Opinion

At this juncture, the Cincinnati Reds have no idea what they're going to do at the deadline.

They're 18-17, 6.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central and just a half game behind the final wild card spot. That makes it particularly challenging for the Reds' brass to decide what to do with this roster at such a pivotal fork in the road, one where the Reds and ace Johnny Cueto probably part ways.

If you had to take one pitcher for your DraftKings lineup on Friday, it would have to be the New York Yankees' Michael Pineda. He comes into his start against the Kansas City Royals with a 5-0 record, 2.72 ERA and 1.51 WHIP this season.

For a team that hasn't won a World Series in over 100 years and came into 2015 off a string of five straight losing seasons, it's remarkable just how much hype the Chicago Cubs are generating.

SAN DIEGO — Smoke still pouring into the desert sky from the Diamondbacks’ scorching of Stephen Strasburg the other day, the Nationals nevertheless remain white-hot.

But (whisper voice here) might they be, you know, finally ready to give up on Strasburg given his current 6.06 ERA and 1.71 WHIP while coming off statistically the worst start of his career (eight runs, seven earned in 3.1 innings)?

We're chugging toward the midpoint of May, and with another week of baseball action in the books, it's time for the latest installment of Bleacher Report's MLB Team of the Week.

In case you're just joining us: These are the guys (eight position players plus a designated hitter and starting pitcher) who've busted box scores over the past seven days. Forget their overall stats; they're being judged solely on what they accomplished between May 8 and May 14.

Never mind the National League East; there was a time not too long ago when the New York Mets seemed to be on top of the world. They were 13-3 through 16 games, the last 11 of which were all W's.

That seems like ancient history by now. The Mets began rolling downhill immediately after their 11-game win streak ended. Thursday, they hit a low point with a resounding "thud."

Things are coming to a head for the Colorado Rockies and not just because they play a mile high. Troy Tulowitzki, the longtime face of the franchise, could be on the verge of making a push to get himself removed from what has become a losing and toxic situation.

Like the real-life Family Guy chicken fight, Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre remain locked in an unending battle of wits and reflexes.

Five weeks into the 2015 MLB season, the Detroit Tigers (19-13) are looking up at the Kansas City Royals (20-12) in the American League Central Division standings.

A one-game deficit in no way constitutes “languishing,” but the Tigers are a team accustomed to being front-runners. Winning four straight division titles is testament to that.

On the mound for the New York Mets on this particular day will be an intimidating right-hander with an electric arm and all the talent he needs to be one of baseball's best pitchers.

No, it's not Matt Harvey's latest turn in the rotation. It's Noah Syndergaard's major league debut.