re-sign with the club on Monday, getting a deal worth $40 million over four years, reports FoxSports.com.

Pagan hit .288 with eight homers and 56 RBI in 154 games during the regular season for the World Champion Giants. Pagan also had 29 stolen bases and a .778 OPS.

Pagan also drew interest from the Phillies and Mets this offseason. Last year, the New York Mets traded Pagan to San Francisco for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez.

Source: Pagan deal with #SFGiants will be four years.—
Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 03, 2012

The Giants are reportedly interested in center fielders Michael Bourn and Shane Victorino. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The San Francisco Giants won a World Series with Angel Pagan in center field. But CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported that the Giants are interested in adding two premier free agents to fill the position.

Heyman reported that the Giants are talking to both Michael Bourn and Shane Victorino about their open center-field slot. On Sunday, Giants general manager Brian Sabean told The San Jose Mercury News that the team’s first order of business at the upcoming meetings was trying to get deals done with Pagan and infielder Marco Scutaro. But he said the team would also look at “fallback options” if deals don’t come together quickly.

“We have fallback positions and have created options if one or both decides not to sign with us,” Sabean said. “We’ll react to what we’re up against. You have to play the game.”

Batting mostly out of the leadoff slot last season with the Giants, Pagan hit .288 with a .338 on-base percentage and 29 stolen bases. Of the three, Bourn is coming off the best offensive season. He hit .274 with a .348 OBP and had 42 stolen bases with the Atlanta Braves, who signed B.J. Upton to a five-year deal on Thursday to replace Bourn. Bourn is also the youngest of the three at 29.

Buster Posey was named 2012 National League Most Valuable Player. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Baseball Writers Association of America named Buster Posey the 2012 National League Most Valuable Player.

Posey led the National League in hitting at .336, while also hitting 24 home runs with 103 RBI and a .957 OPS.

He was considered the favorite to win the award.

Jeremy Affeldt has reportedly agreed to a three-year contract to remain with the Giants. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Left-handed relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a three-year contract, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported Monday night. Heyman reported that the deal will be for $18 million over the three seasons.

Affeldt was a key part of the Giants bullpen during their run to a World Series title over the Detroit Tigers. He pitched 1 2/3 innings during the deciding Game 4. In the postseason, he pitched 10 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out 10 and allowing only five hits.

The postseason performance followed a strong regular season from the 33-year-old Affeldt, who appeared in 67 games and had a 2.70 ERA.

According to the report, Affeldt had other suitors — including the St. Louis Cardinals, who lost in the National League Championship Series to the Giants.

Nick Swisher turned down the Yankees’ $13.3 million qualifying offer to become a free agent. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Free-agent outfielder Nick Swisher is attracting interest from at least six teams according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

The Mariners, Orioles, Phillies, Giants, Braves and Nationals are all believed to have some level of interest. Several teams seem willing to go to at least three years, with the likely salary figure estimated to be in the $11 million to $13 million range. With so many teams possibly interested there’s a very good chance he’ll be able to get at least a four-year deal.

A source told the New York Daily News that at least five teams — including the Mariners and Rangers — have expressed interest in Swisher.

Swisher was among three Yankees to reject the team’s qualifying offers Friday afternoon. He batted .272 with 24 home runs and 93 RBI in 2012.

Giants first base coach Roberto Kelly was hit in the head with a ball during batting practice. He was taken to a hospital for further evaluation. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

San Francisco Giants first base coach Roberto Kelly is on his way to hospital after being hit in the head by a line drive during batting practice, reports Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

A ball hit by Giants catcher Buster Posey struck Kelly and he stayed down for several minutes behind second base.

The report says Kelly likely has a concussion and will receive a standard CT scan when he gets to the hospital.  Kelly is said to be alert and was helped off the field and put on a stretcher.

The Giants start their National League championship series tomorrow against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Kelly, 48, has been the Giants’ first base coach since 2008. Kelly played 14 seasons in the league for eight teams and was a career .290 hitter with 124 home runs and 585 RBIs.

Reds Game 1 NLDS starter Johnny Cueto left after eight pitches due to an apparent injury. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto left Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants with back spasms after throwing just eight pitches.

The team says Cueto is day-to-day, according to CBSSports.com.

Right-handed reliever Sam LeCure came on in relief of Cueto. Cueto left the game in the first inning  coming up lame after his second pitch to Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro. There was no score in the game and one out in the inning.

If Cueto is replaced on the roster for any reason, he is ineligible to pitch in the National League Championship Series if the Reds advance.

This season, Cueto started 33 games for the NL Central champions, going 19-9 with a 2.78 ERA in 217 innings.

Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera will not be rejoining the team for the postseason after serving his 50-game suspension. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera will not be returning to the team for the postseason after serving his 50-game suspension, Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News reported on Thursday.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Cabrera would not be added to the postseason roster. The suspended outfielder was eligible to rejoin the club after the fifth postseason game, if the Giants get that far.

On Tuesday, Bochy said he would meet with GM Brian Sabean to finalize the 25-man postseason roster. Prior to the official announcement, Bochy said,

“I think both on our side and Melky’s side, you’re getting down to the time period where he can start working out and doing some things. I think he needs to know and we need to know.”

Pavlovic tweeted Cabrera’s reaction to the announcement:

Melky: “While I am disappointed that I won't have the chance to join my team in (playoffs), I wish my teammates the best in the postseason."—
Alex Pavlovic (@AlexPavlovic) September 27, 2012

More from Melky's statement: "I’ll be rooting hard for them to bring another World Championship to San Francisco!"—
Alex Pavlovic (@AlexPavlovic) September 27, 2012

Cabrera was suspended on Aug. 15 after testing positive for testosterone. He was leading the league with a .346 batting average but requested that he be made ineligible for the batting title; the league made an exception to the rule on individual batting champions and granted the request on Sept. 21.

Melky Cabrera has ruled himself out of the NL batting title race. (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)

Suspended San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera has been ruled ineligible to win the 2012 NL batting title, CSNBayArea.com reports.

The ruling comes after an agreement was struck between Major League Baseball and the MLB Player’s Union. Cabrera contacted the union on Wednesday to request his removal from consideration for the award, after which union officials worked with MLB to create a one-time amendment to league rule 10.22(a).

Cabrera has not played since being suspended following his positive test for performance-enhancing drugs on August 15th. Because of this suspension, Cabrera will fall one plate appearance short of the required number to be considered for the batting title. However, there is a loophole that would allow him both to be eligible and to win the title. The agreed one-time amendment closes that loophole.

The unamended rule 10.22(a) states that any player that falls short of the minimum plate appearances may instead add hitless at-bats to his total to make up the difference and become eligible for the title. If the player’s average is still higher than any other player, as Cabrera’s is likely to be, the player may still win the batting title with empty at-bats. Under the one-time amendment, players that are currently suspended will not be eligible to add empty at-bats, thus disqualifying Cabrera, whose season average would stand at .346 with or without the added hitless plate appearance.

The news comes two days after MLB said that it was unlikely they would strip Cabrera of the batting title.

Alex Smith will be fined $15,000 the next time he wears a San Francisco Giants hat at a post game press conference. (Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Alex Smith may soon be the owner of a $15,000 hat.

If the San Francisco 49ers quarterback continues to show up to post-game press conferences donning a San Francisco Giants hat, he will be fined $15,000 by the NFL for violating a league policy on wearing non-sponsored gear 90 minutes before and after games, according to a report Wednesday from Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury-News:

If he does so again, he says he’ll be fined $15,000 by the NFL.

“Yeah, can you call Larry Baer for me?” Smith asked reporters in reference to the Giants’ chief executive.

The irony, according to Inman, is that it’s former 9′ers safety Merton Hanks, now an executive in the league office, who would impose the fine on Smith. In fact, the league already issued a $15,000 fine to Smith for wearing the hat but then retracted the penalty, opting instead to issue a warning; if he wears it again, he’ll be out $15,000.

And if he continues to wear it after every game for the rest of the reason, he will have had more $200,000 deducted from his $9 million salary.

The left side of the San Francisco Giants infield teamed up on a spectacular defensive play in the first inning of their game with the Houston Astros.

Astros catcher Jason Castro popped up to foul territory in short left field, and third baseman Pablo Sandoval slightly overran the ball, falling down and knocking the ball into the air, where shortstop Brandon Crawford, trailing on the play, made a diving catch to record the out.

MLB.com has the video:

Melky Cabrera T-shirts ordered for a giveaway have been replaced by ones featuring Angel Pagan. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The San Francisco Giants ordered 20,000 Melky Cabrera T-shirts before the All-Star Game MVP was suspended 50 games for a failed drug test, USA TODAY‘s Mike Foss reports.

The Cabrera shirts were scheduled for a giveaway on Sept. 8. But then the outfielder tested positive for high levels of testosterone. Cabrera’s 50-game ban could be extended because of his attempted cover-up, which involved a fake website for a nonexistent product.

The order was able to be altered, though, so Giants fans will now receive Angel Pagan shirts instead.

Pagan isn’t putting up the same types of numbers as Cabrera was, but he is hitting .287 this season. More importantly, he’ll be with the team for the stretch run.

An associate that tried to create a fake website for Giants left fielder Melky Cabrera to explain his positive test for testosterone was banned by MLB. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

An associate that worked with suspended San Francisco Giants left fielder Melky Cabrera has been banned from “clubhouses or all non-public areas” of all 30 major-league stadiums, reports ESPN.com.

Juan Nunez is said to have schemed to explain Cabera’s positive test for testosterone by creating a fictitious supplement and advertising it on a fake website.  Cabrera was suspended 50 games for the positive test and will miss the rest of the regular season.

Major League Baseball has not confirmed reports of Nunez’s involvement in the plot. The directive that was handed out tells clubs to ban Nunez from “non-public areas” and to avoid dealing with him at all.

The directive also said that Nunez is “not certified as a player agent” by the Major League Baseball Players Association and also tells teams to “not conduct contract negotiations with Nunez or otherwise deal with him regarding players on the 40-man roster.”

Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera’s suspension could be lengthened for his alleged deception. (Hunter Martin/Getty Images Sport)

San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera, who allegedly created a fake website for a fake product to try to make a failed drug test look like an accident, could face a longer suspension for his attempted deception, reports CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman.

Cabrera tested positive for testosterone and, in an attempt to avoid a 50-game ban, argued that the positive came from a substance he had taken. But the substance doesn’t exist, and its website was fake — and allegedly created by Cabrera and “at least one associate,” the New York Daily News reported Sunday.

Now, Cabrera could face a harsher penalty for his dishonesty, which Major League Baseball reportedly discovered quickly. ”All options are in play with this situation,” a source told Heyman.

Mets OF Scott Hairston may be available to the Giants. (Jason Szenes/Getty Images)

After Alfonso Soriano led Chicago Cubs beat writers to believe on Wednesday that he would not waive his no-trade rights to the San Francisco Giants, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal offers other potential roster moves:

Other external options will be available to the Giants if they seek to replace left fielder Melky Cabrera, who on Wednesday was suspended 50 games for violating baseball’s drug policy.

But the supply figures to be limited.

Consider the New York Mets’ Scott Hairston and Philadelphia Phillies’ Juan Pierre, outfielders whose names surfaced in trade discussions before the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

Both Hairston and Pierre have yet to be placed on waivers, according to major-league sources. But a team that trails the Giants in the overall NL standings – a team such as the Arizona Diamondbacks – likely would block both players.

San Francisco Giants all-star outfielder Melky Cabrera was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball on Wednesday after violating the league’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, according to a tweet from the official account for Major League Baseball.

Cabrera tested positive for testosterone. His suspension is effective immediately.

Batting .346, he currently has the second-best batting average in the National League and has led the Giants to the top of the NL West in a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cabrera was also the MVP of the 2012 All-Star Game.

BREAKING: Giants OF Melky Cabrera suspended 50 games without pay after testing positive for Testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance.—
  (@MLB) August 15, 2012

Former MLB player Barry Bonds says he is a Hall of Famer despite admitting taking steroids unknowingly. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The numbers are undeniable. 762 career home runs, 1,996 RBI, 73 home runs in a season, 2,558 career walks and eight Gold Gloves.

Barry Bonds’ name will come up on the ballot for the Hall of Fame next year, but since his connections with performance enhancing drugs, some think his induction will never happen.

But Bonds says there is no question that he is a Hall of Famer.

“Oh, without a doubt. There’s not a doubt in my mind,” Bonds said to MLB.com. ”I respect the Hall of Fame, don’t get me wrong. I really, really, really respect the Hall of Fame. And I think we all do. I love the city of San Francisco and to me that’s my Hall of Fame. I don’t worry about it because I don’t want to be negative about the way other people think it should be run. That’s their opinion, and I’m not going to be negative.”

Bonds was convicted in 2011 conviction of one count of obstruction of justice when a grand jury investigated illegal steroids distribution in the BALCO case found that Bonds gave evasive answers to the jury.  He was to sentenced to 30 days of house arrest, two years’ probation and a $4,000 fine.

 ”You have to vote on baseball the way baseball needs to be voted on. If you vote on your assumptions or what you believe or what you think might have been going on there, that’s your problem,” Bonds said. “You’re at fault. It has nothing to do with what your opinion is. Period.”

Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the San Francisco Giants have looked into signing first baseman Lyle Overbay, who was designated for assignment on Monday by the Arizona Diamondback.

“I’m told the Giants would like him to go to [Triple-A] Fresno for a bit first,” Schulman writes, “and so far Overbay has balked at that. He might be a good fit on the bench as the guy the Giants hoped Aubrey Huff could be before he hurt his knee.”

Overbay, 35, actually put up decent numbers with the D-Backs (.292 average, .367 OBP in only 96 at-bats), which may explain his reluctance to accept a minor-league assignment. But Schulman points out that Overbay was mired in a 2-for-25 slump, dating back to June 23, when he was released.

The San Francisco Giants have acquired outfielder Hunter Pence from the Philadelphia Phillies, reports CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman on Twitter.

hunter pence on way to #SFGiants. details up soon on CBSSports.com

—
Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 31, 2012

The 29-year-old Pence was traded to Philadelphia before the trade deadline last July to help the team in its playoff push, and he hit .324 as the Phillies won the NL East.

But this season, the team has fallen out of contention. Pence’s numbers, though still solid, have also dropped. He is hitting .271 with 17 home runs.

Pence should help the Giants as they battle the Dodgers for the NL West title. The teams are tied atop the division, with the Diamondbacks 3.5 games back.

The Dodgers already struck a deal with the Phillies on Tuesday, landing Shane Victorino to help them improve their outfield. The Giants’ acquisition of Pence should help them keep pace.