Opinion

The 2014 MLB non-waiver trade deadline is scheduled for Thursday, July 31, but the buzz surrounding rumored deals has gone up exponentially with the blockbuster trade involving Jeff Samardzija and the Oakland Athletics.

Once the MLB All-Star Game and break comes and goes, well, you can bet the trade market is going to heat up more than the New York City blacktop on a July afternoon.

Nearing the All-Star break, the New York Yankees find themselves in a situation they did not expect to find themselves.  Struggling within the AL East due to injuries in their starting rotation, particularly CC Sabathia, the Yankees were expected to make moves.

With some early moves, are the Yankees on the right track?

Ernie Johnson, Cal Ripken Jr., and Ron Darling break down the Yankees' newest acquisition and a tough decision they needed to make.

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The New York Mets have a plethora of pitching prospects but only a few exciting hitting prospects. Fans know about guys like Brandon Nimmo and Kevin Plawecki, but there is one name that they might not know yet but will soon: Champ Stuart.

Derek Jeter's farewell season is in full swing, and every game in each city the Yankees visit becomes a little more special for the fans.

Each game becomes a spectacle as fans pour in to see Jeter play one last time.

In the video above, Cal Ripken Jr. and Ernie Johnson discuss Jeter's final season and how it compared to Ripken's experiences.

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The Chicago Cubs surprised the baseball world last month by selecting Kyle Schwarber out of Indiana University with the No. 4 overall pick in the first-year player draft.

It’s an annual rite of passage for every single MLB season—July rolls around and the contenders and pretenders start to talk shop.

In starting pitcher Edinson Volquez's first four games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2014, the righty went 1-0 with a 1.71 ERA.  

Suddenly, it looked like the Pirates made a great decision in signing him to a one-year deal during the offseason.  

Since the MLB All-Star Game decides home-field advantage for the World Series, the fan voting takes on a far more important role than in other sports. It's fair to debate the merits of placing such importance on an exhibition game, but it's something contending teams are forced to deal with.

Major League Baseball does so many things right by its fans, especially when it comes to putting on a show, but the one mystery the people running the sport have never figured out is the All-Star Game. 

The fan voting is an integral part of the process, as it should be. Despite what Bud Selig might have you believe, the game doesn't really count; it's just a fun way to get the biggest stars on one field to market the game.