The trade deadline is a few weeks away, so the rumor mill is about to heat up.  To prep you for the coming trade season, we're providing a primer on who the top available trade targets could be as get closer to July 31st. Most of the top playoff contenders have a quality first baseman […]

Welcome to the cluster-you-know-what of the 2013 MLB season thus far. What was initially projected as a two-team race between the rival Dodgers and Giants has turned into a five-team free-for-all that could go any way. But that could make the NL West the most interesting division when it comes to trade rumors and which […]

Should Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig be on the National League All-Star team? It's one of the more intriguing debates in MLB as All-Star rosters will soon be announced.  Puig is undoubtedly a sensation, looking like a superhero as he crushes the baseball every night and provides the Dodgers with the most excitement they've […]

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a first-place ballclub. Not only that, but they're tied for the best record in MLB.  Thanks to the St. Louis Cardinals' 4-3 loss to the Houston Astros on Tuesday, the Bucs share a 48-30 record and the NL Central lead.  Our friend Pat Lackey is rubbing his eyes and looking at […]

We're less than two weeks away from MLB announcing the rosters for the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field. (You have until July 4 to fill out your ballots.)  There might be some surprises in fan voting (such as the number of Baltimore Orioles in the starting lineup, if current vote totals hold), but for […]

The debut of a top young prospect is becoming a weekly occurrence in MLB, most notably in the National League.  On Tuesday, pitcher Zack Wheeler made his first major league start for the New York Mets. The 23-year-old threw six shutout innings, holding the Atlanta Braves to four hits in a 6-1 victory. Wheeler struck […]

The San Diego Padres? Most of us predicted them to finish last in the NL West this year, right? That division was expected to be a two-team race between the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants and megabucks Los Angeles Dodgers. Early in the season, however, the surprise emergence of the Arizona Diamondbacks and […]

A quick glance at the MLB standings might lead you to believe that everything is fine with the Detroit Tigers. As of June 13, Detroit has a 4.5-game lead over the Cleveland Indians, the largest first-place margin in the American League and second-largest in the majors. The Tigers also have the best run differential in […]

Can a baseball team ever have enough pitching? The general wisdom says no.  Yet the Atlanta Braves may end up facing a tough decision while attempting to answer that question over the next few weeks.  Right-hander Brandon Beachy is nearly ready to return to the Braves' starting rotation, approximately a year after undergoing Tommy John […]

What the hell is Major League Baseball doing here?  Teaming up with "nutritionist" Tony Bosch in a swing-for-the-fences attempt to confirm that more than 20 players, including Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, received performance-enhancing substances from the Biogenesis clinic in Miami was already a questionable decision by MLB.  Bosch has previously shown himself to be […]

When a baseball player faces retirement, the natural impulse is to look at his overall career and measure his achievements. But the snap judgment, the rush to render a final verdict has almost become a cliché among baseball fans, writers and analysts. Is he a Hall of Famer? Sometimes, that question is asked jokingly — […]

On Tuesday, I looked at the young MLB players who have been major disappointments for their clubs so far this year. Demotion to the minors could be imminent for the six names I listed.  It only seemed fair to follow that column up by highlighting those players who have been breakout surprises two months into […]

With nearly two months of the 2013 MLB season having been played, several teams are beginning to make tough decisions on young players that haven't performed to expectations.  This has been especially apparent in Seattle, where the Mariners recently demoted catcher Jesus Montero (batting .208) and second baseman Dustin Ackley (.205 average) to Triple-A Tacoma. […]

No one can say the Baltimore Orioles aren't afraid to make a bold move to stay competitive in the AL East.  Well, I suppose I might have said that during the offseason when the O's didn't add an impact hitter or pitcher to capitalize on the success of their improbable run to an AL wild-card […]