2017 MLB Preview: The Odyssey Starts Again

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

When you walk outside right now, the temperature isn’t freezing cold, but it isn’t blazing hot.  It’s that temperature right in the middle and you can smell that it is finally Spring.  That can only mean one thing, it’s Baseball season once again.  We had an unforgettable 2016 season that saw the Chicago Cubs finally end their 108 year drought beating the upstart Cleveland Indians for the World Series crown.  It would be tough to top last year, but 2017 looks like it could do that and then some and we’re going to break down what I think is going to happen this season.  Like last year we’re going to do this division by division giving out our projections for the 2017 season.  We’ll also be projecting who I think is going to win your major awards along with my dark horse picks.  So I think it’s time to play ball now!


NL East
1. Washington Nationals
2. New York Mets
3. Florida Marlins
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Philadelphia Phillies

This could be considered as one of the most interesting divisions in all of baseball.  The Washington Nationals clearly are still the favorites for the divisional crown.  One would expect that Bryce Harper to have a bounce back year and regain his MVP form in 2017.  On top of that, they still have a dominant front end of the rotation.  What concerns me is their bullpen especially with the fact that they failed to address the closer spot in the offseason.  This would make one thing that might be a target for them at the deadline.  When it comes to the Mets, everything really comes down to the dominance of their starting rotation.  We all know Noah Syndergaard and Jacob DeGrom will carry them, but it’s the continued development of Steven Matz that will truly carry the Mets back to the World Series.  While I have some concerns about their offense, Yoenis Cespedes is a major force in the lineup that has always balanced out everything.  The Marlins head into the year with a heavy heart still grieving over the tragic loss of Jose Fernandez.  The Marlins have a potentially potent offense led by Giancarlo Stanton.  The emergence of Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna shows the Marlins have that going for them.  Although the rotation is a mess and their bullpen is about average.  The Braves dived into their rebuild and are slowly starting to turn it around with one of the deepest farm systems in baseball that is finding its way into the Majors now.  Led by top prospect SS Dansby Swanson, the future looks extremely bright in Atlanta especially in their brand new Sun Trust Stadium.  For the fighting Phillies, the franchise is a mess with only a few things to get excited about.  They are mostly consisted of mediocre players and prospects that are talented but not close to major league ready.  With the way the division is trending I would expect the Phillies near the bottom of the division for the foreseeable future.


NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Cincinnati Reds

The NL Central might be the most talented division in Major League Baseball.  While it’s a true statement, it’s telling that the Cubs are just on a completely different level as a team.  Stacked with talent all over the lineup and with NL MVP Kris Bryant leading the way and Kyle Schwarber expected to play a full season now, they should run away with the division.  The Cardinals always find a way to compete near the top of the standings, although they aren’t as good as they’ve been in previous years.  Their lineup is very well balanced and should be able to put up a lot of runs.  Their rotation seems to be a concern as it isn’t the same as what it was 4-5 years ago, plus they lost prized prospect SP Alex Reyes who was supposed to make a huge rookie impact in their rotation this year.  In the steel city, the Pirates are heading towards a crossroads.  Without question the Pirates have the talent to make a run, but are they in a position to do it in 2017?  They have Gerrit Cole as the ace of their staff and finally are starting to see the results of SP Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow who were prized prospects over the past few years.  Their offense can put up a lot of runs led by Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco and Andrew McCutcheon.  They have a few young players still on the way in 1B Josh Bell who could really provide another big bat for their lineup.  The Pirates will make noise eventually, just maybe in 2018 instead of 2017.  The Brew Crew of Milwaukee have started their rebuilding process and are starting to amass a nice collection of young and promising talent.  For their big league team they still have Ryan Braun, but one would expect them to trade him at the trading deadline.  They could embrace the rebuilding process but they truly can’t do that until they move Ryan Braun.  The Cincinnati Reds are quite possibly the most interesting team in the division as they already have a bad team that definitely needs a complete rebuild.  They have Joey Votto and Adam Duvall as trade pieces, but I don’t foresee them making those moves this year.  The best teams know when it’s time to rebuild.  The Reds don’t seem to have a direction to go in and that’s going to hurt them in the present and the future.


NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Colorado Rockies
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. San Diego Padres

When it comes to the NL West, it still runs through Dodger Stadium and the Los Angeles Dodgers.  With their deep farm system that continues to develop great talent and almost an unlimited checkbook that can retain and acquire new talent, the Dodgers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.  Plus they got that Clayton Kershaw guy who I’ve heard is really good.  The Giants have a very strong rotation led by Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto.  They also added a shutdown closer in Mark Melancon to solidify the bullpen.  They have a solid offense, but not one that blows you away.  Without question though, the Giants remain a sleeper for the NL Pennant and will definitely be fighting for the NL West crown or at least the NL Wild Card.  The Rockies are a team that is ready to make a major move in the NL West.  While they lost their big Free Agent acquisition in Ian Desmond for the first few months of the season, he should return and be another big bat in a lineup that features Carlos Gonzalez, Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon, and Nolan Arenado.  Their pitching staff continues to be a bit of a concern and I’d love for them to enter the Jose Quintana sweepstakes at the Trade Deadline if they’re in the mix.  Down in the desert in Arizona, the Diamondbacks were expected to be a big player last year after major moves.  They now are a team with the hope of making a playoff run, but no real direction.  They have some nice young arms in their rotation that is led by veteran Zack Greinke.  On top of that they have AJ Pollack and Paul Goldschmidt leading their lineup as two of the most under appreciated talents in baseball.  It may mostly be sunny in San Diego, but the future of the franchise looks cloudy.  They are trying to rebuild the franchise, but it doesn’t look like there’s much young talent ready to go right now.  They have depth in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues, but they’re going to be in the basement of the NL West standings for the next 2-3 years.


AL East
1. Boston Red Sox
2. Baltimore Orioles
3. New York Yankees
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Tampa Bay Rays

After the addition of Chris Sale, the Boston Red Sox clearly become the favorites in the AL East.  Although they lost David Ortiz this past year due to retirement, they have a very promising young offense led by MVP runner up Mookie Betts who quickly is becoming one of the best players in baseball.  The rest of the division you could easily put it all up in the air.  I would give the slightest edge to the Orioles finishing in second.  The Orioles still have a talented offense, a shutdown bullpen, and I was impressed with the development of Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy last year.  If they can get consistency from the rest of their rotation, I could see them once again contending for an AL Wild Card spot.  When it comes to the Yankees I’m really liking what they’re up to.  They have a lot of young talent slowly making its way up their farm system.  The Yankees have a great bullpen to go with a strong top of their starting rotation.  With Gary Sanchez coming back for a second year and Greg Bird coming back from injury their offense looks to have a lot of upside.  The future looks extremely bright in the Bronx.  Toronto lost a major piece of their lineup in Edwin Encarnacion and are betting on guys like Kendrys Morales and Steve Pearce to pick up the slack.  They have a very underrated rotation led by Aaron Sanchez and an okay bullpen.  Unfortunately the rest of the division is much stronger and one would expect after losing Encarnacion for the Blue Jays to take a major step back.  Tampa Bay is the one team you can never predict where they’re going to finish.  They always have the most underrated talent and looking at their roster, they could very well be a major surprise once again.  Anytime you have Chris Archer leading your rotation and Evan Longoria as your clubhouse leader, you will at least have a chance.


AL Central
1. Cleveland Indians
2. Detroit Tigers
3. Kansas City Royals
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Chicago White Sox

Without question this is probably the easiest division to call this year.  After the additions of Edwin Encarnacion and Boone Logan, plus the return of Michael Brantley, the Indians are head and shoulders above everyone else in the American League Central.  With their strong starting rotation and a budding superstar in Francisco Lindor the Indians should run away with the division this year.  The Tigers should be the Indians biggest threat this year with a solid veteran team that has the potential to fight for a Wild Card spot.  With 2016 Cy Young runner up Justin Verlander, plus a lineup lead by a still potent Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers wouldn’t stun me making a playoff push.  The Kansas City Royals enter the year at a crossroads, with the tragedy of losing Yordano Ventura, who was the future of that rotation, the Royals must rely on Danny Duffy to lead the staff along with veterans like Ian Kennedy.  On top of that, the Royals bullpen has been completely redone leaving only Kelvin Herrera as the last piece of their feared 3 headed monster for late in the game.  Add with the fact that part of their core is in the last year of their contracts (Moustakas, Hosmer) it might be time for the Royals to retool for hopefully a quick turn around.  When it comes to the Twins, they went from a potential breakout 2015 season to being the worst team in baseball in 2016.  Their entire pitching staff is suspect and even the lineup has question marks.  While I’m betting on the continued growth of Miguel Sano and hopefully Byron Buxton, the Twins still are a mess and need to figure out what direction they’re going in soon.  As for the White Sox, the rebuild has begun and it’s going to continue throughout the season.  They did an amazing job getting huge hauls for CF Adam Eaton and SP Chris Sale and will be a major player in the AL Central in the future.  With Jose Quintana and David Robertson still on the roster and potential major Trade Deadline pieces, expect a lot of growing pains for the young players and the veterans to be shopped around at the deadline to give the future of the franchise as much playing time as possible.


AL West
1. Texas Rangers
2. Houston Astros
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Los Angeles Angels
5. Oakland A’s

In the AL West, it’s going to be a dogfight between Texas and Houston for the AL West crown.  I really like the front of the Rangers rotation with Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels with their solid bullpen that gives them an edge over the Astros.  On top of that the Rangers have an strong lineup that will cause problems for opponents.  When it comes to the Astros, they really need Dallas Kuechel to rebound and return to his Cy Young form from 2015.  I would say their lineup is one of the best in all of baseball and their bullpen is underrated.  They are a clear favorite for a Wild Card spot.  The Mariners continue to be a curious case as there’s plenty of talent there, but they can’t put it together.  They traded Taijuan Walker to get Jean Segura to bolster the offense.  The Mariners though are not even close to the same level as the Rangers or the Astros to really make a strong run at the playoffs.  The Angels always will win games because they have Mike Trout but they are so erratic and also injury prone with their pitchers you can’t trust them to do much better than 4th place.  Oakland is once again trying to put the pieces together in their rebuilding process.  They have some young exciting talent to build on, but still are 2-3 years away from really making any noise in the AL West.


MLB Playoff Predictions

NL Wild Cards: San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals
AL Wild Cards: Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers

NL Wild Card Game: San Francisco Giants over St. Louis Cardinals

In a matchup between Madison Bumgarner and Carlos Martinez, the Giants have the clear edge with Bumgarner, who have not forgotten the heartbreak of last year and want to face the Cubs again.  The Cardinals would put up a good fight, but Bumgarner’s clutch ability as a playoff starter will be too much.

AL Wild Card Game: Houston Astros over Detroit Tigers

The Tigers will have the more experienced starter in Justin Verlander here, but Dallas Kuechel will continue a strong bounce back year by going 7 strong innings and the lethal Astros lineup eventually gets to Verlander boosting them past the Tigers 

NL Divisional Series: Chicago Cubs over San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers over Washington Nationals

In rematches from last year’s NL Divisional Round, the same results will come of that this year.  The Cubs offense and strong overall pitching staff will be enough to get by the Giants.  As for the Dodgers, unless the Nationals eventually can fill that closer’s spot sometime during the year, the Dodgers will have no problems taking down the Nationals again.

AL Divisional Series: Houston Astros over Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians over Texas Rangers

Houston’s offense is too much for the Red Sox, especially with the Red Sox rotation a little skeptical after Chris Sale.  Houston wins the series in 5 games backed by Dallas Kuechel winning 2 games.  The Indians take care of the Rangers in 4 games thanks to outstanding pitching and timely hitting by Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Brantley.  Also Jonathan Lucroy admits his mistake to turn down the Indians after the series loss.

NLCS: Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Chicago Cubs
Sweet revenge for the Dodgers in 2017 as the Dodgers really suffered through injuries in 2016 that really effected the Dodgers against the Cubs.  As long as they stay healthy, the Dodgers will be an extremely big threat for the Cubs as long as they can get enough out of their bullpen.  The Cubs are extremely talented, but I think the bitter taste in the Dodgers mouth from 2016 will push them past the Cubs and finally puts Clayton Kershaw into the World Series.

ALCS: Cleveland Indians defeat Houston Astros
This is a matchup nightmare if you’re an Indians fan.  The Astros have a lethal lineup and if they can get just enough pitching can be a matchup nightmare for the Tribe.  This could potentially be a classic 7 game series if the Astros can get the pitching.  As it stands now I would give the Indians the edge over the Astros because of their overall pitching from Rotation to Bullpen.  The Indians should have enough offense as well to counter the Astros lineup as well, putting the Indians back in the World Series

World Series: Cleveland Indians defeat Los Angeles Dodgers
The more I debated over this, the more I kept coming up with the Indians.  History has shown us recently in Baseball that the team with the biggest chip on their shoulder in that season is most likely going to win the World Series.  For the Indians, they match up extremely well with the Dodgers and would cause headaches for them.  As long as the Indians can get to Kershaw once, it’s over.  This isn’t what you call a, “homer” pick, this is going by recent trends of World Series champions and seeing the Indians have made the moves to position themselves to get back here.  The Indians finally win their first World Series in 69 years in 2017.


2017 AWARDS

NL MVP- OF Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals- Last year was a down year for Harper who will need to prove last year’s struggles were a fluke.  Harper is a perfectionist as a player and will strive to be the absolute best he can possibly be.  It also should be mentioned that the Nationals will only go as far as Harper will take them.  While it would be the easy thing to pick Kris Bryant or even Corey Saeger, but I’m going to go with the rebound season for Harper who has all the talent in the world to not just win this award, but be the clear cut MVP in a potential race that looks to be stacked with talent.

NL MVP Darkhorse- 3B Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies- The Rockies have looked to be on the rise for the past few years and it’s because of Nolan Arenado.  Arenado is a Gold Glove 3B, but is one of the most productive hitters in baseball.  Most may say that his numbers are inflated because he plays at Coors Field, I disagree.  Arenado is a special hitter who can hit for average and for power and most importantly just knows how to drive in runs.  If the Rockies take that next step, it will be in part to this guy and would definitely be in strong consideration of the MVP.

AL MVP- OF Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox- Last year I was considering Mookie Betts as my dark horse and honestly I feel he should’ve been the MVP last year.  Mookie has quickly developed into one of the most gifted players in the American League.  He can do it all and potentially could be the next 40-40 player.  On top of that he showed last year during the regular season he has that clutch gene to take over for David Ortiz.  The Red Sox will rely on Betts to fill that void and take the next step and the way he’s developed, I’m not questioning how good he’s going to be.

AL MVP Darkhorse- SS Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians- The Cleveland Indians haven’t had an MVP winner in 64 years the last being 3B Al Rosen (although Albert Belle should’ve won in 1995), that might change in 2017.  Francisco Lindor has turned into one of the faces of the game itself with his talent with his glove and bat, but more importantly his energy and love for the game.  Frankie is going to take his game to another level in 2017 and be the leader of the Indians in every aspect of the game.


NL Cy Young- SP Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers- Okay…IF he stays healthy, should I really pick anyone else?  Nope…next!

NL Cy Young Darkhorse- SP Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals- We all talk about the Max Scherzer’s, the Clayton Kershaw’s, the Madison Bumgarner’s and even the Gerrit Cole’s.  Carlos Martinez seems to be a quiet rising star in the pack with dominant stuff that has gotten him a 30-16 record over the past 2 seasons.  If the Cardinals are going to even make the Wild Card game, Martinez is going to have to become a Cy Young candidate this year.

AL Cy Young- SP Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox- If Chris Sale had pitched the whole year, there probably was a good chance even on the White Sox he would run away with the Cy Young.  As long as he stays healthy, with the Red Sox he could almost be a lock for 20 wins, 2.50 ERA and 200 Ks which would almost certainly get him a Cy Young.

AL Cy Young Darkhorse- SP Danny Salazar, Cleveland Indians- Salazar was my dark horse pick last year and if it wasn’t for his mid-season struggles and injury, people don’t realize how locked in he was for a time.  Salazar can be downright dominant as a starter and is finally mastering how to utilize his outstanding changeup to get guys out.  As long as he can stay healthy all year, with his stuff, I ain’t doubting what he could do.

NL Rookie of the Year- SS Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves- Swanson is going to get the playing time in Atlanta and showed in September why he was such a coveted prospect.  I really cannot see anyone else catching this guy.  A 5 tool talent at a prime position, Swanson will establish himself as the future of the Braves this year.

NL Rookie of the Year Darkhorse- CF Lewis Brinson, Milwaukee Brewers- Much like Swanson, Brinson is going to get a lot of playing time this year on a rebuilding Milwaukee team.  Brinson compared to Swanson might have the higher ceiling for what he’s capable of.  He has more power than Swanson and I’d say he slightly edges him in baserunning.  The question is he’s dominated the minors and we’ve seen nothing in the majors, unlike Swanson.  Will Brinson put it all together to give Swanson a run for his money?

AL Rookie of the Year- 2B Yoan Moncada, Chicago White Sox- Without question this is my pick.  Okay we could go with Andrew Beninendi of the Red Sox, but Moncada is going to be a star and the White Sox are going to roll with him in the majors to help get a head start on their rebuild.  Moncada has been touted as the most talented prospect in baseball who can do it all.  Some are already proclaiming him as one of baseball’s biggest future stars.  The White Sox will give him the time in the majors immediately and I don’t see him letting them down.  The upside and pure talent easily puts him past everyone else.

AL Rookie of the Year Darkhorse- OF Bradley Zimmer, Cleveland Indians- Although Zimmer was sent down to the Minors to begin the year, Zimmer has 5 tool ability and if he gets a June call-up I won’t be stunned if he tore up the Majors from what I saw in Spring Training.  The big question would be if there is already a Rookie of the Year standout by the time he arrives.  That’s never a given and a lot of things have to fall into place, but Zimmer has a great opportunity if the cards fall his way.


In 2016 we truly learned anything was possible in the game of baseball and that it truly is a 6 month journey to determine a World Champion.  What 2017 promises to be is a season where the fans will remember why Baseball is the greatest sport of them all.  The game finally has some fresh faces on teams that normally aren’t your typical teams with the icons of the game.  The game always changes, but the moments never go away.  For those who say they will wait until the All-Star Break, you’re missing out because this year I wouldn’t miss a single day in what promises to be a memorable year in baseball.

This Week In The Show 11.14.16: 2016 MLB Awards For An Unforgettable Season

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy


Another season is in the books and the Chicago Cubs have ended their 108 year drought and for the first time since Tinkers to Evers to Chance and “The Merkle Boner” the Cubs are World Series Champions.  Now that the games are done, we’ve entered into Awards Season where Major League Baseball will announce their most outstanding players and managers throughout the 2016 MLB Season.  Now before I get into my picks, let’s look back to my Preseason picks to see where we started from and how we got here.

My MLB Awards Preseason Picks

AL MVP and Dark horse- SS Carlos Correa HOU, OF Mookie Betts BOS
NL MVP and Dark horse- 1B Paul Goldschmidt ARI, SS Corey Seager LAD
AL Cy Young and Dark horse- SP Chris Sale CWS, SP Danny Salazar CLE
NL Cy Young and Dark horse- SP Clayton Kershaw LAD, SP Shelby Miller ARI
AL ROY and Dark horse- OF Tyler Naquin CLE, OF Aaron Judge NYY
NL ROY and Dark horse- SS Corey Seager LAD, SP Lucas Giolito WAS


First off, a couple of observations…man did I have too much faith in the Diamondbacks or what?  Goldschmidt had a great year, but Shelby Miller?  I apologize with my stupidity on that one.  I also bought into the Correa/Houston hype train as well.  Overall though looking at the season, I don’t think I’m too far off on a few of these.  So now that I’m done with laughing at myself and seeing where we started at the beginning of the year, we can jump into my picks now that we’ve seen how the season has happened.

AL MVP: Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox- My Preseason Dark horse pick after having an outstanding 2016 season is my pick for the AL MVP.  Betts followed up his first full MLB Season by hitting .318 (2nd in AL) and launching 31 HRs with 113 RBIs on top of his 26 steals.  We could easily dive into the other stats that make him worthy, but Mookie established himself in 2016 as the new face of the Boston Red Sox and quite possibly the best position player in the American League.  While there can be an extremely strong case for Mike Trout to win the MVP again, the difference here is Boston won its division.  Mookie was consistent all year long on a contender to easily be my pick with this award.

Honorable Mention Mike Trout LAA, David Ortiz BOS, Mark Trumbo BAL, Corey Kluber CLE, Jose Altuve HOU

NL MVP: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs- After a sensational rookie year, expectations were extremely high for Kris Bryant and he delivered in 2016.  Bryant avoided the dreaded, “Sophomore Jinx” and hit .292 with 39 HRs and 102 RBIs, establishing himself as quite possibly the best 3B in Baseball.  What stands out to me is his OPS (On Base + Slugging Pct), which was a .939 OPS.  Anything above .900 is impressive, but Bryant cut down on his strikeouts in 2016 (199 in 2015 to 154 in 2016) and was clutch for the Cubs all year long.  While I think you can make cases for some others, unlike the American League this one seems a bit more clear of a decision.

Honorable Mention Nolan Arenado COL, Anthony Rizzo CHC, Daniel Murphy WAS, Corey Saeger LAD

AL Cy Young: Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians- After a rocky 2015 season, Corey Kluber reestablished himself as one of the best, if not the best starter in the American League.  For the 3rd straight year, Kluber went struck out over 200 batters, and after going 9-16 in 2015, went 18-9 with a 3.14 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP.  But what makes Kluber my pick goes beyond the numbers, the Indians all year relied on the arm of Kluber struggling through injuries in the rotation, plus inconsistency at the back of the rotation.  It seemed every time the Indians needed him to come up big, Kluber delivered.  You can’t teach that clutch ability Kluber brings that goes beyond the numbers.  Yes, you can make strong cases for Rick Porcello and Zach Britton.  But the circumstances throughout the year for the Indians and relying on a pitcher who came through almost every time, that makes Corey Kluber the choice for his 2nd AL Cy Young award.

Honorable Mention Zach Britton BAL, Rick Porcello BOS, Andrew Miller NYY/CLE

NL Cy Young: Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs- After 2 years of solid pitching in the rotation and being a question mark in the Cubs rotation going into the year, much like Cubs teammate Jake Arrieta came out of nowhere to be one of the most dominant pitchers in the National League.  Hendricks burst onto the scene going 16-8, leading the Majors in ERA at 2.13.  Hendricks ability to be able to locate his pitches made him almost a Greg Maddux type starter who teams just couldn’t seem to figure out.  The emergence of Hendricks was crucial for the Cubs who had Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta already.  I think a case could be made for Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw before his injury was going to win another Cy Young.  I will add I think Jose Fernandez might get quite a few votes here because of his dominance in the year before his tragic death.

Honorable Mention Max Scherzer WAS, Clayton Kershaw LAD, Jose Fernandez MIA

AL Rookie of the Year: Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees- Yes, Gary Sanchez only played in 53 games this year, but those 53 games made us all think what he’s going to do in 162 games.  After being the one of the Yankees most hyped up prospects for at least the last 4 years, Sanchez finally got playing time in the Bronx and made the most of it.  In his 53 games, Sanchez would hit 20 HRs with 43 RBIs, hitting .299 and had an OPS of 1.032.  One can imagine if he played 162 games, he may not have just won the Rookie of the Year, but might’ve gotten MVP consideration.  His emergence made what looked to be after the Trade Deadline a “Rebuilding” Yankees franchise and had them in Wild Card contention until the last week of the year.  While Michael Fulmer on Detroit had a strong rookie year, Sanchez was just that outstanding in the time he had this year.

Honorable Mention Michael Fulmer DET, Tyler Naquin CLE

NL Rookie of the Year: SS Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers- After showing promise in the last month of the 2015 season, the Dodgers had very high hopes for their #1 prospect in 2016.  Seager didn’t just live up to them, but exceeded them.  You could make a strong case that without Seager, the Dodgers aren’t even a playoff team.  Seager showed that he is the face of the Dodgers with Clayton Kershaw, giving NL West teams headaches for years to come.  He hit .308 with 27 HRs, 72 RBIs, and quietly also hit 40 Doubles, which for someone in their first full year is quite the accomplishment.  While teammate Kenta Maeda could make his own case along with Trea Turner, Seager emerged as the newest superstar in a young SS crop that is taking over Major League Baseball.

Honorable Mention Trea Turner WAS, Kenta Maeda LAD

AL Manager of the Year: Terry Francona, Cleveland Indians- I really don’t need to explain this, do I?  I mean I’m not even going to put an honorable mention here, because this one should be a unanimous vote.  With the low expectations going into the year for the Indians, the loss of Michael Brantley for the year, and the injuries to the pitching staff late in the year, no one could’ve done much better with what Tito had to deal with.  Without question, Terry Francona is your AL Manager of the Year.

Honorable Mention N/A (THIS ISN’T A CONTEST)

NL Manager of the Year: Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers- Yes, Joe Maddon and the Chicago Cubs had an outstanding year capped off with a World Series Championship…but we expected the Cubs to be a World Series contender in 2016.  After Don Mattingly and the Dodgers parting ways, the Dodgers made a rather bold hiring in Dave Roberts.  At one point in the year there was doubt that the Dodgers would win the division and with everything that could’ve gone wrong that did go wrong, the fact that Roberts got the Dodgers to be NL West Champions is nothing short of masterful managing.  So yes, Maddon in a way deserves the award, but looking at the circumstances for the Dodgers, Dave Roberts is my pick.

Honorable Mention Joe Maddon CHC 


As we head into the offseason, we should take these awards as a way to look back at what was an unforgettable Baseball season that I think has re-energized what was a dormant fanbase that really only a few fanbases appreciated and now has Baseball emerging once again as what it is, the great American Pastime.  For some it was full of heartbreak, some cheered, some crying, and some started to imagine what the future holds in the 2017 Baseball season.  Well before you know it, Winter pass by and welcome in the Spring and guess what?  We get to do this all over again.

This Week In The Show 8.2.16: MLB Trade Deadline Wrap-Up

Now The Race Is On!
By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

As the clock passed 4pm Monday afternoon, it signaled the end of what turned out to be one of the best trade deadlines in recent history.  It was full of blockbusters and a lot of controversy.  Unlike previous years deadlines with a lot of anti-climatic movement at the deadline, the rumors that were swirling before the deadline gave us a lot of fun and now it’s time find out who the big winners and losers were.  Now let’s be honest in a few years, this could all look different about who won and lost at the deadline.  But in terms of right now for quite a few teams, the future looks bright and for some others, lost opportunity.

Winners

New York Yankees- For the 1st time since 1989, the Yankees went into full blown rebuild mode and they came out as huge winners at the deadline.  It started with the trade of Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs as the Yankees acquired SS Glyber Torres along with other prospects including OF Billy McKinney.  Then in a shocker, the Yankees acquired OF Clint Frazier and SP Justus Sheffield along with 2 other prospects in exchange for RP Andrew Miller.  Then before the deadline buzzer Monday traded Carlos Beltran to the Rangers in a deal centered around former Top 5 draft pick SP Dillon Tate.  The Yankees made a bold move to rebuild and Brian Cashman did an outstanding job getting great value in every trade he made.  More importantly, most of the prospects they got could help the Yankees in the next 2 years to start a quick turnaround in the Bronx.

Texas Rangers- The Rangers really went for it at the deadline, starting by acquiring OF Carlos Beltran from the Yankees, giving up SP Dillon Tate and then following that up with a bombshell, acquiring C Jonathan Lucroy and RP Jeremy Jeffress from the Brewers giving up a package centered around SP Luis Ortiz and OF Lewis Brinson.  Immediately the Rangers have fortified their lineup to be a scary one from 1 through 9.  Adding Jeffress gives them another strong reliever for a bullpen that needed another arm in there.  The only downside was not acquiring a SP, while the Rangers do have Cole Hamels and potentially Yu Darvish leading the rotation in the playoffs, after them, they really are lacking there.  That could be a problem down the stretch.

Chicago Cubs- The Cubs looked to make big changes in their bullpen and really did an outstanding job by first acquiring RP Mike Montgomery from the Mariners, an effective lefty reliever for them in the 7th/8th innings.  Then the Cubs made their big blockbuster trade by acquiring Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees.  While the Cubs have Hector Rendon as their closer, Joe Maddon will have more of a “spot closer” role for both and choose who to close by who is hitting in the 9th.  Then to top everything, the Cubs got sidearm specialist Joe Smith from the Angels to give them a completely different look in the bullpen which really makes their bullpen one of the more intriguing bullpen in terms of depth and styles to choose from.

Milwaukee Brewers- For a team that was one of the bigger sellers, they made out pretty well.  While their original deal with the Indians had a solid return for Jonathan Lucroy, they made out better with Texas getting Luis Ortiz and Lewis Brinson, who are ranked #2 and #3 in Texas’ farm system respectively.  While they probably should’ve gotten Joey Gallo, they still got a good haul for Jeremy Jeffress and Jonathan Lucroy.  They also moved RP Will Smith to the Giants and acquired the Giants 2015 1st Round draft pick SP Phil Pickford and C Andrew Susac, a great replacement for losing Jonathan Lucroy.  They’re laying a good foundation for the future and the next step will probably be trading Ryan Braun in the offseason.

Honorable Mention- Washington Nationals, Oakland A’s


Losers

Miami Marlins- You talk about the most dysfunctional franchise in all of sports, the Marlins gotta rank up there with another disastrous trade deadline.  Their big move was acquiring from San Diego centered around SPs Andrew Cashner and Collin Rea, but Rea hurt himself in his first start with the Marlins and before Monday’s deadline, was traded back to San Diego for one of the prospects the Marlins originally dealt.  Once again the Marlins showing their continued dysfunction and why they are a joke of an organization.  Cashier was a solid upgrade, but not one worth trading multiple top prospects for, including their 2015 1st Round pick 1B Josh Naylor.  Marlins better make the playoffs or else changes in player personnel might be needed in the offseason.

Boston Red Sox- Quite possibly the biggest loser at the deadline, the Red Sox made numerous small moves to help fortify the team, then traded Anderson Espinoza to San Diego for Drew Pomeranz, who is struggling with his new team.  The Red Sox continued to scour the pitching market, then centered in on White Sox ace Chris Sale.  The White Sox asking price was way too high and the Red Sox seemingly continued to try to land him until the end of the deadline.  That backfired on them as they walked away with no other trades after the Pomeranz one.  The Red Sox seemingly valued their top prospects very highly and wouldn’t budge on them to blow away the White Sox to make a deal.  Their consistent activity on Chris Sale cost them big down the stretch at the deadline and might be a big difference on where they end up at the end of the year.

Detroit Tigers- Only 4.5 GB of the Indians and 1 GB of the Wild Card, I’m stunned the Tigers did nothing.  While the Tigers have an offense that’s coming alive and JD Martinez returning just around the corner, I thought the Tigers would go after a SP.  Nothing really materialized and the Tigers didn’t make any deal.  While the Tigers have Michael Fulmer and Justin Verlander, they really needed to find an upgrade for the middle/back end of the rotation.  I felt that Phillies SP Jeremy Hellickson made perfect sense, but obviously a deal couldn’t be reached.  Not making a deal for another starter might come back to bite them.

Los Angeles Angels/Minnesota Twins- I’m talking about in this area the confusing trade made at the last moments before the deadline.  The Angels traded struggling SP Hector Santiago, who actually was drawing interest from multiple teams including Texas and instead flipped him to Minnesota for SPs Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer.  What were these teams thinking?  I mean it’s great for Twins to get rid of Nolasco’s contract, but Meyer is an intriguing arm who just hasn’t figured it out yet.  The Twins might be looking towards 2017 with this move but the trade for both teams is extremely confusing and is an F for both teams.

Honorable Mention- Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros


Hard to Grade

Cleveland Indians- Yes, the Cleveland Indians vastly improved their back end of the bullpen by adding Andrew Miller.  But let’s remind ourselves the Indians traded OF Clint Frazier to get him.  Frazier will be a star in NYY and fans will one day complain about this deal, but the Indians decided to contend right now so to a degree, I understand it.  But the Jonathan Lucroy debacle makes their deadline hard to grade.  Honestly I have no idea how this went down and maybe we won’t ever know, but to lose him and watch him go to Texas while not upgrading the Catcher is a bit of a question mark.  Indians could’ve used another bat and were in on Carlos Beltran and losing out to the Rangers.

  The Indians eventually settled on Rays OF Brandon Guyer, who mashes lefty pitching.  The Indians used this opportunity to finally DFA Juan Uribe and move Jose Ramirez to 3B for what looks to be an every day role.  The Indians do have Brantley returning, but he’s an unknown still coming back from his shoulder injury.  I expect Indians to be active in August Waiver Trade Deadline to find another bat and probably then I’ll feel much better with the Indians activity.

Arizona Diamondbacks- So the most active team at the Winter Meetings goes quiet at the deadline, especially a team that has played not up to expectations.  They sent down SP Shelby Miller, didn’t move him and also couldn’t move Daniel Hudson even though there was plenty of interest.  They moved Tyler Clippard to the Yankees for a minor leaguer which that even confused me.  They’ve continued to struggle this year in almost every aspect with the exception of Paul Goldschmidt.  There really seems to be no direction with this franchise and it leaves a lot of questions to be answered down the line.

Los Angeles Dodgers- Ok I love the fact that they added Rich Hill, although he’s injured and they didn’t trade their top prospects.  But what I didn’t understand is adding Josh Reddick to create a serious log jam in the OF, leaving Yasiel Puig as the odd man out.  Reddick may be an upgrade compared to Puig, but the presence of Puig and his unpredictable attitude could be toxic to the clubhouse.  The Dodgers at the same time to create this log jam paid a pretty good price to get Hill and Reddick, again this is an upgrade that on the field is great, but off the field could be a disaster.  Don’t be stunned if Puig is put up on August Waivers.

Honorable Mention- San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves


Now remember these are initial reactions and all of these will probably change in time.  There were some very good trades that under the radar will be steals of the future and I’ll go over those here in the coming days.  While the Trade Deadline has passed, we now look toward the August Waiver Trading Deadline.  In a simplified explanation, teams must put a player through waivers, then they must clear waivers in order for them to be traded.  We’ve seen trades like the monster trade of Adrian Gonzalez to the Dodgers and for Indians fans, the trade that brought back Jim Thome.  I would expect with some teams not as active at the deadline, there will be activity before that deadline passes as well.  But for now, we’re now into the last 2 months of this 6 month marathon.  It’s not time for the teams that made the investment to win now, to take the next step and start to position themselves as a team for a long postseason run.  Races are far from over and because of the deadline, some division races could either change in the coming weeks or a team can start to run away.  Only time will tell, but as for the trading deadline that now has passed, for the first time in a few years, it didn’t disappoint.

This Week In The Show 7.25.16: Top 5 Trades MLB Fans Want To See

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy


We’re only a week away from the Trade Deadline and things over the weekend have heated with new teams emerging as potential buyers and sellers.  Now with the Trade Deadline a week away, I thought I’d finish up my 3-part series about the trading deadline with 5 deals the fans should be rooting for.  With this article I’m going to throw away my Indians bias and put on my MLB fan cap to find deals that will make the ride into October much more interesting.  I’ll admit most of these trades probably won’t happen, but in my opinion would make other Divisional and potential Pennant races that much more interesting.  So let’s get crazy with this shall we?

Jay Bruce to the Mets- The Mets need offensive help…FAST.  But trivia time!  Who leads the Mets in Avg., HRs, RBIs, Hits, SLG %, and On Base %?  Well there’s one answer…Yoenis Cespedes.  The Mets offense has been so pitiful that they’re relying on James Loney and Jose Reyes to fill the void for them.  That isn’t going to work.  Jay Bruce offers the kind of bat they need in the lineup to protect Cespedes.  Bruce is having a career year and most certainly could be the bat the Mets are looking for.  We know the Mets have the pitching to get the job done, but they need another big bat in this lineup, Jay Bruce offers that.  The Mets could offer up rehabbing SP Zach Wheeler who is young with big league experience that maybe in a year or two could become the pitcher most scouts thought he could become, a potential front of the rotation starter.

Trade Proposal- Mets acquire OF Jay Bruce in exchange Reds acquire SP Zach Wheeler

Chris Archer to the Dodgers- With Clayton Kershaw potentially out for a long time, the Dodgers are left to look at potential options on the market.  While Chris Sale would be a great fit in LA, the Dodgers have enough lefty starters.  Now remember, current LA Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman was the GM of Tampa Bay when they acquired Chris Archer from the Cubs.  We all know the Dodgers have an extremely talented and deep farm system that could easily make a move to get Archer.  Without Kershaw, Archer fits perfectly in LA and if Kershaw comes back this year, Kershaw and Archer will be nightmares for teams.  With Archer being locked up after signing a long term deal with Tampa Bay in 2015, the price will be steep, but the Dodgers can easily afford it.  I could also see Tampa Bay throw in a player to get rid of that might offer Dodgers depth to make another move.

Trade Proposal- Dodgers acquire SP Chris Archer and OF Desmond Jennings in exchange Rays acquire SP Jose De Leon, SP Grant Holmes, OF Starling Heredia

Wade Davis to the Nationals- And just like that…the Nationals get arguably the best closer in baseball.  With a good starting rotation and a solid lineup led by Bryce Harper, the Nationals are sitting pretty at the top of the NL East, only really lacking an elite closer.  While Jonathan Papelbon has done a good job, Wade Davis puts that bullpen over the top.  If the Nationals really want to bring a World Series back to Washington DC for the first time since Walter Johnson pitched them to one in the 1920s, they gotta get that elite closer.  Kansas City is being wise to shop him to replenish a farm system that was sold off last year to get Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist for their World Series run.  Nationals would really need to give a lot up for a rental, but Washington has to realize, to really have a chance to keep Bryce Harper, you gotta go for it to prove to him he should stay.

Trade Proposal- Nationals acquire CP Wade Davis in exchange Royals acquire SP Erick Fedde, OF Andrew Stevenson, and RP Koda Glover

Carlos Beltran to the Indians- While this isn’t the biggest splash in the world, the Indians could really use another bat to bolster their lineup and Beltran fits the mold perfectly.  Having a great season at only 39 years young, Beltran is an experienced veteran who brings a middle of the order presence to the Indians.  More importantly Beltran has a great history performing in big spots in the playoffs.  With the uncertainty of Michael Brantley’s return, Beltran can provide a more stable option offensively playing in the OF.  While he is a downgrade defensively, the Indians need to find another bat as evidenced by the Indians struggles with RISP against the Orioles.  While the Indians need to find a reliever, they must find another bat for the middle of the lineup.

Trade Proposal- Indians acquire OF Carlos Beltran in exchange Yankees acquire SP Mike Clevinger and SS Yu-Cheng Chang

Chris Sale to the Astros- First off, how is no National reporter putting Houston in the mix?  Only 2.5 games back from the Rangers and starting to catch fire, the Astros are a perfect match for Chris Sale.  With 2015 Cy Young winner Dallas Kuechel struggling, they need an ace and Sale gives them that.  The Astros were my Preseason World Series pick and with Chris Sale supported by that Astros lineup…good luck everyone.  Reports have said that teams might have to pay 5 Top prospects, but after Chris Sale’s jersey fiasco Saturday night, the price might come down if the team doesn’t want to handle him anymore.  It will take a lot to get one of the best pitchers in the game and trust me, the Astros have the firepower to get him.

Trade Proposal- Astros acquire SP Chris Sale in exchange White Sox acquire SS Alex Bregman, OF Daz Cameron, SP Francis Martes, OF Derek Fisher, 2B/OF Tony Kemp


Now these trades aren’t predictions, but these are trades every fan should be rooting for to happen.  All of these trades would make the next few months of the baseball season very interesting.  While I don’t expect half of these to even happen, all I know is that these are very realistic scenarios for these players.  That will do it for my Trade Deadline Preview articles, you can bet I’ll have a Post-Trade Deadline article here next week.  We’re already seeing the madness of the Trade Deadline pick up and you can bet as teams finally figure out where they stand as buyers and sellers that the trade market will only intensify with trades we might not see coming.  Trust me we’ve seen trades come out of nowhere before and you can bet with this trade deadline, one thing is for sure, anything can and will happen at this Trade Deadline.

This Week In The Show 7.18.16: MLB Trade Deadline Preview

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy


With the Mid-Summer Classic now past us, the Baseball season now heads into the 2nd Half with quite a few races up for grabs with teams looking to improve.  Teams will be looking to upgrade their teams for the final months of the season by the end of the month at the Trading Deadline.  Fans have been used to in the past having an idea of which teams would be, “buyers” or “sellers” but in an era of having 2 Wild Card teams teams normally don’t have any idea of what their plans are until the last moment.  Unlike previous years though, there seems to be a good number of teams that seem to have their plans made for the deadline and are going through with putting those plans into motion.  With that said this is going to be my MLB Trade Deadline Preview, I’ll be doing a separate Indians deadline preview early next week.

But first let’s quickly mark off one pitcher now off the market

Boston Red Sox acquire SP Drew Pomeranz from San Diego Padres in exchange for SP Anderson Espinoza

Analysis- I LOVE this trade for San Diego.  Boston seems to once again betting on a pitcher finally, “figuring it out” and willing to trade a prized prospect.  They traded Yoenis Cespedes in 2014 offseason for Rick Porcello and that hasn’t worked out the way they hoped.  Pomeranz is in the midst of a breakout season, but remember he was pitching in Petco Park, a very pitcher friendly ballpark.  He now goes to Fenway Park where the ball can fly out of the park.  Pomeranz still struggles with giving up fly balls and playing in Boston might hurt everything he’s been working on in San Diego.  San Diego gets the 18 year old fireballer Anderson Espinoza, one of Boston’s top prospects and Baseball America’s #15 Prospect in Baseball.  While Espinoza is having an average season Low-A Greenville, he’s young and has a ton of potential.  I don’t get why Boston didn’t just make a package with Espinoza for a more proven pitcher like Braves SP Teheran.  I’d give Boston a B- grade and San Diego an A for the deal.


Anyways let’s get into the Trade Deadline Preview.

Buyers

Houston Astros- I wanted to lead with the Indians here but at the last minute after they announced the signing of Cuban sensation 3B Yulieski Gurriel as this puts the Astros are my most intriguing buyer.  The Astros are finally playing the way they should’ve been all year and are poised to make a lot of noise in the 2nd Half.  Gurriel is a Major League ready talent that will be up in the Majors in probably a few weeks.  What makes them interesting is SS prospect Alex Bregman has been tearing up the Minors and is ready to debut at any time now.  Bregman has been rumored that he would move to 3B with Correa at SS.  But the catch is Gurriel is primarily a 3B, now while the Astros have said they won’t move Bregman I’m not buying that one bit.  If an ace pitcher becomes available, why shouldn’t they add a real ace since defending Cy Young winner Dallas Kuechel has struggled all season.  While the Astros have other prospects worth dealing, Bregman can land them their ace, you know…Chris Sale would fit in perfectly in Houston.

Cleveland Indians- The Indians stand in first place in the AL Central and quite a few national writers are starting to prep for a Fall Classic in Cleveland.  The Indians offense has come alive and shown consistency through the first half.  We all know the Indians strength in their Starting Rotation, but it seems the Indians have a major problem in the bullpen.  Cody Allen seems to be okay as the team’s closer, but the Indians need a lefty arm in there that can work in the 8th to setup for Allen.  It seems the Indians are really scouring all options for the bullpen and at least monitoring the hitters on the market to maybe find another bat to put them over the top.

Miami Marlins- Don Mattingly has done an outstanding job in his first year really putting together a very formidable team in the AL East that has them right with the defending NL Champion New York Mets fighting for 2nd behind the Nationals.  They added All-Star RP Fernando Rodney to their bullpen to create a great back end of the bullpen of Rodney and fellow All-Star RP AJ Ramos.  While the Marlins offense and bullpen are pretty much set for a playoff run, they need another arm behind ace Jose Fernandez.  Wei-Yin Chen was expected to be that #2 guy, but hasn’t lived up to his contract.  If they really want to compete with the Mets and Nationals in their division, they must acquire another front of the rotation starter.

Baltimore Orioles- We all know the Orioles have one of the better lineups in the American League and with the emergence of Mark Trumbo to go with Manny Machado, their lineup seems as dangerous as ever.  Not to mention they still got a great bullpen led by Zach Britton, the Orioles should be able to sustain their success in the 2nd Half.  With all that said, the Orioles starting rotation is average to say the least.  Outside of Chris Tillman, the Orioles don’t have a real reliable option in the rotation.  If the Orioles want to continue to hold off Boston and Toronto, they must find another arm to go in their rotation by the deadline.

New York Mets- The defending National League Champions are in quite the interesting spot here.  They already lost 3B David Wright and now have lost SP Matt Harvey for the year.  Coming into the year, it was thought that the Mets rotation and bullpen would carry them to the NL East crown.  Instead it’s been injuries and lack of help behind OF Yoenis Cespedes that is holding them down.  Cespedes has followed up hist 2015 run in the Big Apple with another monster year, yet the Mets need more.  Neil Walker has been a solid addition, yet no David Murphy.  Outside of those two, the Mets next 2 most reliable hitters are James Loney and Asdrubal Cabrera.  Mike Conforto hasn’t lived up to the hype, Lucas Duda has been injured, and Travis D’Arnold is proving to be a mediocre hitting catcher.  The Mets should look to upgrade their Outfield and add another bat to help out Yoenis in the 2nd Half.


Honorable Mention- Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals


Sellers

San Diego Padres- As evidenced by the Drew Pomeranz trade, the fire sale is already underway.  While Pomeranz was one of their more intriguing players on the block, the Padres have numerous others that teams might be interested in.  Wil Myers has been rumored, but for now SD has no intention of trading him.  Melvin Upton is quietly having a great year, but the Padres might need to throw in cash to get a team to trade for him.  Matt Kemp is always an intriguing name, but his contract and his mediocre play make it hard for me to imagine a team trading for Kemp.  Andrew Cashner might have some value, but his decline has hurt the value he had a year ago.  Derek Norris is an intriguing trade option for teams looking for an upgrade at Catcher.

Minnesota Twins- I admit, I never expected the Twins, who took a huge step forward last year to take as huge of a step back this year.  Now the Twins are the worst team in the AL and fighting the Reds and Braves for the worst record in Baseball.  What makes the Twins so intriguing as a seller is that they don’t offer much to begin with as a seller.  While Eduardo Nunez is having a career year, most buyers don’t need an IF like Nunez.  The Twins could put up Kurt Suzuki and Trevor Plouffe, they don’t have a lot of value to begin with.  On the pitching side, it’s just as bad.  Ricky Nolasco has a big contract and really isn’t a great pitcher to begin with.  Ervin Santana may be the Twins best asset.  While he has a big contract, there are teams that will make a good offer to get a veteran starter like Santana to stabilize their rotations for the playoffs.  The Twins can try to be sellers, but reality is there’s not much to sell.

Atlanta Braves- Since April, we’ve known the Braves were going to be sellers at the Trade Deadline, but the question is who is on the market from the Braves?  A month ago it seemed to be a sure thing that SP Julio Teheran would be dealt, but now the Braves seem to be hesitant and have moved other starters like SP Bud Norris instead.  I think after the Pomeranz deal, Teheran staying in Atlanta seems to look better now.  After Teheran, the Braves have hard throwing CP Arodys Vizcaino that could intrigue teams looking for a young reliever.  As for the offensive side, as much as teams may want 1B Freddie Freeman, the Braves won’t deal him.  They still have OF Nick Markakis that could really benefit a team looking for a consistent bat and a great defensive outfielder.  There also have been rumblings of C Tyler Flowers getting moved as well.  Expect the Braves to be active at the deadline.

Cincinnati Reds- Quite possibly the most intriguing team at the Trading Deadline.  The Reds are obviously going to start the rebuilding process here at the deadline, but the question is how much are they going to, “blow it up”?  All talks about the Reds starts with OF Jay Bruce who is having one of his better years.  Teams have already talked to the Reds regarding Bruce and people forget that the Reds did have a deal done with Toronto in Spring Training.  I would expect Bruce dealt by the deadline.  Teams might call on veteran Brandon Phillips, but it looks like the buyers on the market are already set in the middle infield.  Adam Duvall is having a breakout year and teams might be calling, but I doubt he’s moved.  The big question is if someone calls on team icon Joey Votto, do the Reds listen?  My prediction, the Reds will listen on the Votto and don’t rule out maybe a Boston or New York Mets work out a deal.

Honorable Mention- Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland A’s

On The Edge

New York Yankees- The struggle for power of the Yankees is real folks.  GM Brian Cashman sees that the Yankees need to rebuild by trading away one or two of their relievers for prospects in a market where everyone will want their relievers.  Unfortunately Hal Steinbrenner is in his way.  The Yankees will probably play out the week and make their decision then on whether to buy or sell at the deadline.  With Carlos Beltran to go with their relievers, the Yankees have pieces teams could be interested in. 

Colorado Rockies- Surprisingly the Rockies are sitting in 3rd Place in the NL West and 7GB in the NL Wild Card.  Like usual, the Rockies calling card is their stellar offense and their pitching needs help.  I don’t think the Rockies will be buyers, but if they start the 2nd Half strong, they won’t be sellers at the deadline.  Obviously if a Carlos Gonzalez was on the trade market, it would make things very interesting, but Rockies know they can always trade him in the offseason.

Pittsburgh Pirates- The Pirates are very intriguing as they are right in the Wild Card race.  The Pirates are in my opinion at a point where they must retool instead of contend.  I’m not saying rebuild, but because their prized young arms are finally arriving in Pittsburgh.  The Pirates have some nice young players to be excited about but I’d consider some form of retooling the roster that makes the Pirates even better in 2017.

Kansas City Royals- The defending World Champions have had quite the interesting first half.  They’ve suffered through injuries to key players and having to call up unknown players to replace the shoes of key players.  While the Royals sit in 4th in the AL Central, the Royals still think they can make a run.  They really need starting pitching help, but it might cost the rest of the farm system they haven’t traded over the past few years to get that.  The question is will Kansas City mortgage the rest of their future to try to overcome a big deficit in the AL Central?

Honorable Mention- Seattle Mariners


While I know we covered a lot in there, since the introduction of the Wild Card Game and adding a 2nd Wild Card team, teams have proven at the deadline to be indecisive.  Only the teams truly out in front of everyone and those clearly out of it really make deals.  I would expect things to really pick up over the next week as teams start to figure out where they stand and decide what they want to do.  I hope this gives Baseball fans a wide perspective of what to expect at the deadline.  I’ll follow this up in the next few days with my Cleveland Indians Trade Deadline Preview and before the Trade Deadline passes I’ll give you guys the 5 trades I want to see happen.  This is possibly my favorite time of the Baseball season as we finally will start to see which teams are going to make a run for their chance to win the Fall Classic later this year and I’m excited to see what the next few weeks bring us that shape up the hunt for October.