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With MLB's trade deadline just six weeks away, there are presently 22 teams within eight games of making the playoffs. This means just eight teams can be considered "sellers" at this juncture. Many of the contenders are looking for elite starting pit...

Blog | June 14, 2013

"Puig-mania" is alive and well in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig has been in the big leagues for just a little more than a week, but he already has skyrocketed to the No. 2 spot on my Rookie Rankings after a historic debut wee...

Blog | June 12, 2013

It isn't hyperbole to suggest that the ripples from baseball's most recent performance-enhancing drug scandal could have an impact on the World Series. This week, ESPN's T.J. Quinn, Mike Fish and Pedro Gomez reported on "Outside the Lines" that Ma...

Blog | June 07, 2013

In their heyday during the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Houston Astros boasted a pack of "Killer B's" and routinely sat atop the National League Central. A lot has changed. Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio and Lance Berkman are long gone, the Astr...

Blog | June 05, 2013

For the first time in the history of Major League Baseball's amateur draft, teams own the ability to trade draft picks. They are the draft picks resulting from the Competitive Balance Lottery, which took place last July. In other sports you can t...

Blog | May 31, 2013

On Thursday, ESPN.com contributor Jim Bowden threw out an interesting "darkhorse" trade candidate for the Texas Rangers. He was asked, on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Fitzsimmons and Durrett show about possible starting pitchers who could be available come...

Every year there's always a group of players who reward their general managers' or signing scouts' belief in them. Struggling and failure is a fact of life in baseball, but for the players who fight through it, redemption is that much sweeter. Th...

Blog | May 29, 2013

Sparky Anderson once told me he didn't believe in anything he saw on the field until June 1. Only after two months of baseball could he have confidence a player or team's performance was legitimate. With June just around the corner, there are seve...

Blog | May 24, 2013

What a difference one offseason can make. On May 22, 2012, the Cleveland Indians found themselves atop the American League Central, sporting a surprising 23-18 record. Today, the Indians again sit in first place with an equally surprising 26-18 r...

Blog | May 22, 2013

After another win in the Bronx last night, the Seattle Mariners are just a game below .500 and in second place in the AL West. This club was built on pitching and defense, and it's strong in both areas. However, with an offense that ranks 14th in the...

Blog | May 17, 2013

Jim Bowden takes a look at a crop of young starting pitchers, the likes of which have not been since in years....

Jim Bowden compares Shelby Miller and Matt Harvey in our side-by-side analysis.

Story | Conversation | May 15, 2013

The cream of the 2013 free-agent crop was obvious and expensive. Teams entered the offseason flush with cash and spent prodigiously. Outfielder Josh Hamilton was the best position player, while B.J. Upton and Michael Bourn followed not far behind...

Blog | May 10, 2013

No, it isn't a very happy time in Southern California. SoCal fans just watched as the Lakers and Clippers got bounced out of the NBA playoffs in the first round, while the Dodgers and Angels have looked like they might not even make the playoffs. ...

Blog | May 08, 2013

In 2011, Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect Matt Moore and his electric left arm were lighting up the minor leagues. Between Double-A and Triple-A, Moore posted a combined 12-3 record with a 1.92 ERA and amassed a ridiculous 210 strikeouts in 155 innin...

Blog | May 03, 2013

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