Opinion

Much of the focus in baseball this time of year revolves around the trade deadline, but this weekend Cooperstown, New York, will take center stage for the 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame ceremony. 

There are times when it is hard to get excited about a Hall of Fame class, like last year when the only people inducted were a former executive (Jacob Ruppert), a player who died in 1939 (Deacon White) and an umpire (Hank O'Day).

If Yasiel Puig is having a sophomore slump, it might be the best sophomore slump of all time.

There's been a lot of handwringing lately about the Los Angeles Dodgers' second-year outfielder. He's hit just one home run since June 1 and had a disastrous showing in the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game.

The swagger, suddenly, has turned to uncertainty.

The Toronto Blue Jays have gotten back into contention by winning five of their last seven games coming out of the All-Star break.

Toronto is now just three games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the top spot in the American League East. The Blue Jays are also tied with the New York Yankees for the second wild-card spot in the AL.

Fresh off of sending Chris Sale, Jose Abreu and Alexei Ramirez to Minneapolis for All-Star festivities, the Chicago White Sox began their post-All-Star break schedule by splitting six home games against the Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals

The July 31 MLB trade deadline is fast approaching, and each franchise currently finds itself in one of two categories: It's either a buyer or a seller. While contenders are looking to acquire top-tier talent in an effort to make a push for the playoffs, gutter-dwellers are aiming to offload players and their corresponding lucrative contracts.

The Seattle Mariners made their first move of the trade-deadline season on Thursday, acquiring Kendrys Morales from the Minnesota Twins.

The 2014 MLB trade deadline is right around the corner. Some teams are putting together rosters to propel them into the postseason, while others are selling talent to stock up on prospects. 

The New York Yankees are known to have very deep pockets and will do what it takes to win at any cost. Whom do you think the Yankees should add to help them climb their way to the top of the AL East?

The 2014 MLB trade deadline is just about a week away, so a lot of rumors will be swirling around. It's tough to figure out what is true and what is just smoke. It's still early, but the Cincinnati Reds have already been linked to a few players. 

Cincinnati doesn't have the payroll flexibility to make a major move unless it trades away a key player. At this point, the Reds are still in contention, so don't expect them to get rid of any important pieces.

The Toronto Blue Jays designated reliever Sergio Santos for assignment on Monday, as reported by MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm (via MLB.com).

For Santos, this move was just the latest development during what has been a very frustrating career in Toronto.

The New York Yankees have a bit of a problem.

So do the rest of the teams on the market, but the Yankees are perhaps the most notable thanks to the club's ability to remain relevant in the face of adversity.

As is the case with most of the teams looking to upgrade on the mound through free agency in the hopes of chasing a World Series, the Yankees don't have a ton of cost-effective options—especially with Cliff Lee's recent return to the mound being nothing short of a disaster.