Baseball

The Texas Rangers, beset this season by injuries and poor performance to the point where they currently own the worst record in Major League Baseball, face yet another challenge with the surprise resignation of manager Ron Washington.

With less than a month left to play in the 2014 Major League Baseball regular season, the Pittsburgh Pirates are on the outside of a playoff race looking in.  

While it is still manageable for Pittsburgh to reach the playoffs for the second straight year, it is not too soon to start thinking about what this team will look like in 2015.  

Let's take a look at 10 free agents the Pirates organization should target during this offseason.

Felix Hernandez has put together an illustrious career as the ace of the Seattle Mariners for nearly a decade, with 2014 ranking as his best season yet.

Though the offense is seemingly everyone's favorite topic when talking about the miserable season that 2014 has been, the bullpen may be the most crippling facet of this team that isn't being discussed. That is not to say that the Reds offense is good; rather, it's to suggest that the Reds offense is good enough to compete in the current landscape of MLB.

The New York Yankees need a face-lift.

It's time for things to change in the Bronx. While the team has continually avoided ultimate disaster for the past few seasons—"ultimate disaster" being a losing record—these rosters have come far too close to being a complete mess.

In reality, they've been a small spill. A tipped-over glass, if you will. There's no use crying over spilled milk, but there's plenty of reason to question why the liquid hit the floor.

2014 has been an incredibly turbulent year for teams in the AL East.

The standings look drastically different than they did a year ago, with the 2013 World Series champion Boston Red Sox dwelling in the division’s basement and the Baltimore Orioles poised to win the AL East crown for the first time since 1997.

The San Francisco Giants are in the midst of a playoff push. If successful, their fans could be in for another magical postseason run.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy is a master of motivating his players and getting the most out of them when it counts. He led the Giants to two World Series titles, even though they were usually the underdog throughout the playoffs.

Although the focus should be on the rest of this season and rightfully so, it is never too early to look at what happens after the season is concluded.

The Arizona Diamondbacks fired general manager Kevin Towers as the team is going to miss the postseason for the third straight year. The team announced the move on Friday on Twitter:

Used to be that Francisco Rodriguez was done. Right?

Sizzle slipping from his heater. Relegated to then-closer John Axford's setup man in 2011 and '12, and Jim Henderson's in '13. Going, going...

Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro exited Tuesday's game against the National League Central division rival Milwaukee Brewers with an ankle injury.

CSNChicago.com's Patrick Mooney provided the details on Castro's condition: