MLB

It will be several years until most of the 2014 draft picks are ready for the major leagues, but that doesn't mean we can’t get excited about the professional debuts of some of baseball’s brightest young players.

Thanks to an accelerated signing deadline in mid-July that was ushered in in 2012 as part of the new collective bargaining agreement—it used to be mid-August—draft picks are now encouraged to quickly begin their professional careers.

The Red Sox made some stunning moves at the trade deadline, effectively throwing in the towel on the 2014 season.

Two months later, it's time to take a look back and see how the deals look like with some hindsight. While the overall evaluations of the moves won't be able to be fully judged until at least after 2015, there's already been some clarity on how the moves will turn out.

The Los Angeles Angels franchise has enjoyed plenty of success since being established back in 1961. While the Angels have a relatively short franchise history in comparison to some MLB teams, there has been no shortage of both team and player achievements. The Angels have seen multiple MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of Year Award winners, as well as a World Series Championship in their franchise’s history.

The big-money stars just might be coming on at the right time.

For nearly the entire season, the Los Angeles Dodgers could not get health or consistent, steady production from the bulk of their highly priced core, especially the men whose primary job is hitting.

There's less than a week left in the regular season, but there are still plenty of 2014 MLB playoff spots up for grabs.

The Detroit Tigers and the underwhelming David Price have lots of work to do before they can take home the American League Central title, while the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers have also yet to lock up their respective divisions. 

The Oakland A's could look a bit different in 2015, dependent on how the postseason plays out.

If the team doesn't make the playoffs at all, general manager Billy Beane could put everyone in cleats on the trade block. If they win the World Series, Beane may feel that after capturing that elusive ring, one in Oakland is good enough and recommit to the farm system.

Momentum. This time of year, every contender is looking for it. The magical elixir that can spark a deep October run.

So, one line of thinking goes, it can be bad (or at least dangerous) to secure a playoff spot too early. Shore up a division title, pop your champagne, then coast across the finish line—it's a recipe for complacency and an early postseason exit.

With playoff positioning and the top spot in the NL West still up for grabs, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Yasiel Puig kept the San Francisco Giants from scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th inning during Monday night's game.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, 24, is having a fantastic season and leads Major League Baseball in batting average by a wide margin at .345 (Detroit's Victor Martinez is second at .336). He's also first in the majors in hits (221) and third in steals (54).

It's been another long season for the Chicago Cubs, but as it draws to a close, it's nice seeing some of the reserves making plays even when they're not in the game.

During the top of the fourth inning of Monday night's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Cubs bullpen catcher Chad Noble snagged a foul ball heading straight toward him with one hand. The catch was good enough, but doing it while sitting and holding a cup of coffee made it even more impressive.