Opinion

With each passing week of the MLB season, the trade rumblings grow louder. That’s the way it is every year, though, as the annual frenzy that is the non-waiver trade deadline approaches.

This week has been no different.

There are the mainstay rumors involving Jeff Samardzija and the ever-present New York Yankees, of course. Over the last seven days, however, a couple of other names have surfaced on the list of MLB players who are either needed or could be available.

Everyone has an idea of what they want to happen when their team makes a selection in the Major League Baseball draft. Some fans are looking for a quick fix, while others are happy to preach patience in hopes of landing a superstar talent that will need time to develop. 

The 2014 MLB draft class has a little something for everyone, though it's become abundantly clear as the spring has gone on that the strength of this group is on the mound. Much like what you see from all 30 teams each night, offense is hard to come by. 

In a move that was surprising and seemingly came out of left field, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced last Saturday that the organization hired Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa to become the team's newly created chief of baseball operations.

In baseball, a day doesn't go by without a new story, narrative, ascending club or major injury to dominate the news cycle. It's easy to get lost in day-to-day headlines on the long, winding path of the 162-game season.

When taking a step back, however, the most interesting performances and images can emerge from a season that's barreling toward the summer months.

The full story of the 2014 season still hasn't been written, but characters are emerging, and subplots have taken shape.

In years past, we haven't gotten many excuses to ask what's wrong with Clayton Kershaw. That's a question that you ask when a pitcher is either hurt or ineffective, and Kershaw has rarely been either.

In years past, the New York Mets have been notorious for making deals that don’t pan out. While it’s still too early to determine whether Chris Young and Curtis Granderson will have a big impact for the team, one thing is for sure—they haven’t put up the numbers Nelson Cruz has so far in 2014.

Numerous injuries have depleted the Seattle Mariners’ rotation during the first quarter of the 2014 season, but the team has found a hidden gem in Roenis Elias as a result.

The Oakland Athletics are in first place in the AL West through a little more than a quarter of the season. The Athletics have won the division the past two years, but is this the year they finally go deep into the playoffs?

The A's lost two key pitchers early in the season in A.J. Griffin and Jarrod Parker, but had a great free-agent signing in Scott Kazmir. If the A's pitching staff can keep it up, expect to see Bob Melvin and Billy Beane's club go deep in the playoffs. 

In 2013, the Detroit Tigers had many people convinced they might be baseball’s best team. Boasting arguably the game’s best pitcher (Max Scherzer) and inarguably its best hitter (Miguel Cabrera), they seemed to have the necessary weapons to dominate any opponent.

Year one of the Xander Bogaerts era at shortstop is not going as planned.