KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that high school outfielder Bubba Starling and the Kansas City Royals agreed late Monday night to a minor league contract with a $7.5 million signing bonus.  The person spoke on condition of anonymity because terms of the deal were not disclosed.
     The signing bonus is payable over three years because Starling is a two-sport athlete. There was some question whether he would sign with the Royals before the deadline or play quarterback for Nebraska, where he had received a scholarship offer.  Starling was the fifth overall pick out of Gardner, Kan., a short drive south of Kansas City. The 18-year-old was widely considered the best high school prospect in the June draft.

     HOUSTON (AP) – The Chicago Cubs recalled left-hander Scott Maine from Triple-A Iowa on Monday to fill the empty roster spot after starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano was placed on the disqualified list.  Maine is 0-0 with a 10.29 ERA in seven games this season. He last pitched for the Cubs on May 30 against Houston, allowing three
runs in an inning. For his career, Maine is 0-0 with a 4.95 ERA in 20 games.  The Cubs were left with an open roster spot when they placed Zambrano on the disqualified list Saturday. He cleaned out his locker and left the team after giving up five home runs and being ejected Friday in Atlanta. He did not return to the team Saturday.
     The Cubs said Zambrano would not receive pay or be allowed to participate in team activities during the 30-day suspension.

     CHICAGO (AP) – Embattled Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano says he’d like to pitch again for Chicago and was simply frustrated when he told club personnel he wanted to retire after his most recent start.  In his first public comments since the team banished him following another meltdown, Zambrano told Comcast SportsNet Chicago
in a phone interview Monday that he wants “to keep pitching for the Cubs.”  Zambrano cleaned out his locker and talked about retiring after giving up five homers and being ejected from Friday night’s 10-4 loss to Atlanta following two inside pitches to Chipper Jones. He says he intended to be at the ballpark the next day, but his agent
Barry Praver told him not to “because we were in the middle of discussions with the union and the Cubs.”  The Cubs placed Zambrano on the disqualified list Saturday and
said the right-hander would receive no pay and have no part in team activities for 30 days after the latest in a long line of incidents.