Closer controversies can full of intrigue, like the Reds' decision to return Aroldis Chapman to closing duties. They can also be stupid and kind of sad, like the mess at the end of the Milwaukee bullpen right now. And then there are closer controversies that are just the worst, which is in the case in […]

Timing is everything in life. No team in baseball knows that better than the Texas Rangers who are off to a 20-12 start, giving them the second-best record in the American League. Considering their success in recent years, there is no doubt that the Rangers are good, but are they really as good as their […]

For the Philadelphia Phillies to compete in the NL East with the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves, the general presumption was that starting pitching would have to shoulder the burden.  Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels — arguably the best starting top three in MLB — would have to pitch at their best for […]

Walk in to any AA game in the country and you’re going to find some guy out there playing who is as old as one of his managers, and you wonder what makes these guys hang on. How many years of bus trips can one man take? How many times can you ice your arm […]

Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann made his return last night in Cincinnati. He went 0/4 with a walk in his first game back with the club, but looked much leaner and also was lacking his trademark bushy beard. The Braves new folk hero behind the plate, Evan Gattis, played left for Atlanta and strugged defensively, […]

The Tommy John carousel keeps turning, and today's rider is Gavin Floyd of the Chicago White Sox. In addition to the Tommy John surgery to repair his UCL, Floyd will also have surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right elbow. Not only will Floyd be out for the rest of this season, […]

Yu Darvish is having an unreal sophomore season for the Rangers. In seven starts and 45 2/3 innings, Darvish has a 2.56 ERA, accrued 1.9 fWAR, and has struck out a league-leading 72 hitters. To put in perspective how vast the 15 strikeout difference between Darvish and second-place AJ Burnett is, consider the fact that […]

To say that Phillies starter Roy Halladay had a rough game on Sunday might be an understatement. The Phillies fell 14-2 to the Marlins (Halladay's second straight start in a 14-2 loss), and the former Cy Young Award winner's line was hideous: 2 1/3 innings, four hits, nine runs, one home run, four walks, two […]

The Indians beat the Twins7-3 on Saturday night. OK, there's nothing too ordinary about that…except for the winning pitcher for Cleveland: former Rays and Angels starter Scott Kazmir. Kazmir legitimately pitched well on Saturday, and his win was his first in three tries this season. Perhaps more importantly, it was his first win since September […]

St Louis Cardinals closer Jason Motte will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, and will be out for the rest of the regular season. The 30-year old Motte tied Craig Kimbrel for the National League lead in saves last season with 42, and struck out 86 in 72 innings while posting a 2.75 ERA. The […]

Friday was not the best night for the American League East. Not only were the Rays the only team in the division to win on Friday night, they were the only team to score a *run*. The Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, and Blue Jays were all held scoreless in losses, and the four teams totaled […]

At 17-11, the St. Louis Cardinals sit atop the NL Central and are tied with Atlanta and Colorado for the best mark in the National League. There is one major weakness with the Cards, though — their bullpen has been an absoloute disaster in the absence of Jason Motte. Their relievers are putting up the […]