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With a month of the season in the books, rookies are making impacts on their teams across the majors. For some, their arrivals and performances were expected; others have been pleasant surprises. I'll be keeping track of this season's rookie class...

Blog | May 01, 2013

Call it early, call it April, tell me there are still 143 games left in the 162-game schedule, but the fact is that the Kansas City Royals have developed into a legitimate wild-card contender. They're off to a relatively fast 11-8 start. They sit...

Blog | April 26, 2013

During spring training, it's not easy to recognize which performances and numbers are legit and which are merely mirages. Spring numbers are never a truly accurate barometer of what to expect from a player during the season. Likewise, early-season nu...

Blog | April 19, 2013

Potential and upside, even track record, can carry a career only so far. At some point, a player has to put up or shut up. Baseball is a results-oriented industry and if the production isn't there, neither are you. With it being Opening Day in man...

Blog | April 01, 2013

It was an active offseason that witnessed the trade of a Cy Young Award winner, several large, multiteam trades and an inflated free-agent market. So to evaluate and rank the offseason of all 30 teams, I took into account the following factors: &...

Blog | February 12, 2013

For the most part, major league general managers have enjoyed relative stability and continuity over the last few seasons. However, with so much turnover in managerial positions the last couple of years, there's the likelihood that some general manag...

Blog | January 08, 2013

An emotional reaction was not a surprise and probably warranted. Shortly after the Miami Marlins' blockbuster trade of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson to the Toronto Blue Jays in November, Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton sent out the f...

Blog | December 21, 2012

Not every team will make a trade at this week's winter meetings in Nashville, but every team could. With that in mind, let's take a look at one player (or more) who could be on the trade block this week from each of the 30 teams. American League ...

Blog | December 02, 2012

For top prospects like Will Middlebrooks, Jurickson Profar and Wil Myers (and Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, before them), it's only matter of time before they are given starting positions and become stars in their respective lineups. Then there ar...

Blog | September 13, 2012

With increased parity and two wild-card berths available, there are fewer sellers this season than ever just before MLB's July 31 trade deadline. Because of that, conventional wisdom dictates it could be a slow go for teams in search of help. How...

Blog | July 03, 2012

With just more than six weeks before the July 31 trade deadline, the difference between buyers and sellers remains blurred. Parity and the addition of two wild-card berths has many teams on the fence about being a buyer or seller. For now, there are ...

Blog | June 12, 2012

After two months of the season, there are already some clear and obvious choices for the 2012 All-Star Game. But there are also some intriguing names as possible first-time All-Stars, too. The fans will vote the starters in; managers will pick t...

Blog | June 08, 2012

Setting expectations is one thing. Meeting them is another. For first-round picks and even players who experience some success very early in their careers, those expectations can get out of hand, especially with teams that have experienced little...

Blog | May 11, 2012

A contract never starts off "bad," per se. Obviously, a general manager signs a player to a contract with the intent that the player will help the team win, even if the GM knows the criticism over dollars and years is out there. The contract ofte...

Blog | May 04, 2012

As we all know, MLB added an extra wild-card team this year -- with the two wild cards playing a one-game playoff -- and this will no doubt have an enormous impact on how front offices handle decisions during the season. The critics of the one-ga...

Blog | April 01, 2012

With the season beginning today in Japan, it's that time of year when everyone is making predictions. I figure it's about time that I get in on the act. 1. The Philadelphia Phillies will not make the playoffs. With Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Col...

Blog | March 28, 2012