Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

July 28th - Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

There hasn't been a whole lot of change in the Prognostications this week, except for the addition of the Oakland A's and the subtraction of the Chicago White Sox.

American League

The A's get in on the strength of their play lately (11-2 since the All-Star Break) and take over from the Pirates as the uber-sexy pick of the week.

The Tigers on the other hand move from one of the Wild Card spots last week and into the AL Central Divsion winners spot. They swept the White Sox last weekend to reclaim the division lead (a lead they've since let slip away). However the acquisition of Anibal Sanchez from the Marlins should provide a welcome boost to the starting rotation. In the long run they're just a better team than the White Sox.

I'd love to pick the A's to advance past the Angels in the 1 gamer but I can't. The Angels were a better team before acquiring Greinke on Friday night, now they're even tougher. Both of those teams in the West are putting serious pressure on the Rangers up top. The Rangers lead has shrunk to 4 games.

National League

On the senior circuit the bracket looks the exact same. Kudos to the Reds for playing such great baseball without Joey Votto (and kudos to me for putting them into the World Series last week). The Reds have won 8 straight games and are suddenly tied with the Nationals for the best record in the NL (and only one game back of the Yankees for best record in baseball).

The Dodgers, although they didn't make the list this week could soon find themselves changing places with the Giants. It really depends on how well the Hanley Ramirez trade works out. The Dodgers would be in an even greater position to leapfrog the Giants if they got Ryan Dempster in the coming days. For now though the Giants remain the winners of the West.

Zack Greinke, Serial Killer

I'm not judging, well actually I am, but this gem was floating around twitter last night.

Zack Greinke getting a send off from some Brewers teammates. Not the most flattering picture. Could they not have retaken it before posting it for the world to see? Greinke looks deranged ... but maybe he's just happy to be leaving the Brewers.

Greinke off to the AL West

According to ESPN.com the Milwaukee Brewers are set to trade SP Zack Greinke to the Los Angeles Angels. Greinke has been the source of many trade rumors leading up to the July 31st Trade Deadline but the Brewers made an effort to re-sign him in recent days. Clearly those talks went nowhere and the Brewers felt the best move would be to trade Greinke.

Greinke returns to the AL after spending the last year and a half in the NL. Prior to his time with the Brewers Greinke spent 7 seasons pitching for the Kansas City Royals including the 2009 season when he was the AL Cy Young winner.

The Angels are in need of rotation help as Ervin Santana is struggling mightily this season. Through 19 starts and 111 IP Santana has an ERA of exactly 6.

MLB Power Rankings

It's that time of week again. With so many trades occurring in the last few days there has been some shake up in the Rankings and we'll likely see further change in the coming weeks as teams position themselves for a run at October or a run at a higher draft pick.

This weeks big gainers were, of course, the Oakland A's. They've won 6 straight games, including a 4 game sweep of the Yankees on the weekend, and have joined even with the Angels for 2nd in the West (and for the lead in the Wild Card race). They moved up 6 spots from 16th.

Conversely the Angels fell from grace a little bit this week and dropped 3 spots, out of the Top 5, and into 8th. They're still a good team but after a 3-4 week and so many other teams playing better than them at the moment a drop was necessary.

The other big gainers of the week were the Detroit Tigers (who also jumped 6 spots) and are now tied with the White Sox for 1st in the Central. The Orioles also regained some of the ground they lost last week and moved back up 4 spots. Injuries haven't hurt that team as much as they should have as they posted a 5-2 week.

The other big losers of the week were the White Sox (-7) and the Mets (-5). They turned in 2-5 and 1-6 week's respectively and have each fallen out of the Top 10 in recent weeks. The White Sox biggest problem was the sweep they suffered at the hands of their division rival Tigers over the weekend. It showed many baseball fans what we've been expected all season, a team that will dominate the Central. The White Sox did pull back into a tie for the lead though so such a drastic drop was also forced by teams in the Top 10 playing better baseball than the White Sox and likely having more staying power in the rankings.

Let's get on with them.

1. New York Yankees (58-39) Last week: 1 - They acquired Ichiro from the Mariners to replace Brett Gardner who is lost for the season but they just lost A-Rod to a broken hand. How long can they stay on top?

2. Texas Rangers (57-39) Last week: 2 - Josh Hamilton has knocked in only 24 runs in his last 42 games. He's still managed to hold onto the MLB lead (now tied with Miguel Cabrera at 81).

3. Washington Nationals (57-39) Last week: 3 - Just lost team HR leader, SS Ian Desmond, to a left oblique injury. It's bad timing for an offense that's already struggling.

4. Cincinnati Reds (57-40) Last week: 6 - Despite being without MVP Candidate Joey Votto the Reds have won six straight and opened up a 2.5 game lead over the Pirates in the Central.

5. Detroit Tigers (52-45) Last week: 11 - It took almost 4 months but it appears that the team everyone expected in Spring Training has finally arrived. A weekend sweep of the White Sox has vaulted them into 1st.

Marlins trade 3B Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers

In the off-season the Miami Marlins stole all the headlines. They dropped Florida and became Miami. Construction was completed on a new, expensive, retractable roof stadium. They unveiled a new look, debuting four new uni's, in this brilliant new stadium. Then came the spending. The Marlins lavished millions upon millions on free agents, attracting some of the biggest names available to South Beach. They signed Heath Bell, Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes, among others. The latter forced the move of Hanley Ramirez to 3B, something he made very public he was not interested in. It was supposed to be a grand coming out party for the newly dubbed Miami Marlins. Instead things have gone terribly wrong.

Early Tuesday morning Ramirez was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers along with reliever Randy Chaote for SP Nathan Eovaldi and a minor leaguer.

It's a shocking move, even amidst rumors teams were lining up to acquire the SS turned 3B.

The Dodgers made their own headlines early in the season when an ownership group, lead by Magic Johnson, purchased the team from Frank McCourt. The winning big was reported to be over $2 billion.

Surprisingly the Dodgers have had a good season, much of it in first place in the NL West. They've struggled recently falling 2.5 games back of rival their, state and division, rival San Francisco Giants.

The offense has been the Dodgers achilles heel all season ranking at or near the bottom is virtually every major offensive category.

The addition of Ramirez should help, although it didn't do the Marlins much good for the first 4 months of the season. The Marlins were among the worst offenses in baseball along with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers new ownership made it clear they were willing to spend money from the very beginning and now they've dropped a ton more cash. Ramirez is due $15.5 million in 2013 and $16 million in 2014. The Dodgers are assuming the entire contract with no financial remuneration from the Marlins.

It's a surprising turn of events involving two of the franchises who made some of the biggest splashes in the off-season. Many would have expected their records to be reversed and the Marlins the buyers and Dodgers the sellers at the deadline.

It's funny how the best laid plans often change once the games are played. Ramirez and Reyes on the left side of the Marlins infield looked as though it was a sure thing. Anything is far from sure in MLB. That much is definite.

Pirates Acquire Wandy Rodriguez from Astros

It seems as though every day the Houston Astros are trading another piece off their Major League roster. The Majors worst team is at it once again this time trading Wandy Rodriguez to their division rival Pittsburgh Pirates.

Rodriguez was signed to a 3-year deal before the 2011 season and has a player option for the 2014 season. As a part of the deal the Pirates could recoup as much as $17.7 million from the Astros. Houston will pay half of the $3.4 million Rodriguez is owed this season and $8.5 of the $13 million he's owed in 2013. Should Rodriguez exercise his $14 million player option in 2014, something that seems highly likely at this point, the Astros would pay $7.5 million of it.

It seems like an awful lot of money to hand to the Pirates over a pitcher they could have likely dealt to another team without having to throw in so much money.

It's a very similar move to the one the Pirates made in March to acquire A.J. Burnett from the Yankees. At the time Burnett has two years remaining on his deal and was owed $33 million. The Yankees agreed to ship Burnett to the Pirates along with $20 million to help pay for his New York exit.

It seems teams are really interested in paying the Pirates to take players off their hands. The Pirates couldn't be happier. They're getting talented players at well below market value. It's helping them push the Reds in the NL Central and a host of other teams in the Wild Card as the Pirates look to make the playoffs for the first time since 1992.

In return the Astros will receive minor league pitchers Rudy Owen and Colton Cain, as well as outfielder Robbie Grossman.

It's likely the Astros were willing to send so much cash to the Pirates because of these prospects. All three rank among the Top 20 Prospects in the Pirates system, however none of them rank among the Top 100 Prospects in Baseball.

It's a good move for the Pirates simply because they did not have to part with Top Prospects Jameson Taillon or Geritt Cole. Trade rumors suggested that the Pirates would need to part with one of them in order to acquire pitching at this years deadline.

Wandy Rodriguez doesn't possess the best arm of the available pitchers however acquiring him didn't force the Pirates to mortgage their future as well. A solid move all around for both the Pirates and Astros.

Yankees Acquire Ichiro from Mariners

Ichiro is now a Yankee. That's old news already, even though it was reported less than half an hour ago.

Since Brett Gardner went down for the season the Yankees had a need for a (semi) speedy corner outfielder. Unfortunately Ichiro isn't the same player he once was. The now 38-year RF is certainly in the twilight of his career, accepting a trade to the Yankees to facilitate a chance at a World Series ring. A wise move for Ichiro and an honorable move by the Mariners to allow their star the opportunity to leave in search of that ring. The Mariners aren't going to win a World Series in the next two seasons (the likely amount of time Ichiro has left).

So what does the future hold for Ichiro?

Here's an early prediction for you. Ichiro plays out the year with the Yankees. If all goes right by the time he becomes a free agent in November he can add World Series Champion to his long list of accomplishments. Once he hits the free agent market he signs back with the Mariners and finishes his career in the only city he's known (until today).

That's the fairy tale ending.

The only thing stopping it from coming true is the Yankees performance come October.

Boston Red Sox: Time for Tough Decisions

The MLB Trade Deadline is quickly approaching and the Boston Red Sox find themselves consistently flirting with the .500 mark. After Sunday's loss the Red Sox found themselves swept away - at home no less - by the division rival Blue Jays. The Jays came into Fenway having been swept be the East leading Yankees and looked primed to take a pounding. Instead it was the Red Sox pitching staff who took the beating.

GM Ben Cherington has nine days left to figure out what to do with this team. Does he try to add to the roster and make a run at one of the Wild Card spots? The Red Sox are within striking distance afterall finding themselves 3.5 back. On the flip side of that there are 8 teams all within that same distance of the two Wild Card spots. The Red Sox have, as one would expect, almost a .500 record against those teams (25-26). This team, which is largely the same in 2012, blew a massive lead in the Wild Card in 2011. The result was wholesale changes on the management side of things. It could be time to look at the players themselves and make wholesale changes on the field.

If Cherington decides to add to the team, what are moves are likely? Adding pitching help seems the most likely. The likes of Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Zack Greinke and Cole Hamels are going to command top level prospects - something the Red Sox don't have a lot of - and are going to have a number of contenders bidding for their services. It then begs the question who gets bumped from the rotation should the Sox acquire one of these starters? Franklin Morales has already been bumped back to the bullpen despite being one of the Red Sox stronger options the last month or so. The likely candidates become Aaron Cook or Felix Doubront. It would seem unwise to drop one of those two guys from the rotation as they both possess earned run averages lower than the other Red Sox starters, Beckett, Lester and Buchholz, who are supposed to be the ace. Doubront has a 4.24 ERA, Cook has a 3.50 ERA. While they're not spectacular numbers they're better than the 4.53, 5.46 and 5.19 ERAs put up by Beckett, Lester and Buchholz respectively. It seems highly unlikely that, despite their awful performances this season, that either of those three would be bumped to the bullpen.

No, adding pitching doesn't really help the team unless those three start pitching better.

The solution then becomes a clear one, even if it is not simple. Blowup this roster and start again.

The Yankees are running away with the division and although they have an aging roster they have a number of talented young pitchers that will anchor their rotation (injured Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova) into the future. They'll always have the money to acquire offense if their current stars begin to falter.

The Orioles have had a wonderful season and continue to stay alive in the playoff chase despite injuries and and ranking in the bottom third in offensive and pitching categories. While they may not pose a legitimate threat this season they're certainly an up and coming squad.

The Rays have a ton of young starting pitchers and could leverage any of them and turn them into the offense they've been desperately lacking this season. Or they could just wait it out and see what happens when 3B Evan Longoria returns (he's been out since May 1st with a hamstring injury). They're a team that has made the playoffs in 3 of the last 4 seasons and were considered to be a threat to win the division this season.

Just like the Red Sox the Blue Jays have floated around .500 for most of the season. However they are a much younger team and have suffered injuries three of their five starters, two of which are season ending. Their offense is young and consistently improving. While they might not make the playoffs this season they're a team that's going to contend very, very soon.

Where does that leave the Red Sox? They have a number of large contracts with aging stars. Aside from 3B Will Middlebrooks (23) and SP Felix Doubront (24) there isn't much youth on the Major League roster. Their "stars" are all approaching 30 or older. In August Crawford will turn 31, Pedroia will turn 29 and Buchholz will turn 28. In September Ellsbury will turn 29. Gonzalez and Beckett are both 30+. Lester is 28. They do not have a single prospect in MLB's Top 100. C Ryan Lavarnway is pretty much Major League ready, one of their few prospects that is, and he's going to be 25. There's a lot of money tied up in aging stars and not a lot of youth to infuse into the roster.

Realistically the Red Sox do not appear talented enough to make a long run into October. They certainly possess the ability to sneak into one of the Wild Cards and maybe they win the one game playoff. Assuming they could do that they'd likely find themselves up against the two-time defending AL Champion Texas Rangers, a far superior club (the Sox open a three game series in Texas on Monday).

It'd be a tough sell to the players, fans and media but it certainly seems as though this Red Sox team needs a revamp.

Josh Beckett and Jon Lester have been downright awful this season. Over the weekend both pitched against the Blue Jays and both lost. Beckett allowed 4 ER (5 total runs) over 6 innings on Friday night. He took the loss as the Red Sox fell 6-1. On Sunday Lester took to the mound have owned the Jays in his career. He allowed a career high 11 ER in 4 innings including 4 home-runs. Neither will have the kind of trade value they should possess because of their rough seasons. With some many teams in contention this season though it's possible Cherington could unload both of them for teams desperate for pitching. However unlike other options available through trade both Beckett and Lester are signed through 2014. If a team is wary to acquire a Dempster, Garza, Greinke or Hamels because of pending free agency Beckett and/or Lester could be an intriguing option.

DH David Ortiz is having a great season. His contract runs out at the end of the 2012 season. Any team looking for middle of the order power would sure love to get their hands on Ortiz. He's had a wonderful run in Boston but at 36 (37 in the off-season) he simply does not fit into the Red Sox long-term plans. He definitely should be shopped around.

The tougher decisions come with the likes of Ellsbury, Crawford and Gonzalez.

Can the Red Sox afford to sign Ellsbury to a long-term deal. More importantly, do they want to? His 2011 season was the best of his career but otherwise he's been injured. He's a great talent and could bring a lot in return if he can continue to hit before the deadline.

Crawford and Gonzalez are both signed to long-term contracts through 2017 and 2018, respectively. Their were rumors swirling around last week that the Red Sox were in talks with the Marlins about a trade involving Crawford and Hanley Ramirez. Ben Cherington shot those rumors down insisting that Crawford is and would continue to be the Red Sox LF. Gonzalez on the other hand has seemingly lost his power since joining the Red Sox last season. In the spacious Petco Park in San Diego Gonzalez had four straight seasons of 30+ HRs. Fans salivated over the prospect of what he'd accomplish in a much smaller Fenway. The results haven't been good. Between two seasons, totaling 252 games, with the Red Sox Gonzalez has only managed to knock out 36 HRs total. They wouldn't be easy contracts to move and neither players hold the value that was expected of them when they signed these massive deals.

There are other pieces that could easily be moved but wouldn't bring a whole lot back in return. Pieces in the bullpen could be had, guys like Matt Albers, Andrew Miller, Vincente Padilla and Alfredo Aceves are expendable. OF Cody Ross has had a strong season but is only signed for 2012. Despite missing time on the DL Ross has hit 16 HR. A team looking for a corner outfielder with some pop would like send a decent prospect in return. Guys like Ryan Sweeney, Mike Aviles, Nick Punto, Kelly Shoppach and even Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Aaron Cook aren't likely to figure in any long-term plans or success. For the right price they could be available too.

It's not a simple choice but it is a necessary one. This team has proven time and time again that they are not a true contender. They are far too inconsistent and likely to be passed by all four teams in their division.

Blowing up the roster and spending a few years in the basement of the AL East may not be a popular decision but ultimately it is what is best for the club.

Astros Continue Fire Sale, Myers to White Sox

The fire sale continues in Houston as the Astros have completed their second trade in as many days. After sending three players to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday the Astros traded closer Brett Myers to the White Sox on Saturday.

In return the Astros will receive two minor league players and a player to be named later.

This season Myers has pitched exclusively out of the pen after starting 33 each of the last two seasons. He has converted 19 or 23 save opportunities with a 3.52 ERA. He's struck out 20 batters while walking 6 in 30.2 IP.

It was a move the makes a lot of sense for the White Sox. Before acquiring Myers the Sox only had one veteran (Matt Thornton) in their pen. The rest of the pen consisted of extremely green rookies (all with less than 50 career IP).  As a group they rank 11th in the AL in bullpen ERA.

The White Sox currently lead the AL Central by a half game over the surging Detroit Tigers.

Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

July 21st - Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

Each week leading up to the MLB Playoffs we'll predict who will advance just to see how much things change over the course of the season. There is no method to the madness just sheer, extremely early, predictions.

American League

The best two teams right now are the Yankees and the Rangers. I don't see that changing much throughout the rest of the season. I think both of those teams will finish 1-2 in the American League. However I worry they'll slip up once there. The Yankees are an old team and the rigors of a 162 game schedule will begin to wear upon them. The Rangers however are still strong enough to advance to the ALCS. Making three straight World Series' though, seems nearly impossible in this day and age. The White Sox will hold off the Tigers in the Central, although that could change very soon. The Tigers will take one of the two Wildcards but lose the one game playoff to the Angels. I like the Angels very much this season. With some additions at the deadline I think they could be the teams to beat this season in the AL. Hence I have them advancing to the World Series.

I would have loved to include both the Red Sox and A's but I just couldn't bring myself to putting either of them in over the likes of the Angels and Tigers. 

National League

The Nationals better figure out something with Stephen Strasburg. Cutting him off at 160 IP will mean his season will be over at the beginning of September (ish). I understand you don't want to risk long-term injury to their ace but imagine making the playoffs and telling him he can't pitch? It's going to be tough. They do have enough pitching to win the division though and should secure the top spot in the NL. I think the Giants and Reds will survive battles within their respective divisions. The Braves are starting to play really well and look like they could provide the Nationals a serious threat in the East. I like the Pirates too much to not pick them to make the playoffs. However it will be as one of the Wildcards and they'll lose to the stronger Braves. I don't really see a strong team in the NL like I do in the AL. The Nationals would be my World Series pick if Strasburg was available. I think it becomes a real toss up. For now I'll take the Reds to advance to the World Series, but they could definitely use some pitching help.

The Dodgers are just not good enough to beat the Giants. Tim Lincecum has started to turn things around and that makes the Giants even more formidable. I don't think many other teams have a legitimate shot at the playoffs.

Blue Jays, Astros Open Trading Season with 10 Player Deal

On Friday the Toronto Blue Jays acquired J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon and David Carpenter. In return the Astros received Francisco Cordero, Ben Fransisco, 4 Minor Leaguers (3 pitchers and a catcher), and a player to be named later.

While it's nice to see teams making moves this particular trade, although large in the number of players, lacks any big names or star power.

Many expected the Astros to clean house as they own the worst record in the Majors and are looking to rebuild.

On the other side of the trade the Jays have been forced to endure numerous injuries to their pitching staff, both in the rotation and in the bullpen.

The interest piece of the deal is J.A. Happ. The Blue Jays originally inquired about his services when they were trying to trade Roy Halladay to the Phillies when former GM J.P. Riccardi was in charge. At the time the Phillies did not want to include Happ. I believe that was back in 2009 when Happ had a 2.93 ERA over 166 IP. Happ was subsequently traded in 2010 in the Roy Oswalt deal.

In parts of three seasons with the Astros Happ has made 59 starts, pitched 332.2 innings and holds a 4.84 ERA.

It's probably a good thing the Blue Jays acquired him now and not as a part of the Halladay deal.

Cubbies, Dodgers Talking Dempster Deal

As is the case this time of year players names and teams are thrown around, linked and rumored to be talking. A lot of it never leads anywhere, a lot of it is just that, talking.

But sometimes the talks progress into something real. It seems as though there is some truth to the rumors that the Cubs and Dodgers have had preliminary (and positive) talks regarding one of the most sought after pitchers this trade deadline: Ryan Dempster.

Dempster will be a free agent at the end of the season and has the ability to block any deal. He has said that he'd be willing to waive his no-trade clause in order to go to a contender.

The Dodgers desperately need help as theirr fall down the NL West standings (currently 2.5 back of the Giants) continues.

The offense is the major problem ranking near the bottom of the NL in most offensive categories. It is an area of concern that will surely need addressing if the Dodgers hope to make October. Pitching has been the strength of this team and it seems rather curious they would engage in talks for Dempster. The staff has the second best ERA (3.28) behind only the Nationals. However Chad Billingsley was recently DL'd with elbow inflammation. Another starter, Ted Lilly, is on the 60-day DL. Because of the injuries the Dodgers have been forced to turn to rookies Stephen Fife (who just made his first career start) and Nathan Eovaldi (who has less than 100 career IP). An added veteran presence, the likes Dempster, would surely help the Dodgers.

However without any offensive upgrades this team will continue to struggle.

Also it is still very early in the discussion. The Cubs aren't likely to make a deal 11 days before the deadline unless they are blown away. They know full well there's a whole host of clubs lining up to battle for Dempster and his 1.86 ERA.

Try as you might, Dodgers. You need all the help you can right now.

Five Players Who Should Be Traded ...

... But (likely) won't be.

With 13 days before the 2012 Trade Deadline here are five guys that could/should/would benefit from being traded by their current clubs. That or they should be traded for the sheer fact that they no longer fit on their current roster. In no particular order.

Mariners RF Ichiro

The Mariners are not going to be contending for a World Series any time soon. Ichiro isn't the same dynamic player he once was. A trade to a contender in hopes of a World Series ring is a chance that Ichiro deserves. He's done a lot for the game since arriving in Seattle in 2001 and even though seeing him don another uniform would be weird at first it'd feel oh so right if it got him a ring.

Rays SP James Shields

Trading James Shields makes sense for the Rays for two reasons: first he's under conrol until 2014 (unlike many other SP available) and second he could bring a lot in return to a team that needs offense. Shields is a proven competitor that's been pitching in the tough AL East for years now. He's due $9 million with a $1.5 million buyout in 2013 and $12 mil ($1 mil buyout) for 2014. For those teams that aren't willing to trade top prospects for a half season rental player he's an attractive option. The Rays also have Wade Davis sitting the in pen. Davis made 29 starts in each of 2010 and 2011 before being forced to the pen this season. He could slot right into the rotation to replace Shields.

Rockies 1B Todd Helton

 Just like Ichiro before him Helton deserves another shot at a World Series Ring. He hasn't been the same player he once was since 2005 and has been declining ever since. He's going to be 40 next season and his career is winding down. Surely some contender would be interested in his services, potentially as a DH. He is currently on the DL but that doesn't stop him from being traded. What does is Helton's willingness to leave the only organization he's played for.

Phillies SP Roy Halladay

Halladay just returned from the DL on Tuesday and pitched 5 innings in a win over the Dodgers. The Phillies should try to trade Halladay and not trade Cole Hamels. The money freed up from Halladay being trade could be used to re-sign Hamels. Halladay won't bring as much back in return because of his age (35) but he does have two more years (at $20 mil a season) left on his deal. The Phillies are an old team that need to reload. Trading Hamels and keeping Halladay doesn't make much sense to me unless they're sure they can't re-sign Hamels.

Red Sox SP Josh Beckett

Beckett needs to go. Boston needs an ace and Beckett just isn't that guy. He's not a particularly consistent pitcher. He does make a lot of trips to the DL and he's owed a lot of money ($31.5 million through 2014). However with so many teams in contention for the playoffs there's someone out there willing to trade for a guy with two World Series rings. The Red Sox are looking for pitching help themselves so it seems counter intuitive to trade Beckett but a change of scenery could be good for both parties. At 32 Beckett is a younger option than Roy Halladay and comes slightly cheaper.


I'd be a little surprised if any of these five guys were actually traded by their respective teams. But if they do get traded it'll make a lot of sense.

MLB Power Rankings

MLB's first week back after the All-Star Break and there is a new #1 in town, the New York Yankees. On the strength of a 4-1 start to the second half the Yankees have rose to the top of the chart replacing the Texas Rangers who held a two week reign.

The biggest gainers were the Tigers and Braves who moved up 5 and 4 spots respectively. The Tigers are finally starting to look like the team that many predicted they'd be before the season started. On an 8-2 stretch the Tigers have risen to 3 games above .500 and see themselves 3.5 back in the Central entering play today. The Braves, also on an 8-2 run, have climbed closer to the Nationals in the East sitting 3.5 games back.

The big losers of the week were the Orioles and Mets who dropped 5 and 6 spots respectively. Both teams are on 3-7 stretches and have fallen out of 2nd place in each of the leagues East divisions. After Cinderella first halves reality may finally be hitting these squads. The O's dropped all the way down to 18th after sitting 7th just two weeks ago. The Mets were also in the Top 10 last week (#9) have fallen out and into 15th.

On to the rest of the rankings.

1. New York Yankees (56-34) Last week: 2 - People worry about their aging stars but what about Granderson and Cano who are taking the torch, they're both 30+?

2. Texas Rangers (55-35) Last week: 1 - Josh Hamilton is having a tough time at the plate the last few months. In April and May combined he hit .368 with 21 HR. So far for June at July he's at .206 and 7.

3. Washington Nationals (52-36) Last week: 3 - The Nationals lead in the East has dropped to 3.5 over the Braves. It's their smallest lead in almost a month (June 22nd).

4. Chicago White Sox (50-40) Last week: 5 - The White Sox have been playing well lately but their bullpen could be their doom if they don't acquire some veterans. They have six relievers who have less than 50 career innings pitched.

5. Los Angeles Angels (50-41) Last week: 4 - The Angels need to play better on the road if they are going to catch the Rangers in the West. Currently they sit at 25-23 away from Angels Stadium.

Two Hole Hitters Dominate Headlines at Fenway

Monday Night at Fenway Park sees the White and Red Sox begin a 4-game set. It's a pretty big series for both clubs as they look to continue their strong starts to the second half. Both teams are in playoff contention and it is always important to beat those you're competing against for playoff positioning. The White Sox currently lead the AL Central by 3.5 games while the Red Sox sit a game and a half back in the Wild Card chase.

But who am I kidding, no one cares about that right now.

The big story line going into Monday's contest is the return of two players, coincidentally, both hitting in the 2 spot for their respective teams.

Former Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis returns for the first time since being traded by the Red Sox on June 24. In recent days Red Sox Manager Bobby Valentine criticized Youkilis for his inability to move past negative comments Valentine made in April.

In the home dugout LF Carl Crawford returns to the Red Sox lineup, playing in his first meaningful game since last September when the Red Sox officially completed an historic collapse and missed out on the playoffs.

Both players will be crucial to their teams success in the remaining months and realistically this one game will have little impact on the season as a whole.

But it sure is interesting for the media and fans to talk about. 

Sergio Santos Done for the Season

The Blue Jays pitching staff suffered another blow on Sunday officially losing closer Sergio Santos for the remainder of the season.

Santos was acquired by the Blue Jays in an off-season trade with the Chicago White Sox.

He struggled early in the season for the Jays and hasn't pitched since April 20th. He had been on the DL with right shoulder inflammation.

During a throwing session he felt pain in his throwing shoulder and has opted for surgery, ending his season.

No date has been set for the surgery as of yet and the exact nature of the injury has yet to be disclosed.

Valentine Takes Another Shot at Youkilis

It was bad enough when Bobby Valentine decided to question Kevin Youkilis' dedication when he was actually a Red Sox player.

Now Valentine and has gone and stuck his foot in his mouth again regarding Youkilis.

Valentine blamed Youkilis for their poor relationship over their few months together.

"I think the comment I made early, he made a big issue about and I don't think he ever wanted to get over it."

The timing is intriguing as Youkilis is set to return to Fenway Park as a member of the Chicago White Sox on Monday.

Maybe Valentine should employ the old adage "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". It seems all the things he has to say about Youkilis are negative and frankly Kevin is a well respected player. It can't make current Red Sox players feel especially good about their manager.

You just wonder what Valentine hopes to accomplish by saying these things ...

UPDATE at 2:51 p.m.

When asked about Valentine's comments Youkilis had this to say, ''I got nothing about any of that stuff. I'm over all the Boston thing of this year. There is a lot of great past history, but the focus is on the White Sox.''

Some Guy Tries to Sell Shapiro Indians Tickets

So I just came across this gem on Twitter.

I guess the whoever the guy was didn't recognize the Indians President, Mark Shapiro.

You can't really blame the guy for trying to sell Indians tickets to a father at a baseball game but now his foolishness has been published for all the world to see.

I wonder where the seats were and how much the guy wanted for them.

Everyone Enjoys a Good Freezie

Yep, that's right freezie's are delicious ... especially on a hot day. What better way to enjoy a cold piece of colored ice than hitting a HR first.

That's what Yankees CF Curtis Granderson did today following his go ahead 2 run HR. The Yankees beat the Angels 5-3 today.

This is an old image but I can see an emerging trend here.

Granderson must lead the league in frozen treats eaten after hitting a HR.

Blue Jays Extend Encarnacion

On Thursday the Toronto Blue Jays announced that they have inked 29 year old DH Edwin Encarnacion to a 3 year extension worth $27 million (plus a club option for a 4th year at $10 mil). Encarnacion was due to be a free agent at the end of the season.

Encarnacion is having a great start to the 2012 campaign having mashed 23 HRs going into the All-Star Break. He's already nearing his career high in that total (26 back in '08) and has provided solid protection in the lineup for slugging RF Jose Bautista. 

On the surface it seems like a good move, but is it really?

The deal brings back memories of the deal Adam Lind signed after his career season in 2009, granted Lind's contract was much more manageable at 4 years and $18 million.

Here's the problem. It wasn't all that long ago that Encarnacion was put on waivers and free for any Major League team to pick up.

"We’re fairly confident that he will clear," GM Alex Anthopolous said in July of 2010.

He did.

Later in 2010 the Blue Jays put him on waivers once again, this time the Oakland A's claimed him (he subsequently returned as a free agent later that off-season).

Anthopolous has been very smart thus far as the GM of the Blue Jays but this move could hurt end up hurting the club over the next few seasons. It's a particularly interesting signing because of the expiring contract. Anthopolous could have leveraged Encarnacion's fast start and dealt him at the deadline and potentially brought in some young inexpensive talent.
 
$9 million a season doesn't sound like a lot for the production Encarnacion has been providing and should it continue it'll be a bargain. However that money could have been used in free agency to sign a more reputable and established slugger.

The question becomes does Encarnacion continue to be the hitter with a .947 OPS and on pace for 40+ HR as he has been thus far this season or does he revert back to the career .805 OPS hitter who'll hit around 20? I guess we'll find out in the next 3 and a half seasons.

MLB Power Rankings

With the All-Star Game now in the books we know that the NL will once again have home field advantage in the World Series. The second half is set to begin tomorrow and this is how the teams stack up as things kick back off.

For the second week in a row the top 4 teams remain the same with the Texas Rangers leading the way atop the rankings. The biggest movers of the week were the Pittsburgh Pirates who jumped from the 14 spot to the 6th spot. Powered by an 8-2 stretch the Pirates entered the All-Star Break in first place in the NL Central and look to make the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. The biggest drop came from the Baltimore Orioles. They continue to hold onto second place in the AL East but look destined to fall back. They are the only team in the division that holds a negative run differential. Let's get on with the rest of the rankings.

1. Texas Rangers (52-34) Last week: 1 - The Rangers are one powerful team. They have 7 players on their roster who have clubbed at least 9 HRs this season including MLB leader Josh Hamilton (27).

2. New York Yankees (52-33) Last week: 2 - The Yankees entered the All-Star break with the best record in baseball, percentage points ahead of the Rangers.

3. Washington Nationals (49-34) Last week: 3 - The Nats will likely need to find some offense if they wish to continue as NL East leaders. They rank 1st in team ERA but only 20th in runs scored in MLB.

4. Los Angeles Angels (48-38) Last week: 4 - Rookie Mike Trout has been a beast this season. Already a favorite for Rookie of the Year some are predicting he'll also win MVP. He leads the AL in RC27 at 9.12.

5. Chicago White Sox (47-38) Last week: 8 - Quietly the White Sox have opened up a three game lead in the Central and going into last weekend swept the Rangers in a 3 game set.

Cano Boo-ing Could Lead to Changes

According to Jayson Stark over on ESPN Bud Selig and Major League Baseball didn't take too kindly to the Kansas City Royals fans boo-ing Robinson Cano in Monday Night's Home Run Derby.

The fans let Cano hear it when he was announced and subsequently on every out he made in the Home Run Derby. Much to the delight of the fans Cano finished with a grand total of 0 Home Runs.

Cano sparked the ire of the fans after he did not select hometown favorite, and the only Royal in the All-Star Game, DH Billy Butler for the Derby.

The reaction from fans on Twitter was divided as well with some fans felling it was disgraceful while others thoroughly enjoyed the reaction.

According to Commissioner Selig MLB could discuss changing the Home Run Derby in the off-season to reserve a spot for a hometown player (next year would mean a N.Y. Met).

Truthfully it is an overreaction by Selig and would be a silly rule to put in place. What would happen if the Miami Marlins were hosting the All-Star Game this season? Technically they did not have an All-Star after Giancarlo Stanton was replaced because of injury. Would you have forced the NL to take another Marlin? Or image the Padres were hosting. Their home run leader is Chase Headley. He has 8, count'em 8, dingers this season. How much fun would that be for fans watching on television? It also doesn't stop the fans from booing any of the other contestants.

The Home Run Derby is already becoming a stale event. The fans booing Cano at Kauffman Stadium on Monday Night was a breath of fresh air. Baseball would be silly to try to take that away, after all I'm sure they got a ratings boost once Twitter exploded.

Fans at the HR Derby in KC Boo Cano

It's been awhile since I have seen something divide people so cleanly without any shade of grey as the booing of Robinson Cano in the HR Derby tonight in Kansas City.

On Twitter the reaction was swift and very differentiated. Here are a few of the comments.

 People really hated that the fans in KC booed Cano or they really loved it. The fans paid their money and are more than welcome to respond however they please. They were not pleased that Cano didn't pick the only Royals player in the All-Star Game, Billy Butler, to participate in the Derby. They booed him because of it. They booed every out he made. They cheered, loudly, when he finished his round with exactly 0 HRs. However you feel about it you cannot deny that it energized the HR Derby, something the event has been lacking since Josh Hamilton's 28 HR round in 2008.

MLB All-Star Game: Do You Care?

I certainly don't.

It seems as though more and more Americans are agreeing with me as well.

In 2011 the Major League Baseball All-Star Game had an average of 11 million viewers. That was down from 12.1 million in 2010. In 2009 and 2008 the average viewership was 14.6 and 14.5 million viewers respectively.

The highest viewership for the All-Star Game was back in 1976 when the game got 36.3 million viewers. Ever since that time the average viewership has steadily declined.

It's not just MLB either. I am not a fan of any of the "all-star" games (in the NFL it would be the Pro Bowl). I think they're all a waste of time.

Adding the gimmick of the winning league getting home field advantage in the World Series is the most ridiculous thing any sport has ever come up with. Why on Earth would a meaningless exhibition game played in July hold a greater weight that a 162 game schedule that covers (sometimes) March to (sometimes) October? I have no idea and I am amazed that the rule still lives today. Obviously the thinking was, after the tie in 2002, players and managers would try harder to win the game. I don't think that has been the case and the numbers certainly show that fans have lost interest in the gimmick.

Please, Bud Selig be a pioneer and cancel the Midsummer Classic.

All-Star Break Awards

Alright so there won't be any meaningful baseball for 5 days (don't try to feed me the "All-Star game has meaning" speech, who are you, Bud Selig?). As we've reached the mid-ish point of the season let's look back on the first half and give out some hardware, shall we?

AL Rookie of the Year

L.A Angels OF Mike Trout

Mike Trout, OF L.A. Angels. Plain and simple. Since the 20 year old was called up from AAA Salt Lake on April 28th all he's done is hit and all the Angels have done is win. Since Trout's arrival the Angels are 42-24 (they were 6-14 before). Some might argue that the Angels rise also coincided with Albert Pujols finding his stride at the plate and while that may also be true you can't take anything away from Trout. He leads all qualified MLB Rookies in, virtually, every major category. He's been the Angels lead-off hitter in all but one game and has done everything you could possibly ask for. He is 3rd in all of baseball with a 9.12 Runs Created/27 outs (behind only Joey Votto and Andrew McCutcheon). He owns an OBP of nearly .400 (.397) and ranks 2nd in all of MLB with 26 SB (and has only been caught 3 times). Before Trout's promotion the great Albert Pujols had only driven in 4 runs, yes 4, in 20 games. Since that time Pujols has driven in 47 runs in 65 games. Is Mike Trout the only reason the Angels are winning games? No. Is he a large part of it? Absolutely.

Runner-up: Yu Darvish, SP Texas Rangers

NL Rookie of the Year

Arizona SP Wade Miley

Wade Miley, SP Arizona Diamondbacks. Many people will likely tab Bryce Harper for this award which makes a lot of sense. The Nationals are currently a playoff team and the DBacks are not. Harper is getting a ton of media attention and Miley is not. However the Nationals were winning baseball games before the arrival of the phenom Harper. Whereas Miley has been the most consistent and best starting pitcher on a .500 team. He has more wins, has a lower ERA, WHIP and BAA than any of the other starters for the DBacks and that list includes Ian Kennedy who finished 4th in Cy Young voting in 2011. Miley started the season in the bullpen but after making his first start of the season on April 23rd has pitched into the 6th inning in 13 of 14 starts. He's allowed 3 runs or less in 10 of his 14 starts including a stretch of 4 straight starts only allowing 1 run. The Diamondbacks find themselves a mere 4 games out in the NL West. If Miley can have a strong 2nd Half and push them towards the playoffs he'll get much greater consideration for this award.

Runner-up: Bryce Harper, OF Washington Nationals

AL Cy Young

L.A. Angels SP Jered Weaver

This is a tough one. Through the first half of the season the AL has seen a number of pitchers lay an early claim to this award. The candidate that stands out the most though is another L.A. Angel in Jered Weaver. Despite missing nearly a month of the season Weaver continues to pace MLB in ERA (1.96) and WHIP (0.90). Weaver also has a no-hitter to his name this season after accomplishing the feat against the Minnesota Twins on May 2. In almost half of his starts (7 of 15) Weaver hasn't allowed a run (earned or unearned). In 10 of 15 starts he's only allowed 1 run or less. He's the ace of the Angels pitching staff and holds a 10-1 record. It's not difficult to see why his record is so good as Weaver doesn't rely on run support to get his victories, he does the job himself.

Runner up: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

NL Cy Young

Giants SP Matt Cain

Again just like the AL the NL has seen a number of worthy performances through the first half. It's a difficult choice but the NL Cy Young for the first half goes to Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants. Just like Weaver in the AL Matt Cain has a no-hitter to his name this season (although his was a Perfect Game). It was the first Perfect Game in Giants history (129 years) and only the 22nd in MLB history. Cain has been masterful all season when the Giants pitching staff has needed him most. Tim Lincecum has struggled horrendously and Cain has picked up the slack posting a 9-3 record with a 2.62 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. He's struck out 118 batters in 120.1 IP while only walking 24. Currently he ranks 6th in the NL in ERA, 2nd in WHIP, 4th in BAA, 4th in Ks and 2nd in IP. He trails 8 different pitchers in the NL for the lead in wins. Which begs the question why is Matt Cain the Cy Young winner in the first half? Because R.A. Dickey is the only other pitcher who can claim he's in the Top 5 of those stats. It really is a toss up between the two. Their teams hold an identical 46-40 heading into the break. The Perfect Game is really the difference right now.

Runner-up: R.A. Dickey, N.Y. Mets

AL Most Valuable Player

Rangers OF Josh Hamilton

Josh Hamilton ensures all the big AL Awards stay in the AL West. Hamilton takes the award on the strength of his bat. In 2010 he was the AL MVP after hitting .359/32/100 in 133 games. That season he posted an OPS of 1.044. In 2012 Hamilton has already eclipsed his HR total from 2011 (by 2) and is 5 shy of his 2010 season total. His OPS is a few points lower than his 2010 season (1.016). Barring any further injuries Hamilton once again has a realistic shot at a Triple Crown as he already leads in RBI and is tied for the lead in HR. He's clubbing a HR a MLB best once every 11.1 ABs for the two-time defending AL Champions. In May he became only the 16th player in MLB history to hit 4 HRs in one game. He does trail Mike Trout and David Ortiz in RC27 but his power totals should be enough to sway voters.

Runner-up: Mike Trout, OF L.A. Angels

NL Most Valuable Player

Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen

The 25 year old McCutchen's star continues to rise in relative obscurity in Pittsburgh. Although the Pirates strong season could change that very soon. McCutchen is the driving force of their offence leading the team in every important category. Like Josh Hamilton before him he could have a reasonable chance at a Triple Crown run. He leads the NL in AVG, and is third in RBI (5 behind). His HR total could be what holds him back as he is currently 6 behind 2011 MVP and NL leader Ryan Braun (who has 24). McCutchen trails only Joey Votto in RC27 in all of MLB (10.74-9.75). Without him its hard to imagine the Pirates would hold a one game lead over Votto's Reds in the NL Central at this point in the season. The surprising Pirates will need McCutchen to continue his strong season if they have hopes of making the playoffs. If he does and they do he'll be holding up an MVP trophy come the off-season.

Top Stories of the First Half

With the final weekend of baseball before the All-Star break upon us let's look back at the five most interesting stories to sweep through baseball, so far, in 2012.

R.A. Dickey

How could this man not be included? In October he will turn 38 and all he's done this season is dominate the NL like he's never done before. This is a guy who a few seasons ago not only couldn't hold down a job in a rotation but struggled to say in the Majors. He bounced between franchises (Texas, Seattle and Minnesota) before the Mets finally gave him a chance at being a full-time starter in 2010. His knuckleball seems to be mystifying hitters and has allowed him to notch, an MLB leading, 12 wins. He ranks third in ERA (2.40) and first in Ks (123) in the NL. He has more strikeouts than names like Kershaw, Strasburg and Cain. His WHIP sits at a very pretty 0.93 and leads all of baseball. On June 13th and 18th he tossed back-to-back 1 hitters. He's an early favorite for the NL Cy Young. Oh and before the season even began he released a book titled Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball. In the book he spoke about how he was sexually abused as a child. The man's overcome a lot to have, without a doubt, the best season of his career.

 No-Hitters, Perfect Games and Cycles

These feats are impressive during any season but 2012 has already seen its fair share of them. Chicago White Sox Phil Humber started us off by tossing a Perfect Game at Safeco Field versus the Seattle Mariners on April 21. Eleven days later on May 2nd Jered Weaver tossed a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins. Just about a month after that (June 1) Johan Santana tossed the first ever no-hitter in the 50 year history of the N.Y. Mets. Exactly a week later six Seattle Mariners combined to no-hit the L.A. Dodgers. Then only 5 days later Matt Cain tossed the second perfect game of the season versus the Giants. 

Hitters haven't been outdone though as less than a week after Humber tossed his perfect game Scott Hairston of the Mets hit for the cycle. Then in June when there was a break from pitching feats Aaron Hill accomplished one of the more remarkable feats in MLB history. On June 18th Hill hit for the cycle against the Mariners (Seattle has been involved in a lot this season already). Twelve short days later Hill was at it again hitting for the cycle against the Milwaukee Brewers becoming only the 4th player in MLB history to hit two cycles in one season, the second since 1900 and the first since 1931. If Hill were to hit another cycle in the remaining three months of the season he'd not only become the first player ever to do it but he'd also be tied atop the list of career cycles (3). 

Cycles now outnumber no-hitters 293-272. What a season we're having already. 

Washington Nationals Rotation  

First things first the Nationals have only used 6 starters all season with Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman and Edwin Jackson all making at least 16 starts (Ross Detwiler has made 12). Not only has the rotation stayed healthy though they've all performed. All five starters have an ERA that is lower than 3.74. Four of the five have WHIPs less than 1.16. If they continue at this pace it would be hard to imagine the Nationals not winning the NL East. They could use another bat or two in the lineup and it will be interesting to see what they decide to do at the deadline. Additionally the Nationals plan to limit Ace Stephen Strasburg's innings to 160. Hard to imagine how they'll accomplish that if the Nationals are in a playoff race. 

Here are all the starters numbers:
(W-L, ERA, WHIP, BAA, K, BB)
Strasburg - 9-4  2.82  1.10  .225  128  28
Gonzalez - 11-3  3.01  1.12  .195  112  39
Zimmerman - 5-6  2.70  1.15  .252  72  20
Jackson - 5-4  3.73  1.13  .228  76  30
Detwiler - 4-3  3.43  1.27  .249  55  26 

I'll take a 5th starter with a 3.43 ERA any day. 

Rookies  

The performance of various rookies all across MLB have caught the attention of fans and media alike. Angels Mike Trout is being hailed as the AL MVP by many. Rangers Yu Darvish hasn't been a complete flop as an import from the Japanese League and recently won the last chance vote for the AL All-Star team. Red Sox Will Middlebrooks has performed so well Boston was forced to trade fan favourite Kevin Youkilis to keep him on the field. Nationals Bryce Harper is one of the most highly touted prospects in years and at age 19 is having a solid season for the NL East leaders. Anthony Rizzo was just recently called up by the Cubs and has hit in virtually every game. Lance Lynn has moved from the Cardinals World Series winning bullpen to the rotation and all he's done is win 11 games. 

Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles

Isn't it nice to see someone else atop of the standings, especially two franchises that have struggled for so long. The Orioles haven't made the playoffs since 1997 while the Pirates haven't made the playoffs since 1992. 

The Orioles started out the season strong and have held their own in the AL East all season. Right now they sit at 45-38. That's good enough for 2nd place in the East 6 games back of the Yankees. 

The Pirates on the other hand have played well as of late and have surged into 1st in the NL Central. They currently sit at 46-37 and hold a 1 game lead over the Reds. 

With the added Wildcard this season both franchises will have a realistic chance at the playoffs if they can continue their strong play. It would be nice for baseball to have an infusion of new teams into the playoffs. At first I was against the additional Wildcard but it has certainly done its job. So many teams are in contention that normally wouldn't be. I'm glad to see Baltimore and Pittsburgh are two of those franchises. 

Imagine they faced off in the World Series? I bet no one would have predicted that in Spring. 

That's almost it for the first half, let's hope the second half is just as interesting.

A Change of Socks Was All He Needed

Don't look now Red Sox fans but Kevin Youkilis seems to be finding himself at the plate ever since Boston gift wrapped him and shipped him to the Chicago White Sox. In his 10 games with the other Sox Youk has 12 hits in 39 at bats (.308) including two home runs. He's averaging an RBI a game with the White Sox.

What must be particularly pleasing for White Sox fans is that Youkilis is doing it when it matters most. Last night he hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning to defeat the Texas Rangers and then today in the bottom of the 8th he hit what would end up being the game winning home run. It helped the ChiSox sweep one of the best teams in baseball.

Even more frustrating for Red Sox fans is the fact that Will Middlebrooks has not played a game since July 1st because of a hamstring injury.

Moving Youkilis made a lot of sense at the time. Middlebrooks needed to be in the lineup and Youkilis was flat out struggling. A change of Sox seems to have brought back the Youk of old and likely has some fans in Boston shaking their heads.

Carlos Lee is on the Move ... Finally

Over the weekend the struggling L.A. Dodgers had a deal in place to acquire 1B Carlos Lee from the Houston Astros. Instead, on Wednesday night, Lee was dealt to the Miami Marlins.

Lee nixed the deal to the Dodgers as he had a partial no-trade clause written into his Astros contract.

In Miami Lee will be reunited with his former manager Ozzie Guillen. The two spent a season (2004) together for the Chicago White Sox.

It's a curious decision to choose the Marlins over the Dodgers as Miami is mired in 4th place in the NL East, 9 games back. The Dodgers on the other hand have a 0.5 game lead over the Giants in the West. He must have chose Miami for reasons other than baseball.

The 36 year old Lee will be a free agent at the end of the season.

MLB Power Rankings

The Power Rankings serve as a tool to measure how likely it is each MLB team will succeed throughout the remainder of the 2012 season. The higher the ranking the more likely it is that a particular team will make the playoffs and ultimately compete for a World Series Title. Let's get to it.

1. Texas Rangers (50-31) - When you own the best run differential in baseball it is easy to see why a third straight World Series birth is a reasonable expectation for this club.

2. New York Yankees (48-32) - Since losing Mariano Rivera to season ending knee surgery the Yanks have posted a 35-20 record.

3. Washington Nationals (46-32) - Their young stars continue to get headlines but how about the starting rotation? The top 4 starters all have an ERA below 3.60.

4. Los Angeles Angels (45-36) - When Albert Pujols started hitting the Angels started winning. Coincidence? Probably not. Since May 1st they've gone 37-21.

5. San Francisco Giants (45-36) - On May 27th they were a season high 7.5 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West. They now hold a half game lead.

Red Sox to Employ Rare 6 Man Rotation

With Josh Beckett returning to the team on Saturday in Seattle the Red Sox have decided to carry an extra starting pitcher on their staff. For the time being - until at least the all-star break- they'll use a 6 man rotation.

It's a tricky situation for those involved and carries a number of positives as well as negatives.

The biggest positive is that Franklin Morales will continue his audition as a starter. He's had three very successful starts for the Sox since filling in for Josh Beckett on June 17th. Morales has pitched 18 innings in three starts and has only allowed a total of 5 runs (4 earned) while striking out 24 and issuing only 3 free passes.

It also means that Aaron Cook will stay in the rotation, again for the time being. Cook has made 2 starts since being activated from the DL himself. He's coming of a two-hit shutout of the Mariners on June 29th.

Another positive is the fact that it will reduce the number of innings being pitched by the starting staff. Doubront and Morales have each made less than 20 career starts in the Majors. Limiting innings pitched for young starters seems to be an emerging trend in baseball (see Stephen Strasburg). Meanwhile Beckett, Dice-K and Cook have all been on the DL this season and limiting their innings may prevent further injuries.

The negatives? It means Lester and Beckett will pitch less. Take your pick of any of the other four starters and Beckett or Lester are more likely to give you a chance to win on any given night.

It also means changing up routines. Pitchers are creatures of habit and all of them have routines in between starts. Having a six man rotation coupled with off days and some of these guys could be pitching once a week. That's something that none of them are used to.

However, above all else it seems like it could be a good idea for one very important reason: depth. The Red Sox starting staff has been decimated by injuries this season. Having someone who could step in (without needing to sign or trade for someone new) will likely aid them in their efforts to make the postseason.

It also provides an interesting decision when Clay Buchholz returns. There is no way the Sox will go to a 7 man rotation. It means 1, and at some point 2, guy(s) will be sent to either the bullpen or the minors. The Red Sox could use the pitching depth to make additions at the trade deadline. There will be no shortage of teams looking for starting pitching.

It's the first time this season injuries have proven to be helpful. It's given some unlikely pitchers the chance to prove what they can do.