Odds & Ends: Yankees, Giambi, Smoltz

On this day last year, Brian Giles invoked his no-trade clause in a deal that would have sent him to Boston. Some links: Robinson Cano, Brian Bruney, Mark Melancon and David Robertson have all cleared waivers for the Yankees, says George A. King III at the New York Post, and quite a few more names are going through waivers now. Keep checking out our updated Players Who Have Cleared Waivers post as August progresses. Vicente Padilla is "disappointed" in having being designated for assignment and being called a "bad teammate," says T.R. Sullivan at MLB.com, and he wants to pitch again. According to George A. King III at the New York Post, the Yankees have no interest in bringing back Jason Giambi, who was released by the A's this week. Yahoo Sports' Gordon Edes writes that the failed John Smoltz gamble by the Red Sox proves just how deep the gap is between small and large-market teams. Ray Ratto at the San Francisco Chronicle b...