Baseball

This past offseason saw the San Diego Padres take all their chips and put them on offense. That's where they rolled the dice for 2015, and certainly where they needed to be better than they were in 2014.

Here's guessing that Padres general manager A.J. Preller is out there somewhere pumping his fist in triumph. It's early yet, but his gamble really couldn't be going any better.

Jonathan Lucroy suffered a foot injury against the Reds. Martin Maldonado replaced him at catcher. The injury is expected him to sideline him four-six weeks after the ailment occurred. 

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The Atlanta Braves have jumped out to a surprising 8-4 start in what is being considered a rebuilding season.

The Braves altered the makeup of their roster in the offseason to focus on restocking the farm system to build toward the future.

Time will tell whether or not the trades work out for the Braves.

However, there is no denying that John Hart seriously upgraded the minor league talent in the Braves farm system.

Carlos Rodon will not be long for the bullpen.

That much you can bet on. Unlike new teammate Chris Sale before him, Rodon will not be stuck in relief for his entire rookie season.

Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Scooter Gennett injured himself in just about the most bizarre way possible Sunday, cutting his hand in the shower after the team's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Buoyed by an offseason spending spree that included a long-term agreement with star Giancarlo Stanton, most expected the Miami Marlins to compete for an NL East title. A disappointing 3-10 start apparently has management reconsidering the status of manager Mike Redmond.  

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Outfielder Josh Hamilton's future with the Los Angeles Angels is very much in question, but the two sides are in talks to reach some type of resolution.

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Texas Rangers first baseman and designated hitter Mitch Moreland is dealing with an elbow injury that forced him to get scratched from Friday's lineup. He could miss a couple of weeks as a result.

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We all knew the script. In his return from a season-long suspension, Alex Rodriguez was supposed to be over-the-hill dead weight in the middle of the New York Yankees' lineup in 2015.

Evidently, he must have lost his copy. All of a sudden, A-Rod is clobbering the ball all over the place and, in doing so, carrying an otherwise sluggish Yankees offense on his shoulders.

The MLB season is only a couple weeks in, but it's never too early to look at teams' trade assets. Every team has some; the Cubs have several.

Unlike in past seasons, the Cubs may be buyers rather than sellers at this year's deadline. That could mean they're trading minor league or major league assets. It could also mean they're standing pat.

Whether they decide to trade any of these players or not, these are the Cubs' top five trade chips two weeks into the season.